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    Death Next Door
    Death Next Door
    Death Next Door
    Ebook280 pages4 hours

    Death Next Door

    By Dallas Releford

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    About this ebook

    As they plot to carry out their plan for world domination, they influence the lives of many people around them. While still a child, Professor Otto Zemanova had promised his father he would continue his work when he got old enough. During World War II, his father had searched for a drug that would allow him to control the minds of the people of conquered countries.
    Professor Marian Larsen, a researcher at the same lab where Zemanova works, discovers his plan. Knowing that her life is in danger, she seeks the help of Ralph Morrison, a retired police detective and an aspiring writer who also works with her. She had participated in a study that was secretly set up by the professor and another nazi, Professor Ed Schwartz to determine if the drug really works. Six women, including Marian, had participated in the study thinking they were testing an influenza drug. Someone tries to frame Professor Zemanova. Ralph finds mutilated bodies in the professor’s backyard and calls the police. As the police try to find out who killed the women, Professor Schwartz begins his campaign of terror by having some of the women who were on the study killed so he can recover their brains for further study. Marian is kidnapped and taken to a secluded house in the woods where she eventually escapes with Ralph’s help. Eugene Bissell, a cop who has known Ralph since he was a kid helps them sort out the details of what is happening.
    Joining forces with Ralph and Marian, Bissell arrives at Professor Zemanova’s home after one of the programmed study subjects kills him. Professor Schwartz has programmed all of the study subjects and Marian thinks that she has been programmed to kill someone. Puzzled because she doesn’t know who she is supposed to kill, or when it might happen, she allows Ralph to take her to the hospital for treatment. Meantime, Schwartz continues with his plan to put the drug in the water supply of the city of Charleston, West Virginia. The FBI captures them before they can carry out the plan.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDallas Releford
    Release dateFeb 14, 2012
    ISBN9781466160101
    Death Next Door

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      Book preview

      Death Next Door - Dallas Releford

      Death Next Door

      Mystery

      By:

      Dallas Releford

      Published by

      Dallas Releford at Smashwords.com

      Death Next Door

      Copyright (C) 2011 Dallas Releford

      * * * * *

      This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, places, events, organizations, areas, or locations are intended to provide a feeling of authenticity and are used in a fictitious manner. All other characters, dialogue and incidents are drawn from the author’s imagination and shouldn’t be accepted as real.

      No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without explicit permission from the author or publisher except in brief quotations used in an article or in a similar way.

      Smashwords Edition, License notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. The ebook may not be re-sold or given to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      * * * *

      Dedication

      I would like to thank my wife Sharon for her understanding while I was writing this book. She passed away on August 18, 2010. She is dearly missed.

      I would also like to thank my agent and typist, Harriet Smith and Martin Smith, my advisor and typist. Their hard work and dedication has made this book much better than it would have been without them.

      * * * * *

      DEATH NEXT DOOR

      Dallas Releford

      An island of knowledge is often lost in a sea of arrogance.

      Dallas Releford

      Chapter 1

      In the darkness, amidst the gloom of an old dilapidated barn on a West Virginia farm where a farmer had once earned a meager living, surrounded by drifting and blowing snow, two menacing phantoms huddled against aging, graying boards on the old building. Cold, brisk winds swept through cracks in the wall causing them to pull their heavy winter coats against their shivering bodies. The winter storm had swept across the Midwest and was now taking its fury out on the hill country of West Virginia. The old farm was located a few miles southwest of Charleston and served as a meeting place for the two men when their business was so important, so secretive it demanded the utmost privacy. They’d bought the farm a few years ago and it had more significance than serving as a meeting place for their infrequent clandestine operations. Their research lab was located on the property and was completely isolated from the rest of civilization. Only eight members of the research team even knew the location of the important laboratory. They’d die before they told anyone else about it. They were the most secretive research team on earth because the scope of their research involved the fate of the entire human race. The value of their knowledge was estimated to be in millions of dollars.

      One of the figures stepped closer to the other one so he could be heard above the howling winds whistling through leafless tree limbs. Okay, Schwartz, what is so damn important you had to call me all the way out here in this freezing weather at midnight? It’d better be important.

      Schwartz looked deep into the old man’s dark eyes where he thought he could see something so evil even he could not contemplate how foreboding, horrifying that something really was. The endless darkness in those eyes seemed to tug at him wanting to pull him into the murky void of horror that had encapsulated them both for over fifty years. Traumatized for a moment, he stood with snowflakes as large as his thumb falling around him, sleet peppering his already frozen skin and wind cutting through his heavy coat like a knife through butter before finally answering. We’ve found certain chemicals to stimulate the brain cells and thought processes allowing us to have full control over human emotions and activities. Of utmost interest to us is the fact we can induce a subject to do what we tell them to do simply by suggesting it or giving them a direct order. That means we can completely modify human behavior, control everything humans do and influence the direction the human race will take for our own benefit. This is the most important discovery in history.

