Deadly Cover-Up, page 4
She bit her bottom lip, then continued, “A couple of days later, I decided I needed to talk privately with Samantha and get her take on what had happened to Sparks. She was scared and wasn’t willing to see me at first. Finally, she agreed, and we set an appointment for Thursday morning. Then she died in a car accident that very day on her way into the office. When I heard, at first, I was too terrified to do anything, but then I discovered that Southeastern was cleaning house, and the entire Mintax program was shut down. All of the specimens and reports had suddenly disappeared, as well. It was as if the entire project never even existed. I knew I had to do something. I couldn’t let Southeastern get away with killing Sparks and Samantha, and all of those people that participated in the human trials. I also knew that I had to disappear, too, or I would be the next one in a grave. As soon as I heard about Samantha, I went straight to the US Attorney’s Office, and I’m sure someone followed me. I am convinced I wouldn’t have survived the day if I hadn’t left at that very moment.”
“So what happened?” Ben asked.
“Apparently, Southeastern Labs was already on the US attorney’s radar, and the government had been slowly building a case against the company for fraud, kidnapping and murder due to the illegal testing. Sparks had been working with the prosecution team to help with the case, so when he died, they immediately started looked for another source. After Samantha died, I became that source. They had already planned to talk to me when I walked through their door.”
“What about Southeastern and the financial fallout?” Ben asked. “As you said, they spent a fortune developing Mintax. Even if they shut the program down, the company couldn’t just write the losses off if they didn’t have a drug to show for it—even a failed one.”
Jordan’s lips thinned. “I agree, but I don’t know all of the ins and outs of the financial side of things. I’m not sure how Sam Delvers decided to deal with the losses. I heard something about them trying to produce it in a third world country, but I don’t know if that is true or not. I really don’t know what their final decision was, or how they were planning to survive the financial disaster the drug caused.”
Ben was silent for a long time, and Jordan could tell that he was processing everything that she had told him. It was quite a story, and she realized it sounded far-fetched. Reputable pharmaceutical companies didn’t usually resort to murder to clean up their messes, but there had been a lot going on at Southeastern—a lot she couldn’t explain and was still trying to figure out. She had been high enough in the management hierarchy to know the specifics about Mintax, but not high enough to know how Southeastern had chosen to deal with the various problems the company faced as a result of the drug’s failure.
Ben’s eyes were intense. “So, what happened next? Did you testify against Southeastern? How did it all turn out? I haven’t heard a thing about this on the news.”
“Southeastern had some incredibly talented attorneys that were also unscrupulous. When they deposed me, I felt like I was the criminal. They twisted everything I said. When I finally did testify, I could tell the case wasn’t going well. I don’t know everything that happened because they wouldn’t let me sit in the courtroom during the testimony, but I do know that the case ended up being dropped and the whole situation was basically swept under the rug. The marshals moved me to a midsize town in South Carolina, and then basically ignored me, even when I told them I saw a suspicious man following me on several occasions.” She took a deep breath. “The man I was worried about kept popping up at strange places, and there was no doubt he was going to hurt me. At one point, he even tried to run me off the road.” She shifted uncomfortably. “I knew it was just a matter of time before I ended up like Samantha and Jeremy. I still had some money left, so I came back to Jacksonville. Then yesterday, I saw the same man who tried to kill me in South Carolina. He followed me here.”
Finally, Ben spoke, and she saw raw pain in his eyes. “I still don’t understand why you didn’t come to me when you heard about Sparks’s and Samantha’s deaths—or even before that when you first discovered there was a problem at Southeastern. You must have considered your options and decided what to do before you knocked on the door at the US Attorney’s Office. I work at the Sheriff’s Office. I was your fiancé. I could have protected you. We could have worked through this together. Instead, you disappeared, and I thought you were dead.”
Jordan tensed and pushed some of her hair behind her ear as fear squeezed her stomach. Had her past actions destroyed Ben’s willingness to help her? She knew her story sounded far-fetched, and she was asking him to take a lot on faith. As she watched his face, however, she realized that he did believe her. The problem was that her disappearance had broken his heart. How could she make him understand? She leaned forward and gently touched his arm. “You’re right. I should have. I’m so sorry, and I know words aren’t going to erase how much I hurt you.” She removed her hand and leaned back. “I also know you’re good at your job, and you could have protected me, but I was terrified. I thought that if I involved you, you would become collateral damage when they came after me, or they would come after you, too, once they realized you were a threat.” She bit her bottom lip, then pushed forward. “Two of my colleagues had just been murdered. I wanted to protect you. I didn’t want you killed because of me.”
He took a moment to digest her words, and she could tell that he was still struggling with her explanation. He rubbed his hand across his eyes in a tired, drained motion. Finally, he spoke again. “So what changed? Why are you here now?” She could hear the hurt in his voice, and it fueled the regret she had already been feeling.
