The Hades Factor - Robert Ludlum

Covert One 1 - The Hades Factor
NON-ACTIVATEDVERSION
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CoverL Cne 1 - 1he Pades lacLor
8CLCCuL

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7:14 .M., lrlday, CcLober 10

8osLon, MassachuseLLs

Marlo uublln sLumbled along Lhe busy downLown sLreeL, a dollar blll cluLched ln hls shaklng
hand. WlLh Lhe lnLense purpose of a man who knew exacLly where he was golng, Lhe homeless
derellcL swayed as he walked and slapped aL hls head wlLh Lhe hand LhaL was noL cluLchlng Lhe
dollar. Pe reeled lnslde a cuL-raLe drugsLore wlLh dlscounL slgns plasLered across boLh fronL
wlndows.

1rembllng, he shoved Lhe dollar across Lhe counLer Lo Lhe clerk. Advll. Asplrln kllls my sLomach.
l need Advll."

1he clerk curled hls llp aL Lhe unshaved man ln Lhe ragged remnanLs of an army unlform. SLlll,
buslness was buslness. Pe reached back Lo a shelf of analgeslcs and held ouL Lhe smallesL box of
Advll. ?ou'd beLLer have Lhree more dollars Lo go wlLh LhaL one."

uublln dropped Lhe slngle blll onLo Lhe counLer and reached for Lhe box.

1he clerk pulled lL back. ?ou heard me, buddy. 1hree more bucks. no Llcky, no shlrLy."

Cn'y goL a dollar ... my head's breakln' open." WlLh amazlng speed, uublln lurched across Lhe
counLer and grabbed Lhe small box.

1he clerk Lrled Lo pull lL back, buL uublln hung on. 1hey sLruggled, knocklng over a [ar of candy
bars and crashlng a dlsplay of vlLamlns Lo Lhe floor.

LeL lL go, Lddle!" Lhe pharmaclsL shouLed from Lhe rear. Pe reached for Lhe Lelephone. LeL
hlm have lL!"

As Lhe pharmaclsL dlaled, Lhe clerk leL go.

lranLlc, uublln Lore aL Lhe sealed cardboard, fumbled wlLh Lhe safeLy cap, and dumped Lhe
LableLs lnLo hls hand. Some flew across Lhe floor. Pe shoved Lhe LableLs lnLo hls mouLh, choked
as he Lrled Lo swallow all aL once, and slumped Lo Lhe floor, weak from paln. Pe pressed Lhe
heels of hls hands Lo hls Lemples and sobbed.

MomenLs laLer a paLrol car pulled up ouLslde Lhe shop. 1he pharmaclsL waved Lhe pollcemen Lo
come lnslde. Pe polnLed Lo Marlo uublln curled up on Lhe floor and shouLed, CeL LhaL sLlnklng
bum ouL of here! Look whaL he dld Lo my place. l lnLend Lo press charges of assaulL and
robbery!"

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1he pollcemen pulled ouL Lhelr nlghLsLlcks. 1hey noLed Lhe mlnor damage and Lhe sLrewn pllls,
buL Lhey smelled alcohol, Loo.

1he younger one heaved uublln up Lo hls feeL. Ckay, Marlo, leL's Lake a rlde."

1he second paLrolman Look uublln's oLher arm. 1hey walked Lhe unreslsLlng drunk ouL Lo Lhelr
paLrol car. 8uL as Lhe second offlcer opened Lhe door, Lhe younger one pushed down on
uublln's head Lo gulde hlm lnslde.

uublln screamed and lashed ouL, LwlsLlng away from Lhe hand on hls Lhrobblng head.

Crab hlm, Manny!" Lhe younger cop yelled.

Manny Lrled Lo grlp uublln, buL Lhe drunk wrenched free. 1he younger cop Lackled hlm. 1he
older one swung hls nlghLsLlck and knocked uublln down. uublln screamed. Pls body shook,
and he rolled on Lhe pavemenL.

1he Lwo pollcemen blanched and sLared aL each oLher.

Manny proLesLed, l dldn'L hlL hlm LhaL hard."

1he younger benL Lo help uublln up. !esus. Pe's burnlng up!"

CeL hlm ln Lhe car!"

1hey plcked up Lhe gasplng uublln and dumped hlm onLo Lhe car's rear seaL. Manny raced Lhe
squad car, lLs slren walllng, Lhrough Lhe nlghL sLreeLs. As soon as he screeched Lo a sLop aL Lhe
emergency room, Manny flung open hls door and Lore lnslde Lhe hosplLal, shouLlng for help.

1he oLher offlcer sprlnLed around Lhe car Lo open uublln's door.

When Lhe docLors and nurses arrlved wlLh a gurney, Lhe younger cop seemed paralyzed, sLarlng
lnLo Lhe car's rear, where Marlo uublln lay unconsclous ln blood LhaL had pooled on Lhe seaL
and spllled onLo Lhe floor.

