Hell & Back (Outbreak Task Force)

by Julie Rowe

  “Aren’t you going to ask her?”

  She smiled. “I did. Last week. She said yes without any hesitation. I need to know you feel the same.”

  He could see the unspoken question in her eyes and decided to defuse the speculation before she could voice it. “I don’t want to hear Raymond’s name. He’s a pain in my ass. He’s got no sense and no interest in doing any actual work.”

  “I wasn’t thinking of him, but there are others who might fit.”

  “If you take her off this assignment, she’s not going to be happy. She’s keen to see all our high-containment facilities. I think she thinks of them like a puzzle and how she can make it harder for anyone else to put it together.”

  Rodrigues considered that for a moment then nodded. “Okay, she’s yours.” She fixed him with a hard stare. “Just don’t break her.”

  Satisfaction surged through him, and he had to clamp down on the urge to grin. He did allow himself a nod and got to his feet. “I promise to bring her back without a scratch on her.”

  Rodrigues frowned at him and waved him out of her office.

  He walked down the hall and into the coffee room several doors down. A couple of men were in there; one was pouring himself a cup of coffee, the other was drinking from a mug.

  DS chuckled when he saw Henry in the doorway. “Got your orders?”

  “Yeah, but I’m going to need a few things from you before I leave.”

  The other man in the room, Dozer, gave Henry a wry smile. “I heard how that meeting went this morning. There are always a bunch of people in leadership positions who couldn’t lead a parade if they were in the first float and wearing a blinking banner proclaiming they were in charge.”

  “That’s not as reassuring as you think it is,” Henry said, getting himself a cup of coffee.

  “It means you’ve heard what they want and how they want it. Do it your way anyhow.”

  “Time’s a-wasting,” DS said. “Those terrorists aren’t sitting around discussing quilt patterns—they’re planning their next attack.”

  “Yeah, but where?” Henry wasn’t asking the question lightly. If the FAFO was trying to get to CDC pathogens, there were at least six possible targets.

  DS took a seat at the table and gestured for Henry to do the same. “Tell us about the possible targets.”

  Dozer, who’d been a Homeland Security agent until last week, was now Dr. Rodrigues’s right-hand man and personal bodyguard. He sat as well. He was a tough bastard who’d survived getting blown up, shot, and a nasty concussion in the last month alone. He and Rodrigues were a couple now, but Henry didn’t think the relationship was new. Their behavior hinted at the kind of shorthand body language signals only long-term couples have, communicating with a look or code word what they needed. Things that wouldn’t make sense to anyone else.

  Henry took a seat. “Our six high-containment labs might tempt them.”

  “If they make a direct assault,” Dozer said. “So far, those bastards seem to like recruiting the clueless and discontented to do the dirty, dangerous work.”

  Henry frowned. “Cowards,” he muttered.

  “Yes,” DS said. “But it makes them predictable. They won’t use a direct assault first. They’ll try to come at you sideways. Try to find someone on the inside who can get them what they want or destroy shit before we can stop them.”

  “Do we have people who might be vulnerable to outside manipulation?” Dozer asked.

  “What, like what happened with that FBI agent, Ketner? One of our geekier people getting a hot new girlfriend or boyfriend?” DS asked.

  “Everyone working for us has a new security clearance,” Henry said. “Including their family members or significant others.”

  DS leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling for a few moments. “These assholes go for the shock and awe reaction. So, what do we have that would give them the biggest bang for their buck?”

  “Bang, meaning…?” Dozer asked.

  “Press, panic, and corpses.”

  Henry shrugged. That was easy. “Smallpox or another deadly disease.”

  DS and Dozer both looked at him.

  “Where is it kept?” Dozer asked.

  “In one of the HC labs here in Atlanta. The only other official sample is in Russia.”

  DS grunted. “I think you’ve got your number one target all figured out.”

  “Shit.” Henry stood. “We store the vaccine there, too. If they take the virus and destroy the vaccine…”

  “That’s a lot of shock and awe,” DS finished.

  No one said anything for a minute.

  “How do you want to run this?” Dozer finally asked.

  “I’m going to the HC lab. Tonight or early tomorrow morning,” Henry said. “No notice, no nothing. Do an audit of all the security procedures and equipment as well as an inventory of the organisms, toxins, and agents we have in long-term storage. Make sure they can’t get in.”

  “Alone?” Dozer asked.

  “I’ll take my new partner with me. She can use her fresh eyes to see what my old ones might be missing.”

  “Partner?” Dozer asked.

  “Ruby. She’s good at seeing both the details and the big picture.”

  “She might even be good in a fight,” DS said with a wicked grin. “Did you know she competed for the USA in judo at the last Olympics?”

  Henry felt his jaw drop. “No, I didn’t.”

  “Did she medal?” Dozer asked.

  “Silver. Her brother won bronze.”

  “Brother?”

  “He works for Mars Mission Labs.” Henry shrugged. “Rocket scientist.”

  DS chuckled. “I know him. He finds people confusing and prefers numbers.”

