Page 52 of Tear Me Down (Descent to Darkness Trilogy #2)
Chapter twenty-two
Ashia
Two Days Later
‘Ashes of Eden’ – Breaking Benjamin
Damien and I are back at the conference table, waiting for Carter and everyone else to arrive.
He called all of us in because the facial recognition software from Interpol finally came back with results, as well as the analysis of the USB drives we uncovered, and the chemical compositions of the new drug Dust has been putting out.
His hand is laced with mine, and his leg won’t stop bouncing.
The signs from his anxiety have been prominent since the run in with the human traffickers a couple of days ago, and he hasn’t been able to calm down since.
He isn’t sleeping well, and he’s extremely irritable.
Not with me, of course, but I can tell just from how he’s been with the men.
After the mercenaries displayed their loyalty and dedication to protecting us in that yard, he’s allowed them to guard the house while I’m home so Zeke can spend more time with Tay.
I’ve still gone to the Attic every other evening, but I’ve been so tired and worn down the past couple of days, I’ve just gone home after work.
Zeke drives me, but then the mercenaries take over until Damien gets home.
There’s six of them at all times, even when we’re not home, and while I know the extra numbers help with Damien’s worries, it doesn’t take them away. He’s been desperate for this information, and now that we’re about to have it, he might explode.
The door opens and Mr. Hartley walks through it, surprising us both. Damien squeezes my hand before he stands up.
“Dad? What are you doing here?”
Mr. Hartley shakes his head and walks over to stand beside us.
“I’m not sure; your technical specialist called me in.” He pats me on the shoulder and looks down at me with genuine concern. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay, thanks.” I smile softly at him, and Damien squeezes my hand again.
“Why would Carter call you in?” Damien asks his dad.
“Because this involves him.” Carter says as he, Zeke, and Alex walk in, immediately taking their seats around the conference table. “Alright, let’s start with the drug analysis.”
“I want to know who that fucking woman is,” Damien seethes and smacks his hand harshly on table, clearly running out of patience. He’s still standing as his dad rounds the table to take a seat, and I don’t miss the subtle look of agreeance he passes his way .
“We’ll get there, I promise, you’re going to want to hear the rest first.”
I squeeze his hand again and pull his arm gently, gesturing for him to sit down.
He takes a deep breath and sits in the chair, pulling me close and wrapping his arm around my shoulders—careful not to aggravate my graze wound that has since bruised, but at least the swelling has started to go down.
We look at the presentation screen as Carter pulls up the lab results and broadcasts them, showing lists of the active pharmaceutical ingredients and something called “excipients.” It’s nothing but a long list of chemical compositions and long names that I can’t even pretend to understand.
“Yeah, don’t worry, Ash. You’re not the only one,” Carter chimes in, and I can’t help but giggle a little. “I’m going to simplify this for everyone. So, the main ingredient is Ecstasy, which is no surprise there, considering the side effects we’re seeing.”
“Right, but that doesn’t explain the deaths. There can’t be that many people overdosing so easily,” Damien adds.
“That’s where it gets interesting.” Carter zooms in and scrolls down a little to show us a long name typed out, next to a percentage and some other long number.
While I look at it as nothing, Damien’s grip on me tightens as he sits up straighter.
“Batrachotoxin, otherwise known as BTX.” Carter says it correctly.
“That’s a mouthful.” Zeke chuckles, but as I look up to Damien, he’s anything but amused. His jaw is clenched, and his lip is almost in a snarl.
“What is it?” Mr. Hartley asks Damien, looking back to see his distress.
“That’s what they used to poison Ashia with…
” he shakily reveals, and I grip his hand again, knowing how hard this is for him.
I glance over at Zeke, and his playful demeanor has completely vanished.
His features have glazed over with an anger that I haven’t really witnessed from him, and I'm unsure if it's related to our newly revealed familial ties, or if the topic is just unsettling for him.
“The side effects that we see in the overdoses are the same as hers when she was attacked. Convulsions, muscle contractions, salivation, respiratory muscle paralysis, heart arrhythmias, and last, but definitely not least, cardiac arrest. It takes effect in just a few minutes.” Carter trails off, leaving the room in silence for a moment, and unfortunately, I have to be the one to break it—to keep Damien from spiraling out of control.