“I need help,” she said softly. “I thought I could do this on my own, but I can’t. The marshals wouldn’t help me. And I finally realized you’re the only one that can. Southeastern hurt a lot of people and developed a very nasty drug. They were never held accountable, and I’m the only one who knows it. Now Southeastern wants me dead. I didn’t know what else to do or where else to go.”
Ben was silent again, apparently mulling over her words. Finally, he made a decision. “Tell me what you need.”
She let out a sigh of relief. She had been holding her breath, waiting for his answer, and hadn’t even realized it. “I have to get proof of the Mintax drug and what it can do, and I need to bring that and what they did during the human trials out into the open so we can prove they lied about the drug’s properties. I also need to show that they killed my boss and Samantha. They won’t need to kill me if Mintax and Southeastern’s actions are no longer a secret. But right now, it’s just my word against theirs.”
“And where do you propose we get this proof?”
“That I don’t know. Maybe you can help me track down some people who know more than they think they do. There also has to be something left on Southeastern’s computers, but they revoked my access to their servers.” She shifted. “The company doesn’t like loose ends. Someone there sent that man to kill me yesterday. I’m sure of it. I’ve been renting out a small cottage, but I’ve been afraid to even go out much because I knew they were searching for me.” She tightened her arms around her leg once again. “When I went to the grocery store yesterday, that was the first time I’d left my place in days. When I got to the store, I saw a man following me. I don’t know if he figured out where I was living or not, but I just couldn’t go back and take that chance.”
Ben raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure it was the same man you saw in South Carolina?”
She nodded. “Positive. When I saw him, I ran out of the grocery store, but he followed me and tried to kill me in the parking lot. I managed to escape, but he shot me in my arm, which slowed me down. I ran across the road, and he got hit by a car when he tried to follow me. I think he’s probably dead, but I don’t think it will take them long before they send someone else.”
Suddenly, they both heard the sound of glass breaking. Ben immediately grabbed his pistol and put his finger to his lips, urging her to stay silent. She nodded, her heart beating so loudly she was sure the intruder could hear it.
“Someone’s in the house,” Ben whispered. “Stay here and crawl between the bed and the wall. I’ll be back.”
FIVE
Ben low crawled toward the kitchen, his Glock in his hand. He hadn’t heard any voices, but he could tell from the sound of the glass that someone had broken a windowpane in his back door, and the prowler had probably reached in and unlocked and opened the door. Still close to the floor, he glanced quickly around the hallway wall that led to his kitchen. The hall light offered some illumination, but all he could really see was the shadow of a man who was slowly entering his house with his gun drawn. The intruder seemed to be alone, and Ben hoped there was only one man to contend with instead of several. He said a silent prayer for strength and wisdom, secured his pistol in his belt, then took a breath and quickly jumped up and charged the man, reaching for his gun hand and hoping to disarm him.
The element of surprise worked in his favor, and he managed to knock the gun from the man’s hand and it went flying, clattering against the floor several feet away. The trespasser didn’t give up easily, though, and he landed a punch in Ben’s stomach before Ben could block him. Pain radiated throughout his gut. He grimaced and prevented the next punch, then landed one of his own on the man’s chin. The intruder staggered back, but shook off the blow, straightened and came at Ben again. Ben reacted quickly, his law enforcement training immediately sending him into action. Ben was a big man, but this criminal was large, as well—and obviously a well-trained adversary. He took several steps and then launched himself at Ben, tackling him around the shoulders and pushing him back against the kitchen table with the force of his attack. Ben couldn’t stop his momentum, and he heard the table splintering beneath their combined weight as they fell to the floor with the broken wood. The stranger was reaching for his throat in an effort to strangle him, and Ben pushed against his hands.
Not today, Ben thought silently, and he broke the man’s grip and heaved the man to the right. The intruder rolled but grabbed a broken table leg as he did so. Before Ben could stop him, he was on his feet again and threatening Ben with the table leg as if it were a baseball bat.
Ben was done playing games. He pulled out his pistol and pointed it directly at the man’s midriff, even though he was still laying amongst the pieces of the broken table. “Freeze, buddy, or your next move will be your last.”
The stranger stopped, motionless, and Ben tried to take in his features. He was wearing black cargo pants, army boots and a black long-sleeved T-shirt that was just tight enough to show that the man was heavily built and muscular. His eyes were dark, and he had short brown hair cut in a military style. His face was unshaven, and there was a small scar, about half an inch long, under his left eye, that had healed long ago. Ben didn’t recognize the man, but he knew a formidable foe when he saw one. This aggressor wasn’t someone who just happened to be burglarizing his house. If Ben had to guess, he figured the man was a hired gun sent to silence Jordan. Nothing else made sense.
As if on cue, Jordan chose that moment to come into the kitchen. “Are you okay?” she asked. “I heard...” Her voice dropped away as she saw the scene in front of her.
The criminal threw the table leg at Jordan, and it caused the distraction he needed to turn and disappear out the back door he had entered only moments before. Jordan ducked behind the wall, but not before the end of the wood caught her in her injured arm above the elbow. She cried out, and Ben instantly decided to let the man escape. Instead of chasing after him, he quickly secured his weapon in his waistband and stood, then went to Jordan’s side and pulled her into an embrace. For the first time since her return, she welcomed his touch, and Ben reveled in the feel of having her in his arms once again.
