Unleashed

By Gerald S Sloan

Ian Hunter has made a discovery that will change mankind’s thinking on genetic engineering–if, that is, he thwarts those who wish to bury him and his secret with him. An emerging medical industry that promises to be worth billions of dollars is at stake and the clock is ticking. Ian must survive to not only save his own life, but thousands of others, too.

Unleashed is a thrilling fictional adventure that examines the best and worst consequences of genetic engineering.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gerald S Sloan
• Release date: Dec 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215595299

Gerald S Sloan

Born and raised in Independence, MO, I am proud graduate of Truman High School. After studying three and half years at the University of Missouri-Columbia, I graduated with a Liberal Arts Degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.I founded and spent the majority of my professional career managing a medical equipment company that specialized in Wheelchair Seating and Positioning for the severely disabled.Besides owning and running my company, I have testified before Congress on the detrimental impacts that certain health care legislation will have on American Seniors. I have also served as a Board Member and President of the Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services. I worked closely with Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas regarding questions of healthcare legislation and been recommended by him for appointment to the Program Advisory and Oversight Committee for Quality Standards and Competitive Acquisition of Certain Durable Medical Equipment. In short, I have dedicated my life to being a caring advocate for the aged and disabled.I hope you enjoy reading The Canary’s Song and feel moved to make a difference in your own and others’ lives.

Book preview

Prologue

Johns Hopkins Hospital

Baltimore, Maryland

The darkened nursery was quiet at this hour. Those infants that were stirring earlier had already been delivered back to their mothers’ rooms, leaving nothing to hear but the swishing sound of air conditioning and a soft hum of electronics from a nearby room.

Nestled between baby cribs on all sides, and furthest right and away from the observation window, a boy laid peacefully sleeping; swaddled in a blue blanket and matching stocking cap. Only a few hours old, the infant was already beautiful. Head perfectly formed and showed no signs of trauma from his recent birth; his color was remarkably good. Vital signs were perfect and all indications supported the notion that this was as flawlessly born baby as one could be.

Not far from his crib, another infant boy rested soundly for the moment. Sadly, his status was not as good as his neighbor’s. His malformed upper lip and gum had a gaping hole where one would normally find plump pink lips and his left nostril appeared caved in just above the chasm. His breathing was staggered due to the malformations and an electronic monitor stood nearby recording his cardiovascular status. Although he was at no risk for death due to his deformities, protocol demanded that he be watched and blood drawn every 4 hours to ensure there were no other complications. Jolted awake by a sudden spasm, he let out a cry that vocalized the very rough beginning to his life.

Nearby, a nurse worked at her station making her notes in charts and keeping a wary eye on the monitors displaying vitals on all the newborns being monitored. She was so concentrated on her task that she jumped when she heard the boy’s shriek. She quickly glanced at his monitor, noting his numbers and then quickly stood up to go check on him.

As she made her way through the many cribs, she reflected on which babies were in fine shape and those of which, in her experience, were destined for a bumpy start to life. It never seemed fair that some had a normal path to childhood development while others didn’t. Of course, nothing in life is fair and those with advantages soon find they might lose them while others rise above their abilities. An inauspicious beginning assured nothing but suffering at an early age and that enough was deserving of her sympathy.

Arriving at the crib of the startled child, she gently lifted him from his crib and nestled him against her cheek. Her love for a newborn eclipsed any revulsion she might have for his appearance. She gently rocked him and within a few moments he had relaxed back into sleep. She placed him back down in his crib and tightened the swaddling blanket around him. She paused for a moment to look at his face and then made her way back to her station.

Chapter 1

Baltimore, Maryland

A loud ringing in his ears was all Ian could discern as he began regaining consciousness. Like arousing from a deep sleep, he couldn’t make sense of where he was or what had recently happened. All he knew was that he heard a steady, high-pitched tone in his ears and he felt a sharp pain emanating from the back of his head. But of greater concern to him at the moment was he’d either gone blind or his vision was being impaired.

He tried to raise his hand to rub his head but as he did, he quickly found that he couldn’t move either of his arms. For some reason both hands were behind his back and frozen in place. Instinctively, he tried to rise from his position but found his legs equally useless. A claustrophobic panic set in as he realized he was tied-up and blindfolded. He started to writhe and flail as best he could but despite his convulsive efforts, he couldn’t escape his bonds.

Just relax, Dr. Hunter. A voice from nowhere said calmly.

You’re firmly tied up and nothing you can do will change that.

Ian tried to say something but his mouth felt out of sync with his mind. The result was a muddled, incoherent blur of words. He then heard laughter from his captors.

Jeez, Joe. That was a hell of a hit you laid on him! Look at him. He’s completely out of it!

The reply emanated from another voice behind him that Ian didn’t know. Dumb-ass shouldn’t have tried to run. You warned him.

You bastard! forcefully responded another voice; this one familiar. He’s bleeding. You didn’t have to hit him like that.

