“Wait.” Mikhail rubbed his hands on his jeans, his brain firing all sorts of information at once. “Immunizations? You think this might have something to do with shots we got as children?”
“I don’t think I would have gotten any immunizations as a child. My parents were hippies. They didn’t believe in that sort of thing,” Haley stated.
Katie scrunched up her face and shook her head. “I’m still trying to piece it all together. There has to be some sort of common denominator.”
“I agree. What is it?” Leo asked.
Katie shot him a glance. “I’m working on it, big guy.”
He held up both hands and pursed his lips.
She grinned. “Okay, so I’d agree, Haley didn’t get immunizations. There’s no evidence of that in her blood work.” She turned toward Mikhail. “But you did, right?”
“Yes. I remember it distinctly. And I can tell you Alena did not.” He stiffened, remembering that time in his life well. He’d spent twenty-five years stuffing that era into the recesses of his brain, and it was all about to explode right here in Katie’s office.
“I can see that from her blood work. How old were you?” Katie tipped her head to one side. “Why do you remember this? And how the hell did you know Alena didn’t get immunized?”
“I was four when our parents abandoned us. I even have vague memories of our mother. Alena was only two.”
“Did you get immunized before that?”
“No. I don’t think so.” He shook his head, his palms growing sweaty even though he kept wiping them on his thighs. “About a year later, when I was five…” He dipped his head toward his lap and swallowed. This wasn’t going to be easy.
Haley set a hand on his back and eased it upward.
Her touch grounded him in the present, keeping him from sinking into the horror that comprised that summer in Russia.
He took a deep breath. “Some medical people came to the orphanage. Each day they pulled some kids in to give them their shots. I wasn’t in the first few groups. One night, this boy in my room started convulsing. I was scared out of my mind. I didn’t know what was happening to him.
“I was also one of the oldest kids in the nursery. By the age of four, most kids were moved out to the main section of the orphanage and blended in with the older children, a boys’ dorm and a girls’ dorm. Probably whenever they were completely potty-trained.
“But they let me stay in the nursery longer because of Alena. She cried all the time when she wasn’t with me. I think the headmistress didn’t want to deal with Alena, so she let me stay way past my age requirement to essentially parent Alena.”
Haley’s hand tightened as it eased to his shoulder. She gripped him in a way that soothed.
No one interrupted him as he caught his breath.
“Anyway, I slipped out of bed to check on the shaking kid. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he was foaming at the mouth. His entire little body shook violently. I screamed for help, but no one came. The other kids woke up.
“I didn’t want to leave him. He was so frail, and I feared he would fall off the bed onto the floor if I went for help. No one else was old enough to be of much assistance. By the time the lights flipped on in the room and the headmistress scurried toward us, it was too late.”
Haley gasped.
Katie did too.
“The little guy died in my arms.”
Silence reined for long moments. Mikhail was grateful. He needed to continue. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked toward Katie. “I knew he’d gotten shots that day. It freaked me out. I have no idea why I drew a correlation between the two events, but I was a kid. And in retrospect, maybe I wasn’t that far off.
“The next day I was in the group to receive shots. I was scared out of my mind, but two nurses held me down while the doctor gave me a shot in my arm.
“My next mission was to ensure Alena didn’t have the same experience. So, when they came for her group, I hid her in the small bathroom in the toddler room. I held my hand over her mouth and told her to be very quiet. She trusted me and didn’t move a single muscle.”
“Jesus,” Katie finally said. “That’s a lot of pressure for a small child. I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah. It was an orphanage in the late eighties in the USSR. Trust me, I’ve seen worse.” Mikhail shuddered.
Haley leaned into his arm and hugged around his bicep.
After a few moments of silence, Katie pursued again. “I’ve asked Leo this before, but do you remember having any childhood illnesses? I mean major ones.”
“No.” He shook his head. “Alena and I were both healthy, luckily.”
