Free Mark of the Beast by Adolphus A. Anekwe Page B

I’m elected governor,” assured Roderick, heading toward the ballroom.
    â€œYou’ll be elected governor, trust me on that,” Abramhoff replied.
    â€œI will hold you to that,” Roderick said as he walked off with an aide.
    Mr. Roderick won the election, and on January second was inaugurated governor of the state of Illinois.

 
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    T WO MONTHS AFTER THE inauguration, Dr. Abramhoff asked Sabrina to place a call to the governor. Two hours after the call was placed, the governor called back.
    â€œHi, Doc,” the governor began.
    â€œHello, Mr. Governor,” greeted Abramhoff. “Congratulations. I told you that you would be governor.”
    â€œYeah, you did say that,” the governor said. “How is the weather in Chicago?”
    â€œA bit chilly and windy, what else?” Abramhoff answered. “How is the governorship going?”
    â€œWe are getting into it,” the governor said.
    â€œOh, by the way,” Abramhoff said, “do you remember our conversation in Chicago about the HLA project?”
    â€œYes, I do remember,” answered the governor. “As a matter of fact, I was talking to my health officer about you and your HLA theory this morning, and he thinks that a meeting might be called for.”
    â€œI’m all for that,” Abramhoff said, nodding his head in agreement. “Where do you all want to meet?”
    â€œWe are scheduled to have a public health meeting in Chicago next week to discuss the possible effects of a flu vaccine shortage on the state and how to prevent it from happening again,” the governor said, “and I was just wondering if we can meet either prior to or after that meeting.”
    â€œThat would be great,” Abramhoff replied.
    â€œOkay, then,” the governor said. “I’ll have my executive secretary call yours to set things up.”
    Sabrina scheduled the meeting for 9:00 A.M. , an hour and a half prior to the governor’s scheduled meeting with the health officers.
    Dr. Abramhoff brought Dr. Achampi with him to meet the governor, but also to get Achampi’s advice.
    Entering the Hilton Hotel on Michigan Avenue, Abramhoff, for the first time, actually thought about the social implications of the testing. He was previously only looking at the medical aspect of the project. How much something like this would advance medical science, but his attention drifted to the social implications of a linkage, if any did exist.
    How would the implications affect the governor?
    Would it make the governor popular nationally?
    If he became that popular, perhaps he might run for president, and then who knows, he might want to take someone with him from Illinois to Washington to help with health-related issues.
    Abramhoff vowed to work hard at establishing the governor’s association with the project.
    But what if there were no implications? Then the entire project would be lumped together with other pork projects that the Governor promised to his campaign contributors. Just the thought of that made Abramhoff shudder, because he had never been accused of being a stooge before. I will have to weigh the consequences when, or if, the time arrives, he vowed.
    The meeting started fifteen minutes after nine o’clock at the State Street conference room.
    â€œGood morning, Governor,” Abramhoff said as soon as the governor and his team entered the room.
    â€œGood morning, Doc,” Governor Roderick replied.
    â€œThis is my associate, Dr. Ashutt Achampi,” Abramhoff started the introduction. “He’s an oncology fellow at our university, and he’s going to work closely with me on this project.”
    â€œThis is Dr. Mary Jackson, the state health commissioner.” The governor introduced a smiling, middle-aged woman in a colorful business suit. “Dr. Andre Artis is our deputy health commissioner, and Ms. Kendra Morris is our executive administrator.”
    â€œGood