‘Once I’ve confirmed the virus, we will instigate a media blackout,’ said Montgomery.
‘Agreed, just get here as quickly as you can.’
‘Make sure the police chief meets the plane when we arrive,’ added Montgomery. ‘Tell him to keep at a distance and I will walk to him. You better let him know I’ll be kitted out in a spacesuit.’
‘How do I explain the suit to him?’ Ed asked.
‘Tell him the disease is highly infectious. Does he sound a reasonable person?’
‘He seems fine, not prepared for this.’
‘Who is? We’re all learning as we go along,’ Uri said.
‘He’s going to die as well?’ asked Ed.
‘It may not be advisable to tell him just yet.’ Montgomery confirmed.
‘We’ll wait until the military has secured the area. Some of the residents will attempt to flee the area. No doubt restraint will be required.’
‘No physical contact, though,’ said Montgomery. ‘No one is to touch anyone trying to get out. Is that clear?’
‘It’s clear, but the military is asking questions, or at least their commanding officer is.’
‘Get the President, or anyone with the necessary authority to tell him to follow orders without question.’ Montgomery was firm in his statement.
‘So how are they going to stop anyone determined to get out?’ Ed asked.
‘The same way we did over here,’ replied Uri.
‘You mean we shoot to kill?’ Ed responded with alarm.
‘Uri’s right,’ said Montgomery. ‘You realise that Missoula is lost, and probably most of Montana and the North West. We can’t let any more deaths occur. See if the police chief can conduct an inventory of those ill now, but more specifically anyone who would have been in the city twelve to fourteen days ago but has since left. We need to hope they’ve been living on a mountaintop on their own since then.’
‘Any projections on how many will be lost?’ Ed asked knowing that it would be substantial.
‘In Missoula, probably sixty to eighty percent of the population. Some will have remained out of town for the last few days, and a few will not have come in direct contact with anyone affected. I would imagine in the surrounding villages, similar percentages. The state capital could be as high as forty per cent and the north-west, twenty percent. That must take us up to around two hundred to two hundred and fifty thousand. Once the major cities are hit, and some will be, the numbers will jump into the millions.’
‘What if there’s another release?’ Ed asked.
‘A release in a major city in the USA, maybe as high as ten million.’
‘Are you sure?’ said Ed incredulously.
‘Hit New York or Los Angeles, yes, definitely, and then it will go global. It will be impossible to trace all the people who have flown out of the airports. It will be just a case of waiting for the outbreaks and then letting their militaries deal with it.’
***
As the Starlifter came into land early the next morning, Montgomery could see that the Army had closed the region. Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopters were flying up and down the Missoula valley as the Starlifter commenced its descent. The runway, destined for small commuter jets and a few private planes, had not seen such a plane land there before.
Apart from Montgomery, there were just the two pilots and a flight engineer on board. The remainder of the personnel that had made the long flight from Israel had been offloaded in Dallas. They would be coming up later, but not into Missoula. It just wasn’t safe. The only reason he had wanted to land there was to confirm that it was the genetically engineered virus and then to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible.
The three flight crew were also wearing spacesuits, the positive pressure personnel suits deemed necessary to work in a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory. Barely able to fly due to the encumbrance and restricted movement of the suits, they had all volunteered for the flight into Ground Zero of an area that would make 9/11 pale into insignificance.
At the end of the runway, a lone figure stood next to a white sedan with a distinctive blue stripe down its side and a row of flashing lights on the top.
‘Chief Brady? My name’s Montgomery, Paul Montgomery.’
‘Normally I would say pleased to see you,’ the Police Chief replied, ‘but I don’t think that would be appropriate under the current circumstances.’
‘No, I’m afraid it would not,’ replied Montgomery speaking through his spacesuit.
‘Is this anything to do with the news coming out of Israel?’ the Chief asked. A robust, well-built man, overweight as a result of the generous plate sizes he always received at the local Burger King stood erect and firm. Any drunk on a Saturday night would have immediately responded to his booming voice.
‘We’ve just flown direct from Israel. I’ll check you first if I may. I understand that you are showing signs of an infection. In fact, I can see it for myself.’
‘Check me and then let me have the truth.’
‘It will take fifteen minutes. I need to return to the plane and run the swab from one of your sores through an electron microscope.’
‘Okay, then the truth.’ The Chief was prepared for the worst. ‘We’re going to need your help here.’
Fifteen minutes later, Montgomery informed Ed Small. ‘It’s confirmed. Chief Brady of the Missoula Police just gave me a sample. It’s what we saw in Israel.’
‘Then get out of there as soon as possible. By the way, the Chief is ex-Special Forces. He’s still a reservist in the National Guard and validated at a high enough security level for you to give him the full facts.’
Ending the call, Montgomery stepped out of the plane and walked across the runway to speak with the Police Chief.
‘Chief, I’m told that I can give you the full story as to what we have here.’
‘I am not going to like what you’re about to say?’
‘Unfortunately, you are right. Israel, initially an ultra-orthodox Jewish settlement, and now Missoula have been subjected to a terrorist attack.’