Katie’s shoulders fell.
Leo spoke next. “Our blood would indicate we had really weird shit, like rubella, diphtheria, and smallpox. But I wasn’t ever sick like that, either. No one would forget that.”
Haley squeezed Mikhail’s arm again. “You think it has something to do with the type of immunizations they received? Something that makes it appear they had the illnesses even though they only received the vaccinations?”
“It’s a possibility for some of the diseases. Not ruling it out. But the crazy thing is no one was still receiving a smallpox vaccine in the late eighties. By then the only stockpile of the vaccine was kept at the CDC in Atlanta. It was eradicated.
“I’ve done some research. Unfortunately just enough to make me want to pull my hair out. In the late eighties, there was a gap in many immunizations in Russia in general. There was widespread fear that immunizations caused more harm than good until at least 1991 with the fall of the USSR and the return to the norms set in place by the World Health Organization.
“So, in essence, chances are none of you were immunized. But let’s just say you were given every possible immunization available. That wouldn’t have included rubella, which wasn’t standard until 1997. It also wouldn’t have included diphtheria until 1994.”
Mikhail’s head was spinning. “What does that mean?”
“It means I shouldn’t see antibodies for an eradicated illness. It’s not possible. I also shouldn’t see antibodies for diphtheria or rubella. You would know if you’d contracted either of those.”
“Shit.” Mikhail curled his fingers under his palms into fists on his thighs. What the fuck?
Katie continued, “I haven’t seen samples from Sergei or Nikolav yet, but Leo told me they’re moving here next week. I’d be surprised if they were different from the four I do have. You all appear to have antibodies for way too many things.”
“And me?” Haley asked.
Mikhail set his hand on top of hers over his arm. He wasn’t sure she was even aware she was leaning into him. And she had to be scared out of her mind. Did she have the same indications as the rest of them? This was insanity.
“That’s a conundrum. You only have the antibodies for one childhood illness—Hepatitis A. That isn’t surprising at all. It was rampant in Russia in the late eighties. Hell, it was rampant everywhere. There was no immunization for it, and it’s easily spread, especially in low-income areas of the world where water supplies are contaminated with fecal matter. All of you were probably exposed to Hep A at a young age. You might not have even had symptoms.”
Haley rolled her eyes. “My parents have never lived anywhere modern. Trust me. We were lucky if we had running water and toilets most of the time.”
“And there you have it. Probably picked it up from contaminated water or poor sanitation. It could have made you sick, or you might not have ever realized it.”
“Don’t suppose it appears the rest of us have had Hep A too?” Leo asked.
“Of course you have.” Katie smiled, as if this were a good thing.
Mikhail’s skin crawled. “What are we getting at?”
“I don’t have the foggiest notion.”
“Has Alena had Hep A?” Leo asked.
“Yes. But she doesn’t show anything else, just like Haley.” She looked Mikhail in the eye. “I find
it curious you hid her from getting shots.”
“Well, shot. That particular day all we got was one shot.”
Katie tipped her head to one side and frowned. “One? You’re sure?”
“Definitely. Trust me. I was convinced I would die from that shot.”
“But you were so young…” Katie responded.
“Yeah, well, a few weeks later a group of us were pulled in again and given a whole shit-load of shots. I lost count. I was crying like a fucking baby.”
“You were a baby,” Haley whispered.
Mikhail glanced at her. “I was almost five.”
Haley swallowed back tears. He watched her face turn red as she nodded subtly.
Katie ran a hand through her hair. “Seriously? That’s not how immunizations are given. Not even close. It makes no sense. And not everyone received them?”
“Not by a longshot. If I had to guess, I’d say about six of us were pulled in for that second round.”
“Any similarities?”
Mikhail closed his eyes, trying to remember that god-awful day. “I’d say we were all boys. All slightly older.”
“Healthy?”
“Yes. No one scrawny, if that’s what you mean.”
