“This is a multi-purpose room.”He turned back to the door, opened it, flipped a switch, and walked through.He waited for the others to join him.
“I don’t see anything,” Cass said as they paused in a hallway.
“That’s because this was set up that no one but me knows what’s here.”He walked forward, fiddled with something in the wall, and a large panel slid to the side.Behind the panel was a state-of-the-art security lock.Everyone watched as Paul used his ring finger on his right hand, and the eye scanner at the same time.At the click, he turned the dial, which looked like it belonged on a safe, and pulled the heavy steel door open.
“Inside this room will be where any agents that arrive has any extra weapons they want stored can keep here.We will also keep the drugs and weapons we contact you about until we can set up the buy.Also, the things I pulled from Eddie’s bag are in here.”He walked through the door, and the others followed.Paul noted that the men still had the heavy cases with them.
Everyone turned in a circle and it was Petra who asked, “Will the other agents have access to this room when they finally arrive?”
“Yes, I’ll wait a few weeks, you know, to feel them out, before I set it up that they can have access.You know, the fingerprint and eye scan.Those have to be done simultaneously, or the door won’t open.After three attempts, an alarm goes off on my phone, telling me that someone is trying to break into the room.”
“Ah, and if need be, you can get to a safe location and call for backup?”Cass asked.
“That’s the plan,” he said with a nod.He pointed to a waist high bench on the other side of the room.“That’s where the contents of Eddie’s bag is.I used gloves as I handled everything.”He even went on to explain how he had wrapped it in a plastic bag to bring it to his home.
“So, all fingerprints and fibers should be Eddie’s?”Cass asked.
“As far as I know, yes.I did everything in my power to preserve everything.”
Everyone nodded, and Paul stepped back to stand beside Petra when the three men looked around, then lifted the cases they carried onto a bench halfway down where the drugs had been laid out.Cass started opening cases, and removing equipment.
“This,” he said as he turned to look at Paul.“This is equipment that will allow you to test the drugs.I’ll teach you how to use it, and the results will go directly to my computer in my office down in Des Moines.”
“Will this prevent us from calling Kessler, Flynn, and even you to come out here every time we need something tested?”Petra asked.
“Yes, once we get the composition of what we’re dealing with, then we’ll know how to proceed.I don’t have to tell you that depending on the results, some arrests might be made immediately.You will have no say in that matter.”Cass held up his hand with a shake of his head.“I know what you’re trying to do here with Tainted Shield.I agree one hundred percent with it, however, what you might not know is that there are some drugs that have started hitting the streets in the last few months that are bad.I mean out in LA, and in NY, and even down in Miami, and Dallas, there have been a total of twenty-three deaths due to these street drugs.The numbers might be even higher by now.”
“Holy shit,” Paul said.“By all means, test away.You’ll be able to tell me what they’re laced with, if they are?”
“Yes.Eventually, you will be able too.Unless you know your chemical compositions now, you’ll have to wait until I contact you.”He looked into another case and pulled out a book that was at least six inches thick.“This is a book withallchemicals used in these street drugs.I have a program on my computer that once something is entered, it will spit out the details in a matter of seconds.”
“Great,” Paul said as he watched Cass set up the equipment, don a pair of gloves, reach for the first bag, and examined it.
“There are no markings on these bags, so it’s going to be a crap shoot to see what’s in them.I’m going to take a sample of each bag and run it through this program.”He put actions to words, and within the first two minutes he was swearing.“Fuck me.”
“What?”Petra asked as she stepped closer to watch.
“This bag contains heroine, but it’s not just heroine, it’s laced with fentanyl.”He pointed to the screen to explain.“See the line, the higher it is, the more potent it is.”
Both Paul and Petra leaned in to look.Petra pointed to the screen.“Am I reading this right?There’s more fentanyl than heroine in that bag?”
“Yes, and realistically, it’s more potent than the actual heroine.This is some of the drug that’s killing people I just mentioned.”
“Damn,” Paul said and watched as Cass tested five more bags, all with the same results, and as he reached for another bag, and shook his head.
“This one is different, it’s cocaine, but it’s not laced with anything.”
“So, it’s pure?”Flynn asked.
“Yes.”They watched as he tested several more bags, and set them aside.The next batch he tested he shook his head.
“What?”Kessler asked.
“Pure Oxy.”
“Like the pain pills a doctor prescribes?”
“Yes, but this is in powder form.As you can see, it looks like cocaine, but it’s not.”Again, he tested several bags, putting them with the others, and the final set of bags, Paul spoke.