‘Bioterrorism, is that what you are saying?’
‘That is what I am saying.’
‘And what’s the prognosis? Give it to me straight.’
‘The sores, as you may well know from the information coming out of Israel, are a symptom of smallpox.’
‘That’s what I heard.’
‘It is one hundred per cent fatal.’
‘And those that don’t show any symptoms?’ asked Brady.
‘It will depend on a case-by-case basis. If they have been in close contact with anyone who has sores now, or at least in the last few days, they’re almost certainly infected. If not, they may be okay, but they will need to be isolated immediately. If they don’t show any sores within a twenty-one-day period from today, they're fine.’
‘I’m going to die,’ said Chief Brady, ‘as will my wife, and half the people in Missoula.’
‘I’m sorry. How about your children, where are they?’
‘One daughter, Jess, but she went on a trip to Europe three weeks ago. Cost me a fortune, but what could I say? She had come top in her class at school, and I promised her the trip.’
‘Then she’s probably fine. Let me have her address and I’ll make sure she is tested and cleared. She can’t come back here, though.’
‘What do I need to do?’ asked Brady.
‘Keep the city calm. Don’t let anyone do anything foolish and don’t let them go near the army blockades.’
‘Why? What will happen? Or will it be the same as in Israel?’
‘Exactly the same. They will shoot to kill.’
‘And there’s no hope of medical treatment?’ The police chief was stoic in the face of death. He maintained a passive demeanour as he rationalised the situation.
‘None, I’m afraid. It’s a mutating virus, particularly virulent and our only hope – in fact, our only hope – for America and the world is to prevent its spread at any cost
.’
‘What about the people from here who have travelled around the state? Some have probably gone overseas.’
‘We will ask you to help us locate them.’
‘I’ll do what I can. How many are likely to die worldwide?’ Brady had posed the question that had been asked many times.
Montgomery paused. ‘It’s difficult to say, but it could well be in the tens of millions, possibly hundreds.’
‘That many?’ said Brady, visibly shocked. ‘I’ll do my part.’
‘Any idea how it may have been released?’ asked Montgomery. ‘It will have been in something as innocuous as an aerosol spray, air freshener, or insect repellent.’
‘I’ll check and see what I can find out.’ Chief Brady had the onerous task of informing his police force, the Mayor and the community in general.
Forty minutes after landing at Missoula, the Starlifter lifted off for Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. Three hundred miles to the east, it was deemed sufficiently removed from the area of infection.
Chapter 12
State Governor of Montana Statement.
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR ‒ State of Montana.
Margaret Bailey – Governor.
For Immediate Release.
Declaration of Martial Law – State of Montana.
It is with great regret that today, I have signed an executive order declaring the immediate and full implementation of martial law in the State of Montana.
It has been confirmed that an outbreak of smallpox, a previously eradicated disease, has been discovered in Missoula, Montana. The disease is virulent, airborne and is spread by close proximity to an infected person.
The following measures detailed below are to be implemented. It is hoped that all citizens of this great state will comply voluntarily. The disease is highly contagious, and the possibility of its rapid spread into other populated areas of the country is significant. The armed forces of the United States of America will, as a result, be taking up positions around the state to ensure compliance. Any attempt to exit the areas of contamination will be met with extreme force.
The details of control are as follows:
1. Missoula, Montana is to be placed in isolation for a period not exceeding four weeks.
2. All road transport into and out of the State of Montana is suspended.
3. All airports are to be closed, and all flights within the State are hereby prohibited.
4. Any unauthorised flights emanating from Montana will be turned back by the US Air Force.
5. Any movement by ground transport within Montana will require authorisation from the US military.
6. Any persons who were in Missoula, Montana within the last ten to twenty-one days are to contact their nearest police station by phone or email. Medical personnel will visit them, wherever they are within a two-hour period. Once they are declared free of the infection, they will be given a certificate to that effect.
I thank you for your support.
***
‘Now you tell me the hell what is going on here! I’ve been told to issue an executive order based on a directive from the President of the United States of America and the Secretary of Homeland Security, and then they tell me I’ve got to talk to you, follow every directive you give me. What are you? You’re just an employee of the CIA? I’m the Governor of the State of Montana, and I’m being passed off to a junior.’
Margaret Bailey had the elegant looks of a supermodel, which she had been ten years previous when, at the age of thirty-five, she embraced politics. The manners of an alley cat and the arrogance of a prima donna, she was giving Ed Small a right royal grilling in her office.
‘I was told you were a difficult person by the President himself,’ he responded angrily. ‘He told me to take none of your nonsense. You’re not prancing up and down a catwalk or shouting at your staff. You’re the Governor of your state and if you don’t listen carefully, a Governor with a much smaller voter base.’ He had full authority; he was not in the mood to listen to an arrogant woman, even if she was a stunner.
‘How dare you speak to me in that manner! If you don’t apologise immediately, I will have you forcibly removed from this office.’ Flustered, red in the face and barking angry, she continued to put on a show for her flunkies.