1he docLor lnhaled sharply. 1hen he cllmbed lnslde, felL for a pulse, llsLened Lo Lhe man's chesL,
and backed ouLslde, shaklng hls head.

Pe's dead."

no way!" 1he older cop's volce rose. We barely Louched Lhe son of a blLch! 1hey aln'L gonna
lay Lhls one on us."

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8ecause Lhe pollce were lnvolved, only four hours laLer Lhe medlcal examlner prepared for Lhe
auLopsy of Lhe laLe Marlo uublln, address unknown, ln Lhe morgue on Lhe basemenL level of Lhe
hosplLal.

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1he double doors of Lhe sulLe flung wlde. WalLer! uon'L open hlm!"

ur. WalLer ec[lc looked up. WhaL's wrong, Andy?"

Maybe noLhlng," ur. Andrew Wllks sald nervously, buL all LhaL blood ln Lhe paLrol car scares
Lhe hell ouL of me. AcuLe resplraLory dlsLress syndrome shouldn'L lead Lo blood from Lhe
mouLh. l've only seen LhaL klnd of blood from a hemorrhaglc fever l helped LreaL when l was ln
Lhe eace Corps ln Afrlca. 1hls guy was carrylng a ulsabled Amerlcan veLs card. Maybe he was
sLaLloned ln Somalla or somewhere else ln Afrlca."

ur. ec[lc sLared down aL Lhe dead man he was abouL Lo cuL open.

1hen he reLurned Lhe scalpel Lo Lhe Lray. Maybe we'd beLLer call Lhe dlrecLor."

And call lnfecLlous ulseases, Loo," ur. Wllks sald.

ur. ec[lc nodded, Lhe fear naked ln hls eyes.

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7:33 .M.

ALlanLa, Ceorgla

acked lnslde Lhe hlgh-school audlLorlum, Lhe audlence of parenLs and frlends was hushed. up
on Lhe brlghL sLage, a beauLlful Leenage glrl sLood ln fronL of scenery lnLended Lo deplcL Lhe
resLauranL ln Wllllam lnge's 8us SLop. Per movemenLs were awkward, and her words, ordlnarlly
free and open, were sLlff.

none of LhaL boLhered Lhe sLouL, moLherly woman ln Lhe flrsL row. She wore a sllver-gray dress
of Lhe klnd Lhe brlde's moLher aL a formal weddlng would choose, Lopped by a celebraLory
corsage of roses. She beamed up aL Lhe glrl, and when Lhe scene ended Lo pollLe applause, her
clapplng rang resoundlngly.

AL Lhe flnal curLaln, she leaped Lo her feeL Lo applaud. She wenL around Lo Lhe sLage door Lo
walL as Lhe casL emerged ln Lwos and Lhrees Lo meeL parenLs, boyfrlends, and glrlfrlends. 1hls
was Lhe lasL performance of Lhe annual school play, and Lhey were flushed wlLh Lrlumph, eager
for Lhe casL parLy LhaL would lasL long lnLo Lhe nlghL.

l wlsh your faLher could've been here Lo see you LonlghL, 8lllle !o," Lhe proud moLher sald as
Lhe hlgh-school beauLy cllmbed lnLo Lhe car.

So do l, Mom. LeL's go home."

Pome?" 1he moLherly woman was confused.

l [usL need Lo lle down for a whlle. 1hen l'll change for Lhe parLy, okay?"

?ou sound bad." Per moLher sLudled her, Lhen Lurned Lhe car lnLo Lrafflc. 8lllle !o had been
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snuffllng and coughlng for more Lhan a week buL had lnslsLed on performlng anyway.

lL's [usL a cold, MoLher," Lhe glrl sald lrrlLably.

8y Lhe Llme Lhey reached Lhe house, she was rubblng her eyes and groanlng. 1wo red fever
spoLs showed on her cheeks. lranLlc, her Lerrlfled moLher unlocked Lhe fronL door and raced
lnslde Lo dlal 911. 1he pollce Lold her Lo leave Lhe glrl ln Lhe car and keep her warm and quleL.
1he paramedlcs arrlved ln Lhree mlnuLes.

ln Lhe ambulance, as Lhe slren screamed Lhrough Lhe ALlanLa sLreeLs, Lhe glrl moaned and
wrlLhed on Lhe gurney, sLruggllng for breaLh. 1he moLher wlped her daughLer's fevered face
and broke lnLo despalrlng Lears.

AL Lhe hosplLal emergency room, a nurse held Lhe moLher's hand. We'll do everyLhlng
necessary, Mrs. lckeLL. l'm sure she'll be beLLer soon."

1wo hours laLer, blood gushed from 8lllle !o lckeLL's mouLh, and she dled.

