“I left work, I was ill. I’m sorry I should have told you. It must be some sort of stomach bug.”
“Emir, listen. There was …”
“I have to go. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Emir…”
Click.
“Damn it,” Charles slammed down the phone.
“Told you.”
Just as Stokes spoke those words, Charles pulled into the parking lot of Emir’s apartment complex. Sure enough, Emir was placing something in his back hatch.
“Son of a bitch. Pull up and block him. Hurry.”
Charles did as instructed and Emir saw them. Hurriedly, looking panicked, he shut the hatch at the same time Stokes jumped from Charles’ car.
“Hold it!” Stokes hollered, extended his pistol. “Hands in the air.”
“What ..." Emir looked at Charles. “Why is our maintenance man pointing a gun at me?”
“Because I am a federal agent. Conrad Stockmen. And you are under arrest …”
“Emir,” Charles interrupted. “Why did you take it?”
“Take what?”
“Don’t lie to me!” Charles blasted. “Why did you take EC175? We saw you.”
“I must warn you,” Stokes said. “Anything you say can and will be used in a …”
“I don’t care,” Emir said. “It’s out. Some way, somehow. Even if it is only a few cases, we need to get rid of it. Destroy it.”
“Emir,” Charles said softly. “We don’t know…”
“I do. A man died in his apartment in London. Another in Paris. Same way. Someone started it and we can’t chance what we have, getting out.”
Stokes sighed out. “This is not your call. You’re already in trouble for having this. All of you. Stealing it isn’t the answer.”
“Are you sure about that?” Emir asked. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t want this virus in anyone’s hands but mine. When Charles and I had it, I knew it would never hurt a soul. As long as we controlled it, it was in control. I trust no one but us.”
“A little late,” Charles said. “Beutel took a sample.”
“Wait. Wait. What?” Stokes asked.
“Someone not doing their job?” Charles questioned. “Yeah, Aldus took a sample back to his lab in Germany because he worried we were going to get rid of it. He sees our inoculation as a potential windfall.”
“So you can’t destroy it all.” Stokes said.
“I thought of that, I have been trying to reach their lab. We know people there. Once they see the virus they hold in secret could be out, could get them in trouble," Emir said. “They’ll get rid of it. But right now …” He looked at Stokes. “I beg of you, let me go. I’m taking it to our Nevada facility to destroy. Driving it there. You already made one error with Aldus, pretend I’m another.”
“I can’t do that. I don’t know for sure you’re destroying it.”
Charles jumped in. “We follow him. We go behind him. If you have to call it in, wait, call it in and say you have a lead. They don’t even know we have it.”
Stokes exhaled. “Only because I know what this could do … fine go. But do not, I repeat, do not get rid of that antidote. Or did you take that too?” he asked Emir.
“I have a case of it.”
“Give it to us. We’ll carry that.” Emir nodded and raced back to the hatch of the vehicle, he opened it and retrieved a small case. “Here.” He handed it to Stokes.
“Thanks and I want him,” He pointed to Charles. “To get a hold of the lab in Germany.”
“I can do that,” Charles nodded.
“Go,” Stokes instructed Emir then walked back to Charles’ car. He grabbed the car handle. “You better be right. He better be destroying this.”
“He is. If he has any other intentions.” Charles opened his door. “I’ll shoot him myself.”
TWELVE – SO IT BEGINS
Las Vegas, NV
June 25
Sharon was exhausted. She hated to admit it, but the second they entered their hotel room, she just wanted to collapse on the bed. Even though she rested and relaxed on the flight, her body was beat. Thirty years as a flight attendant and she ran the gauntlet.
She hated telling Aldus, but she couldn’t stifle her cough any more. Some sort of cold bug hit her not long after leaving Seoul. Her throat was raw, and there was a constant tickle.
She felt relieved when he left the room. She just needed a few moments.
He had a business call to take and left the room. Sharon drank some water and lay on top of the bed.
Aldus returned not long after. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, thanks.”
“I got you some cough medicine from the gift shop.” He walked over to the bed. “While I am not one to complain about spending money, at thirty dollars a bottle, this better be magic. Come to think of it…” Aldus lifted the bottle. “Maybe my company is missing its mark.”
Sharon laugh and that caused her to cough.
“You poor dear.”
“I’m fine. It’s just a cold.” She took the bottle of cough medicine. “Looks like your soup of vaccines didn’t work.”
“Oh, it worked. Trust me. If you didn’t get it, imagine how worse you would be. You’ll be fine. I’m a doctor.”
“Thank you, Aldus.”
“I have some news. It looks like I am going to have to leave Vegas in the morning. I know I was going to stay another day, but business calls. Will you be all right an extra day alone.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll use the time to recoup. I start back to work on a red eye.”
Aldus tapped her leg. “Thank you for understanding. Now take that medicine and feel better, this is out last evening together. Unless you don’t feel well enough to go …”
“No, I’ll be fine. I just need a nap.”
“You do that. I’ll go down to the casino for a spell.” He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead.
