THE ADJUSTMENT CLINIC

Rowena Diaz waited until the last member of her Board of Directors was seated. “Good morning everyone, I summoned you all here for only one agenda item which I have not written down. Harvey, if you please.”

“It appears as if a battle line is forming between Wilson Medical Products and the Adjustment Clinic.” He sipped his morning coffee. “We were in the process of formulating further disclosure to the media of the link between Wilson Medical Products and their industrial espionage and sabotage within corporate Pharma when they advanced to confront us.”

“I want you all to know up front, the ‘they” Harvey refers to is specifically Mary Murphy and Brimly Dowel.” Diaz nodded Harvey to continue.

“We don’t know what kind of agenda Wilson-Murphy–has in the way of hostile takeovers but a sinister scenario is developing. Rowena, if you please.”

“Mary Murphy appears to have a piecemeal plan to weaken several private Pharma companies and then jump on them with strangling tentacles. Wilson’s plan is now obvious. By blocking pivotal drug registration and weakening a firm’s financial base, Wilson can move in and buy out majority shares and ultimately create mergers. We saw such attempts with Legg Pharmaceuticals and the cyanide-Tylenol crisis which almost underpinned Creighton Drugs. Murphy fears, and will destroy, any opposition to her malignant intentions. Badger, can you please relate our recent guerilla confrontations?”

Wicket smiled. “Guerilla is the correct word. Murphy has tried to find out who ‘AC’ is by attempting to physically assault Porfirio Quintos at Legg Pharmaceuticals. She has gone so far as to hire criminals to kidnap and terrorize the Quintos family. We know that Murphy’s only link to AC is via Quintos and we’ve stood in her way by protecting him. The people she has links with carry guns and Murphy’s organization within Wilson Medical Products work in such a way that if discovered, these hired thugs leave no trail back to her.”

Diaz raised her hand to interrupt. “The Board of Directors at Wilson is aware of the core group who perform their outlaw actions. As long as the cash flow continues to be augmented they tacitly approve of Murphy’s tactics by looking the other way. We know who this inner group comprises.” She signaled Brasher.

“There are three key people with Mary Murphy at the head. She’s maneuvered into a position as Vice President for Research and Development of all clinical and over-the counter products. One step above her is Brimly Dowel. He speaks directly to the Chairman of the Board at Wilson. Dowel and Murphy are more than colleagues.” Harvey Brasher paused and smiled. “They’re also connected, literally, at the hips. In the background is their man and the person who finds and makes contact with their illegals–Andrew Bergsman. Murphy, Dowel and Bergsman are our targets.”

“Mary Murphy, like Hitler, is the principal. If we get her the others topple.” Diaz looked at her pivotal committee. “Badger, we have a few people like yourself, working within Wilson Medical Products in different departments–the mail room, data management, drug production, clerical and janitorial. They’re not conspicuous. We do, however, need someone to infiltrate their upper management ranks. That someone is me.” Diaz let her last statement sink in. The silence was broken by Badger Wicket.

“You? How can you get onto Wilson’s payroll and work elbow-to-elbow with the Murphy-Dowel-Bergsman triad.” The big man stared at her and Brasher.