After Darkness Falls: Volume One Part 13

"We're just along here," Jenkins said leading the way.

He stopped outside of a large set of double doors. Duke noticed that there was a small CCTV camera on the ceiling. The doors buzzed quietly and swung open. She stepped forward and realised that Jenkins was standing still.

"I'll wait for you here," he said taking a seat.

She walked forward, unable to shake the feeling that she was entering the lair of a James Bond villain. She expected to see a bald, scarred man stroking a white cat; instead she got a hippy in cargo shorts and a Hawaiian s.h.i.+rt. "Mr. Cane?" She asked.

"In the flesh," he responded with a toothy grin and she couldn't help but smile along.

The next two hours were spent in a whirlwind of Cane's excitement and pa.s.sion for his industry. He was far from the all-conquering corporate t.i.tan that the business pages depicted him as and just as far from the many dictators that she had experienced first-hand. The health business had more than its fair share of re-born fanatics who ran their companies like they were on a personal mission from G.o.d himself. But Cane was more along the lines of a new age hippy with a dream to make the world a healthier place, one protein shake at a time. She had expected to find a sharp minded cut throat; instead she found a likable, slightly weird eccentric.

He was listed as 52 and yet he showed no signs of age. His hair was devoid of sliver streaks and was still a thick and l.u.s.trous chestnut mane that touched his shoulders. His beard was full and equally lacking of signs of age. His eyes were emerald green and sparkled with vitality. His build was solid and his waist was trim. His legs looked like a runner's as she well recognised from her own pursuits.

They headed out from his office and he led her on a tour of the facility. He spoke quickly and rapidly changed direction. She found herself warming to him and also found it difficult to reconcile Mack's tip with the man in front of her. Surely this was not a man capable of subterfuge and industrial fraud? Cane certainly dressed like he had no interest in money and all he seemed concerned with was the betterment of man.

"I'm not saying that we need to take away people's right to eat whatever they want to," he said earnestly. "Time has shown us again and again that education doesn't work on a large enough scale. We need to provide an alternative that doesn't sacrifice flavor and taste for nutritional value."

"That all sounds great," Duke replied as they walked.

"I mean look at you, you obviously take care of yourself; eat right, exercise regularly - running, I'm guessing by your build and shape," Cane said looking her up and down. "All that effort and yet time is slipping by no matter how fast you run. Soon you'll start getting slower, your organs will wither, your skin will crack and your beauty will fade all too quickly."

"Gee thanks, you sure know how to make a girl feel good," she laughed.

"Life is too short and too precious for us to waste Ms McHale, but waste it we do. I believe that the average human lifespan should be significantly higher, up around 150 let's say."

Duke looked at him surprise.

"Maybe even pus.h.i.+ng 200 in time," he continued excitedly. The human body is a marvel of science that we still haven't begun to scratch the surface of. Our potential is being currently limited only by our imagination. We can do so much more; we can be so much more."

"And you believe that can come from protein shakes and energy bars?" She asked.

"Our main income derives from mankind's basic need for improvement. The health industry has a fanatical but limited following. Our income streams fund our research; scientists don't come cheap."

The factory floor was deserted and the lights were dim. There were huge industrial machines made of s.h.i.+ny chrome and silver metal. They stood devoid of their power as ma.s.sive mixing whisks stood idle. Gigantic tubes covered great distances, fetching and carrying.

"What is it that you do here? Is this where you produce Maple Leaf's main products?" She asked.

"No not nearly," he laughed. "We have facilities all across the globe. It is my own personal policy to make sure that Maple Leaf puts a job creating factory in every poor area around the world that we can manage."

"I bet that cuts down on production costs," she said disappointedly as she jotted her notes down.

"On the contrary," he smiled back. "We pay excellent western standard wages wherever we plant our flag. We are about spreading and giving, not taking."

"Oh, sorry," she said sheepishly crossing the note out, "Why after all the years of secrecy Mr. Cane."

"Please call me Casper," he politely interrupted. "This place is my home and my office Ms McHale."

"Call me Duke," she offered forgetting herself.