  “You met him?” Henry asked. “Was it take-your-brother-to-work day or something?”

  “This was a few days after she started working here. She was showing him around. They’re pretty tight. They live together.”

  “So, you checked him out.” Dozer’s tone was matter-of-fact.

  “Of course. We can’t afford to do anything half-assed. His job at MML requires him to have top-level security clearance.”

  “The FAFO have been very good at finding leverage.”

  “Why do you think I spend so much of my time talking to everyone?” DS gave them his flat stare. “It’s not because I’ve suddenly become the fucking cruise director of this place.” He pointed a finger at Henry. “You watch your backs. Those assholes aren’t going to stop. Not until we’re all dead or dying, and they have whatever it is they want.”

  “That’s the thing.” Henry couldn’t keep the frustration out of his voice. “What do they want?”

  Neither man had an answer for him.

  Chapter Five

  2:01 p.m.

  If Ruby had to repeat herself one more time, she was going to suggest Raymond take a sick day. He’d come into the lab shortly after Henry left looking pale and about three seconds from breaking down into an ugly cry.

  Rodrigues had obviously not held back or sugarcoated his situation. Now, he was wallowing in his own misery and couldn’t seem to focus on anything.

  “Raymond,” she said, her voice sharp. “Are you listening?”

  Despair fogged his expression. “Yes. No. What’s the point?” He threw his hands up in the air. “I’m going to get fired anyway.”

  She sighed and dug around inside her head for more patience. “You’re not fired, but you do have to stop overthinking everything and focus on your work.” She tapped the computer keyboard. “No more buts, no more whining, no more gossip. All you have to do is keep up with this assignment.”

  “But—”

  At her look, he shut his mouth, then said more carefully, “It’s all data and research, and measles.” The caution in his voice diss
olved into self-righteous outrage. “I’m a microbiologist.”

  Whining again. Already?

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m a microbiologist, too, but you don’t see me complaining about tracking viruses, do you?”

  He opened his mouth, paused, then closed it again.

  Good, maybe she’d gotten through to him.

  Finally.

  He moved to sit in her chair.

  She had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. “At your own computer, Raymond, not mine.”

  “Sorry,” he muttered. “Sorry.” Then he scurried off to his own desk around the corner.

  Did he grow up spoiled? How could a grown man with his level of education be such a slacker?

  She turned.

  Henry was standing just inside the door, leaning against the wall, watching her. His face was expressionless.

  “How long have you been standing there?”

  “Long enough to know you’d make a pretty good sergeant.” He had an almost smile on his face.

  She wasn’t sure what it meant. “I can’t tell if you’re being serious or sarcastic.”

  “Serious,” he said, pushing off the wall and striding toward her. When he got close, he leaned in and whispered, “Anyone who can get Raymond’s head out of his ass without touching him has a gift.”

  His body heat warmed the scant inch of air between his face and hers. Could a person overheat from relative closeness to the person you desire? Maybe she should conduct a study—or use her vibrator more often.

  He moved away and sat at his desk. “I want to leave some time in the next twenty-four hours for our first stop.”

  It took a second for her galloping heart to calm down enough to speak in a normal tone. “So soon?”

  “The terrorists aren’t going to wait until it’s convenient.”

  “I understand that, it’s just…” What did she need to know? “Will I need an overnight bag?”

  “Yeah. Pack for a couple of days and be ready before the end of work today. You’ll be issued some equipment as well, so stop in with the drill sergeant to pick that up. It wouldn’t be a bad idea if we had a field kit with sample containers, etc…”

  She nodded and sat down to write a list.

  “Ruby.” His tone was serious. “Don’t tell anyone else what we’re doing.”

  She flushed. “I shouldn’t have said anything to Raymond?” She smacked herself on the forehead. “He’s a terrible gossip. He won’t be able to help himself.” She met Henry’s blank gaze. “I’m so sorry.”

  “No, you had to find someone to take over for you. I mean anyone else. Besides, DS will be talking to him. He’ll be too scared to gossip.”

  That wouldn’t last, but then again, the drill sergeant had years of experience dealing with people who needed a kick in the pants on a regular basis. Speaking of which, she needed to focus on her own work.

  Ruby straightened her spine and decided the straightforward approach was called for. “Once we get to our first HC lab, what am I responsible for?”

  “Confirming inventory. I want you to put your hands on every bug and virus each facility is supposed to have and ensure they have the amount they’re supposed to have. If there have been any fluctuations in storage temperature, samples could be compromised. I’ll be giving you a detailed manifest for each location. These are confidential. You can’t share or show them to anyone.”

  “Got it.” She headed to the drill sergeant’s office.

  The rest of the day was a race to get all the information and equipment Henry ordered and some additions DS decided she needed. She had a new laptop with more processing speed than most gaming laptops, a new tablet and smartphone, all connected to the CDC’s network so she’d have nearly instant access to data and information.

  It was midafternoon by the time they stopped for coffee and something to eat. After finishing off two sandwiches to her one, DS regarded her with a steady gaze. “You’re a calm one,” he said after a minute or so of silence.

  “Am I?”

