Death in the Desert (audio story)

***Death in the Desert*** was the third story in the audio anthology *The High Frontier 1*, produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Sarah Grochala.

## Synopsis

When the sister of Lee Jones, his deceased former lover, is kidnapped from a research lab in Chad, Nathan travels to Earth to investigate in person.

At the same time, Paul and Devis discover evidence that someone may have found a way to smuggle narcotics onto the Moon, bypassing drugs testing.

As both investigations progress, an enemy of the Star Cops sees an opportunity to close a trap.

## Plot

A beaker is broken in a laboratory. Kay Jones turns her monitor on and speaks with Alice Okoro. Jones is reporting that she has a busy workload due to her colleague, Dr Habib, having left for the Nelson Mandela. Okoro is getting frustrated that Jones is not reporting in every five minutes, reminding her that is part of the agreement between Wolfe International and her university. Furthermore, the locals in the area are seemingly hostile. Gunfire from outside immediately interrupts their conversation. Just as Okoro instructs her to get to the panic room, the room is seiged, and the line is cut.

In the ISPF office on Moonbase, Kenzy walks in and her and Spring are both catching up on paperwork. Spring jokingly states that should she be bored, she could always investigate the vandalised drinks machine in Area Seven. Their peace is interrupted by Devis, who storms into the office singing loudly and doing the conga, Paul Bailey following behind. Devis claims there's a birthday party in the recreation room. A message is beamed in and Kenzy is in no disbelief in telling Nathan that Okoro wants a word with him. The message mentions a "Kay Jones", which troubles Spring. When Bailey asks who Kay Jones is, Spring explains that she is the sister of his murdered partner Lee Jones. Spring asks Devis and Bailey to keep an eye on the party and asks Kenzy to wire the call through to his quarters. Kenzy reminds Spring that she has planned leave Earthside, fearing Spring should be needed elsewhere.

In his quarters, Spring initiates his call. Okoro informs him that Kay Jones was kidnapped from a Wolfe International lab facility in the Sahel in Chad, near Lake Chad, leased by her university. Upon learning that Okoro called Spring before Jones' family, Spring is surprised but Okoro explains that Spring was Jones' emergency contact. The conversation ends very abruptly and not too amicably. Spring learns from Box that the next Earth shuttle leaves at 4am, and he immediately books himself on it. Meanwhile at the party, a woman is being violently sick. Bailey rushes over and notes that her pupils are dilated, despite the woman's protestations to her having taken anything. The woman then procedes to have a seizure. Bailey scoops her up and takes her to medical. In the main party area, Spring enters and shouts for Devis. He tells Devis that due to him having to go Earthside, and due to Kenzy preparing for leave, Devis is temporarily in charge. Devis is taken aback by thought that he is now Acting Coordinator of Moonbase, as well as Commander of the Star Cops. He then rushes off to get himself a "good night's sleep".

The next morning, Kenzy greets Paul in the office. Paul explains that he's expecting drug results from the lab, in relation to last night's events. Devis happily strolls into the office and Paul is disgruntled to learn that he is now in charge. Refusing to take Paul's drug case seriously without basis, he sends him to check out the vandalised drinks machine. At this moment, the bloods results come back clean. Paul is left utterly confused. Earthside, Spring visits a very surprised Clare Jones to inform her of the situation. And back on Moonbase, as Paul is checking out the drinks machine, he overhears a suspicious conversation in which a man is trying convince a woman to take something. They then walk away, leaving Bailey to consider what he had just heard: "takes a few minutes to kick in". He scrapes spit off the floor and puts it into a test tube.

At Clare's home, she and Spring take tea where they remember Lee and her relationship with Spring. Spring feels uneasy and just comes straight out with the fact that her daughter has been kidnapped. Spring is of the opinion that if they wanted Kay dead, they could have just done it at the lab. Clare insists that Spring finds her daughter, reminding him that she's the only family she has left. Spring explains that he's booked on a flight to Chad later that evening. Back at the ISPF office, Bailey returns and recalls seeing workers chewing leaves and spitting them out. He tells Devis that he got the lab to check the leaves' chemical composition, leading in a positive trace for a narcotic. Devis is utterly confused as to how this could have been missed in the blood tests. Bailey states that this narcotic is not one that can be discovered by a comprehensive blood test. Bailey goes on to explain that this particular plant - the cathe iboga - derives from a very particular region in Africa. Bailey explains that the lab are currently working on a blood test that can spot its usage. Bailey explains to Devis that it may not even be coming from Earth, as it's currently being used in genetic trials, looking at developing crops on Mars. Apparently, the trials themselves aren't taking place on Mars, but the African Union Space Station, the Nelson Mandela. Bailey continues to state that the man running the trials is Dr Habib, someone who works with Kay Jones. Devis sends Bailey to Nelson Mandela immediately.

