by Bobby Akart
As they spoke, Becker’s phone received several notifications for both emails and texts. She casually walked away from the group to scroll through the messages. Harper squeezed her husband’s hand before releasing it. She chased after Becker.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, not really. Yeah, maybe.”
“Spill it, Becker.”
“I’m not the one who spilled it. Somebody in the White House did.”
“Whadya mean?”
“I guess President Taylor demanded to know how we were suddenly able to produce conclusions so quickly when just a week ago we were sort of floundering, as he put it.”
“We discovered Doggo, oh—” Harper caught herself. “The White House wasn’t fully informed about how that happened, were they?”
“Nope,” said Becker as she curled her lips and sucked them into her mouth as if she’d just tasted a very tangy pickle.
“Let me guess, Taylor knows I was involved.”
“Yup.”
Harper rolled her eyes and thrust her hands on her hips. “And it hit the media.”
“Of course. It’s his weapon of choice.”
“Geez lou-freakin’-ise!” Harper exclaimed loud enough to draw the attention of the others. Their conversation stopped and now all eyes were on the two of them. “Is there any blowback on Joe?”
Becker had been scrolling through the media reports. “It’s hard to read out here in the glare. I’ve seen his name mentioned as being your husband.”
Harper turned around and waved the group over to join them. “Hey, guys. Why don’t you go inside with Becker? There’s been a development. I need to talk to Joe for a minute, and then I’ll be along.”
Everyone but Joe asked what was going on. Becker explained as she herded them toward the house, leaving Joe and Harper alone.
She turned to Joe with a concerned look on her face. “Joe, um, I’m sorry. Something has happened and it’s hit the news.”
Joe gave Harper a reassuring smile. “Darling, I know all about it. I’m the leak, not the White House.”
“What? Why?”
“It was necessary. I had to get you fired.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Randolph House
Heard’s Fort, Georgia
Joe led the way through the dining room door and immediately peeled off into the kitchen to greet Ma and Mimi. They loved him like a son and were especially appreciative of how he cared for Harper. While they reunited for a moment, Harper entered the parlor with a little extra spring in her step. She was immediately approached by Becker, who had been pacing the floor, a sign that the young epidemiologist was stressed.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her blue eyes probing Harper’s in an attempt to take a peek inside.
“Nothing. Why?”
“You’re too cheery. I’m always suspicious of the cheerful.”
“Aw, shit, Becker. I have my husband with me. No worries.”
“I worry. It’s my job.”
Harper draped her arm over Becker’s shoulders and whispered, “Not today. Rest. Relaxation. Remember?”
Becker shrugged and exhaled. The girl is too wired.
Joe entered the ballroom with a Randolph matriarch on each arm. He had a way of turning on the charm when he was with the two old biddies, a moniker he borrowed from The Grinch movie. The three had a mutual admiration and respect for each other, one born out of a common denominator—their love for Harper.
“Guys, I’m told we’ve got a couple of hours before dinner. I wonder if you’d mind giving us non-doctor types a rundown on where we are with this disease.”
Harper tilted her head to the side. She realized she hadn’t discussed this novel form of influenza with Ma and Mimi, nor had they asked. Their lives centered around each other, Randolph House, and their small town. Beyond that, they generally didn’t care unless it directly affected them. In a way, that made life simpler and more tolerable.
“Sure, it’ll be like story time, right, Mimi?” asked Harper.
“Yes, dearie. You never wanted to go to sleep on time. You’d read books, and when you finished them, you’d turn to us to make up a story.”
“You guys were always so creative. Well, I’ve got a story for you that started at least fifteen thousand years ago.”
Ma laughed. “Honey, we’ll have dinner ready in a couple of hours. Fifteen thousand is a lot of years.”
The group laughed. Dr. Reitherman came to the rescue. “That is a lot of years, but she’ll be able to fast-forward. You’ll see.”
Joe helped rearrange the furniture so that Harper could sit near one of the fireplaces as she spoke. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and plopped himself on the sofa between the two elderly Randolphs.
“Ma and Mimi, this is gonna start out like a horror story, but I promise, it will have a happy ending. Okay?”
Mimi waved her hand in front of her. “At my age, I’ve seen or heard my share of horror stories. Go ahead, dearie.”
Harper took a deep breath and began. “You know, in our world, seemingly natural acts can end up having a profound effect on humans. Fifteen thousand years ago, when the Earth was on the verge of experiencing a prolonged period of colder temperatures, animals sensed this climate change and tried to adapt.
“In Western China, the gradual onset of this cooling resulted in ice and snow buildup occurring along the base of the Himalayas. As a result, food became scarce for every critter up and down the food chain. Our story is about a wolf that was later named Doggo.
“Doggo did his thing every day. He hunted for large, hoofed mammals like deer, elk, and moose. However, as the days grew colder, those animals were some of the first to migrate south to avoid the coming cold. So Doggo turned to smaller mammals like beavers, mice, and rabbits. They also fled the cold, leaving him with fewer and fewer options.
“China was the home to an interesting creature that, at first glance, looks more like a reptile than a mammal. It’s called a pangolin.”