“Are you okay?” He ran his fingers lightly over her arm, testing for injury. “I thought I told you to stay in the bedroom.”
Jordan rubbed her wounded arm but nodded at him. “It hurts more than before, but it isn’t broken. I’ll be alright.” She looked up into his eyes. “I heard the noise and got worried. Then when it stopped, I thought it was safe to come out. I’m so sorry—I didn’t mean to cause this kind of problem for you. He must have followed me here.”
“It’s not your fault, Jordan. Anybody who knew even a little bit about you would have figured that you would eventually come knocking on my door. They probably had my house under surveillance, just waiting for you to appear.” He shifted, still holding her close. “Now it’s time to take this to law enforcement for help. I’ll call Frankie, and we’ll...”
“No!” she said quickly. “We can’t go to the police.”
Ben shook his head. “Jordan, I’m a deputy at the Sheriff’s Office. That hasn’t changed since you disappeared. You know that. A crime has been committed. Actually several, including the one that just happened here tonight in my own house. That means we report it. I can’t just let it go.”
Her eyes widened, fear mirrored back at him. She pulled away from him and wrapped her arms around her chest. “I can’t go to the authorities yet,” she said adamantly. “I don’t have any new proof. The US attorney won’t even pursue this if I can’t give him something more than we had before.”
“Then we find proof—the legal way. We get warrants, subpoenas, whatever we need...”
“No!” she said again, this time her voice rising in pitch. She was close to hysterics and she wrapped her arms around herself. “I can’t. They’ll come after all of you. This is big. Really big. Someone else will get hurt.”
He took a step toward her, then another, but she backed away, still unwilling to let him in. He dropped his hands, frustrated. He was a law enforcement officer. He couldn’t just ignore what she’d told him. Her story had to be investigated. If someone at Southeastern had ordered the deaths of two scientists, they had to be held responsible. And if they had indeed created a drug that was harmful to the public and had done illegal human trials, the proper authorities needed to know about that, too, and they had to be stopped. If the Feds didn’t want the case, maybe the state attorney would be willing to take a crack at it. Deciding how to move forward legally went way above his pay grade, but he knew he had a duty to delve into the case, either way. He couldn’t just go on without doing his job. “I don’t understand what you want from me, Jordan. I know you’re scared, but you came to me for help, and I’m offering it now. Let me help you.”
She leaned against the wall, clearly shaking. Without realizing it, she had backed herself into the corner. “I don’t know what I expected, Ben. Maybe I was hoping you’d help investigate Southeastern off the books. It’s a catch-22 situation. I need your help, but if you do, I’m putting you in danger. I’m just so tired. I can’t think straight. I don’t know the right answer here.”
Ben’s chest felt like someone was squeezing it. It hurt to see her suffering like this. She was usually so confident and sure of her choices. She still had dark circles under her eyes, even though she’d slept for a couple of hours, and she looked as if exhaustion was consuming her from the inside out. She was obviously running on fumes and stressed to the maximum. He said a silent prayer.
Dear, God, please convince her that I’m here to help. Let her trust me.
He waited another minute, and the silence stretched between them. Finally, he ran his hand through his hair and spoke again. “I’ve got to call Frank and report the intruder. If Southeastern is behind all of this, they won’t stop now. They’ll assume that we’ve talked and that I know what you know.” He gentled his voice. “We’ll take this one step at a time, okay? First, we deal with what just happened here tonight. Then we’ll figure out our next move.”
“Our next move?” she finally said softly, a question in her voice.
“Yes, our next move,” he answered. “I’m not going to let you face this threat alone, Jordan. Somehow, we’ll get to the bottom of this, and someone is going to be held accountable for those deaths. That much I promise you.”
* * *
Jordan had no more patience, endurance or energy left. She moved a chair into a corner of the living room, and watched warily as the Sheriff’s Office personnel stepped around the broken table and swarmed around Ben’s home. Two officers were talking to Ben as they collected evidence from the gun the intruder had left behind, while a woman was dusting the door frame for fingerprints. Jordan recognized them all by sight as colleagues of Ben’s that she had met while they were dating, but the only one she truly knew was Franklin Kennedy, Ben’s partner. They had double-dated several times with Frank and Bailey, Frank’s wife, and she had liked both of them immensely. Still, she couldn’t get past the fear that something horrible would happen to them all now that they knew about Mintax and Southeastern. Her colleagues’ deaths terrified her, pure and simple. In fact, before Samantha and Jeremy had died, she had never even known someone who had been murdered. The deaths had been sudden and tragic. Now she was responsible for putting even more lives at risk. But what else could she have done? She really was out of options. She had limited resources left—very little money and no house or apartment to go to where she even felt safe. Southeastern’s henchmen were closing in, and the intruder tonight would have killed her for sure if Ben hadn’t stopped him.
