Attempted Assassination(19)

"What jobs do they have with you?"

Joe grinned, and relief swept through her as the twinkle in his eye came back. "In order to finance my relentless search of those who have been wronged by the government, I opened up what could be called a high-end security firm. My clients are wealthy people in trouble. They come to me when they need to disappear for a while, or need me to handle other matters for them."

He narrowed his gaze, as if to convey she shouldn't ask what the 'other matters' entailed, so she didn't, and decided to let her imagination run on that one.

"What happens to Jordan and me if we get him back? Do we just go back to our old lives?"

Joe shrugged. "I suppose you could if you wanted to, but I wouldn't suggest it for the reasons we've already discussed. If Group Nine finds out that he's alive, they will hunt you."

She leaned back against the sofa and crossed her arms over her chest, trying to remain calm while her insides trembled like a thin tree limb on a windy day. "Are you offering other options?"

After a moment of silence, his smile faded, and he spoke. "Let's cross that bridge if and when we get to it, Ava."

She sighed and rubbed her face, suddenly exhausted.

Joe reached out and touched her knee. "What do you know about LSD?"

Gazing back at him, she considered his question. A few words came to mind-trips, hippies, hallucinations, and recently, what she had learned about the CIA and MK Ultra. She'd never actually studied the drug, its effects, aftereffects  …  none of it. Therefore, she knew more than she ever wanted to about her government's testing on unsuspecting citizens, but not much about the drug itself. She shrugged in response to his question.

"Then just listen to what Sidney has to say. He has the manners of a street dog, but we can excuse his social missteps. He's smart and he knows what he's talking about when it comes to LSD."

She pinched the bridge of her nose. A few days ago, she'd been so excited at the prospect of getting her husband back, and now, she actually considered giving him drugs.

But if it helped him remember what they'd had, then at least she could listen to what Sidney had to say.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded.





25





"LSD is very misunderstood," the doctor said.

Joe had called everyone into the living room so that Sidney could explain everything he knew about the drug, its effects, and the aftereffects. She glanced around and caught Garrett rolling his eyes, obviously not buying what Sidney was selling, even though he'd only said four words.



       
         
       
        

"It's often thought that the drug causes hallucinations, but that's wrong. According to research and clinical studies, people on LSD don't see things that aren't there. However, it does alter the way they think and feel, as well as the way they see the world around them."

Well, at least she'd been wrong on the hallucination part. Hopefully, more of her preconceived ideas would be shot down.

She leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees, and concentrated.

"The main effect of LSD is visual. Reports say that colors seem more vivid and lights are brighter. Some have said that they see inanimate objects move, while others see halos of light around things. They see patterns, textures, colors, and shapes."

As she tried to imagine what all that would be like, Lucas chimed in.

"That sounds like one big fuck-all mess to me."

There were nods of agreement from most of the men in the room, and the doctor continued as if Lucas hadn't spoken.

"People on LSD are emotional, and often say they have magnificent spiritual or religious experiences; yet, they do tend to be impulsive and lack judgment. They can speak quickly and jump from subject to subject."

"How long do the effects last?" Joe asked.

"The trip usually begins about an hour after ingesting it and can last up to twelve hours."

Brody let out a slow whistle while Garrett said, "The poor guy's going to be out of mind for twelve hours?"

"What if he has a bad trip?" Zach asked.

The doctor held out his hands. "One thing at a time, please. First, most LSD users will tell you that having a bad trip is the consequence of a bad setting. For instance, if one trips in a highly structured environment, such as school or at work-a place where you should be thinking logically-a bad trip can ensue. Second, he won't be out of his mind. In fact, most users report that they feel their minds had blown past the original boundaries, which leads to the spiritual and religious experiences, as well as a new understanding about life."

"What if he does have a bad trip?" Brody reiterated.

Sidney stared at him a moment, the irritation at the question written all over his face with his lips pressed together in a thin line, his hard gaze, probing. "Then we'll give him some anti-anxiety medicine and have him wait it out. Most recover without any lasting side-effects."

Ava sighed and rubbed her face. She had a feeling that watching Jordan on LSD wouldn't be a pretty sight, and to her, he would be out of his mind, bad trip or not. She worried about aftereffects and addiction.

She spoke loudly to cut over the din of voices. "What about when the trip is over? Is there a chance he can become addicted? How will it affect him long-term?" 

Sidney turned to her, his eyes hard. No, he wasn't a likeable man, as Joe had said, but he seemed to know his LSD.

"Researchers believe that LSD works like neurotransmitters produced by the body that regulates things like appetite, mood, sleep, and sensory perception. It's believed that it interferes with the way the brain's serotonin receptors work. As for aftereffects, some claim to experience flashbacks, but those are usually the mentally ill. With users of the drug who don't suffer from mental illness, it's a very controversial subject with most saying flashbacks don't exist. LSD is not an addictive drug, so there won't be any addiction issues."

"What if you overdose him?" Zachary asked.

The doctor sighed, obviously becoming even more irritated with all the questions, which only made Ava dislike him more. This happened to be her husband they were discussing, and he'd answer every last question, even if he had to stand here for two days to do it.

"I won't."

Zach persisted. "But what if you do?"

Sidney smiled condescendingly, and Ava thought it was probably a good thing Zach couldn't see, or he'd have quite a bit to say to the doctor, and none of it nice.

"There have been very few reports of people dying or suffering permanent damage while taking LSD. There was one instance back in 1973 when eight people took massive amounts of the drug at a party, thinking it was cocaine. I'm talking virtually milligrams of it-I will be dealing in micrograms. All of them recovered in the hospital and were released twelve hours later, which fits into the timeframe of the drug leaving the body between twelve to fourteen hours after ingestion. As far as the deaths that have been reported, most had other drugs in their system that could have contributed. For instance, if a person takes cocaine and LSD, then suffers a heart attack, it is most likely the cocaine that caused it."

"Doctor," Ava said. "You make it sound like there isn't anything bad that can happen to Jordan while he's on it."

"Not true. The most dangerous part of an LSD trip is when the person loses his inhibitions, has poor judgment, or develops a sense of immortality. Then, we see people walking in front of cars, jumping from windows, and doing other stupid things. I don't worry about any of that, though, because we will be in a controlled environment where he won't be able to hurt himself."

Ruben's deep voice rumbled through the room. "Where are you getting the LSD? Do you hit up some dealer in Seattle?"

The doctor looked at him as if he were actually offended. "Of course not. I've brought it from my lab."

There was a beat of silence, and then Joe spoke. "Doctor, can you please give us some idea of the experiments that have been done using LSD, and what their outcomes have been?"

Sidney nodded and laced his hands together, staring at the floor for a moment as if to gather his thoughts, then he met Joe's gaze.

"In the fifties and sixties, before it was taken recreationally, it was used by psychiatrists on the mentally ill, alcoholics, autistic people, and those who were considered to have perversions at that time, such as homosexuals. It was also given to criminals in hopes of reforming them. Many psychiatrists claimed they had good results, but there weren't enough large studies to back up their reports."

"And what are your hopes with Jordan?" Joe asked.

"My hope is to help his mind break through its barriers, to have it expand and find his lost memories. This is an excellent chance for me to document this case in detail, and hopefully, it can lead to other research with the drug. It's already being used in psychotherapy for this very purpose, so we aren't wading into uncharted waters."



       
         
       
        

The room fell silent as Ava's stomach twisted with stress and worry.

"Explain to me how this will work," she said.