Crime Zero (aka the Crime Code) (1999)

by Cordy, Michael

  "Explain," said Weiss.

  "OK. First of all, this vector is designed to infect females of all ages but not give them any symptoms. They carry the viral vector in the cells lining their respiratory tract and can pass it on, but they remain healthy save for a mild cough. This means the virus won't burn itself out. With male children under the age of puberty their genome actually changes but only in the way that the Conscience vector modified genes. It won't kill them. Infected prepubescent boys have their genes recalibrated to make them less prone to violence regardless of their natural predisposition. It will also affect their germ cells. This means that they will pass on these modifications to any children they sire. But they're lucky compared with any male over puberty who becomes infected."

  She paused for breath.

  "As with the Phase Two vector, every postpubescent male who catches the Phase Three virus will first be rendered emotionally incapable of committing violent acts and then will die. But with this virus, guided by the telomeres on a target's chromosomes, the timing of death will be determined by the victim's age. Essentially the young will die first. Postpubescent men under about twenty-five will die in a few months. The last to go will be the older men, those who are the least violent and have the most knowledge to pass on. They will die in about three years. The other key thing about this vector is that it is based on the influenza virus, which means it's spread through respiratory aerosol. It's airborne. Just breathing in the vector can infect a person. With modern air travel it'll spread around the globe in twenty-four hours."

  There was a moment of silence. Then Sharon Bibb spoke. Her voice had the monotone of someone in shock. "Can I just put this into context? The greatest pandemic to date occurred in 1918 after the First World War. Influenza spread like wildfire throughout Asia, America, and an already exhausted Europe. We all know that millions of men died in World War One, but that number was dwarfed by the fifty million who died of Spanish flu. Twenty million died in India alone. But this would make even those figures seem small. If Phase Three got out, almost two and a half billion people would die over three years."

  "All men," added Decker. "You can't fault the logic. Violent criminals cause violent crimes. Violent criminals are men. So no more men equals no more violent crime. Only females and boys with modified genes would remain on the planet. Violent crime, wars, and all acts of senseless violence wiped out at a stroke, by one enormous act of violence. Within a few decades a new stock of peaceful males would grow up, and violent men would just be a memory." He let out a deep sigh. "You can't say it lacks vision. And, President Weiss, I think they've chosen you as part of that vision."

  Pamela Weiss turned to Luke, a look of horror on her face. "In that case can I make them see sense?"

  After he had listened to the others discuss the three phases of Crime Zero, it became increasingly obvious to Luke Decker what role the President was meant to play in Madeline Naylor and Alice Prince's brave new world.

  Project Conscience wasn't just a precursor to Crime Zero. It had also been a means to get her elected. Although Prince and Naylor planned to stagger the deaths over three years, the logistical implications alone would still be enormous. They needed someone strong and female in charge to provide continuity and prevent the world and particularly the United States from sliding into chaos when the mass deaths began.

  "Why haven't Prince and Naylor been arrested yet?" asked Jack Bloom of the Doomsday Committee.

  "Because the third disc doesn't say how or where the airborne virus is going to be set off," said Deputy Director Mc-Cloud. "For all we know, they could have numerous devices geared up to go. What we do know is that according to the strict timing plans on the disc, Phase Three isn't due to be released for at least a few more days. Director Naylor is one smart woman. We've got her and Alice Prince under surveillance, but I don't want to jump them until we're sure how to handle them."

  Bloom frowned. "But they could be releasing it now. Surely the risks of taking them in and neutralizing them are less than letting them run free."

  Decker shook his head. "I think Bill's right. The only thing in our favor at the moment is that Naylor and Prince don't know that we know. They aren't in any hurry, and that's to our advantage. They don't see themselves as terrorists or psychopaths, but more as physicians curing a great disease. They've planned this meticulously and won't have any knee-jerk reactions unless we force them to. They don't want to destroy the world; they want to save it. They think they're the good guys."

  "So what do you suggest we do?" asked Weiss. "Just wait until they save the world?"

  Decker smiled. "No, Madam President, I think you should talk with them face-to-face. They're partly doing this for you, and they want you to help them. Don't alert them before the meeting that you know anything. Use the pretext of the Peace Plague to call a meeting with them both. Appeal to them as friends. Focus on Alice Prince; make her realize the human cost of what she is doing. She's the weak link. My guess is that Naylor is committed to this, and you won't move her. From what I know Prince likes the concept of Crime Zero but shies away from the real implications. Is she

  particularly fond of any of your family?"

  Weiss blanched. "My third son, Sam, is her godson."

  Decker nodded. "How old is he?"

  "He's over puberty if that's what you mean. Thirteen." Weiss took a deep breath. "He would be one of the first to go."

  Decker nodded again. "Use that. Show her your pain. Make Alice relate your potential loss to the loss of her daughter, Libby. Make her realize in no uncertain terms that she would be murdering your child as brutally as Axelman murdered hers. If Alice connects, she might help us control Naylor and stop the genie before it gets out of the bottle. She might even help with the Peace Plague."

