Russell Andrews - Aphrodite

Three days after he told her not to worry, Dr. Fennerman was mugged and murdered after a lecture in London.

"I felt trapped," Helen said now. "I couldn't prove that Dr. Fennerman's death was connected to Aphrodite. But I knew that it was. I felt responsible for the deaths of two people. Two people I cared about." She sipped at a glass of water, her lower lip trembling at the memory. "Also," she said, putting down the glass, "I was afraid that somehow they'd find out what I'd been doing. And that I'd be next."

"I'd say you were right to be afraid. What did you do?" Justin asked.

"Maura had dropped a lot of hints about her…relationship… with Frank. I knew that she trusted him. So, despite everything that was in the press, that everyone was saying about Frank, I decided to go with Maura's instincts."

"She got in touch with me," Manwaring said. "I didn't really know how to help her, so I urged her to stay at Aker and to keep reporting to me. Directly to me, this time."

"Which you did," Justin said.

"Until Maura's body was discovered. Then I got too scared. So I ran. To Frank. I didn't know anyone else I could trust. Or who'd even believe me."

"How the hell," Deena spoke up, "could this possibly get so out of hand? It's insane!"

"It's the nature of business and government," Manwaring said. "This is the reality now. It's the way things play out."

"No more rules?" Deena asked. "Just greed and chaos?"

"There are rules," Manwaring said. "But both sides broke the rules. That's why it all happened. And then it became a race against time. Kransten needed to keep his new product under wraps until it was perfected-because if it was announced to the public and it didn't work, the damage would be irreparable. Unless he could prove that what he'd developed was legitimate, and make that proof as visible as possible, the FDA would shoot it down and destroy it because of the financial danger it presented. If that happened, his company would go under. The government-using the FBI-eventually understood that Kransten was ignoring their longtime agreement, and they were determined to prevent his experiments and product from ever being revealed. It's why Kransten disappeared. He wasn't only protecting his formula, he was trying to stay alive until he could go public. Both sides had been successful for so long playing their little game. Both sides had stopped outsiders from interfering or discovering too much. Or if they had discovered too much, they were stopped from revealing it. Both sides have played to a draw so far. But now the game's coming to a close. And both sides are determined to win."

"At any cost," Justin said.

"Now you've got it," Frank Manwaring said. "And now you know most of the story."

"Most?" Justin was sitting in a chair across from the secretary. "What's the rest?"

"You're the rest."

Before Justin could ask exactly what he meant, there was a knock on the door. Everyone froze, then they heard the words "Room service."

Manwaring glanced at his watch, relaxed and nodded: "I ordered lunch for twelve-thirty. After our massages were supposed to be over."

"Just leave it outside the door," Justin called out. "We'll get it in a minute."

They waited five minutes; then, as Justin kept his gun in his hand, Manwaring went and opened the door. All that was there was a serving cart.

Manwaring wheeled it in. "I only ordered for two," he said. "I didn't realize we'd have company."

"What do you mean, we're the rest of the story?" Deena asked.

"I mean that I'm a middle-aged bureaucrat given to intellectual obfuscation. I'm fairly helpless when it comes to translating my knowledge into action. They've also rendered me impotent. My access to the White House is gone, the media has turned me into a pariah, and the police consider me a murder suspect. I wouldn't be believed by anyone, even if I could get anyone to listen to me." He nodded in Justin's direction. "You, on the other hand, have managed to beat them so far. Or at least equalize the playing field."

"So far. The closer I get, the more they're going to turn up the heat."

"Probably. But now that you know what's really transpiring, maybe you can do something about it."

"Such as?"

"Find Doug Kransten and stop him."

"Stop him how?" Deena asked.

Manwaring stared pointedly at the gun in Justin's hand. "However you can. You've got both sides after you. The government will do anything to keep the Aphrodite project secret. And Kransten will do anything to prevent it from being sabotaged. Right now, both of them see you as their number-one enemy. That's my definition of a rock and a hard place. But if Aphrodite is… abandoned, shall we say, you've eliminated any reason for either side to keep squeezing."

"And just coincidentally," Justin said, "you'll manage to escape their squeeze too."

"I'm not pretending I don't have a personal interest in this," Man-waring said. "But I've done quite a bit of thinking about this and I don't see any other choice."

Justin was shaking his head as if trying to clear it, but also to show that he was resisting what he'd been hearing. "There are just too many connections I can't get my mind around."

"Such as?" Manwaring asked.

"I'm as cynical as the next person about politicians. But this… Democrats and Republicans can barely be civil to each other. How the hell can they join forces for a conspiracy like this?"

"I've spent most of my life in politics," Manwaring said. "People don't understand what really motivates those of us who run this country. Not just politicians, but business and financial leaders too."

"So tell me."

"Two things. One is simple and practical: demographics. Even before Kransten's Aphrodite project began, the elderly were the fastest-growing segment of the population. Their political and buying power can't be underestimated. If there's one sacred trust, for the left and the right, it's Social Security. Screw around with that, you're out of public life. But now think if the elderly, who are facing death and frightened as hell about it, get a chance to escape it. For twenty, thirty, forty more years. Screw around with that, you'll be crucified."

"What's the second?"

"Fear. And it's even more powerful than the first. We're all afraid of failing. Of losing our power or our access to power. Of public humiliation. Of becoming… insignificant. Fear is a much greater force among these people-me included, I'm ashamed to say-than any kind of political philosophy."

"Why haven't you done anything up till now?"

"Because when I finally realized how desperate the situation was, I didn't have the means."

"And I'm the means?"

"It's why we wanted to try to find you," Helen Roag said.

"It's a sick and deadly game they're playing. But you seem to know how to play it using their rules," Manwaring said, lifting the silver covers off the two serving dishes.

"Why do you think he's doing this?" Justin asked, half to himself. "Kransten's made his fortune. Why break the agreement and risk everything?"

"If you stumbled onto the fountain of youth," Manwaring said, "what would you do? Jump in or board it up so no one could find it?"

Justin didn't answer. Wasn't sure he could answer. He ran his fingers through his hair, pulled tight at the ends. When he put his hands down, the expression on his face was set and determined. All he said was, "Do you know how to find Kransten?"

Manwaring and Roag shook their heads.

In the ensuing silence, the aroma of the food began to fill the room.

"I hate to sound gauche," Deena said, "but I'm starving."

"You're welcome to it," Manwaring said. "It's lobster Newburg. It's their specialty here. Absolutely delicious."

Manwaring began doling out a portion onto a plate for Deena, but Justin stood up and grabbed his hand, stopping him.