Adverse Effects

By Gerald Crawford

Alexander Ford is a salesman just trying to make a decent living. He enjoys the single life, traveling, and having a good time. His whole world changes when the company he works for, Ryan Pharmaceuticals, is acquired by rival CamCorp Pharmaceuticals. Who knew he would be drawn into a world of lies, deceit, and death all in the name of profit. Camcorp's new CEO, Roger Cameron Jr., is driven to cure cancer which he will do at any cost. He is blinded by greed and doesn't let anything or anyone get in his way. Alex becomes one of Camcorp's top employees and becomes the Director of Research and Development. His one saving grace is meeting the love of his life and contemplating the new life choices that are presented to him. Unfortunately, unknown to him, he is just a pawn in a game controlled by a sinister mind who goes by the handle, Rogue. Rogue's agenda draws Alex into his world only to convert Alex from salesman extraordinaire to detective. Alex must partner with the FBI and the CDC to track Rogue after he discovers that Rogue is responsible for the drug trial fiasco that ensues at CamCorp Pharmaceuticals ultimately bringing down the company and it's CEO.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Dec 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781682228036

Book preview

72

1

February mornings in New York are frigid and gray for the most part, making it difficult to get out of bed. This morning was no different than most except that it was the anniversary. There would be no celebration, no surprise dinner, and no gift. This February 1st is the one-month anniversary of my wife’s death. I go through my morning ritual of shaving and showering but instead of my work clothes I don a dark suit for the trip to the cemetery.

The drive is quiet without the normal arduous commute. Everyone is going the opposite direction into town. Cat is buried in a hillside plot in the local cemetery. She always liked the view of the town from the cemetery so I bought the plot so we would always have a place to spend our eternity together. Now standing here the view of the town isn’t as nice as I once thought. The fresh layer of snow masks the sorrow of all the loved ones buried here. The view of the covered landscape and the barren trees adds to my sadness.

I’m sure the question is asked over and over by anyone who’s lost a loved one too young, but Why???? Dr. Catherine Allen Ford was born June 21, 1985 in a small town in rural Connecticut just across the New York border. We met at a sales conference in Hartford, Connecticut less than two years ago and immediately fell in love. We were married a year later, much to the chagrin of her father, a hometown doctor who still made house calls. She died rather suddenly from what the doctors could only speculate was a genetic attack on her immune system at the cellular level. Unfortunately, there was no doctor or no medicine available that could make the pain go away for her or for me.

So here I am, clearing off her grave marker, laying yellow roses across the dates Born: June 21, 1985; Died: January 1, 2014, and still wishing that we had the chance to spend another thirty years together. It doesn’t seem like a very long time but life on Planet Earth doesn’t offer much hope for a long and prosperous life. I try not to think about the day, the memories are still too fresh and painful as I go about the task at hand. I miss you Cat. How do I go on without you? I ask myself. The same questions I have asked for the past month.

My thoughts are interrupted by the vibration of my cell phone. I glance at the incoming call and recognize the number I have seen a thousand times before. Work! I let it go to voice mail. I told my assistant that I wouldn’t be available all day and that I didn’t want to be disturbed. Unfortunately, this is an all too familiar occurrence that always was a source of heated discussions with Cat about bringing work home.

After kneeling in the snow for what seemed like an hour, I realize the knees of my pants are completely soaked through. I get up and head back to the car so I can finish the rest of my day at home in peace. Lord knows after all that I have been through that is the very least I can hope for. As I reach the car my phone vibrates again. I glance to see that once again it’s work. What can be so damn important that they need to keep bothering me? I ask myself. Just leave me alone! I yell at the phone, as if it will magically respond to my every thought.

I arrive home a little after 1:00PM and change out of my mourning clothes and into something more appropriate, my sweats. I grab the first thing I can find in the refrigerator to eat, a brick of cheese, and a cold beer. There is nothing better than extra sharp cheddar cheese and a dark lager to soothe my aching heart. I curl up on the couch and turn on the TV to one of the national news channels and slip back into my thoughts. Cat, I wish you were here. There are too many unanswered questions. I wish you could answer this nagging question, why? I need to know if it was worth it. I drift off realizing that she is not going to answer me today. Or any day for that matter.