  Weiss's face was expressionless, as if frozen. "I'll meet them both at ViroVector," she said.

  "Good idea," said Allardyce. "We could cordon off the campus, containing them and any hot agents they might have on-site. Then regardless of how your meeting goes, we'll have them in custody."

  Sharon Bibb tapped her fingers on the table. "That's all fine and dandy. But surely we've got to assume the worst. We've got to work on a vaccine for the Peace Plague and Phase Three in case it gets out."

  Allardyce nodded. "The problem is that these are extremely complex recombinant viral vectors. Most of my people don't have that kind of specific experience. Not to find a solution fast anyway. This has taken Prince years to develop. We have, what, a few months?"

  Bibb sighed in agreement. "The same at Atlanta. We tend to specialize in combating naturally occurring emerging viruses."

  There was a pause as all eyes looked to Kathy.

  "Kathy, how long have you worked in this particular area?" asked the President.

  Kathy nervously ruffled her hair, and Luke could see her shoulders sag as if suddenly laden down with a heavy burden. "Almost ten years."

  "With Alice Prince?" asked Sharon Bibb.

  Kathy nodded.

  "And Crime Zero is based on your work?" said Allardyce, nodding slowly.

  "Yes, I'm afraid it is," Kathy whispered.

  Pamela Weiss leaned forward then and looked straight at Kathy. "I want you to lead the task force looking for a vaccine. Would you do that? Can you do that?"

  Luke watched as Kathy hesitated and then gave a small nod.

  The President then turned to Sharon Bibb and Allardyce. "You will supply Dr. Kerr with all the personnel and resources she needs."

  Both nodded.

  "Where shall we base the main BioSafety lab?" asked Bibb. "Atlanta or here at USAMRIID?"

  "I'd personally prefer to work somewhere I know," said Kathy, "and somewhere where there's a large library of relevant samples at hand. How about ViroVector? The Womb there is the most advanced virology lab I've ever used."

  Allardyce gave a resigned shrug. "Well, we would be effectively commandeering the site after the President's meeting with Alice and Naylor, so taking control
isn't an issue. And it's got a slammer, hasn't it?"

  "Yes and a submarine," said Kathy.

  "What the hell's a slammer?" asked Todd Sullivan.

  "A BioSafety Level Four hospital," said Allardyce.

  "And a submarine?"

  "A BioSafety Level Four morgue," said Kathy.

  There was a short silence.

  "OK," said Weiss, "that's agreed. Let's move on." She turned to Jack Bloom. "What contingencies are in place if it all goes down the drain?"

  Bloom pushed a strand of black hair off his forehead and pulled a sheet of paper from an attache case beside him. Decker could see that the sheet was made of flash paper. One whisper of flame, and it would disappear in a puff of smoke. "Naturally this information doesn't go outside this room. We must plan for the worst-case scenario but present the best case to the media and the public. Panic must be avoided at all costs. Every exercise conducted by any agency in this or any other country involving the spread of an airborne pathogen has shown that once the population panics, the shit hits the fan.

  "This applies internationally as well. We tell no other world leader the full story about Phase Three until we are sure it has been released. The golden rule is we give people information only if they can do something positive with it.

  "So first of all, the cover story is the Peace Plague in Iraq. We are helping seek a vaccine while at the same time taking precautions in the extremely unlikely event that it spreads beyond those borders. These precautions will not be specified, but if they are discovered, we will just put them down to extreme caution.

  "Let's start with the bleakest scenario. Fifty-five mass graves have been prepared across the nation, at least one in every state. These have been around for decades, and the largest can hold up to fifty thousand. Most of these are disused mine shafts, quarries, and natural caves, but the current capacity won't cover our little problem. So we are already seeking more sites." He looked up and gave a humorless grin. "At least Director Naylor and Dr. Prince, our two angels of death, allowed time for the dying to bury the dead.

  "Next, the key personnel list, including everyone vital to maintaining the nation's basic infrastructure, has been updated. All those on it have been allocated space in quarantined accommodation. Again, our angels of death have thought this through as well. If we ensure that women are trained to undertake all vital tasks, then disruption can be kept to a minimum even if the worst happens."

  Bloom paused and looked around the table at their pale faces. "Oh, it's not all bad, not yet at any rate," he said dryly, giving a sardonic smile. "On a more positive note there are numerous contingencies in place to contain this thing and stop it from causing any damage." He turned to McCloud. "Bill, do you want to run us through what the bureau's got?"

  McCloud leaned forward, his hands clasped on the table. "Basically it's all the standard stuff, but there's lots of it. On the operation side we've got a squad of Hostage Rescue Team trained ninjas on standby in every major city equipped with full body armor, Racal biosuits, and Envirochem sprays. Similar squads will be deployed to secure ViroVector when the President meets with Madeline and Alice. I'm also going to get a team of IT specialist tech agents to work on taking control of this TITANIA computer."

  The Hostage Rescue Team ninjas had impressed Decker when he'd seen them training at Quantico in their jet black portable Racal biological space suits and body armor. He hoped they and their suits wouldn't be needed.