Sharon took the medicine. She didn’t want to tell Aldus she was glad he was leaving. Though she loved her time with him, she was tired, ill and needed the break. For the time being, she would suck it up, and ill or not, would go out with Aldus for their final evening on vacation. It was the least she could do after all he had done for her. Then after he left, she would enjoy the last few days alone.
<><><><>
Amarillo, TX
June 25
The confirmation call came an hour after they left San Antonia, confirming to Charles that the man in London did indeed die from a variant form of their virus.
“If I’m not mistaken,” Dr. Carson of the WHO told him. “I’d swear this was stronger. Almost as if it were in pure form.”
“Has anyone else showed symptoms?” Charles asked.
“Just the man in Paris. No one else. Then again, if this follows the same pattern, we have seventy-two hours. Then we’ll know.”
It will follow the same pattern, Charles thought. He knew the virus operated on a seventy-two hour window. Exactly.
“I wish we made progress, this wasn’t a priority for us,” Dr. Carson said. “We had that second SARS outbreak to contend with this year.”
Charles exhaled. “I have. I’ve work on it extensively.” Charles wanted to tell him he had the pure form, that he performed unethical experiments. But he couldn’t all if it was wrong and illegal. So he bent the truth. “We were able to finally extract the virus.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Competition,” Charles said. “I believe we have a working vaccine. An Antidote. I’m on my way to our Nevada facility now to retrieve it. I had a feeling.”
“This is great news Charles, great news. Even though you should have shared it, as long as there are no other outbreaks, with a working antidote, we could be ahead of the game. Hopefully, the strain will match.”
“Hopefully. I’m driving, so I’ll be there by late morning.”
“Good … and Charles, if there is anything else you know, please te
ll us. We need to be prepared.”
“If I tell you, will you not ask how I came to the conclusion?”
“You have my word.”
Then Charles explained. Leaving out the ‘how’, he told Carson that the exposure lessened the longer in the air. That after four hours, the virus died. So if the virus was released, an area would be safe after four hours. With each hour that passed, and wider radius of ground zero, the virus weakened. It was still deadly, the victims just took longer to die.
Contact victims, lived twenty-four hours. A long agonizing twenty-four hours.
“And the antidote? Vaccine?” Carson asked.
“We only had one true test subject and it worked.”
“Just tell me was it a primate?”
“It was.”
“Well we know primates react differently to human virus, so the reaction to the vaccine may be different as well. But it’s something to go on.”
Charles ended the call and listened as Stokes called in that the virus in London was the same as the Congo. Basically repeating the same story to his superiors that Charles gave Carson. Charles guessed Stokes was covering his rear as well. He added that he was following Charles and Emir when they took off suddenly from the SAT lab.
“No, I’m good. I’m on them. I overheard them saying something about this London thing, just before they took off,” Stokes said. “I’ll keep you posted.” He hung up. “When first we practice to deceive, oh what a tangled web we weave.”
“Hopefully nothing more will happen that we’ll have to tell more lies.”
“Or face the consequences when we tell the truth.”
“What could happen?” Charles asked, but knew that statement was a mistake when his phone rang. Something told him, it wasn’t good. That the powers that be were saying ‘You don’t think anything else could happen? Watch this.’
Charles answered the phone. “This is Dr. Kimble.” His heart felt as if it stopped beating. “Rupert are you sure? Oh my God.”
“Doc?” Stokes called his name.
Charles hit the gas, pulled into the left lane, and passed Emir.
“Doc?”
Without saying anything, Charles signaled and then as soon as he could he pulled over. He didn’t have the words. In fact, he was in such a state of shock, so scared, he could barely breathe let alone speak.
“What have we done? What have we done?” Charles murmured.
Emir knocked on the window. “Charles?”
Charles wound down the window.
“What’s wrong?” Emir asked.
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” said Stokes.
Charles took a deep breath. He looked at Emir then Stokes. “That was Rupert. He checked and double checked. Beutel never turned the sample over to the lab.”
“Why?” Emir asked. “It has to be a mistake. Maybe there was a mix up. Confusion. He said he was leaving for vacation.”
“Vacation where?” Stokes asked.
It took a second, then Emir closed his eyes. “Europe.”
“Son of a bitch.” Stokes pulled out his phone. “The lies end here, Gentleman. For all of us. We have to find Aldus Beutel, before it’s too late.” Stokes stepped from the car with his phone.
Charles looked at Emir. “Unless it already is.”
<><><><>
Las Vegas, NV
June 25
The music was exhilarating and Sharon was glad she decided to go out for the evening with Aldus. There was something about Vegas that just made her feel so much better. The cough medicine helped. She wasn’t hacking as badly.
After her nap and a nice hot shower, they had dinner on the Strip and headed into Downtown for the party that never ended.
They drank a lot. Aldus assured her that the medication was taken long enough beforehand that she’d be fine. Sharon needed the alcohol, it was her courage. While she felt better, she wasn’t sure ‘taking a chance and living a little’ as Aldus put it was the thing to do.