      The old professor stood staring at the other man. He’d been hopeful for such a development, however, after years of meticulous, painstaking research, they’d finally reached a milestone. Now, he was closer to realizing the dream his father, whom he admired more than anyone else in the world, had visualized over sixty years ago. That dream would mean the coming of a new world order unlike anything the world had ever seen. Even the image in his mind of the German god-like figure his father admired, worshiped and followed paled in comparison to what he’d be one day soon. His father, a devout nazi and a great physicist, had been in search of a human behavior control mechanism, too. His father had failed. Now his son had taken up the burden of finding a way to modify and control human behavior. After fifty years, he’d finally succeeded where his father had failed. Those brown shirts will one day march across the planet with their high-stepping boots slamming down on the ground so hard that the echo will be heard around the world, his father had once said. He grinned slightly when he thought he was so close to making his father’s dream come true. Just because Hitler and his thugs hadn’t been able to make the concept work didn’t mean he couldn’t do it. He had the money, the resources and his technology was more advanced than anything available to those crusaders of long ago. He’d make it work because he’d promised his father he would do it. Then, his grin faded as he recalled what those brown shirts, the swastika’s and the glistening, polished boots stood for. Millions would perish. Nonetheless, in the aftermath of the slaughter, from the chaos, a new society would arise. Sometimes, he wondered if the effort was worth it. The thought of killing millions of helpless human beings to create a new super-race sometimes seemed pointless and even futile to him. Splendid, he finally proclaimed pulling his heavy coat about him with great effort. Shivering, he asked, Did you find a drug that will allow us to finalize our plans?

      Oh, yes, Schwartz shouted, his voice competing with the screaming wind. The professor had hearing difficulties and Schwartz wanted to be sure the professor understood what he was saying. After all, the professor’s grant money had funded most of the project. We finished working on the drug last week. We can start testing it as soon as we can locate subjects who will be interested in contributing to our research.

      We have to make sure it works, the professor said putting his hand firmly on Schwartz’s arm pulling him closer so he could hear him speaking above the crying wind. I want a full test program to make sure it’s what we’re looking for. We cannot afford any further delays. What have you done to meet our goals?

      Goals? We’ve completed our research and determined the human mind can be controlled with the proper drugs. The drug we developed will enhance a person’s susceptibility to subliminal projection—the power of suggestion—and allow us to completely control their behavior. Criminals could be turned into common, ordinary citizens and common ordinary citizens will be whatever we want them to be. In our case, we want those people, the masses, to become our first step in creating a master race of superior beings. I’ve already recruited men and have begun the first phase of creating our army. We have enough doctors, technicians, and engineers at our hidden complex to ensure the first stage of our operation is a complete success. The next step is to recruit six subjects to test our drug and our ability to control their behavior through subliminal suggestion and by direct commands. I’ll start the recruitment process immediately.

      We must handle this carefully, Schwartz, the professor told him. We only need a few people to test it. Once we’re sure the drug works, we’ll get rid of them and the research team that worked on the project. With all of them out of the way, we’ll be the only ones with extensive knowledge about what has happened here. We can tell them they’re testing a flu vaccine. They won’t even be aware they’re testing our mind control drug. Of course, we need to be sure we have all the data the research team collected before we let them go, so to speak. Nobody must know about our accomplishments. Absolutely, nobody.

      That can be easily arranged, Schwartz assured him. We’ll need to conduct further tests on the subjects after we’ve done the preliminary studies. We’ll need blood samples and their brains to study. We’ll simply kill the study subjects and recover their brains. That will eliminate the subjects as a possible information leak and get rid of any threat they might present to us.

      The shadowy phantom Schwartz addressed only as the professor struggled against the prevailing wind to maintain his balance. Even with the barn to protect them, the wind still chilled their souls. Let’s step inside the barn, the man said tugging at Schwartz as if he thought he hadn’t heard him. Schwartz followed him inside and pulled the double doors closed behind them. Wind whistled through cracks between the boards and snow swirled in with the wind. This is a little warmer, but not by much, the professor admitted.

      A little better than outside, don’t you think? Schwartz stood staring at the piles of drifted snow inside the barn and wondered if the professor really understood the implications of their research. They were within days of realizing their dream of conquering the world, or most of it.

      Enough idle chat, the professor announced loudly, irritably. Next time, we’ll meet at the complex in an isolated, heated building where nobody will know where we’re at.