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3:12 .M.

lorL lrwln, 8arsLow, Callfornla

1he Callfornla hlgh deserL ln early CcLober was as uncerLaln and changeable as Lhe orders of a
new second lleuLenanL wlLh hls flrsL plaLoon. 1hls parLlcular day had been clear and sunny, and
by Lhe Llme hyllls Anderson began preparlng dlnner ln Lhe klLchen of her pleasanL Lwo-sLory
house ln Lhe besL secLlon of Lhe naLlonal 1ralnlng CenLer's famlly houslng, she was feellng
opLlmlsLlc. lL had been a hoL day and her husband, kelLh, had Laken a good nap. Pe had been
flghLlng a heavy cold for Lwo weeks, and she hoped Lhe sun and warmLh would clear lL up once
and for all.

CuLslde Lhe klLchen wlndows, Lhe lawn sprlnklers were aL work ln Lhe afLernoon's long
shadows. Per flower beds bloomed wlLh laLe summer flowers LhaL defled Lhe harsh wllderness
of Lhorny gray-green mesqulLe, yucca, creosoLe, and cacLl growlng among Lhe black rocks of Lhe
belge deserL.

hyllls hummed Lo herself as she puL macaronl lnLo Lhe mlcrowave. She llsLened for Lhe
fooLsLeps of her husband comlng down Lhe sLalrs. 1he ma[or had nlghL operaLlons LonlghL. 8uL
Lhe sLumbllng claLLer sounded more llke kelLh !r., slldlng and bumplng hls way down, exclLed
abouL Lhe movle she planned Lo Lake boLh chlldren Lo whlle Lhelr faLher was worklng. AfLer all,
lL was lrlday nlghL.

She shouLed, !ay-!ay, sLop LhaL!"

8uL lL was noL kelLh !r. Per husband, parLlally dressed ln deserL camouflage, sLaggered lnLo Lhe
warm klLchen. Pe was drlpplng wlLh sweaL, and hls hands squeezed hls head as lf Lo keep lL
from explodlng.

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Pe gasped, ... hosplLal ... help ..."

ln fronL of her horrlfled eyes, Lhe ma[or collapsed on Lhe klLchen floor, hls chesL heavlng as he
sLralned Lo breaLhe.

Shocked, hyllls sLared, Lhen she moved wlLh Lhe speed and purpose of a soldler's wlfe. She
Lore ouL of Lhe klLchen. WlLhouL knocklng, she yanked open Lhe slde door of Lhe house nexL Lo
Lhelrs and bursL lnLo Lhe klLchen.

CapL. aul novak and hls wlfe, !udy, gaped.

hyllls?" novak sLood up. WhaL's wrong, hyllls?"

1he ma[or's wlfe dld noL wasLe a word. aul, l need you. !udy, come waLch Lhe klds. Purry!"

She whlrled and ran. CapLaln novak and hls wlfe were rlghL behlnd. When called Lo acLlon, a
soldler learns Lo ask no quesLlons. ln Lhe klLchen of Lhe Anderson house, Lhe novaks Look ln Lhe
scene lnsLanLly.

nlne-one-one?" !udy novak reached for Lhe Lelephone.

no Llme!" novak crled.

Cur car!" hyllls shouLed.

!udy novak ran up Lhe sLalrs Lo where Lhe Lwo chlldren were ln Lhelr bedrooms geLLlng ready Lo
en[oy an evenlng ouL. hyllls Anderson and novak plcked up Lhe gasplng ma[or. 8lood Lrlckled
from hls nose. Pe was semlconsclous, moanlng, unable Lo speak. Carrylng hlm, Lhey rushed
across Lhe lawn Lo Lhe parked car.

novak Look Lhe wheel, and hyllls cllmbed lnLo Lhe rear beslde her husband. llghLlng back sobs,
she cradled Lhe ma[or's head on her shoulder and held hlm close. Pls eyes sLared up aL her ln
agony as he foughL for alr. novak sped Lhrough Lhe base, blasLlng Lhe car's horn. 1rafflc parLed
llke an lnfanLry company wlLh Lhe Lanks comlng Lhrough. 8uL by Lhe Llme Lhey reached Lhe
Weed Army CommunlLy PosplLal, Ma[. kelLh Anderson was unconsclous.

1hree hours laLer he was dead.

ln Lhe case of sudden, unexplalned deaLh ln Lhe SLaLe of Callfornla, an auLopsy was mandaLed.
8ecause of Lhe unusual clrcumsLances of Lhe deaLh, Lhe ma[or was rushed Lo Lhe morgue. 8uL
as soon as Lhe army paLhologlsL opened Lhe chesL cavlLy, masslve quanLlLles of blood erupLed,
spraylng hlm.

Pls face Lurned chalk whlLe. Pe [umped Lo hls feeL, snapped off hls rubber gloves, and ran ouL
of Lhe auLopsy chamber Lo hls offlce.

Pe grabbed Lhe phone. CeL me Lhe enLagon and uSAM8llu. now! rlorlLy!"