“In a way, this cute creature, which is the size of a house cat, looks a little like a dragon with a pointy nose, retractable claws, and lots of scales for protection. In fact, when it feels threatened, it curls up into a tight ball, giving it the appearance of a large artichoke.”
Becker interjected. “Imagine a walking pinecone or an artichoke with legs.”
“Or even a friendly crocodile that curls up into a ball,” added Dr. Reitherman.
Harper continued. “Pangolins wander around, minding their own business, foraging for ants and other insects for their meals. They dig around streams, rock outcroppings, and at the base of trees in dense, dark forests.
“The places where this cute little mammal foraged were also frequented by horseshoe bats—the planet’s number one culprit for passing infectious diseases. Most likely, the pangolin, while foraging for insects, ingested bat guano or excrements and became infected with a virus.
“But that’s not how the pangolin died. You see, wolves like Doggo have a keen sense of smell and taste. Back then, like today, pangolins were considered quite the delicacy. Doggo probably hunted this creature and ate him, or might have even found a nest of softer-shelled baby pangolins, which had the virus in their bodies. Either way, Doggo became an intermediary host of this pathogen.
“Last night, I got an email from Dr. Sales with his necropsy results. Doggo died from drowning, but his body was coursed with a deadly virus. He probably was feeling the effects of the disease, causing him to fall into a stream or get swept away by a river. After Doggo died, his body was consumed by thousands of years of ice and snow.
“Now, here’s the fast-forward part, as Dr. Reitherman mentioned. Fifteen thousand years later, with our advanced technology, man is conducting archeological expeditions and scientific experiments around the globe. One of these research projects is underway in the region where an ice cap was formed during the period of intense cooling fifteen thousand years ago. And it happens to be where Doggo died.
“Two guys, Australians, worked for this research facility conducting core drilling in the ice. Their job was simple. Go to a designated spot, drill deep into the ice, and extract the samples for study. However, they came across something unexpected—Doggo’s frozen remains.”
Harper took a deep breath and glanced at Kwon. “Kwon and I traveled to China in search of patient zero, the first to be infected by the disease. We knew it would be a crap shoot to be able to identify him, but it had to be done. One thing we never expected to track down was the intermediary host. In this case, Doggo.
“Our investigation led us to the research facility in Western Tibet, where one of the scientists was kind enough to give us the nickel tour. He showed us Doggo lying on a shelf in a darkened cooler.
“Kwon was the first to notice Doggo’s appearance. He pointed out evidence that the wolf had been thawed and possible tampered with. Here’s what I think happened. As we learned during our investigation, these two men, Mooy and Maclaren, were fun-loving, attention-seeking partiers. I believe they allowed Doggo to thaw in order to get a closer look. Possibly, they tampered with his mouth by prying it open, ripping the frozen skin and breaking a few teeth of the wolf in the process. During these shenanigans, the virus was transmitted from Doggo to the Australians. And that’s how these things begin.”
“Just like that,” muttered Ma.
Dr. Boychuck smiled at Ma. “Yes. Yes. Yes. An innocent, albeit irresponsible act, can result in a global pandemic in a matter of months.”
Joe asked, “How did these two infect others?”
Harper replied, “According to their supervisor, they were alone in the facility over a weekend because they were scheduled to take time off. They were both climbers, one more experienced than the other. An item on their bucket list was to climb Mount Everest. Because they were in China, they were able to drive up to the North Face, cutting off a couple of weeks compared to those climbers who began in Nepal. From what I’ve learned, the North Face was the more dangerous and challenging route of the two.
“Perhaps what happened next was because the two men weren’t sufficiently experienced to climb the northern route or the fact they disregarded warnings against alcohol consumption. In any event, a horrible accident occurred.
“As they neared the summit, from what we learned, Mooy was the first to collapse. In his attempt to hold on to the tether line, he snapped it, creating a whipsaw effect. He tumbled over the edge of a rock face and died soon thereafter. Maclaren, like many others in their climbing group, lost their balance and fell thousands of feet to their deaths. It was a horrific scene.”
Harper paused, so Joe asked a question. “Was Mooy’s body recovered?”
Kwon replied, “Yes. It was the only one of the dead they could reach. The PLA sent an elite tactical team called the Siberian Tigers to Everest. Using a highly skilled chopper pilot, the four-man team was able to drop down to Mooy’s location and retrieve the body. They immediately left Everest and returned to Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet.”
“Those four soldiers became our index patients,” added Becker. “Apparently, they were granted leave to travel to Las Vegas for a poker tournament. During the brief period they spent with Mooy’s diseased body on the helicopter, they became infected. By the time they arrived in Vegas, they were contagious and spreading the love to others at the Gold Palace Hotel and Casino.”
“I take it you’ve been able to narrow it down to a list of suspected viruses?” asked Ma.
“Better than that,” replied Harper. “In a whirlwind forty-eight hours, everyone in this room and our coworkers at the CDC were able to identify the disease, sequence its genome, and identify key traits of its victims to help protect those who are most susceptible to contracting the disease.”
Mimi, who’d begun to nod off during Harper’s discussion, recovered just in time to ask, “What’s it called? Sin City disease?”