“So, what does that mean? Their goal is to kill people now? What sense does that make?”
“Well, the concentration of the BTX is very low. So, while we’re seeing some of these side effects, it’s not as drastic as it was when you were poisoned. While it’s killing some people, it’s obviously leaving enough alive to drive interest in the other addicts.”
“So, where is this going?” Damien asks angrily, obviously no longer interested in this particular topic .
“That’s where it gets interesting.” Carter moves on, opening a new tab and projecting it on the screen.
“With the information we got from Turk, I was able to back track through real estate sales, LLCs, and corporation ownerships. You’ll never guess who’s listed as the owner of the pharmaceutical company.
” Damien perks up at that question and waits eagerly. “Victoria Avery.”
The world around us seems to stop abruptly as the link between Dust and the Washington Senator finally comes to light.
Carter presents one of apparently the few pictures of her.
She’s standing off to the side in what looks like a press conference, holding her hands in front of her body to appear professional, but there’s a haunted look in her eyes.
Something that hints at the horrors she’s witnessed.
After a moment for us to process her name and image, Carter continues.
“Now, I’m not sure why it’s her name, and not her father’s, because she has no real education past a listed private academy that doesn’t exist, and she’s barely on any records.
Anywhere. She has a birth certificate and social security number, but anything past those documentations, there’s nothing.
No hospital records, doctors’ visits, loans, no credit whatsoever. Nothing.”
“So how the hell would she legally own a pharmaceutical company?”
“Exactly. My guess? It’s a cover for Mr. John Avery.”
“Well, either way, the pharmacy is now connected to the Senator, regardless of who actually owns it,” Alex chimes in.
“Exactly. Those USB drives? The manufacturing reports? It seems to be a lot bigger than we were thinking.”
“Okay, so why would a Senator help a drug lord? It makes no damn sense,” Zeke spits out.
“There’s always more under the surface,” Mr. Hartley adds.
“Especially when Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes Senator recently proposed a bill to outlaw the chemicals in ecstasy. Take a look.” Carter pulls up the Senate bill, and as we read over it, we realize he’s right.
The bill wants to prohibit the retail sale and pharmaceutical manufacturing of drugs with that chemical composition and distribution.
Avery’s claiming that it’s adding to the drug epidemic in the country, as well as the increasing crime rates.
“It’s highly supported, as is its sister-bill that incorporates crueler punishments for certain rising crimes.
Drug dealing, manufacturing, human trafficking, domestic violence. ..”
“But if he’s trying to outlaw the drugs, why would he make them? Why work with such despicable people to push out a drug made with the same ingredients he’s trying to make illegal? And he’s literally adding to the crime rate. I don’t understand,” I inquire.
“When he first proposed the bill, there wasn’t much support.
Some of the ingredients are used in other medications, and of course, people love ecstasy.
Yes, it’s already illegal, but a lot of higher ups still have access to it, and because the chemicals are used in so many other things, it’s too much to regulate as harshly as they should.
So, what would be a good way to prove that his bill needs to be passed? ”
“A drug and crime epidemic, and one that’s hitting so close to the nation’s capital that it would definitely raise some alarms,” Damien adds, and we all nod in agreement.
“Yep, and you ready for the next part?” Carter asks us, which we obviously answer yes to.
“Our beloved Senator just announced his presidential race six weeks ago. Right after the night Henry died. That warehouse attack was all he needed to get enough support, and I’m guessing poisoning you was more than just an attempt to murder you. It was a test.”
“So, you’re saying that he orchestrated all of this to gain support of other Senators and Representatives?” Alex asks.
“Not only that, but with his campaign for the bill, he’s visited rehabilitation centers, homeless shelters, jails, prisons, anything that makes him look like he’s got the people’s best interest at heart.
He’s playing this cold and dirty. Now, Mr. Hartley?
” He looks over at Carter in recognition.
“I believe you know these two.” Carter then presents two mug-shot-looking photos, one of a woman and one a man, clearly the same ‘couple’ from the Dust party.
Mr. Hartley stands abruptly, causing his chair to bang against the table, and I instinctively flinch in shock. I’ve never seen him look so startled, so taken by surprise, as if he’s seeing ghosts.