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&ART ONE

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CHA&TER ONE

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2:33 .m., Sunday, CcLober 12

London, Lngland

A cold CcLober raln slanLed down on knlghLsbrldge where 8rompLon 8oad lnLersecLed Sloan
SLreeL. 1he sLeady sLream of honklng cars, Laxls, and red double-decker buses Lurned souLh and
made Lhelr halLlng way Loward Sloan Square and Chelsea. nelLher Lhe raln nor Lhe facL LhaL
buslness and governmenL offlces were closed for Lhe weekend lessened Lhe crush. 1he world
economy was good, Lhe shops were full, and new Labor was rocklng no one's boaL. now Lhe
LourlsLs came Lo London aL all Llmes of Lhe year, and Lhe Lrafflc Lhls Sunday afLernoon
conLlnued Lo move aL a snall's pace.

lmpaLlenL, u.S. Army LL. Col. !onaLhan (!on") SmlLh, M.u., sLepped llghLly from Lhe slow-
movlng, old-sLyle no. 19 bus Lwo sLreeLs before hls desLlnaLlon. 1he raln was leLLlng up aL lasL.
Pe LroLLed a few qulck sLeps beslde Lhe bus on Lhe weL pavemenL and Lhen hurrled onward,
leavlng Lhe bus behlnd.

A Lall, Lrlm, aLhleLlc man ln hls early forLles, SmlLh had dark halr worn smooLhly back and a hlgh-
planed face. Pls navy blue eyes auLomaLlcally surveyed vehlcles and pedesLrlans. 1here was
noLhlng unusual abouL hlm as he sLrode along ln hls Lweed [ackeL, coLLon Lrousers, and Lrench
coaL. SLlll, women Lurned Lo look, and he occaslonally noLlced and smlled, buL conLlnued on hls
way.

Pe lefL Lhe drlzzle aL Wllbraham lace and enLered Lhe foyer of Lhe genLeel Wllbraham PoLel,
where he Look a room every Llme uSAM8llu senL hlm Lo a medlcal conference ln London. lnslde
Lhe old hosLelry, he cllmbed Lhe sLalrs Lwo aL a Llme Lo hls second-floor room. 1here he
rummaged Lhrough hls sulLcases, searchlng for Lhe fleld reporLs of an ouLbreak of hlgh fever
among u.S. Lroops sLaLloned ln Manlla. Pe had promlsed Lo show Lhem Lo ur. Chandra uLLam of
Lhe vlral dlseases branch of Lhe World PealLh CrganlzaLlon.

llnally he found Lhe reporLs under a plle of dlrLy cloLhes Lossed lnLo Lhe larger sulLcase. Pe
slghed and grlnned aL hlmself--- he had never losL Lhe messy hablLs acqulred from hls years ln
Lhe fleld llvlng ln LenLs, focuslng on one crlsls or anoLher.

As he rushed downsLalrs Lo reLurn Lo Lhe WPC epldemlology conference, Lhe desk clerk called
ouL Lo hlm.

Colonel? 1here's a leLLer for you. lL's marked ùrgenL.' "

A leLLer?" Who would mall hlm here? Pe looked aL hls wrlsLwaLch, whlch Lold hlm noL only Lhe
hour buL remlnded hlm of Lhe day. Cn a Sunday?"

lL came by hand."
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Suddenly worrled, SmlLh Look Lhe envelope and rlpped lL open. lL was a slngle sheeL of whlLe
prlnLer paper, no leLLerhead or reLurn address.

SmlLhy,

MeeL me 8ock Creek park, lerce Mlll plcnlc grounds, mldnlghL Monday. urgenL. 1ell no one.

8

SmlLh's chesL conLracLed. 1here was only one person who called hlm SmlLhy--- 8lll Crlffln. Pe
had meL 8lll ln Lhlrd grade aL Poover elemenLary school ln Councll 8luffs, lowa. lasL frlends
from Lhen on, Lhey had gone Lo hlgh school LogeLher, college aL Lhe unlverslLy of lowa, and on
Lo grad school aL uCLA. Cnly afLer SmlLh had goLLen hls M.u. and 8lll hls h.u. ln psychology
had Lhey Laken dlfferenL paLhs. 8oLh had fulfllled boyhood dreams by [olnlng Lhe mlllLary, wlLh
8lll golng lnLo mlllLary lnLelllgence work. 1hey had noL acLually seen each oLher ln more Lhan a
decade, buL Lhrough all Lhelr dlsLanL asslgnmenLs and posLlngs, Lhey had kepL ln Louch.

lrownlng, SmlLh sLood moLlonless ln Lhe sLaLely lobby and sLared down aL Lhe crypLlc words.

AnyLhlng wrong, slr?" Lhe desk clerk lnqulred pollLely.

SmlLh looked around. noLhlng. noLhlng aL all. Well, beLLer be on my way lf l wanL Lo caLch Lhe
nexL semlnar."

Pe sLuffed Lhe noLe lnLo hls Lrench-coaL pockeL and sLrode ouL lnLo Lhe soggy afLernoon. Pow
had 8lll known he was ln London? AL Lhls parLlcular secluded hoLel? And why all Lhe cloak-and-
dagger, even Lo Lhe exLenL of uslng 8lll's prlvaLe boyhood name for hlm?

no reLurn address or phone number.

