LatinosUSA

The truck took the sharp turns of the mountain with ease. Yet, she could not outrun them. The dark SUV continued to close the gap. Carina Esterman’s stomach churned. How could she be so stupid and allow herself to be put in such a dangerous position?

It had been only eighteen months since Carina landed a highly confidential position within Vanguard Innovations—one of the leading pharmaceutical labs in the world. Her impressive degrees and extensive knowledge as a pharmacologist opened the door. Or so she eagerly believed. That is, until now.

The sun was beginning to set as Carina reached the top of the mountain. The air was cool and thin. She felt lightheaded as she pulled behind the log cabin restaurant. Lianna, her older sister, owned the place. Seconds later, she dashed through the back exit, almost knocking over one of the servers.

“Slow down, Carina, where’s the fire?” asked Lianna with a huge smile. It was then she noticed the frantic pace of her sister. Her smile was instantly gone.

“What happened?” Lianna moved quickly. Carina collapsed in her sister’s arms. She trembled as Lianna held her frightened sibling.

“Vanguard Innovations…it’s not what you think…they’re after me, Lianna. I’ve got to leave.” Her words struggled in between breaths.

“I have no idea what you are talking about, Carina. Let’s go inside my office so you can explain to me why you’re so upset.” The small kitchen staff stared at the two women.

“Back to work, everyone!” Lianna helped Carina down the narrow hallway to a small office at the very end. Once inside, Carina collapsed onto the worn sofa against the wall.

“Now, start from the beginning, Carina.” Lianna sat next to her shaking sister. Carina’s face was streaked with tears.

“I…I don’t have a lot of time, Lianna. The company…what they’re doing…is horrible and illegal.” Carina grabbed her sister’s arm.

“I still don’t understand. You’re not making much sense. What are Vanguard Innovations supposedly doing, Carina?” asked Lianna.

“It’s…it’s a new beauty product. Reduces wrinkles to the point of non-existence.” Carina wiped her face with the back of her hand.

“There are tons of products like that on the market, Carina. Most of them are just moisturizers for the skin. Yet, they claim it can make you look younger. Big deal.” Lianna shrugged her shoulders.

“You don’t get it…it doesn’t just get rid of wrinkles…it destroys the molecular structure in the skin!” shouted Carina.

Lianna tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “So…it doesn’t get rid of wrinkles?”

Carina hung her head and took a deep breath. “It breaks down the wrinkles, and wherever it is placed on the skin. Don’t you see? The molecules…it breaks them down until…until they’re gone.”

“Are you saying this product eats your skin?” Lianna put her hands up.

“Yes. And once the damage is done…it’s irreversible,” replied Carina.

“Why would Vanguard create such a deadly face cream? People would sue them, and they’d be out of business.” asked Lianna.

Carina stood up and began to pace. “That’s the beauty of it. The hazardous bioproduct isn’t contained in all of the face creams sold. Random selection. They are using people as guinea pigs. Even if someone sues the company, the settlement would be minute compared to its results. I know…it sounds crazy!”

“None of this makes sense. Vanguard is using random people for experiments? I’m pretty sure it’s illegal and unethical, to say the least,” said Lianna.

“The product can only be tested on live specimens. If they can figure out the correct rearranging of molecular structure within a person’s face…it will become a multi-billion-dollar market, and Vanguard has the patent.” Carina shifted on the sagging sofa.

“How did you find this out?” asked Lianna. She held her sister’s trembling hands.

“I was asked to be on the task force to monitor the results. When I started to ask in-depth questions, I was reminded that I had signed a confidentiality clause when I was hired. I just wanted to know the specifics of the research. My colleague, Alex Berton, showed me the file on the project. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. If any of this reached the authorities, Vanguard Innovations would be shut down, and the administrators could face years in prison. Alex expressed his concerns. And now…Alex’s wife reported him missing.” Carina locked eyes with her sister.

“They know Alex showed me the files, Lianna. I was followed up the mountain. I’m sure they’re already here.  They know about you and the restaurant. I can’t stay and put you in danger,” cried Carina.

Lianna rushed to her desktop computer. Immediately, she pulled up the security cameras. Clicking until she reached the front parking lot. In the far corner of the screen was a parked black SUV.