That voice belonged to his longtime friend and colleague, Mark Espinoza. Bits and pieces of what had transpired were beginning to form in his mind. He was with Mark and they were walking. But where were they walking? What happened?, he thought as he lay helpless on the floor of what felt like a moving vehicle.

Ian, are you alright? Mark asked him.

Ian nodded his head as best he could and then tried to relax to regain some composure and ascertain what had recently occurred. The last thing he remembered was walking on the boardwalk around Baltimore Harbor. He and Mark were….

Laura! he shouted suddenly. The thought that something had happened to her sprang to his mind in a microsecond. She was walking with them, too. They were discussing what should be done about the IAK trials.

I’m here. came a tentative whisper very close to his face.

Her warm breath in his ear sent a shiver of warmth through his body. Ian didn’t have enough wits about him to contemplate the slight arousal he felt. His relationship with Laura had always been professionally platonic. Perhaps he was just happy she was safe.

Are you okay? he asked with a slight panic in his voice.

She quickly answered in a soft whisper so close to his ear that he felt sexual arousal.

Yes. But whoever these guys are, they have guns pointed at us. I think we’d better do as they say for now.

The voice he had first heard when he had gained consciousness boomed from somewhere in front of him.

That’s right, Doc. Best to do as we always say, especially now. He growled.

Finally aware of their situation now, Ian began to parse together the events leading up to their current circumstances. They had just finished dining at Phillip’s Seafood on the north side of the Inner Harbor. Mark suggested the three of them enjoy the evening and walk around the boardwalk to the north side instead of calling an Uber to take them to the Ritz Carlton Residence where he and Mark were staying.

Everyone agreed it was a beautiful evening and worthy of a nice walk. The sun had dropped about an hour earlier but the boardwalk was well-lit and safe. The group had no fear of anything nefarious happening to them. Once on the south side of the harbor, they all agreed the sight from Federal Hill looking back on the city would be breathtaking. So, they climbed what felt like a million steps and were enjoying the view when….the memory suddenly rocketed back into Ian’s mind. They were mugged.

A man approached them from the front. Ian took little notice of him at first as the man looked like someone in a hurry. He was smallish in stature and wearing dark athletic gear. He had a baseball hat cocked sideways on his head and a lightweight black and orange jacket he wore had an Orioles logo on it.

The man didn’t try to avoid them on the sidewalk and stopped abruptly in front of them, appearing to need directions or something.

Are you Dr. Hunter? he’d inquired in a confident voice.

Ian remembered responding in the affirmative. In retrospect he should have been extremely suspicious of a stranger knowing his name. But Ian is not a suspicious person by nature. He naively thought he might know the man.

The man pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it directly at him.

Dr. Hunter, I assume you don’t want to die right now. I want you and your little group to do as I say and quietly walk down the hill to the corner on the right. If you try anything funny, I’ll kill you.

Ian looked at Laura and Mark and the scared expressions they shared suggested they’d be wise to do as asked. Their assailant moved behind them and pressed the gun into Mark’s back, eliciting a cry of panic from him and said, Move.

As they cleared the trees on the top of the hill, Ian spotted a police squad car about 200 yards away at the bottom of the hill on Key Highway. Their current path was leading them away from the car but Ian felt that if he ran fast and zigzagged in the darkness, that the assailant couldn’t possibly shoot him and he could make it down the hill to reach the cops.

Laura, seeing him eyeing the car, gripped his arm tightly in an effort to restrain him from acting impulsively. But Ian, feeling the moment was right to make a dash for it, pulled his arm free and was about to jump to his left when something hit him hard from behind. He awoke from the blow just moments ago.

Coming to his senses completely now, Ian had a need for more information.

With a voice still garbled but stronger now, Ian began his inquisition.

Who are you? How do you know my name? he said with as much resolve as he could muster.

Ian, don’t talk to them. Mark pleaded from somewhere behind them.

Yeah, Ian. Don’t talk to us. responded the gruff voice in front of him followed by a forced laugh.

Feeling the derisiveness of the laughter angered Ian and he shouted at the voice.

WHO ARE YOU! HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?

The laughter continued from the front. Finally, the man’s laughter subsided and he answered Ian mockingly.

Ian, if I tell you who we are, he paused, I’d have to kill you and your buddies. Is that what you want?

Ian felt a burning inside of him unlike anything he’d ever felt before. He wanted to lash out and beat the man in front of him. The rage within him took over and he bolted forward into nothingness where he met a force that launched him backwards. He heard Laura scream and the loud ringing in his ears returned as he lost consciousness again. Ian went limp and time stopped. He didn’t have the chance to appreciate how the events that had transpired the past 13 years led up to this moment. Nor did he get another opportunity to fathom his part in a much bigger game.

Chapter 2

Bethesda, Maryland

13 years earlier

Nick Thomson, Jr. entered the kitchen through the garage door in his customary fashion. With a stoic expression he surveyed the area as he did every evening when he arrived home. He wasn’t looking for anything in particular. He was simply taking inventory and comparing it to his memory of the place as he had left it the previous weekend. Nick, by nature, wasn’t a distrustful man and he never anticipated anything being amiss when he arrived home. He simply followed an instinct of abject curiosity; weighing details against known facts to form conclusions. He was this way in every aspect of his life thus ensuring that nothing was amiss in the orderly world he craved.

