Excerpt



"A German epidemiologist claims he has accidentally discovered a cancer cure. He has offered to sell it o Bronz. We want it. Doctor Franz Wolfang was researching the effect of the electromagnetic fields passing through the human body. Are you familiar with such research?"

"Very much so. But!" Dejay straightens in his chair. "I hear you right? You said he discovered a cure for cancer?"

"So I've been told by a Bronz executive. You realize, the Bronz Company owns control of some nine hundred other companies and corporations scattered around the world. This executive was approached to purchase the cure. He, and several doctors he summoned to witness, saw the cure work not once, but several times. What do you think?"

Dejay Horn fingers his lip wondering what fallacious nonsense had been perpetrated? He speculates, "I think if a cure has been discovered, it would be priceless. But, next follows, what are the side effects? What types of cancer will it cure? Is it regenerative. Is cancer genetically caused. Is the treatment chemical or by radiation bombardment?"

Kirkland Seagal holds up a big hand with his fingers spread as he looks down at his desk amused. "Hold on, Dejay!" He looks up without his grin. "I don't know the answers. I'm told it is some kind of pill that works wonders in five days. Frankly, I don't believe it, but we wish to hire you to test it. You're a physician and an epidemiologist like Franz Wolfang and were an undercover agent. Dejay, we aren't just sending you in to witness the miracle cure work. We'll send a pathologist with you, but it's your stealthy assignment to prove the cure is phony. If it is. Your emolument will be huge because of the jeopardy of personally testing the pills on cancer ridden patients. Some competitor desperate to obtain the cure, could kill you to steal the pill."

Dejay solemnly clears his throat. "Great! How much does this pay?

Kirk's steel blue eyes lock onto Dejay. "You receive Fifty thousand dollars up front and twenty-five thousand a week while conducting tests. Maybe six weeks. If you can prove the pill positively cures cancer, you receive an additional one million dollars. But if you can prove it is phony, well pay you two million dollars. I'll be with you at all times. With the risks involved, we can't send in some gullible doctor to be fooled. You're going to have to quietly question everything you see and are told. So will your subordinate pathologist. Realize, a hoax of this magnitude may be so damn clever it is fool proof."

"I don't see how. Malignant tumors are not self contained. They infect surrounding tissue and by a process called, metastasis, break out in other parts of the body. When I see a malignancy cured in five days by a pill, I'll believe it. But only when both the pathologist and I have verified the tumor was not benign and building from mitosis."

"Whatever. I'll help you and protect your back. The way I see it, you and I are both in double jeopardy. It occurs, if the pill is phony, then the bastards perpetrating the hoax would kill us to prevent our blowing the whistle." Kirk watches Dejay grimace and adds, "Life threatening positions with Bronz carry one million dollars of life insurance with double indemnity when murdered."

"When murdered? Id prefer you said, if. What are you being paid to protect me?"

"No bonus. I'm paid a million a year. They would have to kill me first to get to you. Killing me has been tried before."

"Were you protecting someone?"

"Yeah. They blew the guy all to hell! Hah! Just joking. Dejay, you risked your neck infiltrating radicals. The fanatics killed numerous do-gooders where you were. Thing is, if you go into this timid, you'll learn nothing. You gotta be a bastard. Doubt the word of everybody. You'll make enemies; hopefully not lethal ones. You still game?" He shoves the contract to Dejay.

Dejay quickly views the one page contract and sees it has already been signed by executive Vice President, Theo D. Zolder, and Kirkland Seagal, as witness. It is dated today. Dejay glances up. "You were sure of me?"