Okoro is furious to find Spring in her Chad based lab. Spring notes that it didn't take much to persuade the guard to let him through, suggesting that Okoro needs to work on her security. Okoro states that forensics haven't been, to which Spring notes that they've already started packing up. When explaining how important her current job is, she notes that Lake Chad has now reduced to the size of 500 square miles, under five percent of its former size. She puts one singular life against the lives of millions. He attempts to explain the importance of Kay to him, and puts it to Okoro that she clearly knows the area better than him. He states the sooner he finds Kay Jones, the sooner he leaves. She happily takes up his offer.

Bailey is docking with the Nelson Mandela. Devis tells him that a dozen people have tested positive for the new drug, meaning they have to be sent back Earthside and the entire base has to be searched. Habib welcomes Bailey aboard the space station. Meanwhile, Okoro tells Spring that it seems a group called the JDM are responsible for the kidnap. Okoro wonders if rival companies have provided them the funds to storm the laboratory. Spring isn't sure why they would kidnap Kay. Okoro explains that kidnapping and ransom is their way of making money. At that instant, gunfire rings out, and Okoro instructs Spring to head to the panic room.

Habib shows Bailey the plant room, explaining that the gravity is set to Mars level. He states that Russell Wolfe is among the many supporters and funders of the project. Bailey puts it to Habib that he could easily cultivate this cathe iboga as a narcotic and sell it for serious money. Habib is shocked to learn that someone has already done such a thing, but refutes claims that he knows about it. Bailey goes ahead and arrests him for supplying a controlled substance. Devis receives a call from Okoro to report the kidnap of Spring. Before Devis can jump to action, Okoro refuses his help and cuts him off. This causes him to call Kenzy, who's at a spa. She asks for the details regarding the kidnap and prepares to leave.

Spring and Kay are in an unknown location. Kay thinks they are at an abandoned farm. Spring notes that Kay is still angry at him for the death of Lee. Meanwhile, in a kitchen on Moonbase, a chef claims that the ISPF officers are trying to do their search during the preparation of dinner, breakfast and lunch. She's also angry at losing three of her staff. Despite her protestations, Devis forces his way into the cold storage. Upon finding "funny looking spinach", the chef attacks Devis with a ham. Fortunately for Devis, the chef slips on some yoghurt and hits her head. As Devis tries to learn who has been making her smuggle drugs onto the Moon, she passes out.

Walking into the room, Kenzy addresses and introduces herself to Okoro. She makes it perfectly clear that she intends to stay until Spring is found. Meanwhile, Spring is explaining just how special Lee was to him. Despite Kay's aggression, Spring tells her that they should focus on the present, instead of living in the past. Kay tells Spring that the criminal gang may not be the JDM, rather the Collective. It dawns on Spring that just as Lee had been murdered to get to Spring, the Collective could easily be doing the same but with Kay. Spring remembers that he has Box with him and uses him to hijack a mast to send out an emergency signal.

Back in the ISPF office, Bailey wakes up a sleeping Devis. They both catch up on their respective investigations. Devis answers a call but is confused at the lack of visuals or audio. Bailey is quick to add that the long numbers on the screen are probably co-ordinates, not just some error message. Back on Earth, Devis contacts Okoro and Kenzy to relay the co-ordinates. Okoro states the location leads eighty klicks north-east.

Nathan awakens to find Kay gone and a gang member asking him to raise his hands. They're forced on their knees. Kay rats out Spring and his computer in an attempt to save her skin. They seize Box, throw it to the ground and stamp on it, smashing it into pieces. On Moonbase, Bailey and Devis start their interrogation of Prof. Habib, who refuses to speak without his lawyer. Devis states that a lawyer isn't necessary when there is a clear threat to life, something which Habib seems unaware of. They ask him what he knows about the kidnapping of Spring. They further explain to him that Dr Jones is also missing, seemingly to his surprise. He goes onto deny having any interaction with Okoro outside of her being the security of Wolfe International. Habib explains that his plants are a genetically modified strain of cathe iboga, which usually stimulate the production of ibogaine thinide have been silenced, thus rendering the narcotic side of the plant non-existant. This gives Bailey and Devis something to think about.

Okoro and Kenzy end up at the old farm where Spring and Jones had been kept hostage. When Okoro refuses to go and look with her, Kenzy comes straight out with it. She states that she's stalling and being just as obstructive as Devis stated she was during his moon investigation. Stating that it's just caution, Okoro gives in and accompanies Kenzy. Meanwhile, Bailey's having none of it. He states that leaves from his plant were found on Moonbase. Habib suggests that if they tested the leaves, they'd find that the strains would be from different plants. Outside, Bailey states that he thinks the tests are a good idea. If they are being smuggled in through food deliveries, then they're probably coming from Earth, *not* a spacestation.