It was their last evening their last date and because Sharon was that type of woman, she agreed. After all, it was something Aldus always wanted to do.
They drank colorful shots from test tubes and laughed about it because Aldus was a scientist. She had a good buzz going, but the one hour wait in line killed that buzz. She was scared, but Aldus was excited, so she put on a good front.
The man in charge of the ride assured her it was safe and she would have the time of her life. He probably saw she was white as a ghost.
“Relax,” Aldus told her. “You’ll thank me afterward. My secretary said she did this and loved it.”
Then it was their turn, she was next to Aldus all strapped and harness.
“Arms to your side, hold them back. Pretend you’re flying like superman.”
Sharon nodded and looked below. The massive crowd of people on Fremont Street seems like ants.
“See you at the end,” Aldus said. “This will change your life.”
Change her life? She wanted to change her mind. Scream out to disconnect her, then she heard Bon Jovi. It was her sign. The song was her favorite and how could she not sail over Fremont Street with the song playing and the lights flashing.
Sharon was glad she did.
She was lighter than Aldus and for some reason she zipped right by him. She shouted with excitement and felt revived. It was so thrilling she wanted to do it again and vowed to thank Aldus.
She was chattering back and forth before she was even completely unstrapped.
“Thank you. This was awesome,” Sharon told him.
“Bet you do it again after I leave,” Aldus said.
“I probably will.”
“How are you feeling?”
“So much better.”
Sharon wasn’t lying. It could have been the adrenaline, but she felt high. She couldn’t wait to pick up the pictures and share with her friends. Filled with enthusiasm she recounted her feelings about the ride, holding on to Aldus’ arm as they walked down the stairs.
When they reached the bottom, they were stopped.
“Aldus Beutel?” The one man asked.
“Yes,” Aldus replied. “I am he.”
“Agents Denning and Laird, Homeland Security.” He showed his badge. “We need you to come with us.”
<><><><>
Albuquerque, NM
June 25
They had stopped for the evening for a few hours rest on the journey and a late night bite to eat at the truck stop. They had kept it under the radar the whole trip. Back roads, minimal stops. But this one was needed.
Stokes had just finished the final bite of his cheeseburger, when his phone rang. He excused himself from the table to take the call. He knew who was calling.
“We got him,” His superior, Ron Albertson said. “They picked him up. Questioning him now.”
Stokes exhaled. “Thank God.”
“Are you sure your scientists aren’t lying to you?”
“Positive. They said there’s surveillance footage to show it. Why?” Stokes asked.
“Because he didn’t have anything on him or in his luggage. On his plane. Nothing,” Albertson said. “We can only hold him for so long.”
“You have to find it. Maybe he passed it off somewhere.”
“We’ll question him. But he didn’t have it. He’s just a man enjoying his vacation.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yep. We picked him up being a tourist. He just stepped off the Zoomline.”
Immediately Stokes ears filled with blood and he could barely hear what else was said. His heart raced. “Please, keep me posted.” He ended the call and went back in the diner.
“Everything okay?” Charles asked.
“No,” Stokes replied. “They got him. He didn’t have the virus on him, in his room or luggage.”
“Where is it?” Emir asked. “Maybe it was stolen after he handed it over.”
“No,” Stokes shook his head. “He dropped it. Like he did in Lo
ndon, Paris and wherever else he went. They picked him up when he stepped off the Zoomline.”
Emir asked. “What is that?”
“It’s a zip line ride that sails you a hundred feet in the air above twenty thousand people from all over the world,” Stokes said. “What is it? The ultimate way to deliver a biological weapon.”
THIRTEEN – BARGAIN BLAST
Las Vegas, NV
June 26
She was never admitted to the hospital but they kept Sharon in the Emergency room all night for observation and treatment.
The night before was insane, and ended with her last conversation being with Aldus telling her to contact his lawyer. They were going to sue.
Both had just stepped off the most exhilarating experience when marshals from Homeland Security not only approached them but arrested Aldus. They took Sharon in because she was with him.
The cold medicine wore off and her symptoms returned. For some reason it sent the agents into a panic tizzy. They isolated her, stepped back and rushed her like some highly contagious Ebola patient to the local hospital. Thankfully, the doctors there confirmed Sharon’s thought that the agents were insane. It wasn’t some virus, it was a sinus infection that was triggering some sort of asthma attack.
The tightness in her chest wasn’t congestion it was inflammation. Once the doctors treated her with a nebulizer and some steroids, Sharon felt better.
Even the special doctor Homeland called in said in so many words, ‘nothing to see here, move on.’
Still it didn’t stop Sharon from being upset and angry. Her last night of vacation with the man she recently fell in love with was ruined. They took him away in handcuffs like some common criminal.
All for what? At the crack of dawn make a half assed apology and say they were mistaken.
Sharon wished she could be as forgiving as Aldus.
“They suspected terrorism,” Aldus said to her in the hospital. “My dear, I am not upset. I’d rather have them be thorough and wrong than lax and dismissive. Wouldn’t you?”
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