      That’s impossible now, Schwartz said. With limited space available, every building is crowded with occupants, people working hastily to get prepared for what’s coming. By next month, we’ll have plenty of space because of the new construction. It was entirely necessary to meet here because nobody must hear our conversation or learn our secret. Schwartz wondered why he was defending his actions against the old man. It had been his suggestion they meet in an isolated area in the first place. Schwartz would rather have met at Wendy’s or some other warm restaurant. The professor was in command, for now. Soon, his function would change, and Schwartz could hardly wait until the day when he was completely in command of the operation. After all, even Hitler had his enemies, as did every other dictator in history. Schwartz would bide his time until everything was right and then he would strike like a rattler on a hot summer day.

      Oh, I agree, the professor said. Now, what was it you were saying about needing their brains? Why do we need to have those for study?

      We need to know exactly what affect the drug has on their brain cells and if anything might cause us problems. Although we will conduct an extensive study and follow strict scientific principles, I’d feel much better knowing what happens to the subject’s brain tissue after they’ve taken the drug. The only way we can get samples of their brains to study is to kill them and take what we need.

      If there is no other way, then we must do what we must do, the professor muttered. What do we do about the team members? How will we get rid of them?

      It can be handled without much difficulty. We can give the drug to them in food or drink, or by some other method. Once they have digested the drug, we can instruct them to kill each other. The police will think they got high on something and a fight erupted. The brawl ended in disaster. In fact, we can make it look like they overdosed on drugs, or got bad drugs and killed each other. This will be another great test to see if the drug really works, eh?

      Great, the professor said. This drug and this information is worth millions so we must be careful the drug companies don’t find out about it. We have to keep the news media in the dark, too. If this got out, it’d ruin my plans to do what my father and his generation started a long time ago. The government must not find out what we’re planning. We have so many enemies, Comrade Schwartz.

      I understand, Schwartz said. I, too, want to see your father’s dream come true. I have a stake in what you’re trying to accomplish. I’ll do everything in my power to ensure we are successful.

      See that you do, the professor replied. We can’t have any mistakes now. We’ve come too far to slip up and fall.

      * * *

      Good morning, Professor Larsen. Patricia Sanchez, a small, petite woman in her early twenties smiled at Marian as she passed her in the hallway at University Genetics Research Center. Patricia was a research scientist working in Professor Eric Stone’s laboratory on the third floor. Marian didn’t know exactly what they were doing since most of the work at the dozens of labs in the complex were considered to be top secret. You didn’t expect anyone to ask about your work and you didn’t ask about what they did for a living. That was the way it was.

      Marian smiled at her and pushed her shoulder-length dark hair back out of her eyes as she continued down the hallway. Morning, Pat, Marian said as they passed like two ships on an immense ocean. Ready for another busy day?

      Sure, Pat said as her voice trailed off into the distance echoing slightly from the walls and the clean, buffed tiled floor. I’ll probably see you at first break.

      That’s a possibility, Marian said. I’ll look for you.

      Marian walked past the cafeteria where several early arrivals had stopped to get doughnuts and coffee. Glancing down at her trim figure, she decided she didn’t want to take a chance on the cholesterol and carbohydrates this morning. The professor had a coffeemaker and coffee in the lab. She’d make a nice fresh pot before tackling the work she had planned for the day.

      Stopping in front of the elevator that would take her up to the second floor, she was surprised to see Lisa Evans waiting for the elevator. Hi, Lisa said as Marian approached. Tall with long blond hair, Lisa had light blue eyes and a creamy white complexion. Marian considered her appearance as lovely as any female actress she had ever seen. Popular on campus, she was a student who worked part-time at the research center.

      Hi, Marian said greeting her with a radiant smile. How are you this morning?

      Tired, she replied. Yawning, with a cupped hand over her mouth, she shifted a heavy purse hanging over her shoulder so it would be more comfortable. All the work we did at the research center wore me out. Are you glad it’s all over, Professor Larsen?

      Of course, Marian was glad the weeks of answering questions, taking physicals, signing papers, subjecting herself to endless blood draws and urine tests was over. In fact, she sometimes wondered how she had been convinced to participate in the study. Money had most certainly been one of the factors. Five thousand dollars had gone a long way toward paying her bills. Even with her lucrative salary, paying bills wasn’t easy. Life was getting more difficult every day and she, like many others, was feeling the pressure build up until she wondered where it all would end. Professor Otto Zemanova had approached her a couple of months ago and asked her if she would be interested in helping them. They were testing an influenza pill one of the labs he was associated with had developed. Assuring her she would not get the full affects of the disease, he’d told her the worst she’d suffer would be a slight headache, a few chills and a mild fever. The drug had been tested before on other subjects and they’d improved on it since then. They wanted six subjects to confirm the enhancements had improved the product. She’d smiled and thanked him for considering her for testing the drug. Marian had flatly refused to participate until he told her the four-week study paid five thousand dollars. Even better was the fact she would only have to spend a few hours a week in the clinic. Most of her time would be spent doing routine tests.