The two-story colonial home sitting well off the road on Melody Lane is located on the southern edge of Bethesda, MD, in a neighborhood of even larger homes situated on large, wooded lots. The homes were built snuggly amongst trees so thick that it was nearly impossible to see neighbors from one side to the other. It was nearly a two hour commute to DC during weekday rush hour so he and his wife, Celise, stayed in a small apartment near their law offices most weeknights; returning to their home on weekends to escape the frenetic pace of Washington.

Although the Thomsons work in the same law office, they kept two cars due to the varying caseloads and schedule. Tonight they had left work at the same time but Celise had stopped at an organic food market to pick up groceries for the weekend. They were both strong proponents of eating fresh, natural foods; restocking their refrigerator each weekend they were home.

Nick took the moments he had alone in the house to enjoy the quiet solitude. He walked into the family room and peered between the wooden slats of the plantation shutters out into the wooded backyard. He was tempted to draw a drink of scotch and go out on the patio to enjoy the late summer evening but decided he’d wait until Celise arrived and they could appreciate it together. After a few moments of relaxation, he went back into the kitchen to choose a bottle of wine for Celise to enjoy this night. They kept an extensive wine selection with most of it coming as gifts from associates and clients. Having represented some of the most influential people in the world, they were given with some of the best vintages as tokens of gratitude.

After an hour of flipping through mail and reading the more important notices, Celise walked in the door carrying several canvas bags filled with food. She fumbled clumsily trying to lift them to the counter top.

Honey, can you give me a hand with these? she asked as she managed to sling one onto the counter causing some fruit to roll out of it and land with a thud on the floor.

Nick‘s head jerked up at the sound of the spilling fruit and rushed over to grab the other bags she had in her hands.

God, Celise, why did you try to carry them all at once? I would have grabbed the other bags you left in the car. he said in an impatient tone.

I don’t know. I thought I could manage them. Pausing, she picked up an orange that had rolled under a bar stool. Guess not, huh? she sniggered and threw the orange in the air with her right hand, catching it in the left. She quickly changed the subject.

I talked to Karen on the way home and she said they’d like to get together tonight if we’re up for it.

Oh. Nick replied with a bit of disappointment in his voice. I was hoping it could just be you and me tonight out on the patio. It’s been a long week and I wanted to discuss this baby thing again. If we’re going to do it, we need to make a decision sooner than later.

Which is why I thought it’d be a great idea to talk to Karen and Ted. She shot back quickly.

They’ve done a tremendous amount of research on genetic engineering and seem eager to give it a go. They’ve also talked to some Doc’s down at Johns Hopkins and she wants to share that with us.

Nick was putting groceries into the refrigerator as Celise shared her news and stopped to turn and look at her.

They did? Well, that changes things then. What time do you want them to come over?

Celise smiled a mischievous grin at him.

They’ll be here in about 45 minutes!

Nick closed the refrigerator door and approached Celise in a mocking way pretending to be angry. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in for an affectionate kiss.

I hate it when you do that! he laughed. Why do you even bother asking me if you’ve already acted on it?

She kissed him back and hurriedly responded, Cause I don’t want to be rude to my guy!

She twisted out of his arms and finished putting the groceries away.

Without looking at him she said with a lilt in her voice. You better go get changed before your friends get here!

He smiled as he left the kitchen. Because he was tired tonight and in no mood to resist, he was easily manipulated by his wife. Of course, she was the only person in the world he would allow to do this to him and he loved it when she did. He went back to the master bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes knowing that she would be right behind him.

Ted and Karen showed up exactly 45 minutes later toting a bottle of Menage a Trois red wine. They came through the front door and Karen and Celise immediately hugged and started chatting. Nick grabbed Ted’s hand and drew him in for a man hug. The four stood in the foyer making small talk for a few minutes before casually walking towards the kitchen area.

So, how are things down at Burns and Mac? asked Nick as he and Ted walked shoulder to shoulder on their way through the family room to the kitchen.

Don’t go there! interrupted Karen. I told him ‘no work-talk tonight’. It’s the weekend and I’ve heard enough for one week. Maybe a month…

Nick looked at Ted with a twinkle in his eye. Right, sorry pal. That leaves nothing but babes and sports to talk about. Did I tell you about the new intern we have working in bankruptcy?

Celise balled her hand into a fist and hit Nick on the arm. How do you know about her? she shouted.

Nick laughed and rubbed his bicep in mock pain.

Ted stepped between them and said, Let’s talk about sports before someone gets hurt! and started to laugh, too.

Karen Interjected. Alright guys, enough of your childish behavior. We’re going to have a wonderfully relaxing evening; ironically talking about children. I see you already have a bottle of…what’s this, French wine? Is this for us?

Nick, you tell them what it is. It’s your clients that continually douse us with wine. said Celise.

Chateau Montrose, 2005.