I awake to the vibration of my phone on the coffee table. It’s work again! This time I decide that I will answer it and give the caller hell for their lack of respect.

What is so damn important that you need to interrupt my day of mourning? I say rather perturbed.

Mr. Ford, its Angie at the office. I am sorry to bother you, but I felt that this was too important to wait until tomorrow to inform you.

I wait a moment and reply, What is that important that can’t wait?

She said, The results from the testing have come back positive. The team has found the cause and possibly the individual responsible.

Stunned I reply, Send me the data at home and I will review it and be there as soon as I have double checked the team’s work, and Angie, I’m sorry I spoke to you so harshly, you did the right thing!

I entered my home office and turned on my computer. I went into my bedroom to get dressed while the PC went through its normal boot process. After getting dressed I went back to the office to log into my corporate email account and check the in box. Thirty-five messages, most of which were from my team sending their condolences, the rest were of drug company solicitations and memorandums that I received on a daily basis.

As the head of a privately held pharmaceuticals company today’s email was rather lite. Maybe it was the auto response I set up for today. My wife died last month, I will be out of the office to mourn her passing! Actually, it was the standard I will be out of the office today and will have limited access to email. I will be in the office tomorrow if you need to reach me.

After several minutes of staring at my computer I realized Angie had not sent the data I requested. I dialed the office.

Yes Mr. Ford? she replied on the third ring.

Angie, have you sent the data we spoke of earlier? I asked.

I put it on our secure FTP site, sir. I didn’t want it in the public domain due to the sensitivity of the information.

I’m sorry. I’m just not thinking straight today. Thanks for your help! I replied.

No problem, sir. Just let me know if you need anything else. She said as she hung up the phone.

Angie was definitely an asset to have at the office. My life would be chaos right now if I didn’t have her. She kept me focused throughout Cat’s sickness, the funeral, and the final arrangements of her estate. Good help like that is hard to come by especially with the sense of entitlement most employees have.

I log into the company’s secure FTP site and download the eighty-five-page summary report and the sixty-two-page data sheet. Without opening either document I send them to the printer. I have always found it easier to review information on a printed page as opposed to the computer screen. After waiting several minutes for the printer to warm up and print the files, I log off the server and take the printed files and sit in my leather side chair by the window.

I scan the summary report as phrases like conclusive evidence and genetic anomaly get repeated over and over. I look at the data sheet and the only conclusion I can come to is that after sifting through all of the research, I now believe I know what killed my wife, but then again I’ve always known. Unfortunately, the data is too raw to speculate even though it’s too late for Cat.

Lucky for them, my team is unaware that the last several weeks they have been working on what caused the death of my wife, which I already had that information.

2

The sales conference was scheduled for Thursday - Saturday, August 16th – August 18th at the Hilton in Hartford, Connecticut. I was the keynote speaker scheduled to present my company’s research into genetic cures for some of the most prolific diseases; breast cancer, colon cancer, and testicular cancer to name a few. It was sure to be three days filled with boredom, late night drinking, and shaking hands with two thousand people I really didn’t care to know. As the top salesman for CamCorp, the world’s fifth largest pharmaceutical company, I was required to attend and champion the company’s vision of the future A World Without Disease Through Genetics I, of course, was happy to oblige considering the company paid me annually $2.5 million in salary, commission, and bonuses.

My secretary, Angela Moore, made all the arrangements. I chose not to fly the corporate helicopter for the short flight from their headquarters in Middletown, NY to Bradley International Airport in Hartford, but rather drive my 2012 Chevrolet Camaro convertible. My friends always said I was an idiot for buying an American car let alone a convertible in the Northeast, but I was always fond of the great American muscle cars of the sixties and seventies. It had a lot to do with my brother, who when he was alive, drove a 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle. It had over 500 horsepower and could leave a quarter inch of rubber at every green light if you held the gas pedal to the floor.

I packed my bags Wednesday morning. Three dark suits, three casual outfits, driving clothes for the trip there and back, and of course all the other necessities. I also brought along my camera. I enjoy taking pictures of landscapes, especially through the back roads of rural New York and Connecticut. I hate to drive the highway when there is no rush to get there. I choose instead to lower the top and take the more leisurely ride through the countryside with the wind in my hair and the sun on my balding head.