Carina leaned over her sister’s shoulder. “They’re here.”

More clicking to the first camera overseeing the entrance to the restaurant, backing the time up a few minutes. “Gotcha!” whispered Lianna.

Two suited men entered the restaurant and stopped. Their heads swiveled back and forth, searching for Carina. The restaurant was busy. Slowly, they made their way to the barstools to sit at the counter. One of them picked up the menu.

“I recognize them—their security for Vanguard. I told you, Lianna. I’ve got to get out of here. I don’t want them to hurt you, especially because of me.”

Lianna let out a huge sigh. “Wait here…and I mean wait, Carina!” The sister opened the top drawer of the desk. She snatched the prescription bottle, placed it in the pocket of her apron, and then hurriedly left the room.

Catrina sat down in the chair and watched the two men converse. Surprisingly, they ordered food from the menu. The older man turned and glanced once again across the restaurant. The younger man got up and headed toward the restrooms.

Seconds later, Catrina clicked on a different camera angle. The man had indeed gone into the men’s room. As she switched back to the main camera viewing the security guards, her sister was serving them coffee. She smiled as she talked with the older man, who sipped at the hot brew and smiled back.

“What are you doing?” asked Catrina. Lianna leaned on the counter. Her shirt opened to expose cleavage. The two were laughing. Then, the younger man reappeared. He, too, smiled at Lianna. After speaking with both men, she turned and skirted out of the camera view only to return with their meals. Lianna placed the hot plates down in front of each man. Then sucked her finger as if she had burned it.

“Oh my…she’s flirting with them!” Catrina’s eyes opened wide. She couldn’t believe what she was watching. How was flirting with the enemy going to solve the problem?

The two men scarfed down the hot meal. Now and then, they nodded. And laughed. Lianna once again leaned on the counter. You could tell both men’s eyes were drawn to her voluptuous chest.

Finally, after several minutes of conversing with the security guards, she smiled and slid the older man a piece of paper. Without hesitation, he snatched it up and put it in his pocket. Lianna gave a quick wave and left the men to finish their food.

The younger man pulled out his wallet and dropped a twenty-dollar bill on the counter. As they got up to leave and pay their bill, both men staggered. They looked at one another.

Catrina could see her sister reappear at the register. She waved the men off as if the food was on the house. The older man gave a slight nod. They wavered to one side as they exited the restaurant. Lianna opened the door for them.

“Come on…which camera is it?” mumbled Catrina. Several clicks later, she finally found the outside camera viewing the parking lot. Lianna was pushing the older man into the backseat of the SUV. The younger man tried grabbing her, but to no avail. Struggling with the front door of the vehicle, she opened it enough to push the other man into the front seat, closing the door. Then after locking the SUV with the fob, Lianna turned and threw the fob as far as she could across the street into the woods.

Within minutes, Lianna was back in her office with her sister. “It gives us time.”

“What did you give them?” asked Catrina.

“Xanax. I smashed about five tablets for each guy and mixed it with their food. I had an old bottle from a long time ago. You know, stress from opening the restaurant. Anyway, it’s tasteless. They’re asleep for hours. And when they do wake up, they’ll have one awful pounding headache and probably write a bad review on my website.” She winked at her sister.

“Lianna…Before leaving town, I’m heading to my apartment to grab a few things. I won’t tell you where I am…just in case. Also, I’m ditching my cell phone, and I’ll buy a burner phone. Once I’m settled somewhere, I’ll reach out to you. Some way. Somehow.” Catrina wrapped her arms around her big sister. Her eyes swelled with tears.

“No, you don’t, Catrina. I’m going with you. If you think I will let you out of my sight until this blows over…well, you’re wrong!” Lianna placed her hands on her hips.

“You can’t just leave your restaurant! You worked hard for what you accomplished, Lianna. Don’t be a fool! I’ll be…fine.” She forced a half smile.

Lianna untied her apron and tossed it on the worn sofa. “I haven’t taken a vacation in years. I’ll have Lauren Dell take over while we’re gone. She’ll love playing boss.” And with that said, the two sisters left the restaurant to pack for their unknown destination.