"Duke," he replied smiling. "This Resort Spa is one of many that we are currently constructing around the world. I am fully aware that this place is seen as exclusive for the rich and famous. While that might be currently true, it won't be for long. You see unfortunately the world turns on money and my dreams require a lot of it. What we charge up there," he said pointing upwards, "pays for the research and development down here. Once we have our product finalized the costs will drop through the floor and we will be able to offer our services to all. "

"After all these years of secrecy Casper, why am I here? You have s.h.i.+ed away from publicity and from the outside at least, you have cultivated an air of mystery. I can't believe that you want nothing but a fluff piece about the company."

Casper stopped and stared hard at her. "I understand that you are in possession of a certain piece of information about me Duke, both yourself and a certain Mr. Mack."

"I don't know what you mean," she said trying to sound genuine.

"Oh I think you do," he smiled.

Duke looked around the deserted factory floor and suddenly felt very nervous. She was probably hundreds of feet below the surface and alone with a man she was supposed to be investigating.

"Oh my dear please don't be alarmed," Casper said hurriedly. "That came off all wrong, whatever must you think of me?" he asked chuckling good naturedly. "Let me start again. Your boss Mr. Gene Mack has handed you a piece of information about Maple Leaf and a certain Brainfreeze company, please don't deny it," he said raising his hand to her objections. "What I want from you Ms McHale, Duke, is a little time to convince you of the folly of your ways. Yes you can expose my connection with Brainfreeze and make a big splash. I'm sure that the media would have field day with the implications of a health food mogul and a fast food company; one to fatten the people up in order to exploit them when they need to slim down again."

Duke stayed silent as Casper laid out her own thoughts succinctly.

"I've brought you here to give you an inside look at what I am trying to do. To try and explain and appeal to your better nature," he said sincerely.

"Ok, I'm listening," she said genuinely.

"Brainfreeze is the hottest junk food item out there. They are growing at a rapid rate and their shakes are delicious to be quite frank. But they are also incredibly harmful. My plan is simple, to combine their taste with my healthy product."

"Would people know?" She asked puzzled.

"Not at first. People seem to have a real problem with trying anything that's good for them. If they think that they're indulging in something decadent they don't want to listen to the consequences. I want to subst.i.tute the fatty elements from the Brainfreeze drinks with my own special concoction and keep the fact that they are healthy from the public, at least for a while."

"That kind of sounds like fraud to me," Duke said thoughtfully.

"For the greater good," Casper said excitedly again. "I am going to change the world, I am going to save lives and advance mankind, I think that I can stand a few little white lies," he grinned.

"So what is this product that you have? Why is it so special?"

"It's called Elixir and it's a new kind of shake, one unlike anything the world has seen before. I have sunk every penny that I had into this project and you are going to experience it first-hand."

"A protein shake?" She said disappointed as they started walking again.

Casper led her into a large industrial office. It was dark until he hit the lights, but she was now more intrigued than scared.

"This is our nerve centre," he proclaimed proudly. "This is where the new future of mankind will be carved from out of a mountain side and called Elixir. This is my destiny Duke; this is what I put upon this earth to do."

Duke watched as he opened a chiller cabinet and took out a small red bottle. She felt that he was genuine in his ambitions, but she doubted the veracity of his claims.

"Every penny that I had Duke has gone into this. The brightest minds and the biggest brains have helped me fulfill my fate and now after all this time it is ready and it is perfect," he stressed.

"How long have you been working on it?"

"Over 30 years. 30 years of my life are sitting in this bottle Duke, everything that I am and will be is here."

"But you've only just taken over the Brainfreeze Company haven't you?"

"That was the very last piece of the puzzle Duke, the distribution network is perfect, and now the product is too," he said beaming. "Here try it."

Duke took the bottle dubiously. She was a health food freak and her cabinets at home were full of goodness and devoid of poisons. "Is it safe?" She couldn't help but ask.

"It is safe my dear?" Casper replied. "It has pa.s.sed every test and received every stamp of approval that it needs to go on sale."

Duke figured just how harmful could a health shake really be? She unscrewed the top and sniffed the liquid inside. It smelled sweet and of summer berries. She raised the bottle and flicked out her tongue as Casper merely watched and smiled. The taste was sugary, but a natural sugar, unlike the chemical taste of artificial sweeteners. She took a small sip and the fragrant liquid tickled her throat on the way down until it hit her stomach with a warm blast. "What was that?" she asked in awe at the sensation.