It takes me a little over three hours to reach the hotel. Not much traffic this time of day going into Hartford. I stopped along the way and photographed several small farms with their cows in the field as well as the flowering weeds along the roadside. Summer in New England is winding down and the trees are already showing signs that Fall is fast approaching which makes for some dramatic landscape photos, especially with the clouds in the sky and the summer sun approaching the western horizon.

I checked into the hotel a little after 6:00PM after stopping at a local bar for a quick beer and a burger. The company has afforded me a full suite with all the upgrades including full access to the mini bar. The room looks out over the Hartford skyline and the highways below from the fifteenth floor. I am not here for the views, I’m just here to fulfill my corporate responsibilities. The crowds of people I can live without. A warm shower and a cold beer later, I’m ready to settle in and watch the local news for the evening. The next three days will be more than enough excitement and I will need all the sleep I can get now because there won’t be much of that in the next seventy-two hours. I call the front desk to schedule my wakeup call for 5:00AM. That will give me plenty of time to get dressed and have a little breakfast before the General Welcome Session begins at 8:00AM.

I awake to the shrill of the phone promptly at 5:00AM. After a quick shower and shave, I am dressed in the first of my three dark grey suits, and head for the lobby to our meeting rooms and the continental breakfast that has been prepared for the group. I am not big on crowds, so I make my way to the buffet tables, grab a bagel and some bacon, and head for a small table in the corner where I don’t have to share my space with too many people. I need my caffeine boost for the day. I never acquired the taste for coffee, instead I head to a vending machine off the lobby for a bottle of Coke.

As 8:00AM fast approaches, the crowds begin to herd themselves towards the main ballroom to begin the day’s presentations, lectures, and product demonstrations. I get several nods of recognition from various people in the crowd from last year’s conference in Boston, but I can’t remember anyone’s name. That is due in large part from the quantities of alcohol consumed after each session, and waking up in various rooms at all hours of the night stumbling back to my room to get whatever sleep I can before the next day began.

The conference drudges on in typical fashion, as if the clocks have stopped working. I look at my watch at least a hundred times every hour, hoping for today’s festivities to be done and over. At some point during the afternoon session, as I was beginning to nod off for a much needed nap, I noticed a beautiful young lady get up and head for the door with her cell phone pressed to her ear. She was unlike anyone I had seen at previous conferences, mostly because they were filled with old physicians, pharmacists, and clinicians all trying to learn what the latest products on the market were going to be.

I needed a break from the excitement so I stood and followed her out of the ballroom. I played as if I needed to use the restroom and headed past her giving her my best million-dollar smile. She was a vision of beauty, with long dark hair and eyes the color of ice blue water. It was her eyes that left a permanent imprint on my mind. I went into the men’s room and splashed some cold water on my face, and checked to make sure nothing from lunch was left in my teeth. As I exited, much to my surprise, she approached me as if she knew who I was.

You’re Alexander Ford, tomorrow’s key note speaker, correct? she said.

I didn’t know what to say at first, due in large part to my heart melting at the direct effect of her ice blue eyes. I recovered quickly before making myself out to be a drooling Neanderthal. I am, but please call me Alex. You are? I replied.

My name is Dr. Catherine Allen. I am a research assistant with Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. She said extending her hand out towards me.

Dr. Allen, what is your interest in a pharmaceutical sales conference? I asked shaking her soft but firm hand.

I’m here for your presentation tomorrow. I’ve always been interested in new and improved ways to fight diseases and search for cures, she stated.

I didn’t know what to say at first, not that I’m ever at a loss for words, but there is a first time or everything. I never had a conference groupie, yeah sure I had people that wanted inside information on new and upcoming drug releases, but never anyone interested in what I had to say. I usually have my assistant set up appointments for doctors, I don’t usually make them myself I said.

She smiled and replied, I am interested in both, primarily because of the research you folks are doing at CamCorp around genetic solutions and your reputation of being a knowledgeable salesman.

