Nightmare Army

by Don Pendleton

  “Hey, Doc, mind filling the rest of us in,” Brognola said as he popped an antacid tablet into his mouth.

  “Oh, right, sorry. Just let me...” He tapped on the tablet for a few moments. “Dr. Marks, Colonel Gorman, I’m forwarding all the data we have so your people are on the same page, as it were, with ours.”

  “Thank you, Doctor, I’ll be sure this gets to our top researchers,” Marks replied, with Gorman nodding in agreement.

  “Basically, as Mr. Cooper surmised, and thanks to the samples both he and Ms. Finigian brought back with them, we are looking at a man-made pathogen,” Bellamy began. “It is a particularly clever one, a modified version of the Toxoplasma gondii protozoan, that’s carrying a particularly fast-acting strain of the rabies virus. The cellular structure of T. gondii is easily recognizable. It was the splice of the rabies virus into it that gave us a bit of pause.”

  “Okay, what does that mean?” Brognola asked.

  “Toxoplasma gondii is a hardy, fairly harmless parasite found all over the world,” Bellamy replied. “Its life cycle runs from mice or rats to cats, and can be passed to humans, but only rarely does it sicken them. Medical studies have showed that up to one-third of world’s population may be infected with it. The interesting thing is that studies have showed that mice infected with it exhibit more impulsive behavior, for lack of a better term, causing them to be more likely eaten by cats—”

  “Wait a minute,” Bolan interrupted. “Are you saying that in effect this parasite rewires its victim to, in effect, make it go kill itself?”

  “To a certain degree, yes,” Bellamy continued. “Although T. gondii asexually reproduces within and can be transmitted by humans—as well as just about any other warm-blooded animal—it sexually reproduces only within the intestines of members of the felid cat family, so transmission to and among the cats is still paramount for its spread.”

  Marks was reviewing the data on her computer, as well. “Some studies have also showed the disease it causes, toxoplasmosis, to have an intensifying effect on suicidal behavior in humans, which might explain the advanced aggressiveness you all reported.”

  “What are the normal symptoms of this disease?”

  “In a normal exposure, the infection typically causes a mild, flu-like illness or no illness in the first few weeks,” Gorman said. “However, those with weakened immune systems, such as those with AIDS and pregnant women, may become seriously ill, to the point of fatality. The parasite can cause encephalitis and neurologic diseases, and can negatively affect the heart, liver, inner ears and eyes. Recent research—although this is still ongoing—has linked toxoplasmosis with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia.”

  “So, very much a brain disease,” Bolan said. “And combined with a rabies virus as fast-acting as the one we saw, it’s deadly as hell.”

  “Yes, particularly if those symptoms of rabies that lead to abnormal behavior—confusion, excitation, agitation—are exacerbated by the T. gondii’s propensity to drive its host to engage in risky behavior to spread itself,” Gorman added.

  “I have a question,” Bolan said, glancing at the French doctor. “From what you’ve seen, Ms. Finigian, although bitten by one of the infected, has not showed any symptoms of the parasite, even though it has been at least ten hours since infection, correct?”

  Bellamy flipped through his notes. “That is correct, Mr. Cooper.”

  “Why not?” Bolan asked. “An effective bioweapon is designed to have the maximum impact across the broadest swath of the population. Once released, they do not discriminate. Yet she seems to be fine. So does Sevan, although to the best of my knowledge, he wasn’t bitten, but he had fairly close contact with several of the infected. Why haven’t they been affected?”

  “We’re working on that,” Bellamy replied. “The simplest answer may be that in every population, there is a small percentage that epidemics simply do not affect, as they either have a natural immunity or their genetic makeup is such that they can contract the disease but are unaffected by it. It may be that she is one. However, we’re working on figuring out if that is the case, why that is. She could be the key to a vaccine against it.”

  “Just to reiterate, ladies and gentlemen, this is the first outbreak we’ve seen of this particular pathogen, correct?” Gorman asked. Bellamy and Marks agreed with the AMRIID director’s assessment. “Therefore, it is imperative that we lock this down ASAP, before whoever is creating it gets the chance to unleash it,” he said.

  “Agreed,” Bolan said. “As soon as we’re done here, I’m going after that aircraft and anyone they’re involved with. If we’re lucky, the lab itself may be there and I can wrap up the whole thing in one big bang.”

  “I’ll send one of my top researchers to meet you at the landing point,” Gorman said. “She’ll be invaluable in assisting you with gathering onsite information.”

  “Thank you for the offer, Colonel, but I doubt she’ll be able to get there in time,” Bolan said. “Once I’m on the ground, I’ll be moving fast.”

  “There’s no need to worry about that, Mr. Cooper,” Gorman replied. “Lieutenant Briggs is currently working at the Spiez Laboratory in Switzerland. It will be a simple matter to expedite her to wherever your final African destination is. Based on this evidence, you’re going to need a qualified expert in case of accidental exposure or release of the pathogen.”