~~

Catrina cruised the long stretch of highway. They had been on the run for a month. Stopping briefly to eat, sleep, and the necessities. They figured if they kept moving, they would be harder to track.

The fully loaded new Chevy truck was a driver’s dream. With all the bells and whistles, a person couldn’t ask for a more dependable vehicle, especially driving across the country. They made sure the dealership disconnected the GPS tracking device. It was an unusual request, but it was done.

It was hard and dangerous to go off the grid. There were no credit cards, computers, cell phones (except for prepaid), or anything connected with technology. The stacks of currency they carried with them were concerning. Paying cash was the best way not to be traced.

Catrina put the truck on cruise control as they crossed into Ohio. The weather turned chilly, with a temperature reading of forty degrees. The sun was going down fast, and they needed to find a place to sleep.

Lianna had checked in with Lauren Dell two days prior, and all was well. After waking up and searching for their keys, the two security men called for a ride and a tow truck. They left the restaurant lot and never came back, and she wasn’t sure if this was good or bad news.

“Let’s check out the next available place to sleep. We need to discuss our plan of action. We can’t keep driving, Carina. We need to face the situation.”

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the Best Quality Inn. Settling in for the night, Carina ordered a pizza from the restaurant next door. Lianna was just getting out of the shower when her sister came back to the room with food and soft drinks.

After eating silently, Lianna cleaned up and sat on one of the single beds. She let out a huge sigh.

“Carina, I’ve been thinking about our…situation. We need to pass this information on to the proper authorities—the FDA.”

“Are you nuts?” shouted Carina. “For sure, Vanguard would know I leaked to the FDA!”

“And…so what? We’re on the run, Carina. How much worse could it possibly get? They could shut down Vanguard or start a federal investigation into the allegations. And since you work for Vanguard, I’m sure they’ll listen to you, dear sister.” Lianna folded her arms.

“If there’s no other way, then we’ll turn ourselves in and blow the whistle on this company once and for all. We’ll ask for protection. Afraid for our lives.” Carina dropped her head. Tears swarmed her tired eyes. “You’re right, Lianna. I’m sick of running. But we’re going to need irrefutable proof to convince the FDA. If we don’t, Vanguard could say I was a disgruntled employee and decided to badmouth the company.”

“How do you suggest we get this evidence?” Lianna leaned back on the bed. Carina’s mind raced with an idea. Her head snapped up.

“I have an idea…as crazy as it seems. Hear me out.” Carina plopped down on the bed beside her sister and pulled out the flash drive.

~~

Sam Weston studied the surveillance video. He watched as Carina Esterman, after hours, entered the unauthorized temperature-controlled room. She then slid a vial into her lab coat pocket. Minutes later, she was studying the liquid she had stolen at her station. Her facial expression said it all. Fear. Quickly, she raced from the empty research room.

It took a minute or two for Sam to catch up with Catrina. He found her exiting the parking garage in a rush. Now, she was missing. Did she run, or did something terrible happen to her? What did she discover?

His security job at Vanguard landed him a sweet paycheck each week. It took care of his obligations and the nursing home bill for his ailing mother. He needed to stick to his own job. But something wasn’t right. Carina Esterman was a very responsible employee. He had spent several times with her in the break room. For a brief time, he thought they might hook up.

And then something changed. Catrina seemed on edge. She wasn’t interested in anything else except her work.

Sam watched the video again. Suddenly, the security room door opened. He instantly changed screens. He swiveled in the chair.

“Dr. Harper, how may I help you?” asked Sam, forcing a half smile. Dr. Winifred Harper’s eyes narrowed. Her thin lips sneered. He hadn’t met one person who liked working with Dr. Harper. The old crow loomed over him.

“Catrina Esterman. We believe she might try to access one of the other Vanguard satellite facilities. If she uses her personal keycard, or if she tries to access the mainframe, inform me immediately!” Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the door handle.

“Yes, doctor, I understand. I have it set up to trigger an internal alarm alerting us to digital access of any kind.” Sam swallowed.

“Good. The US Marshals are trying to find that thief! We’ll get her.” And without saying another word, Dr. Harper slammed the door behind her.

~~

Catrina purchased another burner phone. She had one chance. If this didn’t work, they might as well turn themselves in, even though both of them could go to prison for a very long time.