I was cautious, but her mere presence put my mind at ease. What can I say, I’m flattered that a beautiful and charming doctor came to hear what I have to say, I said. Would you like a preview of my presentation before any of my adoring fans get the chance? I asked.

She smiled and said, That won’t be necessary, I can wait until tomorrow.

What a foolish and presumptuous move on my part. It sounded like a cheap conference pick up line that you would use to get a horny clinician, that doesn’t get out of the lab very often, back to your room.

After a long and awkward pause, she asked, I’m kind of hungry, would you like to grab something to eat? Lunch wasn’t very appealing and I’m starving.

Once again I didn’t know what to say because her eyes were melting my heart right through my yellow power tie. That would be great, I said I’m not sure I can afford to miss the remainder of today’s presentation and the craziness that follows, but I think I can make an exception just this once.

Perfect! she said, I know this little Italian place around the corner that makes the best lasagna.

Italian is my favorite! I replied. That is how my life changed forever in just a matter of unexpected moments.

We spent the next three hours sharing our life stories, our families, and every detail of how we came to meet today at a conference. Her voice was melodic and had me captivated through every syllable she spoke, even when she had tomato sauce on the side of her mouth. I barely spoke a word through dinner, not because I didn’t know what to say, but rather it was her eyes that had me hypnotized. She had dimples that formed in her cheeks every time she smiled which gave her an air of innocence. A deadly combination that no man in his right mind could defeat. All of my usual self-confidence disappeared and I was relegated to being that painfully shy high school kid with zits in all of the most obvious places.

After dinner and clearly a one-sided conversation, we walked back to the hotel. I was not about to take the usual path to complete a conference evening, but she was no usual conference attendee.

She broke the silence and asked, Would you like to come up to my room for a drink?

I remained reasonably calm in spite of the way my heart was racing but found the chivalrous response and said, I’ve got a big day ahead of me, so regretfully, I will decline. The dinner was fabulous and I had a great time. Maybe we can do it again tomorrow after my presentation?

She was respectful and let me out gracefully, That would be wonderful. I look forward to tomorrow! And also hearing your presentation. She said with her smile as we boarded the elevator to our respective floors.

I entered my room and immediately went to the mini bar for a cold beer. I should drink something stronger after my unusual performance at the end of today’s session and the fact that this was the first conference in four years that I would be sleeping in my own bed alone! I don’t know what I was thinking and when did I ever have an ounce of chivalry in my blood? She was different, maybe it was her smile or her confidence. I never met a woman that seemed to take control of me. I had dealt with confident women, especially in the pharmaceutical industry, but never someone who made me feel at ease as if I had known her my entire life. This woman was not another conference conquest that I would brag about to the boys back at the lab. She was different.

That night sleep came hard. I couldn’t get her out of my mind. It wasn’t just her beauty. It was more than that. It was her confident approach and the way she immediately put me on edge. I didn’t have my usual self-confidence that made me the success I was today, elevating me to the top sales job within my company. There was something about her. I should have gone out carousing with the other attendees. I would have gotten more sleep with the help of large quantities of late night food, drink, and shenanigans that came with every conference. Not this time. This time was different.

After several hours of fitful sleep, I got out of bed an hour before my wakeup call and jumped in the shower. Today was important for me and for my company and I needed to feel refreshed and prepared. I opted for two Cokes this morning, one just after I got out of the shower, and the other one I would drink with breakfast. I donned my second dark gray suit and chose a dark blue tie with a blue pin-striped shirt to complete the ensemble. Today I opted out of my usual splash of cologne. I was going to face the day au natural.

I headed down to the lobby to begin day two with a quick bite and my second Coke. I scanned the crowds for her, hoping to spot her before the session began. My presentation was the first of the day. I wanted to see her, to build my confidence, to give me the strength to make it through this day, and if all went as planned, a night to remember. Shortly before my presentation was to begin she seemed to appear out of nowhere. She was a vision in a pale white business suit and heels, the skirt slit slightly more on the left than usual. She caught the attention of every male subject within a two-hundred-foot radius.

She smiled as she approached and leaned in towards me and whispered, Good luck today! then smiled and said, Break a leg up there!

