Death Dealer. They started with blackmail. They ended with murder.

By Ian Brett

Death Dealer is the first novel in the new Max Blake thriller series. Max is introduced helping an old friend - an M.P. with a problem. The story moves from the worlds of parliament, finance and pharmaceutical development to the murky world of organised crime where blackmail, violence and murder are just the price of doing business. Max has just a few hours to act to prevent the end of his friends career or even his death. He needs all his past experience in the military and his contacts in 'The Consultancy' to survive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: C21p
• Release date: Jun 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310885631

Book preview

Death Dealer

By Ian Brett

First published in 2014 by 21st Century Publishing (C21P) Copyright Ian Brett. The moral right of Ian Brett to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are products of the author's imagination and are complete fiction. Any resemblance to individuals either living or dead is unintended.

Chapter 1: Disaster

"You can’t go public with these results, they’ll finish us. £50 Million straight down the fucking toilet. Tom looked furiously at Miller, his eyes wide, his nostrils flared. He looked, capable of anything. It would be the end - is that what you want?"

For God’s sake man, we can’t keep them quiet. Zanol doesn’t work - it could even be lethal in some cases! Protested Miller.

How the hell can that be? I just don’t get it. You said it worked brilliantly in animal testing, so what’s suddenly gone wrong now?

Miller determined to maintain a professional attitude. He refused to lose his temper. It’s not a case of me or anyone else getting things wrong. Drug development is unpredictable by definition. Clinical trials mean tests in real people. When we get to that stage we start small. We tried Zanol on five volunteers and against all predictions four of them got serious low dose side effects. Why do you think it costs so much to get a new drug on the market? Anyway there is no way this drug will get a licence now.

Tom Patterson just sat, his head in his hands rocking backwards and forwards.

Look, that’s why the rewards are so high. You know this.

Eh? Tom was sinking into himself. He hardly heard Miller.

The rewards are high because of the risk of failure. You can’t predict what a drug will do in the human body till it’s been tried. We’ve spent just over £50 Million to get here. The average cost of developing a new drug is over £5 Billion, because when new drugs are tested in humans 95% of them fail to be both effective and safe.

Still no answer from Patterson.

"Look you’re the Venture Capitalist, you must have known this.

But everything you said sounded so good.

Yes but as I also told you, this is the stage when most drugs fail. We have three other molecules we can look at. We will just have to continue with them.

Patterson stood up, grabbed a cup and flung it into the corner. For a moment they were both silent, watching a muddy trickle of coffee drip slowly down the wall to stain the white carpet. That’s the fucking problem, he said, there is no more money, we’ve spent it all.

"I get that, it’s a huge setback but …-

But!

But, using your financial contacts and the results we’ve got so far on the other three molecules we can raise more cash and try again. It shouldn’t affect the viability of our long term plan.

It will if I can’t raise the fucking money!

He’s beginning to lose it, thought Miller. Look, Tom, that’s what you do. You’re the money man, the successful Venture Capitalist. For God’s sake no one in this sector is put off by one failure - it’s just what happens, it’s expected.

Clunk … clunk… CLUNK. Miller was amazed to see the financier banging his head against the wall. Then turn, his arms waving. That’s the fucking point, I’m not.

Eh... not what? Said Miller his voice wavering.

Not successful. My last five investments have all blown up in my face, none of them will ever make any money. This will be the sixth.

Oh my God, this is what they warned me about, they said he was unsound. So you’re telling me that even though we have three viable alternatives no one will fund their development.

Tom sat silent. Slowly panic began to leave his face as somewhere deep inside his brain started functioning again. Hang on, shut up and let me think. He sat down, his eyes wild but never leaving Miller’s face.

Not a word was said for ten minutes then he began to smile. OK, perhaps I can see a way out of this.

Miller opened his arms wide. So let’s hear it.

Right, just hear me out, don’t interrupt with your bloody questions and objections till I’ve finished. Just nod if you agree. Right?

OK.

The lab and animal tests have been fine?

Miller nodded.

The only problem is with the human clinical testing?

Miller nodded wearily. He could guess what was coming next.

"Well instead of going to big pharma with completed phase O testing, we launch the shares now with just the lab work. You said lots of companies do that.

For fuck’s sake Tom, that is BEFORE they do clinical trials, you can’t float a company hiding results that you know make it worthless.

"I don’t see why not. Look, it won’t be worthless, what about the other molecules? We know they will work, so we raise more cash on the initial results, develop the new molecules and no one will be any the wiser - everyone will make money. It’s so obvious - you just have to keep quiet.

No.

What the hell do you mean no?

I won’t be involved in fraud. I have my scientific reputation to consider - apart from which it’s just immoral. This drug failed and the other three might as well. What would we do then?

Tom was silent for a moment. Then he held his hands up in supplication as if pushing Miller away. OK perhaps you’re right, how about this? Give me a few days before you make the results public. Meanwhile I’ll try to raise more funds so we can carry on. I’ll start today give me…, he appeared to be ticking off a list of tasks in his mind, give me till the end of the week - that’s only three days. I’ll see if I can come up with something new. If I can’t then we’ll do it your way and go public.

Miller was relieved. Perhaps he’s seen sense…It’s good to stand your ground…No downside to a few days grace….I really want to finish this project. OK, yes, as long as I can have first sight of any agreements you come to, I agree to three days.

Great, you won’t regret it.

He was right. Miller never did.

Chapter 2: Crash

Something isn’t right but ….no time.

The noise is deafening. I can hardly hear Charlie’s directions over my headset. Foot flat on the floor I snap the leaver into 4th .We shoot up the hill at max revs, gravel peppers the underside of the car. I can see the crest of the hill but it’s all faith after that.

Caution Jump into right 2 tightens, don't cut, 100 oversquare right. 

We take off from the crest of the hill at over 70 mph and as Charlie had shouted crash down into a right hand bend. Shedding speed I drift us round the corner, tyres scrabbling desperately for grip on the loose gravel. A bolder on the inside, so no cutting the corner; then into a 90 degree bend.

400 flat to K

Flat out for 400 meters then…? Then nothing.

Shit! I’ve lost -

I’m on my own. Fuck knows how sharp the corner is or what happens next.

It’s another 90 degree. I just manage to slide us round. The road snakes back on itself.

No chance.

There’s a wooden farm gate in front of us and I aim for that. At this speed we’ll crash straight through. An immense BANG, a shard of wood shatters the windscreen and we’re in the field. Sheep scatter in front of us. We hit a drinking trough,