They murdered the goose...now I am the Golden Egg.
A rogue experiment in genetic engineering has made me Big Pharma's #1 target...a moving target.
A "mad" scientist reset my pointless life with his insidious secret not long after my wife died.
He claimed he had a special "super vaccine" that worked wonders.
What it did to me was both miraculous and monstrous.
Now, they want me and will not stop until they get me.
I am a hunted man, driving far and fast to survive an uncertain future.
They murdered the goose...now I am the Golden Egg.
A rogue experiment in genetic engineering has made me Big Pharma's #1 target...a moving target.
A "mad" scientist reset my pointless life with his insidious secret not long after my wife died.
He claimed he had a special "super vaccine" that worked wonders.
What it did to me was both miraculous and monstrous.
Now, they want me and will not stop until they get me.
I am a hunted man, driving far and fast to survive an uncertain future.
Chapter 1
âWhoa! whoa! Hit the brakes!â
Tires screeched against the oil-stained repair shop floor, snapping James out of his daze. A young woman sat in terror behind the wheel of her Honda Civic, wide eyes darting from James to Brad, the other mechanic who yelled, afraid sheâd done something wrong. He looked down to see the bumper mere inches away from his knee. Distracted by morose thoughts, he had aimlessly waved the car in and looked away.
âAre you alright?â Brad asked, placing a firm hand on his co-workerâs shoulder. After a reassuring squeeze and a concerned glance, Brad smiled âItâs okayâ and waved the young woman the rest of the way in for her oil change.
Bradâs concern was tempered with irritation. James nearly caused a workplace accident. Insurance already costs way too much.
âYeah, sorry, I was justââ
âI know,â Brad lowered his tone, âI feel for ya, brother. But you gotta keep your mind in the present when youâre on the floor. If it happens again, I got no choice but to talk to the boss.â
âIt wonât,â James assured him.
âHow about you let me deal with this customer and you go take a five-minute break, just to collect yourself,â Brad suggested.
James obliged, not because he particularly thought he needed a break to come back to reality, but because he was eager to jump back into his delusional version of it. To a time when Amelia was still alive.
Scratching the itchy skin beneath his beard as he walked, James stared at the dirty floor until he reached the break room. Most of the lights had burned out months ago, but no one had bothered to send in an order request for replacement bulbs. He was grateful the coffee in the pot was still warm. He poured himself a quick cup and sat in the far corner, kicked back and stared at the ceiling.
Amelia Scott, the light of Jamesâs life, had died suddenly only a few months ago, but the pain of losing his true love was still raw and painful. It happened a few weeks after she had turned forty. He remembered her birthday party at their townhouse, where he nearly burned the barbeque because he was socializing with friends⌠her friends. He had no social life beyond her. No childhood friends, college chums or relatives, for that matter. She was his universe.
It all happened so fast. He could still see her curling up beside him, happy and seemingly healthy. Then came the day she collapsed in pain and was rushed to the hospital for what they thought was food poisoning of some sort, or perhaps a severe stomach flu⌠only to be told it was acute kidney failure. A transplant was out of the question, for several reasons. That punch in the gut threw his world into a tailspin that he never recovered from.
Amelia passed away fairly quickly and as painlessly as modern medicine would allow. In a morbid sense, James felt that it was fortunate. He would have hated to see her suffer more. Hence the conflict that ruined his life⌠he was glad she didnât suffer⌠much. But God⌠how he missed her. He was hurt, angry and confused as to why the universe would steal her from him. His heart broke into a million shards of grief and near-madness as he held her and watched the life fade from her emerald eyes. Nothing was ever, nor ever will be, the same.
His home felt empty and foreign, as if it were not the place they had lived for over a decade. With no children or immediate family to come over and keep him distracted from his grief, James Scott fell into a bit of a sad rhythm of life.
Work, eat, sleep, think, repeat.
On the days he didnât have work, he found some resemblance of peace in the garage, tinkering with his classic cars. The Jaguar was his favorite. Amelia always liked going on drives in the summer; she had said it always made her laugh to see the smiles on peopleâs faces as they drove past, seeing a piece of history restored to its former glory. James liked it, too. It had always been a topic of conversation, one he probably talked too much about, but no one seemed to mind.
âJames?â
Brad leaned in the doorframe of the breakroom and held the shop landline in his hand.
âI was just having a bit of coffee to hold me off until the end of shift,â James explained, not wanting to come across as lazy or incompetent in the workplace.
Although they were a small town, and Kevinâs Auto Repairs was a family-run business that wasnât necessarily as popular as some of the bigger chain shops, it was the only thing that had been keeping him sane these days. He could not afford to lose his job because he was too busy daydreaming about his dead wife.
Bradâs face softened, as if he could read Jamesâs mind. âDonât worry, weâre a family here, we take care of each other. I just came here to tell you thereâs a customer on the line that wants to speak with you. Said his name is Ronald Clark.â
âThat would be Dr. Ronald Clark. You know...the Jaguar guy,â James replied.
He quickly walked across the room and grabbed the phone before clicking the unmute button. Brad disappeared back out onto the shop floor to get back to work.