Leo turned from Mikhail to Katie. “What do you think?”
“I think not one bit of this makes any sense at all. But I’m going to keep digging.”
“Does the FBI know about this?” Mikhail asked.
Katie nodded. “A select group, yes. Agent Taylor Brown is our main liaison now. And Agent Mike Dorsen is the guy I’m working with at the FBI lab. He’s trying to figure out what all these labs mean. No one else outside of the FBI will be brought in after what happened with Ted.” Katie lowered her gaze.
Dr. Ted Christianson had been a friend of hers. They’d gone to medical school together. Mikhail hated that he’d been a casualty in all this. But whatever Yenin paid him to work for him on the side must have been enough to make the man greedy. And in the end he’d kidnapped Haley to ensure he got that money. Christianson even knew he was taking her somewhere to get raped.
Katie wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands and faced Haley. “I’m so sorry about Ted. I thought he was one of the good guys. Apparently I’m a poor judge of character.”
Leo spoke up. “Hey now. I’m a good guy.”
Katie smiled.
“Why is all this such a secret?” Haley asked.
Katie glanced at everyone before responding. “Unless all of you want to find yourselves permanent residents of the CDC in Atlanta, guinea pigs to God-knows-what conspiracy, it would be best if we kept this to ourselves.”
Mikhail gasped. “It’s that serious?”
Katie nodded.
“And why wouldn’t the FBI want to turn us over to the CDC? Why do they care?”
Leo chuckled. “That’s easy. I don’t need anyone to tell me the answer to that.”
Mikhail slapped his forehead as realization dawned. “They don’t want Yenin to fucking know we’re onto something. Hell, they don’t want the Russian government to know we’re onto something.”
Leo smiled. “Exactly. What the FBI wants is to nail Yenin to the wall. I’ve known this for years. I just didn’t realize how enormous and serious it was. Larger than any of us can imagine, it would seem.”
“Do you think we’re in danger of getting sick or something from whatever the fuck we were injected with?” Mikhail’s skin crawled with renewed fear, not just for himself but for Haley now too. She didn’t ask for this.
Katie shook her head. “Unlikely. I mean, it’s been years.”
“Maybe…” Leo jumped to his feet and started pacing. “But we can’t know for sure what Yenin has been doing to us for the last twelve years.”
Katie flinched. “Shit. Were you getting shots?”
Mikhail tipped his head back and groaned. “I don’t think so. He always insinuated we got regular checkups just like any other healthy individual. Yearly. Blood draws. The usual stuff. No shots that I recall.”
Katie scooted off the desk and grabbed Leo by the arm to make him stop pacing. “Hon, I don’t think it’s likely you’re in danger. Let’s assume the best for now.”
“Except me.” Haley’s voice was weak. Her face was red. Her expression serious.
Mikhail lifted the arm closest to her and wrapped it around her to hug her against his side. “Like Katie said, let’s hope for the best and take this one day at a time.”
Silence reined for several moments.
Katie leaned into Leo’s side much the way Haley leaned into Mikhail.
“So, when Sergei and Nikolav get to town, you can test their blood too, just to verify, right?” Mikhail asked.
Leo responded. “Yeah, but not until they’re brought into the fold and up to date on this insanity. We have to be careful. If Yenin gets wind we’re onto him…”
“I’m super clear on the danger,” Mikhail stated.
“Me too. And I’ll do whatever it takes to help out. I don’t want anyone else snatched off the street and tortured. I spend my life helping the downtrodden get off the streets and into homes. It makes me want to pull my hair out to think someone finds them so expendable that they’re being kidnapped and having God only knows what medical tests performed on them,” Haley added.
Mikhail tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling, ready to ask the unspoken. “So the question is, why is Haley alive when it would appear so many of the homeless have died?”
“Yes. That’s the million-dollar question,” Katie said.
Leo stood. “And I’m willing to bet it isn’t a coincidence she lived in Russia in the late eighties. We just haven’t figured out what the connection is yet.”