"That is Elixir, and it gets better," he replied quietly.

She downed the rest of the bottle and licked the remnants from her lips. It was unlike anything healthy that she had ever tasted before. It was thick and frothy like ice-cream and it kicked hard. "Holy c.r.a.p," she exclaimed. "You're telling me that this is healthy? How many calories does it have? What's the fat content?"

"Yes it is healthy, it doesn't contain calories, in fact the very reverse; it burns them. It is fat free and full of more nutrients and vitamins than a hundred sacks of organic fruit and vegetables."

"Bulls.h.i.+t!" She said shocked. "That cannot possibly be true."

"And yet it is," he laughed. "Don't ask me to explain it as even I don't quite follow what the eggheads say."

"I can feel..., it's like my insides are on fire, every nerve ending is standing on end. I feel so alive and energized, like I could run a marathon and not break a sweat," she laughed.

"This is the future Duke, this is our future."

"Our?"

"Come work for me Duke. Come help me change the world one little bottle at a time. I need someone like you to run our PR department. It's not about the money, but you'll make more with me in two years than the rest of your career put together. We can change the world together, we can change everything."

Duke was back in her plush apartment before she realised it. She had signed on the dotted line of the contract that Casper had produced, she had signed without much of a thought. She hadn't considered Mack, or the magazine, or the story. She hadn't signed for the promotion or the money. She'd only had one thought when her hand had scribbled her signature on autopilot; that taste and how she wanted more.

6 MONTHS LATER.

Duke kicked off her heels and stretched her long legs. These days her wardrobe was crammed with only the finest designer labels. Her hair was cut and swept daily by her own personal stylist. Her makeup was flawless and she positively glowed from all angles.

The last six months had been a hard slog, far more difficult than she had ever imagined it would be. She ran the entire promotional campaign for Maple Leaf and their upcoming new product release. That afternoon with Casper seemed like a lifetime ago. She'd had no idea that it would take this long to get to the launch date. The product was perfect and approved at all levels and yet it had still taken 6 long grueling months to get here.

The advertising campaign was tracking well and tester groups were charting through the roof. Bottling, s.h.i.+pping and distribution were all lined up and waiting for the gun to go off. Everything was in place and everyone was ready.

This was her first visit back to the mountaintop headquarters since she had signed the contract. Her life had turned into a whirlwind after that afternoon. Mack and the magazine had been left behind in the dirt. Casper had bought "Natural Awakenings" out before Mack had time to make a stink, and the story had been buried a few days later when Mack's notorious heart had given out in a fit of rage. She felt sorry for the guy, but not responsible. Mack was a heart attack waiting to happen; it was another example of just what large parts of the population were doing to themselves. Well, all that was going to change.

She had been skeptical at first about Casper's grand plan for the world, but she had seen the effects of Elixir for herself. She had always treated her body as a temple, but now it was a cathedral. She was at zero percent body fat and her energy levels were sky high. She had better muscle definition than she'd had at 18 and she felt fitter and stronger than an Olympic athlete. She needed no more than two hours sleep a night and her brain capability seemed to have increased exponentially. She devoured text books and knowledge with a ravenous appet.i.te and she had proven her worth to Casper ten times over. And it was all down to Elixir. She now fully believed that they were going to change the world.

She stopped by the full length mirror in the dressing room and quickly shed her clothes. She stood there naked and marveled at her tight and toned appearance. She could easily pa.s.s for a woman in her teens. She had never considered herself a vain person before, but now she had good reason.

There was only one thought that wouldn't stop burrowing into her subconscious; one question that she continually tried to bat away like a buzzing fly; the hunger. She no longer craved food, she now only craved Elixir. She wouldn't have described herself as an addict, but then what addict would? The fly buzzed and asked.

Her cabinets were stocked with the small red bottles, a gift for all Maple Leaf employees from their generous benefactor. Increasingly it had become the only sustenance they she craved anymore and she had determined to ask Casper about it this weekend.

Casper had called everyone of note up to the mountain. A party to celebrate everyone's hard work as the launch drew near on Monday morning. The preparation was all done and the world awaited them with baited breath.

There was a soft knock at the door and she quickly slipped on a robe, embarra.s.sed at her brazen nakedness.

