It made sense, to control the drugs after the impact the government had to ensure they still had a well-secured factory that could make and distribute the medication, a pharmacy, the last pharmacy, and in all pharmacies you needed a pharmacist. Someone who could dispense the medication. The last pharmacy and pharmacist. The Last Pharmacist. It wasn’t a drug lord but a lord over drugs. Beneath the old Baylor Medical Center was a pharmaceutical company. It all made sense now. A secret so well kept that even the people who created it had forgotten and a legend began. And unbeknownst to the US government and law enforcement agencies, they were the distributors, and within the cities were an organized group of mailroom clerks selling the drugs for the Last Pharmacist. The money was collected was then laundered through legal means and the credits were placed in an account associated with Sheldon Pharmaceutical, Inc.
“Who is requesting the Heroin, SCH?”
“That is an automatic refill,” AI9000 said.
“Automatic?” Jasmine asked. “How do I change it?”
“Eric Cotter must change the schedule and amount.”
“Why Eric? I thought you said he couldn’t do that,” Jasmine said.
“The original requestor is encrypted. For security reasons I am not allowed to relay that information. My processing will continue until the order is canceled. There are only two parties who can cancel and order, the original requestor or Eric Cotter, both parties must have the proper authorization and pin code.” There was a pause. “Eric Cotter has never requested the SCH to stop; however, an order is placed weekly with the proper authorization code and the last pin code from the city in which the previous order had arrived.”
“One more question?”
“Of course,” AI9000 replied.
“Did Eric place the last order?” Jasmine asked, almost hoping he did, and if he did she’d carve out those pretty little Doe eyes of his.
“I’m afraid for security reasons I cannot relay that information.”
“Thank you, AI9000. It was great meeting you. If you approve I’ll take my leave,” Jasmine said.
“The building is currently in lock down for security purposes. I have taken the liberty of securing accommodations. You would be much safer leaving in the morning.”
Jasmine thought it over for a moment, and then finally said, “I would like that. Thank you.”
“I am honored.”
Chapter 20
Jasmine picked Eric up off the floor and then threw him against the wall so hard his head left an indentation in the dry wall. Bill Cotter raced across the room and within mere inches of grabbing her; Jasmine pulled her Glock and stuck it in his face. “Another step, and I will kill you,” Jasmine snapped, and Bill stepped back, giving her space.
“You little son of a bitch, you’ve been dealing SCH,” Jasmine grated. She wanted to kill him here and now but Commander Baul Herne made her promise to leave him alive. She was welcome to beat the crap out of him but she couldn’t kill him. “And I have the proof.”
“It’s not what you think,” Eric replied. He was near tears and the two other Gendarmerie police officers didn’t know if he was ready to cry from fear or from Jasmine beating him to a near bloody pulp.
“Then tell me what to think,” Jasmine said as she put the Glock beneath his chin, “or so help me God I’ll pull the trigger.”
“Don’t say a word, Eric,” Bill Cotter said, “We want a lawyer—I demand a lawyer—this is still America and we have rights.”
“She’s not a cop,” said Officer Guy.
“And I haven’t heard, but did hell freeze over? I’m not stopping her,” Officer Sanford said.
“I’m not stopping her,” Officer Guy continued.
The two cops stood and watched, trying to hide their grins.
Bill Cotter took a tentative step forward and found the Glock in his face. To Eric, Jasmine said, “Tell me now or I kill your father. An eye for a fucking eye, you little bastard.”
Eric slid to the floor and buried his head between the nooks of his arms. His shoulders bounced from crying. “He, he said he’d kill us all if I didn’t put the code in to sell SCH to all the cities.”
“You coded AI9000 to hide the Medical Administrator, now who is he,” Jasmine shouted. “Tell me now, you little fuck, or so help me God you are dead.” She chambered the Glock, almost wishing she had the automatics.
“The… The City of Kansas mayor,” Bill Cotter said. He hung his head and whispered, “Mayor Krebs. He said if Eric didn’t he’d kill us.” He looked up at Jasmine. “Why do you think we left the cities? I couldn’t take it anymore. We were heading to the center so that Eric could recode AI9000, but we got caught. Then when you came along we’d thought great, we’d go with you, but you and Angela didn’t even give us the option…”
“Do you have proof?” Jasmine asked as she stepped nose to nose with Bill Cotter.
“AI9000,” Eric answered. “Only the mayor can change the information. He has the authorization code.”
“Anyone can have that and change his name,” Jasmine said.
“But you’ll need a pin code and only the person receiving the packages will have the pin,” Eric answered.
Jasmine looked at Officers Guy and Sanford. “Did you record that?” Guy nodded. “Commander Herne?”
“We got it, Jaz. We’re on it,” Commander Herne’s replied. Then in the background they heard movement, then banging and Herne’s shouting out, “Police!” Then after a minute they heard Herne say, “Mr. Mayor, you’re under arrest for the sale and distribution of SCH!”
“You knew?” Bill Cotter asked.
But it was too late, Jasmine bolted out of the room at full force, and as she banged through the door everyone who saw her jumped out of her way. It had been close to ten years since an officer of the law displayed any type of emotion, and as she whipped down the corridor on her Electro Glide transport people were cheering her name.
Jasmine came to a hard stop when she saw Mayor Krebs, smirking, as if he believed he’d get off. No one, other than Eric, knew there was a back door into the AI9000 computer, and when he got his one call to his attorney the plan was to call the computer, replacing his name and information, deleting a connection between him and the SCH data. Then the AI9000 computer, as programmed, would automatically route his call to his attorney. By the time anyone was able to access the computer and its records, his identity would be gone and Bill Cotter would take the fall.
Jasmine saw this and screamed, “NO!” and lunged for the portable telephone that one of the arresting officers was handing to him. “You can’t let him call anyone, he’ll delete all of his data!”
Jasmine then slammed into Krebs, knocking him to the floor, keeping him down until several officers pulled her off.
“What the hell, Jaz,” Commander Herne’s said.
She leaned into Herne’s and said, “There’s a back door. If he dials in he can delete everything.”
“I demand my phone call,” Mayor Krebs shouted.
“From the station,” Herne’s replied, pointing to two officers who had Krebs by his arms.
“Cuff him from behind,” Jasmine shouted out, but it was too late and in the confusion, Krebs grabbed the pistol from the officer on the left, an in an instant he fired two times.
The first bullet missed, but the second one hit Jasmine in the chest and she went down.
Pandemonium broke out as police and medical personnel surrounded her.
Before closing her eyes she heard Uncle Baul calling out to here.
She thought of Tank and wished that she had taken the time to really get to know him, had taken the time to repay him for all of his selfless acts and favors that he made without expecting anything in return. Then she heard Angela say, “ Now if I had your tight little ass—Tank’s words, not mine…”