I just about bit my tongue responding a hopeless, Thanks. I did my best to muster a half million-dollar smile in return.

I walked on stage and she became my focus. Nothing else in that ballroom mattered. It was as if I was making my presentation to her and her alone. I had regained my confidence and went through my entire deck without as much as an unscheduled pause. I even allotted time at the end for questions, which I rarely did. I preferred to answer questions during sales calls when I had a captive audience. Questions were unscripted and left the presenter unarmed. Even the most seasoned presenter could be blindsided with a question from left field, ultimately making them look silly or even blurring the message the presentation was supposed to deliver. No such problems for me today because I had an extra boost of confidence and I was prepared. I knew my products, and the science behind them, like the back of my hand. That’s my job and I do that very well!

After what seemed like a long amount of applause, like ones you would hear at a rock concert for the band’s final tour, I exited the stage and headed for the men’s room. I shouldn’t have had the two Cokes this morning. Dr. Allen was waiting for me in the corridor outside the men’s room.

She said, I like what you said, but there seemed to be a lack of detailed facts behind your company’s claims.

Thank you, I think, I said. I don’t fill my presentations with a lot of technical terms and specifics. Some of that information is proprietary, and what isn’t I present to my buyers during a sales call, I continued, feeling a little defensive.

How about you add me to your sales call schedule, for let’s say 1 o’clock, and you can present the non-proprietary specifics over some lunch? she offered.

I’m not sure I can fit you in today. I have a conference to attend and I wouldn’t want to miss anything, I replied with a slight air of sarcasm. Let me call my assistant and see if I can squeeze you in. She smiled as I continued my play, Where shall I meet you Dr. Allen?

She started to walk away and turned smiling, You can meet me here in the lobby, and it’s Cat! then disappeared into the elevator.

I returned promptly to my room to get out of my suit and put on a pair of jeans and a sweater. I wanted my lunch date to be more comfortable. I returned to the lobby fifteen minutes early, only to find that my date was already waiting. She was dressed in form fitting jeans, an oversized UCONN sweatshirt, and a pair of flats. She made every outfit look amazing. As I approached her she said, I hope you don’t mind casual, I thought we could grab some sandwiches at the deli across the street.

The deli would be great and I think they have a large selection of beers on tap, I replied.

I ordered a roast beef club and she ordered a hot pastrami on rye which we both washed it down with tall glasses of Sam Adams Summer Ale. One of my all-time favorite beers. Cat began the interrogation as soon as the beers hit the table. So tell me the truth, Alex, does your company possess the data to support their claim that they have identified the genetic markers for cancer and have a cure?

You don’t waste any time, I said. What happened to Your speech was great or How was your night? or any number of opening lines?

She smiled and said, This is my sales call appointment and I’m paying for lunch. Time is money.

I spent the next two hours laying out the company’s discovery of genetic markers present in DNA samples they procured from 250 cancer patients post mortem. I explained how these samples showed that there was a relationship between three of the major cancers and they were all linked to the same gene, also found in all of the samples. CamCorp did not actually have a cure at present but the discovery was the first step in producing a cure. The discovery could put CamCorp at the top of the pharmaceutical chain and become the greatest discovery of this century.

She remained quiet through my sales pitch. I was careful not to disclose any proprietary specifics, but I could tell she was interested. After I finished she looked at me and asked, I would love for you to give me a tour of the facility and let me see with my own eyes the future of a world without cancer. Is that possible?

I hesitated before I answered, I will get the necessary clearances and get back to you. Of course, I don’t have your number or anyway of contacting you. For that matter I don’t know very much about you at all.

Once again she broke out her smile and said, I will give you anything you want!

Needless to say I never attended the remainder of the conference. Cat and I spent the remainder of the weekend in a small bed and breakfast along the Connecticut coast. I can’t remember the name or the town for that matter. We spent most of the time in our room.

I left late Sunday afternoon for the three-hour drive home. I said my proper good-byes and promised to remain in touch. I said I would call her once I had the clearances set up for a tour of our research facility. As I got on the road my phone chimed indicating a text message. It was Cat thanking me for a wonderful weekend and looking forward to our next time together. I glanced at it for a moment, smiled, and focused on the traffic on I-95 all heading back towards New York City.