  “Speaking of accidental release, what’s going to happen at Artakar?” Brognola asked. “Our intel confirms that the entire town was burned to the ground shortly after Cooper and the other escapees left. Is there any chance that the virus could still be on-site?”

  “We dispatched a Biolevel 4 safety team to quarantine the site and work with local police and military forces to make sure that no surviving infected person escaped, and that the virus is contained at that location,” Bellamy said.

  “That’s all well and good, but the best way to ensure that doesn’t happen is to find the source and destroy it, which is exactly what I plan to do,” Bolan said. “In the meantime, Hal, be sure to work with these folks on taking care of the others that came out with me.”

  “Again, no reason for concern, Mr. Cooper,” Bellamy replied. “The two medical students have been very helpful already, and we will ensure that they and the other young lady will be well cared for. Ms. Finigian and her young charge will also be closely monitored until they can be repatriated.”

  “Matt, we’ve pinpointed where that jet wound up,” Brognola said. “It landed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

  “That’s all I needed to hear,” Bolan said as he rose from his chair. “You’ve all gotten everything I can give you. Now it’s time I got back to work.”

  “Lieutenant Briggs will rendezvous with you in the Congo,” Gorman said. “Good luck, Mr. Cooper, and Godspeed.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Kristian Stengrave finished his review of the biomedical research laboratory’s finances and rubbed his eyes. Running a company as large as Stengrave Industries required juggling several balls at once and being prepared to have more introduced into the mix at any time. After more than fifteen years at the helm of the company, taking over as Chairman and CEO when he’d bought out his own father, he was adept at keeping things moving, even when certain side projects ran into unexpected snags.

  His phone rang and he picked it up. “Yes?”

  The voice on the other end whispered quickly, “This is Forty-Three.”

  Stengrave sat a little straighter in his chair. Although he deplored other companies using corporate espionage against him, he saw no reason not to deploy it himself. To that end, he had planted loyal employees at various companies and nonprofits across Europe to keep tabs on what was going on in various scientific fields of research. “Go ahead.”

  “I work
at the Spiez Laboratory, in the city of the same name in Switzerland. Over the past several hours, there has been a lot of communication with the ECDPCS in Stockholm. It has all referred to the release of a man-made virus, and they requested access to all of our files on Toxoplasma gondii. I remembered the work our lab had done with the strain three years ago, and thought I should contact you, to see if it was something our company had been involved in.”

  “Possibly. Can you give me any more information?” Stengrave asked.

  “The incident concerns an outbreak in a remote village in Armenia called Artakar. They’re classifying the site as a biological hazard until further notice. Apparently the Americans are involved, as one of the visiting doctors here from the United States, a Lieutenant Cheryl Briggs, was ordered to the Congo with all haste. I happened to be the one who helped her process her flight on our end.”

  “Thank you, you’ve done very well,” Stengrave replied. “Your company appreciates your diligence. Go about your usual routine and rest assured that this will be handled appropriately.”

  “Yes, sir. Glad I could help, sir.”

  “You have, more than you can possibly know,” Stengrave replied, then disconnected the call. He turned on the flat-screen television in his office while dialing another number.

  “Yes?”

  “Mr. Firke, you should prepare yourself for company down there,” Stengrave replied. “It seems that the fly in your ointment came from the Americans, and he’s coming down to see what he can find out in the Congo. There’s an American scientist who’s joining him, a woman.” Stengrave gave her name.

  “Excellent—I’ll make sure neither of them leaves here alive,” Firke replied. “I know just how to get both of them, too. If you’ll excuse me, sir, I have a few calls to make to prepare a warm reception for them.”

  “I’ll leave you to it,” Stengrave replied. “Let me know when it is done.”

  He ended the call as his attention was directed to a report on riots in France, where crowds of Muslims protested the continued police practice of banning the full-face veil for women in public. He flipped through other news channels, using an internet aggregator to cull the particular articles and topics he sought, and found more of the same.

  ...the German population is expected to be twenty percent Muslim by 2019...

  ...ground breaking commenced on a new mosque in New York City, joining the more than 800 similar new structures built in the United States over the past decade...

  ...emigrated Muslim population has formed its own enclaves, with their own businesses and insular societal networks, wherever they migrate to...

  ...a lawsuit in rural England has brought the right of a Muslim girl to wear a full-body burka to elementary school. Proponents say that it is a religious right, and should not be restricted...

  ...economists estimate that the percentage of money spent by Muslims in Europe over the next decade will grow from its current 7 percent to 17 percent...

  It is an ideological crusade, nothing less, Stengrave thought. The inexorable migration of Muslims into Europe and their fecund birth rates, combined with the declining ones all across the continent, had led him to this inescapable conclusion. At first he’d hoped the Muslims would succumb to the lures of a Western lifestyle, and indeed, some had, but the majority clung fast to their faith and their imported society. He had conducted several long-range population studies, trying to game the results with different scenarios, but, absent a world-shattering event, such as a pandemic or colossal war or natural disaster, the results had turned out the same every time.