  “Most folks would be anxious by now. Wiggling in their seat, fidgeting, unable to look me in the eyes.”

  She let her eyebrows go up. “Why?”

  He smiled at her, a delighted expression that upended his normally grumpy face. “I don’t scare you a bit.”

  “I learned a long time ago to judge people on their actions. I wait, watch, then decide what to do.” She smiled. “Besides, two months of judo lessons from you have given me a view of you that’s a little different from the one most of our coworkers have.”

  “I put you on your butt for every one of those lessons.”

  “Yeah, to teach me stuff.”

  He seemed pleased, then leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. “I need you to go in quiet, watch, listen to those who are working at each location. Apologize for the interruption in their work and make detailed notes on everyone you meet.”

  “This isn’t about me understanding their jobs, is it?”

  “No.”

  “Are you being proactive, or do you suspect more than one connection to the FAFO?”

  “I don’t have enough information to rule out anything. If something seems fishy, don’t wait—report it to Henry and me immediately. The terrorists are guilty of mass murder. I don’t want either of you added to the body count.”

  “Okay.” Neither did she.

  He got to his feet. “Get going, get packed, and get some sleep.”

  “I will, and thank you.” She made sure to stress the words so he knew she was thanking him for more than just advice. He was taciturn but fair and generous with his knowledge inside the dojo and out.

  He gave her a brisk nod and walked out of the coffee room.

  Ruby washed her cup and left, nearly running into Raymond in the doorway. She was getting tired of bumping into him.

  “Is the drill sergeant still in there?” he whispered.

  “No, he’s gone.” She frowned. “Why? Are you avoiding him?”

  “He hates me.”

  “He hates whining, but then so does everyone else.”

  Raymond’s shoulders slumped, and he looked close to tears. “This job is going to be the end of me.”

  “Ray.” She sighed. “Anything worth doing is going to take effort. Concentrate on the work and forget everything else.”

  “I’m not good at anything.”

  “You’re good with people.” He was, too. “You can make conversation with anyone. I can’t do that. Maybe you should see if there’s a position that could take advantage of your people skills?”

  He stared at her as if she’d just told him how to turn iron into gold. “You really think so?”

  “Yeah.” She shrugged. “Why not?”

  He straightened. “Okay. I can do that. I’ll take care of tracking the measles outbreak, and I’ll talk to Dr. Rodrigues.”

  “Awesome.” She stepped around him and went to her desk to pick up her equipment before heading for the staff parking lot.

  Ruby arrived at her home and set down the two bags containing the collection kit and the first aid kit. She packed some clothes and toiletries in a small duffel, then made herself a sandwich for dinner. She’d picked up a book and was reading when her phone rang. It was her brother’s ring.

  About time he called her. Where the hell was he?

  She answered the phone with, “Where have you been?”

  “Your brother is with us, Miss Toth,” a distorted voice said. “If you don’t do everything we tell you to do, you’ll never see him in one piece again.”

  A cold fist punched her in the stomach, and she was standing without recalling how she got there. The cold pushed its way through her body, weakening her knees until she collapsed back onto the chair she’d been sitting on.

  �
��Who is this?”

  “You know who we are.” The distortion made it impossible to discern if the voice was male or female. “Your brother is healthy. For the moment.”

  Assholes. Anger freed her diaphragm from its icy cage. She harnessed the energy and rode it, breaking it down into something useful.

  Patience. Watch, wait, listen, then act. She’d learned the hard way not to let her emotions hijack her mouth. To get along with difficult people, you had to figure out what they wanted and what they didn’t before you spoke.

  What kind of response would a bunch of terrorists who’d kidnapped her brother want from her? Defeat, not defiance. Compliance, not confidence. She needed to make them believe she’d do whatever they told her to do.

  “Please don’t hurt him. Wh-what do you want?” There was enough adrenaline surging through her system it wasn’t hard to stutter and breathe a little too hard. To sound like she was on the edge of panic.

  “A live sample of smallpox.” Despite the distortion, the voice sounded self-satisfied. Arrogant. Superior.

  For a moment, she couldn’t quite believe what she heard. “You can’t be serious.”

  “Get it or your brother dies.”

  “How do I know he’s not already dead?” Her voice broke on the last word. “I want proof of life.”

  There was a long moment of silence.

  “Ruby, I’m okay.” Nate’s voice sounded mostly normal. “They haven’t hurt me yet, but they say that if you don’t do what they want, they’re going to start cutting things off me before they kill me.” He said it like it was no big deal, just your normal, average kidnapping. “I tried to tell them this was a bad idea, that I’m not a good hostage, but…” He sighed. “They’re not listening.”

  She allowed the anger churning her gut to rumble up through her throat and said, “Stay safe.”

  Nate didn’t respond.

  “Nate?”

  There were muffled voices in the background.

  “So, Miss Toth, do we understand each other?” The distorted voice was back.

  She really, really wanted to strangle the owner of that voice. “Yes, I understand.” She put another quiver in her voice instead of spitting fire. “You’ll hurt my brother if I don’t do what you want.”