  As the meeting drew to a close and Weiss confirmed what everyone had to do, Decker allowed himself to think about tomorrow. On arriving here three hours ago, he had called Barzini. Although forbidden to talk of Crime Zero, he had been able to tell Joey that Kathy and he were OK. Barzini had told him that Matty's funeral had been arranged for tomorrow, and Decker had said he would make it.

  He turned to McCloud as he rose from the table. "Bill, keep me in the loop, won't you? I need to go to a funeral tomorrow for a few hours, but I want to be involved in this."

  McCloud patted him on the shoulder and gave a dry laugh. "Involved? Shit, Spook, you're stuck right in the middle of this thing."

  Chapter 35.

  Smart Suite, ViroVector Solutions, Palo Alto. Sunday, November 9, 10:30 A.M.

  Alice Prince tried to quell the worry gnawing at her stomach. She didn't think it particularly odd that Pamela had asked for their advice on the Iraq epidemic. They were her oldest friends, and ViroVector could offer real practical help. She was only surprised that her advice hadn't been sought before. Finding the pulse box in the Womb was dangerous. But just because Kathy Kerr now knew about Crime Zero didn't mean that Pamela Weiss did.

  Alice sat on Madeline's right at the head of the conference table, and from their vantage point they could see the main door of the Smart Suite. Behind them was the screen wall, its array of screens and cameras perusing the room.

  Whatever Alice felt, Madeline had become so paranoid and taken such extreme precautions that it made her think the unthinkable. What if the President really did know about their involvement in Crime Zero? The idea filled her with dread.

  But if the President did genuinely want help with the Iraq epidemic, then the meeting offered a great opportunity to plant the possibility of what could happen in Weiss's mind, to ready her for the reality of Crime Zero.

  Coiling the pendant chain around her little finger, Alice hoped that Madeline's man, Associate Director Jackson, was correct in his hunch about where Luke Decker and Kathy Kerr might be today. They had to be taken out of the equation.

  A voice on the intercom told them that the President had arrived and within a matter of moments would be shown into the room. Standing but not moving away from the table, Alice watched two staff members open the door and show Pamela Weiss to a seat before leaving again. To Alice's relief Pamela made no move to embrace them both, content with a cool verbal greeting. She looked strained, drawn.

  To Alice's surprise Pamela had come alone. No advisers. No backup.

  Alice's heart began to beat a little faster.

  "How long have we known each other?" asked Pamela with a sad smile. "It must be thirty years."

  Alice flashed a nervous glance at Madeline, but the FBI director kept her face expressionless.

  "Yes, about that," said Alice.

  Pamela nodded. "And we're friends, aren't we?"

  "Best of friends," said Madeline.

  "And I've never lied to you, you know? I have never purposefully deceived you."

  Alice's heart was beating so fast now she was sure Madeline or even Pamela at the other end of the table might hear it.

  "And I've never lied to you," replied Madeline.

  "What about all the lies on Conscience?"

  "They weren't harmful. They were to protect you," said Madeline. Alice couldn't believe Madeline's calm.

  Pamela paused then and looked at Alice, those wonderful blue eyes staring right into her soul. "Did you know that the symptoms of the epidemic in Iraq exactly match those exhibited by Axelman and the other death row prisoners at San Quentin?"

  Alice didn't know what to say.

  "I need your help to solve a problem. I'm going to ask you one question, and if our relationship has meant anything, I need you to tell me the truth--as both your friend and your President." Pamela turned back to Madeline. "Do you know what is behind the Iraq epidemic?"

  Alice felt hot and cold rushes down the back of her neck. It was their chance to confess all, to tell Pamela everything and involve her in their plans.

  "No," said Madeline with a frown as if the idea were preposterous. "No, of course not. No."

  Pamela turned back to her, and Alice thought she saw the glint of tears in her eyes. "What does my other oldest friend say?"

  Alice desperately wanted to say yes, but Madeline caught her eye and gave her an icy look.

  "No," said Alice, realizing the consequences of her denial even as the syllable left her lips.

  Slowly Pamela nodded, still keeping her eyes fixed on Alice.
"Would either of you do anything to hurt me?"

  "Of course not," said Madeline quickly.

  "Or my family?"

  "No," said Madeline.

  But Alice found it harder to lie so quickly. "No," she whispered eventually.

  "So, Alice, help me understand something," said Pamela. Her eyes were definitely moist now. Alice hated confrontation, especially with her friend; she was rigid with tension. "Tell me then, why do you want to murder my husband and sons? Why do you want to kill your own godson?"

  Alice gasped, her throat suddenly so tight she could barely breathe.

  "Pamela, what are you talking about?" asked Madeline, still calm.

  But Alice was far from calm. She began shaking her head. "But I don't want to murder your family."

  "Well then, Alice, for the sake of my children and Libby, help me stop Crime Zero."

  The silence seemed to last minutes. Alice turned pleadingly to Madeline, but she looked just as shocked.

  "You must understand, Pamela," Madeline said, rising to her feet. "We did this for you." She sounded angry more than concerned. "We can explain everything."