  They plan to take over the world by breeding out the other indigenous populations and installing themselves in their place, he thought. And nowhere did he feel this was happening faster than in his beloved homeland, Sweden. Drawn there by the egalitarian, socialist government, which welcomed them with open arms, and access to excellent education and health care, the northern nation had seen a rising influx of Muslims over the past decade.

  Although the government claimed the actual number of practicing Muslims in the country at around 100,000, Stengrave didn’t believe it. Census numbers estimated the number of Muslims, counted as those of Arab descent or having a Muslim name, at around 300,000. To the industrialist, they were all lumped into the same category; a blight slowly creeping unchecked across his country and the whole of Europe, slowly overtaking its nations and cities, and displacing the natives with the immigrants.

  Stengrave had hoped to come up with a less-drastic idea to check this rising tide, whether through stricter immigration or reproduction laws, or even population caps. But the more he had tried to work through the official channels, the less attention he had received. It was as if everyone around him was blind to this stealth invasion occurring right under their noses, and even worse, content to sit idly by and let it happen.

  But not Kristian Stengrave. As the evidence mounted regarding the increasing disparity in native versus immigrant population, and how that would only increase in future years, he realized that he would have to take more direct action.

  At first, he’d thought of creating a eugenics program in which he would release a virus that would render only men and women with certain Arabic genotypes infertile, thereby slowing their reproduction. But when his population estimates revealed that even this admittedly drastic measure wouldn’t be enough to reverse the population expansion, he used that genetic referencing data to embark on a different, even more radical path, one that would not only stop the incursion in its tracks, but ensure that immigration would cease not only in Sweden, but throughout Europe, as well.

  It was a nearly perfect plan. Since most Muslim communities were relatively self-contained, they would primarily destroy themselves once the virus was unleashed. Yes, there would be some collateral damage to the surrounding populations, but Stengrave saw this as necessary to preserve the whole, not to mention, he admitted only to himself, a bit of punishment for not recognizing the hazard they faced. If Europeans didn’t recognize the danger living next to them, right under their very noses, then someone had to make them see it. If that was to be him, so be it.

  The violence would also have the added benefit of scaring the governments into passing harsh anti-immigration laws, to ensure that a repeat of what was only a few days away from happening would never happen again. Sweden—and Europe—would be saved, and Islam and its jihadist leaders would be dealt a serious blow. Stengrave was already considering the next phase of his operation: unleashing the virus in the heart of the most religious nations—assuming it wasn’t going to be carried there naturally by fleeing refugees.

  No matter, he thought. It will arrive eventually—one way or another.

  His phone beeped and Stengrave looked at the message from Dr. Richter.

  Final batch of product nearly complete. Will be ready for pick up in 24 hours.

  Stengrave didn’t text back; Richter would know he’d seen it. Instead he called Firke again. “Once you’ve disposed of that problem we discussed earlier, there will be a package for you to pick up at the laboratory. You know what to do with it.”

  * * *

  AFTER RECEIVING HIS orders from Stengrave, Firke dialed another number.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Sambele. How are you? This is Reginald Firke... Yes, of Stengrave Industries... I’m well, thank you... I’m afraid that I am calling with some unfortunate news regarding an incoming visitor to your country... Yes, a medical doctor from America named Cheryl Briggs, associated with the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. We understand that she will be meeting another American here.”

  Firke studied the murky blown-up picture they had retrieved from the cameras in Arkatar. “He’s over six feet tall, about two hundred pounds, very well built, black hair. What do they intend? Well, given the Americans’ propensity to throw their weight around whene
ver they can, I wouldn’t care to speculate what either of them might be doing here, but given that she is from the part of the Army that studies biochemical weapons, I wanted to pass this on so you could follow up if necessary... What did I have in mind? Well, it may be better for all concerned if you could arrange for them to be delivered into our hands... Yes, the jungle is a dangerous place, indeed... Very good, I will await your call with pleasure... Yes, we must certainly dine together when I am back in Kinshasa...I will be sure to let you know the next time I’m in the city... Thank you for your assistance in this matter, Mr. Sambele... I look forward to hearing from you shortly.”

  Firke disconnected and called Richter. “I’m coming in tonight to pick up everything you’ve got. Make sure it’s ready.”

  “You’ll have plenty, Mr. Firke. By the way, I wanted to thank you for the live subject your men dropped off earlier today. She’s already proving very useful.”

  “Glad I could help,” Firke replied. “Too bad I couldn’t dump the interfering asshole who nearly fucked up the Armenian op on you, too. Apparently the bastard’s coming here to snoop around.”

  “Really?” Richter’s tone grew thoughtful. “Do you think you might be able to capture him alive?”

  The security man’s face darkened. “Why in the hell would I want to do that?”

  “Because my testing has reached its limits on ordinary people—” Firke could almost hear the scientist’s mind working “—and I would be very interested to see how the virus would work on more skilled people who have been trained to operate under difficulty, who are used to thinking under intense stress and hardship. Besides, wouldn’t you love to lord it over the man who bested you once already?”