There was a click, the door opened and Jackson stepped inside.
“I’m in the conference room,” shouted Heberling.
Jackson knew the room Heberling meant, and it was hardly a conference room. Jackson paused at the door, taking in the high ceiling, glass wall and stark furnishings. Two Chippendale couches faced one another on a large Chinese rug. There was no other furniture. Heberling was on one of the couches.
“I hope this is important,” said Jackson, taking the initiative. The two men sat facing each other. Physically, they couldn’t have been more different. Heberling was stocky with a bloated face and coarse features. Jackson was tall and thin with an almost ascetic face. Their clothes helped heighten the contrast: Heberling in coveralls; Jackson in a banker’s pinstripes.
“The Blumenthal girl was right here in the yard,” said Heberling, pointing over his shoulder for effect. “Obviously she didn’t see anything, but just the fact that she was here suggests that she knows something. She’s got to be removed.”
“You had your chance,” snapped Jackson. “Twice! And each time, you and your thugs made a mess of things. First at her house and then last night at the CDC.”
“So we try again. But you’ve called it off.”
“You’re darn right. I found out you were going to give her Ebola.”
“Why not?” said Heberling. “She’s been exposed. There’d be no questions.”
“I don’t want an Ebola outbreak in Atlanta,” shouted Jackson. “The stuff terrifies me. I’ve got a family of my own. Leave the woman to us. We’ll take care of her.”
“Oh, sure,” scoffed Heberling. “That’s what you said when you got her transferred off Special Pathogens. Well, she’s still a threat to the whole project, and I intend to see that she’s eliminated.”
“You are not in charge here,” said Jackson menacingly. “And when it comes to fixing blame, none of us would be in this mess if you’d stuck to the original plan of using influenza virus. We’ve all been in a state of panic since we learned you took it upon yourself to use Ebola!”
“Oh, we’re back to that complaint,” said Heberling disgustedly. “You were pretty pleased when you heard the Richter Clinic was closing. If PAC wanted to undermine the public’s growing confidence in prepaid health clinics, they couldn’t have done better. The
only difference from the original plan was that I got to carry out some field research that will save me years of lab research time.”
Jackson studied Heberling’s face. He’d come to the conclusion the man was a psychopath, and loathed him. Unfortunately the realization was a bit late. Once the project had started, there was no easy way to stop it. And to think that the plan had sounded so simple back when the PAC executive committee had first suggested it.
Jackson took a deep breath, knowing he had to control himself despite his anger. “I’ve told you a dozen times the Physicians’ Action Congress is not pleased and, on the contrary, is appalled at the loss of life. That had never been our intent and you know it, Dr. Heberling!”
“Bullshit!” shouted Heberling. “There would have been loss of life with influenza, given the strains we would have had to use. How many would you have tolerated? A hundred? And what about the loss of life you rich practitioners cause when you turn your backs on unnecessary surgery, or allow incompetent doctors to keep their hospital privileges?”
“We do not sanction unnecessary surgery or incompetence,” snapped Jackson. He’d had about as much of this psychopath as he could tolerate.
“You do nothing to stop them,” said Heberling, with disgust. “I haven’t believed any of this crap you and PAC feed me about your concern for the negative drift of American medicine away from its traditional values. Give me a break! It’s all an attempt to justify your own economic interests. All of a sudden there are too many doctors and not enough patients. The only reason I’ve cooperated with you is because you built me this lab.” Heberling made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “You wanted the image of prepaid health plans tarnished, and I delivered. The only difference is that I did it my way for my own reasons.”