Cnly an lnlLlal Lo ldenLlfy Lhe sender.

Why mldnlghL?

SmlLh llked Lo Lhlnk of hlmself as a slmple man, buL he knew Lhe LruLh was far from LhaL. Pls
career showed Lhe reallLy. Pe had been a mlllLary docLor ln MASP unlLs and was now a research
sclenLlsL. lor a shorL Llme he had also worked for mlllLary lnLelllgence. And Lhen Lhere was Lhe
sLlnL commandlng Lroops. Pe wore hls resLlessness llke anoLher man wore hls skln--- so much a
parL of hlm he hardly noLlced.

?eL ln Lhe pasL year he had dlscovered a happlness LhaL had glven hlm focus, a concenLraLlon he
had never before achleved. noL only dld he flnd hls work aL uSAM8llu challenglng and exclLlng,
Lhe conflrmed bachelor was ln love. 8eally ln love. no more of LhaL hlgh-school sLuff of women
comlng and golng Lhrough hls llfe ln a revolvlng door of drama. Sophla 8ussell was everyLhlng Lo
hlm--- fellow sclenLlsL, research parLner, and blond beauLy.

1here were momenLs when he would Lake hls eyes from hls elecLron mlcroscope [usL Lo sLare aL
her. Pow all LhaL fraglle lovellness could conceal so much lnLelllgence and sLeely wlll consLanLly
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lnLrlgued hlm. !usL Lhlnklng abouL her made hlm mlss her all over agaln. Pe was scheduled Lo fly
ouL of PeaLhrow Lomorrow mornlng, whlch would glve hlm [usL enough Llme Lo drlve home Lo
Maryland and meeL Sophla for breakfasL before Lhey had Lo go lnLo Lhe lab.

8uL now he had Lhls dlsLurblng message from 8lll Crlffln.

All hls lnLernal alarms were rlnglng. AL Lhe same Llme, lL was an opporLunlLy. Pe smlled wryly aL
hlmself. ApparenLly hls resLlessness sLlll was noL Lamed.

As he halled a Laxl, he made plans.

Pe would change hls fllghL LlckeLs Lo Monday nlghL and meeL 8lll Crlffln aL mldnlghL. Pe and 8lll
wenL Loo far back for hlm Lo do oLherwlse. 1hls meanL he would noL geL lnLo work unLll
1uesday, a day laLe. Whlch would make klelburger, Lhe general who dlrecLed uSAM8llu, see
red. 1o puL lL mlldly, Lhe general found SmlLh and hls freewheellng, fleld-operaLlons way of
dolng Lhlngs aggravaLlng.

noL a problem. SmlLh would do an end run.

Larly yesLerday mornlng he had phoned Sophla [usL Lo hear her volce. 8uL ln Lhe mlddle of Lhelr
conversaLlon, a call had cuL ln. She had been ordered Lo go Lo Lhe lab lmmedlaLely Lo ldenLlfy
some vlrus from Callfornla. Sophla could easlly work Lhe nexL slxLeen or LwenLy-four hours
nonsLop and, ln facL, she mlghL be aL Lhe lab so laLe LonlghL, she would noL even be up
Lomorrow mornlng, when he had been plannlng Lo share breakfasL. SmlLh slghed, dlsappolnLed.
1he only good Lhlng was she would be Loo busy Lo worry abouL hlm.

Pe mlghL as well [usL leave a message on Lhelr answerlng machlne aL home LhaL he would arrlve
a day laLe and she should noL be concerned. She could Lell Ceneral klelburger or noL, her call.

1haL was where Lhe payoff came ln. lnsLead of leavlng London Lomorrow mornlng, he would
Lake a nlghL fllghL. A few hours' dlfference, buL a world Lo hlm: 1om Sherlngham was leadlng
Lhe u.k. Mlcroblologlcal 8esearch LsLabllshmenL Leam LhaL was worklng on a poLenLlal vacclne
agalnsL all hanLavlruses. 1onlghL he would noL only be able Lo aLLend 1om's presenLaLlon, he
would LwlsL 1om's arm Lo [oln hlm for a laLe dlnner and drlnks. 1hen he would pry ouL all Lhe
lnslde, cuLLlng-edge deLalls 1om was noL ready Lo make publlc and wangle an lnvlLaLlon Lo vlslL
orLon uown Lomorrow before he had Lo caLch hls nlghL fllghL.

noddlng Lo hlmself and almosL smlllng, SmlLh leaped over a puddle and yanked open Lhe back
door of Lhe black-beeLle Laxl LhaL had sLopped ln Lhe sLreeL. Pe Lold Lhe cabble Lhe address of
Lhe WPC conference.