As they get closer, Kenzy sees the remains of Box and starts running towards it, Okoro trying to persuade her to stop. Gunfire rings out, and they both head into a nearby building. On Moonbase, Devis gets the results of the test. Habib's plants are clean. Bailey is disappointed but Devis thinks he can use Habib's expertise to work out where they're coming from. Earthside, Okoro enters full action mode, heading for her bulletproof car in order to seize her rifle. She takes out the gang member on the barn roof, and then the other one. The air goes silent once more. They agree that Okoro will check the building while Kenzy tries to send for back-up using the antenna on the roof.

In the vast desert, Spring is forced to kneel. Kay reveals that she isn't just an innocent kidnap victim. She takes a gun from one of the gang members and asks Nathan for any last requests. Bailey and Devis inform Habib about the results of the test. They also inform him that the leaves found on the Moon have also been genetically modified and asks him for help in locating their source. Habib realises that Kay is the only person who could have modified them in such a way. In a video call, Devis explains that Kay has probably been using Okoro's lab to grow and genetically modify narcotics, explaining why Okoro is suddenly acting so shifty. Kenzy meets up with Okoro and invites herself to take a second look at the "nothing" that Okoro has found.

Spring pleads with Kay, stating that *is* sorry about Lee's death and that this isn't what Lee would have wanted. She tells him that when Spring got involved at the Icarus, the Collective put a price on his head. With both of their goals aligned, Kay took the opportunity to set a trap into motion. Spring asks her to allow him one last prayer before his death, which she allows. Spring recites an Our Father but cuts it short when he throws sand into her eyes. Gunshots ring out. Bodies hit the sand.

Meanwhile, Kenzy is gobsmacked at the stash of leaves hidden away. Okoro claims that she played no part in their movement, going on further to claim she doesn't know what they even are. She claims the university moved them here. During their argument, a dust storm kicks up outside. She tells Kenzy to cover her face but uses this as a chance to escape in her car. Police vehicles pull up and a Sergeant Hamza introduces himself. She demands they go and find Alice Okoro as she is the only one who can find Nathan Spring. Another car pulls up and Nathan gets out with Kay Jones in his custody. He hands her over to Hamza. She hands over the pieces of Box, whom Nathan reckons might survive.

Back in the ISPF office, Spring informs Devis that he's back. Devis tells the three of them that after all of that work, he's due a vacation, much to the disagreement of Kenzy. Spring informs them that *no-one* is taking a vacation. Nathan states that the Collective came after him because of the Icarus situation. He states that they'll be more ruthless next time, that they'll need to infiltrate their operation and shut it down. He intends to take the fight to *them*.

## Cast

* Commander Nathan Spring - David Calder
* Inspector Colin Devis - Trevor Cooper
* Acting Chief Superintendent Pal Kenzy - Linda Newton
* Inspector Paul Bailey - Philip Olivier
* Alice Okoro - Lynsey Murrell
* Dr Kay Jones - Sarah Lawrie
* Clare Jones - Billie Fulford-Brown
* Prof. Sani Habib / Sargeant Hamza - Jason Nwoga

## References

* Wolfe International has an agreement with Dr Kay Jones' university in relations to funding.
* All parties and celebrations have to be authorised by the Moonbase Coordinator before they take place.
* Nathan Spring and Lee Jones had been together for ten years.
* Kenzy refers to Earth as "Groundside" rather than "Earthside".
* Kenzy's leave will include a spa hotel in Liverpool, recommended by Paul.
* Spring takes his tea with milk but no sugar.
* The Nelson Mandela only has artificial gravity in the laboratory. This is due to a rotating module, similar to the Ronald Regan.
* Kay refers to a currency known as the Euro Dollar.
* The kitchen staff is cooking dinner for the Blue Shift in the main dining area, breakfast for the Green Shift in the breakfast room, and lunch service for the Yellow Shift in the canteen.

## Notes

* *Cathe iboga* is a fictional drug based on the *tabernathe iboga* (sometimes simply referred to as *iboga*), which is native to Central Africa. It is a plant used in tradional African medicine and rituals. This drug has many adverse side-effects, including nausea, headaches and manic episodes, as witnessed in this audio.

## Continuity

* Spring recalls the harrowing murder of his lover Lee Jones. (TV: *Conversations with the Dead*)
* Spring is furious when he finds Okoro "up to her tricks" again, interfering with a crime scene. He recalls her last interference on the Moon. (AUDIO: *Hostile Takeover*)
* Bailey tells Habib that he's been to Mars. (AUDIO: *Whatever Happened to Gary Rice?*, et al)
* Moonbase personnel work the Blue Shift, Green Shift and Yellow Shift. Kyle Rogers had previously worked something nicknamed the red eye shift. (AUDIO: *Sins of the Father*)
* Spring deduces that the Collective is using Kay to get to him. Kay recalls that her sister's murderers used the same tactics. (TV: *Conversations with the Dead*)