3

My alarm buzzed at 5:00AM Monday morning. I hit the snooze button hoping to get just a few more minutes of sleep before I had to head into the office for the usual post conference debriefing with my boss, Roger Cameron Jr., the Director of Research and Development for CamCorp, and the son of the founder and CEO Roger Cameron Sr. I didn’t have any luck with sleep as my alarm buzzed for the second time so I got up and got dressed for work. My commute to work isn’t long, just boring. Too many traffic lights to contend with and too many school busses on the road ever since the State lengthened the school year and kids went back two weeks earlier than they did before.

I arrive at the CamCorp campus shortly before 7:00AM. The campus occupies seventy-five acres of land just on the outskirts of Middletown, NY in the Town of Wallkill. It is comprised of four distinct areas or districts: Research and Development, Production, Distribution, and Administration. Each area has multiple buildings with the Administration building being the tallest on the property at seven floors which is located in the center of the campus. The property got the nickname the campus one year ago when CamCorp donated land to the State University of New York to establish a satellite campus for students wishing to study Chemical Engineering. The now fifty students in the program live, study, and intern at the campus in a separate facility in the R & D district. The entire campus was hidden from the road by a twenty-foot barrier made up of tall shrubbery, electrified fencing, and razor wire around the top of the fence. The facility was also protected by several guard towers and a main gate that all employees and visitors had to pass through in order to gain access. From a distance you could mistake the grounds as being part of the State’s prison system and not the headquarters for a pharmaceutical company.

I pull up to the main gate and produce my badge, provided to each employee after they complete the background check. The guard on duty looks at my badge and asks me to insert it into the magnetic reader and place my left hand on the palm scanner next to the card reader. After the gate rises I head for the Administration district to the employee parking structure. I have to use my ID badge to enter the structure. I park on the first level with all the other Directors and Executives. One of the perks to be the top salesman. I again use my ID card to enter the building and proceed to the security desk just inside the main lobby. I approach and say my usual good morning to Sam the daytime guard and slide my ID card one more time and sign the log. So many redundant layers of security to go through it takes fifteen minutes for me to reach my office on the seventh floor. Another perk because my office is on the southwest corner of the building and affords me a view of the entire campus.

As I approach my office my assistant Angie is standing in front of her desk waiting for me and looking a little anxious. Good morning, Ang, I say before she has a chance to say anything.

She replies, good morning, Mr. Ford. Roger is waiting for you in his office.

Junior? I ask already knowing the response.

Yes, sir, she replies, he seems a little agitated this morning.

What else is new, I comment as I set my briefcase on the table in my office.

Junior, as he is called around the campus, is not a very patient person and is one small step away from an aneurism at the ripe old age of forty-seven.

Junior’s office is two doors down the hall from mine and as I approach I can hear him on the phone through his closed door. I knock and wait for his response. Come! he calls and I open the door and make my way to his large oak desk near the floor to ceiling windows. He continues his conversation for another couple of minutes and then hangs up abruptly.

What the hell happened at the conference, Mr. Ford? he starts. No pleasantries this morning.

I respond, Nothing out of the ordinary, Junior. Just the usual hand shaking and BS presentations. Why do you ask?

I understand that you left the conference after your key note speech on Friday and didn’t attend the rest. Also rumor has it that you were also rather friendly with a female doctor. Is that true? he inquired.

I didn’t know why he cared about the conference nor why he cared who I spent any time with. I had a certain reputation in the industry and had been known to skip parts or all of a conference because of drinking or partying with various members of the opposite sex. It had never resulted in being called to the principal’s office first thing on the day I came back to work.

Since when do you care about my attendance or who I was with at any of these conferences, I started rather defensively. I delivered the company message, wet their appetites, and made thirty-two follow up appointments from the attendees including six new leads.

His face reddened as he replied, I don’t care about the conference. I care about every Tom, Dick, and Harry with a doctorate and great set of legs poking their nose into our operation.

Junior, since when do we censor the sales pitch at a sales conference? Especially when it pertains to the possibility of a cure for cancer, I said What happened to transparency?

"My concern is putting too much information out in the public domain before we have any real results.