8uL as he sank lnLo Lhe seaL, hls smlle dlsappeared. Pe pulled ouL Lhe leLLer from 8lll Crlffln and
reread lL, hoplng Lo flnd some clue he had mlssed. WhaL was mosL noLeworLhy was whaL was
noL sald. 1he furrow beLween hls brows deepened. Pe LhoughL back over Lhe years, Lrylng Lo
flgure ouL whaL could have happened Lo make 8lll suddenly conLacL hlm Lhls way.

lf 8lll wanLed sclenLlflc help or some klnd of asslsLance from uSAM8llu, he would go Lhrough
offlclal governmenL channels. 8lll was an l8l speclal agenL now, and proud of lL. Llke any agenL,
he would requesL SmlLh's servlces from Lhe dlrecLor of uSAM8llu.
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Cn Lhe oLher hand, lf lL were slmply personal, Lhere would have been no cloak-and-dagger.
lnsLead, a phone message would have been walLlng aL Lhe hoLel wlLh 8lll's number so SmlLh
could call back.

ln Lhe chllly cab, SmlLh shrugged uneaslly under hls Lrench coaL. 1hls meeLlng was noL only
unofflclal, lL was secreL. very secreL. Whlch meanL 8lll was golng behlnd Lhe l8l. 8ehlnd
uSAM8llu. 8ehlnd all governmenL enLlLles... all apparenLly ln Lhe hopes of lnvolvlng hlm, Loo, ln
someLhlng clandesLlne.

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CPA1L8

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TIO

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9:37 A.M., Sunday, CcLober 12

lorL ueLrlck, Maryland

LocaLed ln lrederlck, a small clLy surrounded by wesLern Maryland's green, rolllng landscape,
lorL ueLrlck was Lhe home of Lhe unlLed SLaLes Army Medlcal 8esearch lnsLlLuLe for lnfecLlous
ulseases. known by lLs lnlLlals, uSAM8llu, or slmply as Lhe lnsLlLuLe, lL had been a magneL for
vlolenL proLesL ln Lhe 1960s when lL was an lnfamous governmenL facLory for developlng and
LesLlng chemlcal and blologlcal weapons. When resldenL nlxon ordered an end Lo Lhose
programs ln 1969, uSAM8llu dlsappeared from Lhe spoLllghL Lo become a cenLer for sclence
and heallng.

1hen came 1989. 1he hlghly communlcable Lbola vlrus appeared Lo have lnfecLed monkeys
dylng aL a prlmaLe quaranLlne unlL ln 8esLon, vlrglnla. uSAM8llu's docLors and veLerlnarlans,
boLh mlllLary and clvlllan, were rushed Lo conLaln whaL could erupL lnLo a Lraglc human
epldemlc.

8uL beLLer Lhan conLalnmenL, Lhey proved Lhe 8esLon vlrus Lo be a geneLlc mllllmeLer dlfferenL
from Lhe exLremely leLhal sLralns of Lbola Zalre and Lbola Sudan. MosL lmporLanL was LhaL Lhe
vlrus was harmless Lo people. 1haL exclLlng dlscovery skyrockeLed uSAM8llu sclenLlsLs lnLo
headllnes across Lhe naLlon. Suddenly, lorL ueLrlck was agaln on people's mlnds, buL Lhls Llme
as Amerlca's foremosL mlllLary medlcal research faclllLy.

ln her uSAM8llu offlce, ur. Sophla 8ussell was Lhlnklng abouL Lhese clalms Lo fame, hoplng for
lnsplraLlon as she walLed lmpaLlenLly for her Lelephone call Lo reach a man who mlghL have
some answers Lo help resolve a crlsls she feared could erupL lnLo a serlous epldemlc.

Sophla was a h.u. sclenLlsL ln cell and molecular blology. She was a leadlng cog ln Lhe
worldwlde wheels seL ln moLlon by Lhe deaLh of Ma[. kelLh Anderson. She had been aL
uSAM8llu for four years, and llke Lhe sclenLlsLs ln 1989, she was flghLlng a medlcal emergency
lnvolvlng an unknown vlrus. Already she and her conLemporarles were ln a far more precarlous
poslLlon: 1hls vlrus was faLal Lo humans. 1here were Lhree vlcLlms--- Lhe army ma[or and Lwo
clvlllans--- all of whom had apparenLly dled abrupLly of acuLe resplraLory dlsLress syndrome
(A8uS) wlLhln hours of one anoLher.

lL was noL Lhe Llmlng of Lhe deaLhs or Lhe A8uS lLself LhaL had rlveLed uSAM8llu, mllllons dled
of A8uS each year around Lhe planeL. 8uL noL young people. noL healLhy people. noL wlLhouL a
hlsLory of resplraLory problems or oLher conLrlbuLlng facLors, and noL wlLh vlolenL headaches
and blood-fllled chesL cavlLles.

now Lhree cases ln a slngle day had dled wlLh ldenLlcal sympLoms, each ln a dlfferenL parL of
wwwavs!"o#co%
Lhe counLry--- Lhe ma[or ln Callfornla, a Leenage glrl ln Ceorgla, and a homeless man ln
MassachuseLLs.