Sam’s cell phone chimed. He placed the pizza box on the couch. Chewing quickly, he snagged the phone.

“Weston.” Silence filled the line. “Weston speaking. Is there anyone there?” He sat up straight and waited.

“Sam…it’s Catrina.” His eyes opened wide.

“Catrina? Where are you? They have the US Marshals looking for you,” exclaimed Sam.

“I…I need your help, Sam. I have no one else. My sister…she is with me. Please, Sam. I don’t know what else to do,” pleaded Catrina.

“Is it true?” asked Sam. His heart raced inside his chest.

“Is what true? That I stole the research for eternal youth? And that I destroyed the only copy Vanguard had of the formula?” Her voice squeaked.

“I guess…is there anything else?” asked Sam.

“Sam, the research…the formula…it’s not eternal youth. It destroys the molecular structure of the skin! Do you understand the adverse ramifications if this product ever reaches the consumer? The damage is irreversible. It deforms,” explained Catrina.

“Vanguard lied to the feds, Catrina. Dr. Harper said you stole formulas for several of their products to sell on the black market.”

Catrina looked at her sister. “I knew Vanguard wouldn’t tell the truth. The implications would prove to be devastating. They made it up, Sam. You’ve got to believe me.”

Sam hesitated. Why would Catrina risk her job and her livelihood? And if something doesn’t make sense, it isn’t true.

“I believe you, Catrina.” Sam stood up and paced back and forth. “Just come in. The Feds will listen to you.”

“I need evidence, Sam. I downloaded the formula and installed a virus to destroy any attached files. But I need solid proof, Sam. Dr. Harper has to be in cahoots with someone else. She couldn’t do this all on her own. I need documents or access to them. Emails sent and reports on the outcome of the experiments,” explained Carina.

Sam nibbled on his thumbnail. What Carina was asking of him, if he got caught, would be the end of his career as a security specialist. He would be labeled a whistleblower, to say the least.

“Sam…are you still there? I don’t blame you if you hang up on me. I am asking a lot. And if there were any other way, I would do it myself. I could do it if you helped me get past the firewalls,” said Carina.

“That would be way too risky. The chance of you failing and getting caught is high. But me…well, I could hold them back a bit. If I do this, Catrina, there’s no turning back for me or you and your sister.”

Catrina closed her weary eyes and said a quick prayer. Sam was willing to help them. It just might work. And if it did, their lives would be changed forever.

~~

After discussing the details with Catrina, Sam paced the floor. “You don’t get it. The digital trail would lead straight back to me, anyway you look at this. Are you asking me to hack into confidential and highly sensitive emails and documents? I would be an accessory. I’d be ruined, Carina.” His voice was shaky.

“I understand, Sam. Thank you for listening to me. I won’t bother you again.” Carina’s hand dropped to her side.

“Wait, Carina! Don’t hang up!” shouted Sam. Carina hadn’t disconnected the call. She was hoping he’d change his mind.

“Sam…what is it?” whispered Carina.

“I’ll help you. On one condition.” His pacing picked up speed. “As soon as I access the vital information, I must get out of Vanguard and disappear. I need to know where you are. I’ll pack my bags before going to work in the morning. Once I access and download the files, it will be a race against time. I hope I can get out before they discover it was me.” Sweat lined his brows.

“Sam Weston…I could kiss you!” shouted Carina.

“I may take you up on it when this is all through, Carina.” His face flushed.

“I’ll text you the location of where we’re staying. We’ll be waiting…and Sam, good luck, and please be careful!”

~~

Sam arrived at work before sunrise. He had to try to access the mainframe before the regular hours of Vanguard Innovations. With any luck, he would retrieve what he needed and be long gone before Dr. Harper realized the security breach.

The glass-beveled building was eerily silent. He used his keycard and slipped in through the designated employee entrance. Minutes later, he was in the security room.

“Hey, Weston…what are you doing here so early?” asked Fred Thompson, night security. He stifled a yawn.

“Dr. Harper wanted me to check a few things regarding the breach of Catrina Esterman. They still haven’t found her.” Sam slipped his backpack off his back onto the floor next to his station.