Everyone laughed. Harper leaned back in her chair and smiled. She loved Ma and Mimi.
“Well, I’m sure Mrs. Mayor would have a fit with that. Whadya think, Woolie?”
“Yes. Yes. Yes. The new name only offends the government responsible for hiding the disease from the world.”
“What is it?” asked Joe.
Dr. Reitherman replied, “Most likely, the media will label it the Tibetan flu, at least initially. There will be a scrum between World Health, the Chinese government, and my bosses until they all agree on something. The scientific name is H17N12.”
Harper looked at her watch and wondered if it was too early for a beer. She shrugged and announced, “I’m parched.”
Joe helped Ma and Mimi off the couch. Ma asked, “Honey, would you like an Arnold Palmer? We brewed sweet tea and I have lemonade, too.”
“Thanks, Ma. But I’m on vacation and we’ve all had a stressful month. I was thinking something a little more, um, potent.”
“Beer it is,” she said disapprovingly, not because of the drinking but because of the early hour. “You know where to find them.”
As the two ladies of the house moseyed off to the kitchen, Joe turned to the group. “Listen, I need to speak with all of you. Why don’t we move into the men’s parlor so the ladies don’t overhear us? Plus, our good Catholic hosts keep the bar stocked, so we can all have a celebratory cocktail.”
Dr. Reitherman said, “I don’t know if there’s much to celebrate now. Becker shared the media reports with me before you came in. I’m probably out of a job.”
Joe lowered his eyes and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Let’s go talk.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Randolph House
Heard’s Fort, Georgia
Joe ushered everyone into the parlor. Harper showed everyone their drink options and retrieved a couple of beers for her and Joe out of the built-in refrigerator. Dr. Reitherman was the first to speak.
“This leak came straight from the White House. They’re probably pissed off because I snuck Harper and Kwon into China. But you know what? I’d do it again. I’ll say the same thing to the director of the CDC when he fires me.”
“They can’t fire you,” said Becker. “It was your decision that led us to the truth. Their beef should be with China, not your methods.”
“Yes. Yes. Yes,” agreed Dr. Boychuck.
Joe tried to assuage everybody’s fears. “Hold on, I need you to hear me out. Please get comfortable and let me explain. I’m the source of the leak.”
Dr. Reitherman continued standing and a scowl came over his face. “Joe, why? I mean, this may tank my career.”
“Not necessarily, Berger. Careers don’t end, they simply transition.”
“What does that mean?” Dr. Reitherman asked.
Joe approached him and gestured for him to sit. Dr. Reitherman reluctantly obliged.
“Berger, as you know, I have been active in Washington, funding and defending the CDC. There are personal reasons for that beyond being married to Harper. The threat of deadly infectious diseases has always been a part of my political platform. The COVID-19 pandemic opened my eyes a lot and strengthened my resolve to do something about it. This new threat opened the door.”
“The door to where?” asked Dr. Reitherman.
“Listen, the facts have always been there. The vast majority of these diseases arise in Asia, namely China. Also, of course, in Africa. The challenges in third-world countries are different from China. In Africa, as Harper can attest, you are dealing with ignorance, superstition, and lawlessness, in addition to fighting deadly outbreaks.
“In China, the Communist Party rule poses an entirely different set of issues. Beijing’s misinformation and secrecy has made the viral outbreaks harder to control. Their failure to make cultural changes to prevent the spread of disease is causing a greater risk to the rest of the world because we are kept in the dark. If you won’t change the way you live, at least change the way you cooperate.”
“That was the reason COVID-19 was so deadly,” inte
rjected Dr. Reitherman. “Had they disclosed information from the beginning, it’s likely the spread could’ve been contained to their own country.”
“Politics and economics played a factor,” added Kwon.
“Yes, exactly,” said Joe. “Our nation, heck, any country, should not be blindsided by these diseases. If there is anything that should bring us together, it’s a common enemy like a deadly pathogen.”
“We’ve always offered our assistance with the best of intentions,” began Dr. Reitherman. “They turn us down and, of course, they publicly claim we never offered. This outbreak was no different.”
“Actually, this time was worse,” interjected Harper. “They intentionally violated their sanctions by expelling our people from their CDC. Then, to compound their wrongdoing, they took the European contingent on a wild-goose chase as far away from the epicenter of the outbreak as possible.”
Joe took a sip of his beer and nodded. “This is what we can come to expect in the future. Fighting infectious diseases will no longer be done in a spirit of cooperation. There will always be secrecy based on geopolitical interests and economic ones. There will also be national security matters to consider. If China can hide a naturally occurring outbreak from us, how do we know they’re not expanding their biological weapons program?”
“This is what concerns us at DARPA,” said Kwon. “Bioweapons in anyone’s hands, whether a nation-state like China or a terrorist organization, can have deadly consequences for America. We are always the number one target of terrorists. At DARPA, we investigate a number of scenarios, including those in which our adversaries like China equip terrorists with bioweapons.”
The room fell silent.
Joe finished his beer and set it on the bar. “All of which brings me to what I want to tell you.”
Chapter Forty-Seven