‘If you don’t sit down and shut up, I will phone the General in charge of enforcing martial law and have you thrown in the nearest prison.’
‘I will talk to the President personally about your conduct here,’ she replied.
‘Who in this meeting is competent and who’s rent-a-lapdog?’
‘They are all competent.’ She had met her match in Ed.
‘Let me make it clear,’ he said sternly. ‘Anyone who makes an unsolicited statement to the press, attempts to gain financial advantage from what I am about to tell you, or contacts anyone with mere gossip, will be thrown into the nearest prison and the key thrown away. Governor Bailey, you will be in the adjoining cell.’
Of the five in the room, three left, and it was only when they were clearly off the premises that he continued.
‘Missoula has been subjected to a terrorist attack.’
‘You said it was smallpox?’
‘You’ve seen the reports from the Middle East. It’s one hundred per cent fatal. You catch it, you die.’
‘Who would do something like that?’ the Governor asked.
‘We know who is responsible. As to why? That’s beyond my comprehension. There are enough idiots in the world with their antisocial bent on life.’
‘Then what can we do in Montana?’
‘Adhere to the directive of the order you just made. We need to know the movement of people, possible infections, and to put into place areas of isolation.’
‘There must be some medical procedures to follow?’ Margaret Bailey spoke calmly.
‘Just make those infected comfortable. Apart from that, there’s nothing. There is no cure, no vaccine.’
‘And fatalities? What sort of numbers?’
‘Here in Montana, well over one hundred thousand, possibly more.’
***
Police Chief Brady, Slim to his friends and foes alike due to his increasingly rotund figure, had taken the news from Paul Montgomery philosophically. His wife, Penny, had been initially distraught but calmed down as a result of the frequent Skype video calls to their daughter, who was safely ensconced in England with Charles Proctor and his wife. It was the least he could do as a fellow policeman.
‘Let me give you an update,’ Slim said on the phone to Montgomery five days after the disease had been confirmed. ‘They found a white coat, the type you see used in hospitals, along with some aerosol sprays discarded in a broom cupboard.’
‘I hope they didn’t touch them?’
‘No, I had one of my sergeants in charge of the search. No one’s been in there, and no one’s touched it.’
‘I need to get hold of that spray.’
How do I get it to you?’ the Police Chief asked.
‘I’ll send a helicopter in with a containment device, and a means for you to pick up the coat and the spray. By the way, where was it found?’
‘It’s a community Medical Center down on Fort Missoula Road.’
‘They may have targeted other places.’
‘We’re checking the obvious.’
‘What’s the mood in the town? Not good, I suppose?’
‘At the present moment, it’s subdued,’ replied the Police Chief. ‘Some signs of tension, some drunkenness, but mostly people are keeping to themselves.’
***
The helicopter reached the airport in Missoula three hours later. Fitted out with additional fuel tanks, it would be able to make the trip back to Grand Forks, North Dakota without delay. A single pilot, clad in a spacesuit stepped out of the Apache AH-64 at the airport.
Chief Brady, a dependable man, not given to undue emotion, was there to receive the containment device. Ninety minutes later, the hel
icopter lifted off for the return flight.
‘It’s confirmed,’ Montgomery announced in a conference call to Ed Small and Police Chief Brady the following day. ‘The spray can that the Chief picked up definitely contained the virus.’
‘What do we do now?’ Ed asked.
‘Find out how the spray got to Missoula,’ said Montgomery. ‘It’s almost certainly been brought in by road.’
‘Why do you say that?’ Chief Brady asked, his voice progressively weakening. Some of the sores were filling with pus, and his wife was already laid low in bed and not wanting to move.
‘It would have been delivered in a containment device of some description. Assuming there are thirty, maybe forty spray cans, then I would be looking for a wooden crate of approximately fifty pounds, size of twenty-five inches by twenty-five inches.’
‘We have some transportation company depots in Missoula,’ the Police Chief advised. ‘I’ll see what I can find out. They’re probably closed, may have to break in.’
‘Do what you must. If you can find the crate and where it came from, we may be able to find the others.’
‘Are you certain there are more?’ Ed asked.
‘Sam Haberman was a stickler for duplication,’ replied Montgomery. ‘I can guarantee there are more, possibly a lot more. Montana is only the start.’ He paused. ‘Slim, how’s your wife?’
‘She’s not well. I can only help for another day or so and then I’ll need to sign off. I’d rather be with her now.’
‘That’s understood,’ Ed responded. For a blustery, sometimes angry man, he could still get emotional, and this was one of those times. Not many would have stayed resolute through the last few days, but here was Slim Brady still working to help others.
‘There’s just one more thing,’ Ed added. ‘What about the people who’ve left the area? Do you have any updates?’
‘I’ll send a report later today,’ replied the Police Chief. ‘One of my men is typing it up. There’s one person, Amelia Brooklyn. She’s working with an aid organisation in Central Africa somewhere. She was in the town when the spray was probably released.’
Terrorist: Three Book Boxed Set Page 15