“Since you’re here…would you mind if I took off?” asked Fred with pleading eyes. “I never get to see my kids. They’re off to school by the time I come home.”

“Sure…no problem. Go on…take off. I’ve got this.” Sam smiled. His plan was working—so far.

“Thanks, buddy. I owe you one. It’s hard-working nights when you have a family, but we need the money. You know what I mean?” Fred picked up his bag.

“I get it. Have a good one, Fred.” Sam gave him a two-finger salute. Seconds later, Sam was alone. He immediately got to work. It took over twenty minutes to get through the firewall to access Dr. Harper’s restricted documents and emails. Once he was in, he couldn’t believe the thousands of documents. Instantly, he searched for anything relevant to the eternal youth serum.

Sam’s palms were sweating. This was taking too long. Suddenly, the screen was filled with dates and documents. He scanned a few and realized he hit pay dirt!

With a shaky hand, he slipped in the flash drive and downloaded the files. This would take time. He glanced up at the security monitors when a car caught his eye.

“Oh no…what is she doing here so early?” Sam stared at the BMW pulling into the parking garage. The car belonged to Dr. Harper.

Sam rushed back to the monitor. The files were still downloading. “Come on…come on…hurry up!”

The BMW pulled into the marked spot. The driver’s door opened. Dr. Harper stepped out with her briefcase in hand. After locking her car, she turned and walked to the elevator.

Sam had to do something. And then it dawned on him. As Dr. Harper inserted her key into the locked elevator, he locked the elevator doors. The doctor tried just about everything she could to get the doors to open, but to no avail. She twirled around and headed to the outside steps leading down to the Vanguard facility.

A slow smile crawled across his face. He instantly jumped to another camera. Dr. Harper was at the door, keying in her code. Quickly, he denied her access. The doctor leaned down to look at the pad filled with numbers. Once again, she tried the code. A red light shone back.

A beeping noise came from the computer. The downloading was complete. Now, he had to get out.

Sam shoved the flash drive into his pants pocket. He backed out and wiped his trail clean, leaving no evidence of the files being tampered with. Grabbing his backpack, he was ready to go when he glanced at the security monitors again.

This time, Dr. Harper was at the front entrance. He quickly locked access to the front doors, too. As Sam left the Vanguard building, he glanced back over his shoulder one last time, knowing his life had forever changed.

~~

Catrina, Lianna, and Sam sat before the FDA investigator, Harry Welch. He studied the evidence the three of them presented, along with their formal testimony with regard to working at Vanguard Innovations.

After almost thirty minutes of silence, Harry swiveled in his chair and faced them. “You do realize what you have here?” He pushed his dark glasses up his pointy nose. The middle-aged man’s eyes skirted between the whistle-blowers.

“Of course we do. That’s why we brought it to the FDA,” replied Catrina.

“There will be a full investigation into the research conducted by Vanguard Innovations—a thorough review of all their products available to consumers and in the making. Production will cease until this can be resolved. This is serious. Vanguard Innovations is a multi-billion-dollar operation that scans the globe,” stated Welch.

Lianna let out a sigh of relief. Catrina and Sam smiled at one another. Welch lifted the handset on his desk.

“I need to speak with Special Agent Jessica Walters immediately,” he insisted. Then, he set the receiver back in place.

“You also realize all three of you must testify in federal court. And that means until then, you’ll be placed into the witness protection program. Vanguard Innovations will not sit back and let the punches roll. Once they realize security has been breached, if they haven’t already, they will try to do damage control. We need to act on this immediately. And…all your lives are in danger.” The phone buzzed on the desk.

“Special Agent Walters…thank you for responding so quickly. We have a situation here, and the FBI needs to be involved….” Investigator Welch briefly described the situation.

“Witness protection? This is going to be a longer vacation than planned!” whispered Lianna with a huge smile plastered across her pretty face.

Sam gently squeezed Carina’s hand. Carina turned to look at him and squeezed back.

“I think I might like being in witness protection,” said Sam.

“That makes two of us,” replied Carina.

~~

Channel 8 Breaking News – Dr. Winifred Harper, CEO and co-founder of Vanguard Innovations, and several other high-ranking administrators, have been indicted by the FDA—details to follow at six.