She was situated in the same apartment that she had been in 6 months ago and she opened the door to Jenkins. She hadn't seen him since that day as Casper was in permanent residence here and Jenkins lived wherever Casper did.

"So nice to see you again Ms McHale," Jenkins smiled warmly.

"What have I told you?" She teased gently.

"Sorry, Duke," he answered. "Mr. Cane asked me to check in on you and make sure that you had everything that needed."

"I'm fine, thank you. Has Casper got a few minutes for me?"

"I'm afraid that he's rather tied up this afternoon. He won't be available until the meal this evening," Jenkins replied.

"How long have you worked for him?" Duke asked, suddenly intrigued by the little man. She knew little about him and she had started to harbor a more personal interest in Casper. She knew instinctively that any access to Casper was going to be guarded by Jenkins and it wouldn't hurt to try and get him on side.

"Oh I've been with Mr. Cane for more years than I care to count," the demure man said with a small smile.

A flashbulb went off in Duke's head, however dimly lit it was still there. Jenkins looked to be in his twenties, but judging by Elixir's improvement to her own appearance she couldn't help but wonder. "A long time huh?" She probed gently.

"Oh yes Miss, practically from the very beginning."

She watched as Jenkins waltzed away down the corridor. Casper had told her that he had been working on Elixir for over 30 years. Jenkins, despite looking like he was 20 something had said that he had been here since the beginning. She wanted to laugh off the idea, but she caught sight of her reflection again as she climbed the stairs to change. The striking improvement in only 6 months gave her pause for thought, just how old was Jenkins? The fly buzzed, just how old?

The thought didn't leave her for the rest of the afternoon. She couldn't settle and wandered around aimlessly. The fridges were stocked with only Elixir but she fought the urge. For the first time in 6 months she was starting to wonder about the amount of bottles that she was consuming. She started ticking off her usual day's consumption and stopped at 12 as she grew concerned. She was already getting a headache and a gnawing sensation deep in the pit of her stomach. She checked her watch and realised that this was the longest she had been without..., without..., without a fix? The fly buzzed annoyingly again. Call it what it is Dukey old girl, it's a fix.

She had an hour or so before the big congratulatory dinner and she decided to stretch her legs a little. Trying to ignore the craving whilst standing not 10 feet from a fridge stocked full of the bottles was not going to work. She was also not an idiot either. She had been drinking the stuff by the gallon for 6 months now and going cold turkey might not be advisable.

She took three bottles from the fridge and emptied around three quarters from each of them. She dressed casually, put the three small bottles in her pockets, and slipped out of the room.

The resort was large enough that the handful of people invited had disappeared into their corners. She'd heard that the resort staff were on a skeleton crew, mainly cooks and cleaners were all that remained.

She stood in the long corridor and closed her eyes. She thought back to her first visit and pictured her trail. She stuck a pin in her mental map to mark her room and ran it out from there. Her head was starting to throb and part of her wanted to go back, down a few bottles and forget about this nonsense, but she had to keep going.

She found her way out through the accommodation block and deeper into the main building. Despite the gnawing in her stomach she managed to find her way with only a few wrong turns. She stopped as her head throbbed monstrously and she felt like she was going to throw up. She took one of the bottles and drank the small amount of liquid. It took everything that she had to not down the other two and run back to the room to gorge herself stupid. The throbbing slowly subsided to a manageable level and she pushed on.

She was looking for the elevator that had taken her down to meet Casper on her last visit, but she found herself turned around as the hunger ruined her thought process and sense of direction.

She pushed through a door marked private. Always something good or something bad behind signs that read private, the fly buzzed and she agreed.

She found herself standing in what must be the personnel office. There were metal filing cabinets lining the room and computers sitting on desks. Told you, the fly buzzed, irritatingly smug.

She started pulling the cabinet drawers open looking for something, but not quite knowing what, she couldn't remember why she had come here in the first place. The fly had gone uncharacteristically quiet. She drank the second bottle, and Jenkins' face danced past her eyes.

His personnel file, his employment records, health insurance, anything with an age on it, the fly said back again.

She started rifling through the files but she realised that she only knew the man as "Jenkins" and didn't know if that was his first or last name. It was going to be a short search without further information.

She sat down in a comfy office chair and rocked back and forth. She was pondering her problem when her eyes drifted upwards.