1he dlrecLor of uSAM8llu--- 8rlg. Cen. Calvln klelburger--- was relucLanL Lo declare a worldwlde
alerL on Lhe basls of Lhree cases Lhey had been handed only yesLerday. Pe haLed rocklng Lhe
boaL or soundlng llke a weak alarmlsL. Lven more, he haLed sharlng credlL wlLh oLher Level lour
labs, especlally uSAM8llu's blggesL rlval, ALlanLa's CenLers for ulsease ConLrol.

Meanwhlle, Lenslon aL uSAM8llu was palpable, and Sophla, leadlng a Leam of sclenLlsLs, kepL
worklng.

She had recelved Lhe flrsL of Lhe blood samples by 3:00 A.M. SaLurday and had lmmedlaLely
headed Lo her Level lour lab Lo begln LesLlng. ln Lhe small locker room, she had removed her
cloLhes, waLch, and Lhe rlng !on SmlLh gave her when she agreed Lo marry hlm. She paused [usL
a momenL Lo smlle down aL Lhe rlng and Lhlnk abouL !on. Pls handsome face flashed lnLo her
mlnd--- Lhe almosL Amerlcan lndlan feaLures wlLh Lhe hlgh cheekbones buL very dark blue eyes.
1hose eyes had lnLrlgued her from Lhe beglnnlng, and someLlmes she had lmaglned how much
fun lL would be Lo fall lnLo Lhelr depLhs. She loved Lhe llquld way he moved, llke a [ungle anlmal
who was domesLlcaLed only by cholce. She loved Lhe way he made love--- Lhe flre and
exclLemenL. 8uL mosL of all, she [usL slmply, lrrevocably, passlonaLely loved hlm.

She had had Lo lnLerrupL Lhelr phone conversaLlon Lo rush here. uarllng, l have Lo go. lL was
Lhe lab on Lhe oLher llne. An emergency."

AL Lhls hour? Can'L lL walL unLll mornlng? ?ou need your resL."

She chuckled. ?ou called me. l was resLlng, ln facL sleeplng, unLll Lhe phone rang."

l knew you'd wanL Lo Lalk Lo me. ?ou can'L reslsL me."

She laughed. AbsoluLely. l wanL Lo Lalk Lo you aL all hours of Lhe day and nlghL. l mlss you every
momenL you're ln London. l'm glad you woke me up ouL of sound sleep so l could Lell you LhaL."

lL was hls Lurn Lo laugh. l love you, Loo, darllng."

ln Lhe uSAM8llu locker room, she slghed. Closed her eyes. 1hen she puL !on from her mlnd. She
had work Lo do. An emergency.

She qulckly dressed ln sLerlle green surglcal scrubs. 8arefooL, she labored Lo open Lhe door Lo
8lo-SafeLy Level 1wo agalnsL Lhe negaLlve pressure LhaL kepL conLamlnanLs lnslde Levels 1wo,
1hree, and lour. llnally lnslde, she LroLLed pasL a dry shower sLall and lnLo a baLhroom where
clean whlLe socks were kepL.

Socks on, she hurrled lnLo Lhe Level 1hree sLaglng area. She snapped on laLex rubber surglcal
gloves and Lhen Laped Lhe gloves Lo Lhe sleeves Lo creaLe a seal. She repeaLed Lhe procedure
wlLh her socks and Lhe legs of Lhe scrubs. 1haL done, she dressed ln her personal brlghL-blue
plasLlc blologlcal space sulL, whlch smelled falnLly llke Lhe lnslde of a plasLlc buckeL. She
carefully checked lL for plnholes. She lowered Lhe flexlble plasLlc helmeL over her head, closed
Lhe plasLlc zlpper LhaL ensured her sulL and helmeL were sealed, and pulled a yellow alr hose
wwwavs!"o#co%
from Lhe wall.

She plugged Lhe hose lnLo her sulL. WlLh a quleL hlss, Lhe alr ad[usLed ln Lhe masslve space sulL.
AlmosL flnlshed, she unplugged Lhe alr hose and lumbered Lhrough a sLalnless sLeel door lnLo
Lhe alr lock of Level lour, whlch was llned wlLh nozzles for waLer and chemlcals for Lhe
deconLamlnaLlon shower.

AL lasL she pulled open Lhe door lnLo Level lour. 1he PoL Zone.

1here was no way she could rush anyLhlng now. As she advanced each sLep ln Lhe cauLlous
chaln of proLecLlve layers, she had Lo Lake more care. Per one weapon was efflclenL moLlon.
1he more efflclenL she was, Lhe more speed she could eke ouL. So lnsLead of sLruggllng lnLo Lhe
palr of heavy yellow rubber booLs, she experLly benL one fooL, angled lL [usL rlghL, and slld lL ln.
1hen she dld Lhe same wlLh Lhe oLher.

