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STORY so far: Life and work in a polluted place is very tough. As a visitor to Jakarta, I was already looking forward to returning to my own familiar environs, but my first job was to meet Chandru and tell him about the progress — both at the diplomatic level and at the legal — to secure his release.

Episode 22

Back in the hotel room, I made notes of my meeting with Chandru. Things were happening fast and unless I wrote down the events quick enough, I would be having trouble piecing together the bits and pieces of evidence. They all seemed to point to one thing — that there was a deeper level conspiracy that was running like an invisible river. I had asked Chandru about what exactly had happened.

"There was this software we had to deliver in modules," he said. "And we were to receive progress payments because the whole project would span two accounting years."

I asked him, "Did you push them hard about the dues?"

Chandru said, "No, we were in fact scheduling the payments over a cup of Java coffee. At that time, the Bank's chief received a call and he appeared quite nervous. I was busy with their CFO over how much we could forego as interest for delayed remittances — he wanted the current reduced rates but I was quoting our agreement with the Bank that spoke of 22 per cent. And I could see the others — the chairman, CIO, and somebody who looked like a politician — were huddled in an intense discussion."

"On what?" I asked.

"I don't know their lingo," Chandru shrugged. "But I could pick up one or two names such as DAmgen, CelloTech, and so on, plus our own company. They were apparently concerned about some development happening on the biotech and pharma areas. And when the cops came in suddenly, they didn't appear surprised. Sorry, Chaan, the bank chief said."

"Okay, I'll research this input you are giving me," I assured him. "But Chandru, don't lose heart, because you would be free soon."

And as if to validate what I had promised him, there was the cover that was waiting for me at the hotel desk, and it was from the arbitrators, fixing a date for the first session in about a week's time and that was to be not in Indonesia, but Singapore.

Soon Gupta called me from India and I could hear the noise of all steel, stone and voices in the background. "What's happening?" I asked. "Are you in some marriage dining hall?"

He laughed, "Not yet, Swati. I am at the site where our new biotech factory is coming up. Did you read the Budget proposals?"

I bit my lip, and said, "Uh... "

Gupta was helpful, "I know you are moving. The Minister has said that biotech is our today's sunrise, and tomorrow's showpiece industry. And he has given customs duty exemption for imports. I am sure our R&D will get a boost. Just one thing, Swati, before the mobile signal becomes weak — Happy Women's Day."

I wanted to thank him, but the connection snapped and I began my search of the Web for the company names that Chandru had told me, looking for what commonness lay among them. I stumbled upon Bio.org that spoke about a recent study that anti-flu-virus drug might prevent deadly bacterial pneumonia. The flu virus enzyme neuraminidase (NA) strips lung cells of their protective forest of molecules called sialic acid, I learnt. The unprotected cells are then vulnerable to subsequent infection with Streptococcus pneumonia bacteria.

Shockingly, the combined infection with influenza and pneumonia is the sixth leading cause of all deaths worldwide, and is the top cause of death due to an infection. And individual searches at corporate websites showed how each of the companies, including mine, was on to a similar study.

There was a mention in some top-secret report (that was already leaked to the Web) about a biological weapon codenamed F7P3 believed to be in Baghdad without Blix knowing about it, and it was capable of achieving a marriage of the two — flu and pneumonia — on an epidemic scale, if the warhead was successful in not destroying the carrier germs on impact. I wondered if there was an underworld outfit that had the contract from one of the bio-terrorism-sponsoring states to stifle any research that could make an antidote for such a menace.

Call it coincidence or deliberate design, one fact that gelled with my surmise was that a key executive of DAmgen was killed in the Air Algerie accident that killed almost a hundred others in the Sahara desert and he was heading the flu-block vaccine study in his company.

And somebody had filed a harassment case against CelloTech's boss. To complete the circle, my own chief was having Sooty Jackal shadowing him, looking for an opportune time.

"What can I do," I typed in a new word document and stared but Microsoft was quick with some response, suggesting I add a question mark at the end. The `Office Assistant' doggie instructed me: "Instead of `Who is that man in the black coat', consider `Who is that man in the black coat?'"

(To be continued)

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