Katie jumped down from her desk. “Okay, new subject.”
Mikhail lowered his gaze to find Katie staring at him. “Leo says you two were sparring at the gym today.”
“Yeah… We tend to do that. It’s the gym, after all. It’s how we prepare for the real fights.”
She narrowed her eyes and set her hands on her hips. “No need for the sarcasm.” She pointed at his stomach. “You gonna let me look at those ribs? You can’t be fighting yet. It’s insane.”
“What’s the matter with your ribs?” Haley asked.
“Nothing.” Mikhail nailed Katie to the wall with his gaze, hoping she read his face and shut her mouth. He didn’t want Haley to know about last Friday’s injury. “I took a hard hit in a fight last week. No big deal. I’m fine now.”
Katie pursed her lips and glared back at him with at least as much intensity as he shot her. “Fine. Whatever.” She rolled her eyes and pushed past Leo, leaving her office.
At least she didn’t out him. The last thing he needed was for Haley to know he’d been attacked or to add his weird healing ability to her list of concerns. She had enough on her plate without adding any of that.
Honestly, the ribs were sore, but not so bad he couldn’t ignore them. He’d taken four days off. He was fine.
Chapter Five
Two weeks later…
Haley leaned against the doorframe of her bedroom, staring at the giant man sleeping on her pullout couch. He’d been sleeping there eighteen nights. She was keeping track. Except for the first two nights when she’d been almost comatose, she was well aware of nearly every moment.
It was the middle of the night. The only light in the room came from the moon streaming in through the window.
She couldn’t sleep, which wasn’t surprising after what she’d been through. Her body was still flushing out whatever toxins she’d been given for two weeks, and her mind raced constantly with fear.
And another problem she needed to face—arousal.
Mikhail lay on his back, breathing easily. The white sheet she’d given him lay tangled around his legs and just covered his private parts. His chest was bare, every solid inch of expansive muscle. One arm was tossed over his head casually, the other resting on his belly.
The man was
there to keep her safe. And goddamn that was hot. Just the thought that a perfect stranger would step up to the plate and essentially move into her apartment to give her peace of mind sent a renewed chill down her spine.
Who did that?
She licked her lips, staring at the rise and fall of his amazing chest. She had leaned against that chest many times in the first few days, broken and struggling to hold it together. But she’d give anything to set her cheek against his bare skin and inhale his scent. He had to be warm.
She was constantly cold these days.
The first few days, she’d assumed the stress of an extremely intense situation had led her to be attracted to Mikhail. After all, he wasn’t the sort of man she was ordinarily interested in.
Hell, she rarely dated, period. For years she’d been consumed with the need to help people. It was her life’s work. Most men had no interest in dating a social worker who barely made minimum wage and spent all her time with the homeless. She worked long hours and then often spent the evenings on the street making sure people had food and blankets.
The children got to her the most. Sweet innocent faces that looked up at her with wide eyes. Dirt smudged on their cheeks. Limp thin hair from improper nutrition. Ill-fitting clothes and shoes.
She’d seen worse in other countries, but this was the United States. It saddened her immensely that her own country couldn’t take care of its people.
Mikhail Dudko was not from the streets, but he had been. Between the time he’d aged out of the system in Russia and gotten a visa to come to the US with the help of Yenin, he’d lived precariously, often with no roof over his head. The thing that kept him employed had always been his strength.
And that same strength prepared him to become a fighter. The first time she’d gone to the gym with him, she’d held her breath. But she’d grown accustomed to watching him get his face pummeled.
Truth be told, he was usually the one throwing punches at the other guy’s jaw, but he never went completely unscathed.
And watching him work out? It made her heart race. Never again would she make light of athletes and their day jobs. Mikhail worked tirelessly for hours a day to stay in perfect shape. He deserved every penny he made fighting.
Guard (The Underground Book 3) Page 5