Chapter 93: Ethan's Warning
Chapter 93: Ethan's Warning
"Mr. Wright, it's a pleasure to meet you," a lady in her late twenties extended her hand to Ethan after arriving at the research facility of BNU pharmaceuticals. "I'm Dr. Shannon Perry, we spoke on the phone."
"Thank you for meeting me on such short notice," said Ethan after shaking her hand.
It was inside Shannon's office that Ethan, together with one soldier who followed him around where they spoke.
Taking a seat in front of Shannon, Ethan revealed, "Dr. Perry, I don't want to waste any of our time. Recently, a group of men tried to kidnap my wife. They failed, but they ended up injecting her with The Kannareth disease."
"Oh, my goodness!" The woman could not believe it. Her face showed a mix of disgust and fright. "Who would do such a thing?"
"That's what I am trying to find out, but I have my suspicion," answered Ethan. He took a deep breath and leaned over at the table to say, "Dr. Perry, I traveled two hours on a private jet to see you so I can get answers for my wife. I love my wife dearly and while she is not manifesting any of the symptoms, I want to prepare for the worst."
The words of Ethan made Shannon take a deep breath. Repeatedly, she flittered her eyes before massaging the bridge of her nose. "I - I don't know what to say. The truth is, Mr. Wright. The company discontinued my research for the disease because there were only a few women who seemed to have the illness." NôvelDrama.Org copyrighted © content.
She shrugged before adding, "It was not a disease that would make a saleable drug!"
Leaning back on her seat, she said, "It has been six months now since I had not gone back to Cambodia - "
"I can fund your research - hire you, continue what you started," Ethan suggested.
"Wait, Mr. Wright." Shannon raised her hand at Ethan and said, "I thought your wife had not developed the disease."
"No, but I want to be ready," Ethan told. "I don't ever want to lose my wife."
Sighing heavily, Ethan made it clear, "You have to understand, my wife means the world to me."
For seconds, Shannon remained silent. Eventually, she nodded her head and said, "You must really love your wife."
"Of course," said Ethan. "Please help me, Dr. Perry. I specifically want to know what you know about those who survived the disease."
"Mr. Wright, I do not want you to rush into this, so for now, I'll give you everything I know about the disease. I'll even give you a copy of the research." Shannon also leaned forward to say, "It's really a mysterious disease that seems to mimic the Kasawaki disease. How it evolves remains unanswered, but what I know is that it develops in women ages twenty-five to thirty-five."
She paused with her mouth open, "In my file, there are two groups of people who had survived the disease. One group were random women who just lost their symptoms and we could not explain it - rather, we no longer had the time to go back and study their progress."
"The second group was rather strange." A hiss left Shannon's lips before saying, "They claimed to have been healed by a quack doctor!"
She shook her head and revealed, "That! That, I was able to investigate on my last trip to Cambodia. The quack doctor gave the girls some strange drinks and... he had sex with them. They got their cure, but they also got pregnant with the quack doctor's baby!"
While Ethan was frowning at the tale of Shannon, he heard her say, "It was crazy."
"You did not get to find out what the quack doctor gave these women?" Ethan asked, referring to the drinks that were given to the victims.
"I was able to get a sample of the drink from one of the women. It was a mix of coconut milk and herbs which!" She raised a finger before adding, "We tried to give to the other women with the same disease."
With a long sigh, she told, "It did not work. I meant to go back and ask again. Perhaps, the woman gave me the wrong drink, but then my funding got discontinued."
"Anyway, Mr. Wright, let me furnish you a copy of my research, and do let me know whatever are your plans. This disease really does spark an interest in me, which is why I am very much willing to help," stated Shannon.
***
After another two hours of being up in the air, Ethan was back to Braeton.
He and Edgar, along with his military guard, drove off to a new residential building in the city where his uncle Sawyer and cousin Steven were said to have settled.
Ethan was easily invited to the penthouse where he found his uncle and cousin already waiting for him in the living room.
"Wow, a soldier for a bodyguard. Isn't that a little too much, Ethan," told Steven at the first sight of Ethan.
"My wife was nearly abducted. So we are taking extreme measures," answered Ethan. Introducing his companion, he said, "This here is lieutenant Grey. Former special forces."
"Well, Ethan. You don't need a bodyguard around us. We are your family," suggested Sawyer Wright, sitting on a couch.
"Are you?" Ethan asked before taking a seat without invitation.
"What's that supposed to mean, Ethan?" Sawyer asked with a frown.
"Let's cut to the chase." Ethan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He looked his uncle and cousin in the eye and said, "Aside from attempting to take my wife, there was a group of men who injected Samantha with the Kannareth disease."
He studied the expressions of the two before adding, "Last I heard, your company is finding the cure for this disease."
With a frown, Ethan implied, "What a coincidence that my wife suddenly gets injected with the same disease that your company is currently studying. Don't you think? And it happened to have occurred at the time when you have returned to Braeton!"
"What the fuck, Ethan! We had nothing to do with that - "
Steven's words were cut off by Ethan's words when he said, "One abductor survived and has come out in a coma. Soon he will speak. I will know what is the truth!"
"If you say you have nothing to do with this, then you will send me all your research about the disease. Have you found the cure?" He probed.
The father and son looked at each other before Steven finally spoke. He cleared his throat and said, "Actually, Ethan. We have not gone far, but if you'll fund our research." He raised his shoulders and suggested, "Say a hundred million dollars! We'll get to the bottom of it in no time - "
"Huh!" Ethan let out a sarcastic tone. He said, "Really now? Send me what you have so far and then... I'll decide if you are worth investing money to."
Ethan got up from his seat and warned, "If I ever prove that you were involved, you are going to regret having returned to Braeton."
Before leaving, Ethan declared, "I have my eye on you."
***
Seeing the door close behind them, Sawyer hissed, drinking his scotch. He turned to his son and scolded, "You and your plans! Now how can we make this right if we don't have enough money to roll? You did not know that Ethan's wife was the General's daughter?!"
"Let's wait, Dad" Steven smirked and said, "Soon, his wife will have the symptoms, and he'll come running back to us... Because I - I have the cure."