âGood afternoon, Dr. Clark,â James greeted, using his best customer service voice. âWhat can I do for you?â
He always loved working with Dr. Clark. Not just because he gave gracious tips whenever he serviced one of his vehicles, but they shared a mutual love for Jaguars that always kept the conversation going.
âHello, James,â Dr. Clark chimed. âI hope you and the missus are enjoying this lovely weather, I was just calling about my new toy. Sheâs a 1969 E Type Hardtop and Iâd love it if you could give it a test drive.â
Hearing Ronald mention his deceased wife made his heart hurt, and he clutched the phone to his chest for a second, squeezing his eyes shut. As much as he wanted to inform his returning customer that Amelia was no longer with them, he feared it would be a bit inappropriate to say over the phone. Instead, he focused on the reason for the callâtest driving one of the best cars out there.
âDid you say a 1969 E Type Hardtop?â James gasped.
âSure did,â the doctor chuckled. âSo, what time do you get off work?â
James looked at the giant clock hanging over the entryway into the break room. He had about four hours left of his shift, but now with the thought that he would get to test drive one of his favorite cars, he knew it would go by in a flash.
âSix oâclock,â James confirmed. âAre you going to stop by the shop, or do you want to meet somewhere in town?â
âIâll come by your place and pick you up,â Dr. Clark answered. âThis is my cell phone number, so you can just text me your address and Iâll pop by at around seven. That way youâll have time to have a shower and get cleaned up.â
âThatâll work, Iâll see you then.â
They said their farewells and James hung up the phone. Amazed that a simple call could feel so elating, he surprised himself with a heart-felt fist bump. It had been so long since he had felt this kind of joy, not since his Ameliaâs death at least. For some odd reason, for the first time in months, he felt just a little like himself, and he was not going to let that feeling go.
Amelia would want that. She wouldnât have wanted him to suffer this long, letting the days waste by, not caring about anybody or anything⌠including himself. She had such passion and drive, and while he would always cherish their time together, James knew deep down that he was going to have to face this next part on his own.
With a slight spring in his step, James actually smiled as he zigzagged through the cars and tool bins in the shop until he reached the shop office in the rear corner to return the phone.
âThere you are,â Kevin murmured. He glanced up from the screen momentarily before returning his attention back to his computer. âBrad said you had a little issue on the floor earlier?â
Jamesâs cheeks flushed red and his whole body felt hot all of a sudden. Thanks Brad! he thought. âRight, that, uh... â He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of which excuse he could use this time for his lack of focus at work. âItâs justââ
With a wave of his hand, his boss dismissed his concerns. âI know itâs been tough on you these past few months after losing Amelia,â Kevin started. âWe all feel for you, we really do. If you need time off to heal, you know I wouldnât say no to that. Youâre a part of this team, weâll work something out.â
âIâm fine, really. In fact, Iâm feeling a lot better after that phone call.â
âOh, who was it?â
âDr. Ronald Clark. An old acquaintance and fellow Jag lover. He works at that bio lab downtown. Test tube stuff. He brings his Jags in for routine service. He trusts my work,â he bragged.
âAh, yes, of course,â Kevin nodded. âGreat guy, even better customer. Well, I hope this means that youâll be getting back to work on the floor and I donât have to worry about you getting run over by cars.â
âAbsolutely, Sir, I promise it wonât happen again.â
âExcellent, because your 2 oâclock appointment just showed up and weâre swamped.â
James gave a casual salute to Kevin before leaving his office and heading out to the bay door on the opposite end of the shop. Hauling the massive door open, he gently waved in his customer, and this time, he didnât let his mind wander at the thoughts of his deceased wife. Instead, he focused on setting cars up on the hoists and counting down the hours until closing time.
Our world is constantly battling one illness after another: cancer, heart disease, diabetes, malaria, AIDS, and Covid, to name just a few. There are MANY more but far too many for me to list in the review. Imagine if these ailments could be eradicated from a body with the prick of a needle. That's a game-changer and the plotline for The Potion by Lance Reza. Dr. Ronald has figured out the formula to perform medical "miracles."Â
His serum doesn't just make osteoporosis, asthma, or tendonitis vanish. It also makes scars disappear. It does more than that, but I don't want to ruin that bombshell. You'll have to read The Potion and see the serum's full effect on James's body, aka patient zero.Â
Does the potion have limitations? Well, nothing is perfect. But, that will be unveiled after you read the story.Â
As a Marvel fan, I loved the Captain America reference. I was getting the same vibe as Brad in the story regarding the change in James.
With a secret that could change the world and health organization as we know it, it's best to keep lips zipped. Many money-hungry individuals would seek out this breakthrough. As you might have guessed, word got out. I was surprised by how quickly the secret was shared. Loose lips sink ships!
Paranoia. Danger. Stress. Panic. Fear.Â
When word of the research got out, the action heats up. Lives are in danger. Who will live? Who will die? You'll have to read The Potion by Lance Reza and discover that answer yourself.Â
I say that the final page is not the end of the storyline. The Potion ends on a cliffhanger, making me eager to read more.Â
No graphic language or scenes make it a perfect book for teens or adults.
I want to note that it's roughly 100 pages, meaning you and your child could read it on the same day and discuss it afterward.Â