      Professor Schwartz, a researcher at the University Genetics Research Center was the director of the special influenza research project. His project at UGRC was widely known throughout the scientific community. He was involved in genetic studies involving certain varieties of fish and sometimes she could detect the distinct odor of fish on his clothes. Certain fish were easier to use in genetic studies than most other animals and the professor had been devising experiments to find better ways to use this technology. Marian had met the professor a few times and had been on a couple of committees with him. Her knowledge of his accomplishments and expertise were limited. From what she’d heard and read in the research center newspaper, he had been inducted from a university in Germany to help with research at the center. Tall, broad-shouldered with dark blond hair streaked with shades of gray and deep blue eyes, he was the type of man most of the women at the center talked about, however, Marian didn’t especially see anything in him that she admired at all. For some reason unknown to her, he didn’t appeal to her. Professor Schwartz was about the same age as Professor Zemanova. Marian wasn’t interested in either of them. Preferring to keep her life simple, uncomplicated, and focused, she avoided any affairs that might cause her more headaches than she could handle.

      During the study, she had driven over twenty miles a day from St. Albans where she lived to a farm outside of Charleston where the laboratory was located. Very few people knew about the lab or the research project. Subjects had been sworn to secrecy and urged to keep quiet about what they’d seen and learned. They had been told their continued cooperation would guarantee they would be allowed to participate in further studies on other projects in the future. The research center, University Genetics Research Center, where she was presently employed was located outside St. Albans in a little nook beside the river. Marian had been working for UGRC for five years. Had it been so long? Sometimes, she had worked at the center all day and then drove to the research lab near Charleston for the study. By the time she returned home, she had often been exhausted.

      Professor. Did you hear what I said? Lisa touched her arm interrupting her thoughts, jolting her back to the present and embarrassing her because she rarely lost her concentration on anything.

      Oh. Yes, Lisa. I’m sorry. I was distracted, thinking about the study. Yes, I’m glad it’s over. Are you glad? Did you get sick or anything?

      No, as a matter of fact, it didn’t even bother me. I didn’t feel any fever or anything they said I might get. I’m glad it’s all over, though. I sure made good use of the money. Why do you think they were so secretive? You’d think they had discovered some kind of new biological weapon instead of a drug to inhibit the flu virus.

      I don’t know. They were secretive about the entire thing. Weren’t they?

      Yes, Lisa replied as the elevator doors swung open. They were very strict about everything. They even told me to forget I’d ever been to the laboratory.

      Me, too, Marian admitted. They sounded threatening. I guess they were worried because a drug company might steal their secrets.

      The elevator door closed almost as soon as they had walked inside. In the confined space, void of any other humans except them, they both glanced at each other and quickly looked away. Brushing her hair aside, Marian looked up at Lisa, Do you think they’ll want us to do any more studies? Marian meant the comment as a joke. She knew neither of them really wanted to do another study, ever. They had had enough of getting stuck with sharp needles. However, Lisa seemed to think she was sincere.

      I hope not, she said. I’m tired of the needles, tests and threatening looks of those people.

      The elevator doors swung open and for a moment, they both stared out into the lobby on the second floor wondering if something evil dwelled there to ensure they wouldn’t forget their promise to never tell about the secret project and the secret lab. Nothing was there, so they stepped out into the lobby to begin another day.

      * * * * * *

      Chapter 2

      Ralph wasn’t sure about the old Corsica any longer. Ralph Morrison wasn’t sure about many things including the gluttony of the oil barons, people who held stock in oil companies and drivers who needlessly wasted fuel. As he pulled into the Speedway on Furlong Avenue, he sucked in as much air as his lungs could hold and held it there for a few seconds before letting it slowly seep out of his nostrils. He’d found the breathing technique helpful whenever he went shopping. The price of gas had jumped again. At $2.55 a gallon, Ralph figured he could go to work two days in a row before filing for bankruptcy. Drawing in his breath and holding it had been a practice that worked quite well for him. It prevented him from fainting every time the gas prices skyrocketed. If things got any worse, he was going to have to park the old Corsica that had faithfully carried his sorry carcass over a hundred thousand miles, and take the damn bus. In fact, things were almost that bad now. Prices on everything from a loaf of bread to a pound of hamburger had risen sharply in the last few years and his paycheck had shrunk. The government kept taking out more taxes, spending more and didn’t worry about how they were going to balance the budget. Ralph didn’t know where the world was going and furthermore, he didn’t give a damn sometimes.

      Pulling up to the automated pumps, another invention that seemed to have added to the price of fuel, he tried to remember if he had enough money in his billfold to buy a few gallons of the liquid gold. At fifty-eight years old, tired and graying, he didn’t have a lot of money and what he did have didn’t seem to matter much. He spent it faster than he could earn it. As a writer, he had signed his first major contract with a trade publisher. He’d been happy about it, except sometimes it didn’t seem important anymore. He loved to write, and that was the important thing. If he managed to make a little money while doing it, then it would be a

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