She waddled as fasL as she could along narrow clnder-block corrldors lnLo her lab. 1here she
sllpped on a Lhlrd palr of laLex gloves, carefully removed Lhe samples of blood and Llssue from
Lhe refrlgeraLed conLalner, and wenL Lo work lsolaLlng Lhe vlrus.

Cver Lhe nexL LwenLy-slx hours, she forgoL Lo eaL or sleep. She llved ln Lhe lab, sLudylng Lhe
vlrus wlLh Lhe elecLron mlcroscope. 1o her amazemenL, she and her Leam ruled ouL Lbola,
Marburg, and any oLher fllovlrus. lL had Lhe usual furry-ball shape of mosL vlruses. Cnce she had
seen lL, glven Lhe A8uS cause of deaLh, her flrsL LhoughL was a hanLavlrus llke Lhe one LhaL had
kllled Lhe young aLhleLes on Lhe nava[o reservaLlon ln 1993. uSAM8llu was experL on
hanLavlruses. Cne of lLs legends, karl !ohnson, had been a dlscoverer of Lhe flrsL hanLavlrus Lo
be lsolaLed and ldenLlfled back ln Lhe 1970s.

WlLh LhaL ln mlnd, she had used lmmunobloLLlng Lo LesL Lhe unknown paLhogen agalnsL
uSAM8llu's frozen bank of blood samples of prevlous vlcLlms of varlous hanLavlruses from
around Lhe world. lL reacLed Lo none. uzzled, she ran a polymerase chaln reacLlon Lo geL a blL
of unA sequence from Lhe vlrus. lL resembled no known hanLavlrus, buL for fuLure reference
she assembled a prellmlnary resLrlcLlon map anyway. 1haL was when she wlshed mosL fervenLly
LhaL !on was wlLh her, noL far away aL Lhe WPC conference ln London.

lrusLraLed because she sLlll had no deflnlLlve answer, she had forced herself Lo leave Lhe lab.
She had already senL Lhe Leam off Lo sleep, and now she wenL Lhrough Lhe exlLlng procedure,
Loo, peellng away her space sulL, golng Lhrough deconLamlnaLlon procedures, and dresslng
agaln ln her clvlllan cloLhes.

AfLer a four-hour on-slLe nap--- LhaL was all she needed, she Lold herself flrmly--- she had
hurrled Lo her offlce Lo sLudy Lhe LesLs' noLes. As Lhe oLher Leam members awakened, she senL
Lhem back Lo Lhelr labs.

Per head ached, and her LhroaL was dry. She Look a boLLle of waLer from her offlce mlnl-
refrlgeraLor and reLurned Lo her desk. Cn Lhe wall hung Lhree framed phoLos. She drank and
leaned forward Lo conLemplaLe Lhem, drawn llke a moLh Lo comforLlng llghL. Cne showed !on
and herself ln baLhlng sulLs lasL summer ln 8arbados. WhaL fun Lhey had had on Lhelr one and
only vacaLlon. 1he second was of !on ln hls dress unlform Lhe day he'd made lleuLenanL colonel.
1he lasL plcLured a younger capLaln wlLh wlld black halr, a dlrLy face, and plerclng blue eyes ln a
wwwavs!"o#co%
dusLy fleld unlform ouLslde a llfLh MASP LenL somewhere ln Lhe lraql deserL.

Mlsslng hlm, needlng hlm ln Lhe lab wlLh her, she had reached for Lhe phone Lo call hlm ln
London--- and sLopped. 1he general had senL hlm Lo London. lor Lhe general, everyLhlng was by
Lhe book, and every asslgnmenL had Lo be flnlshed. noL a day laLe, noL a day early. !on was noL
due for several hours. 1hen she reallzed he was probably alofL now anyway, buL she wouldn'L
be aL hls house, walLlng for hlm. She dlsmlssed her dlsappolnLmenL.

She had devoLed herself Lo sclence, and somewhere along Lhe way she had goLLen exLremely
lucky. She had never expecLed Lo marry. lall ln love, perhaps. 8uL marry? no. lew men wanLed
a wlfe obsessed wlLh her work. 8uL !on undersLood. ln facL, lL exclLed hlm LhaL she could look aL
a cell and dlscuss lL ln graphlc, colorful deLall wlLh hlm. ln Lurn, she had found hls endless
curloslLy lnvlgoraLlng. Llke Lwo chlldren aL a klndergarLen parLy, Lhey had found Lhelr favorlLe
playmaLes ln each oLher--- well sulLed noL only professlonally buL LemperamenLally. 8oLh were
dedlcaLed, compasslonaLe, and as ln love wlLh llfe as wlLh each oLher.

She had never known such happlness, and she had !on Lo Lhank for lL.

WlLh an lmpaLlenL shake of her head, she Lurned on her compuLer Lo examlne Lhe lab noLes for
anyLhlng she mlghL have mlssed. She found noLhlng of any slgnlflcance.

1hen, as more unA sequence daLa was arrlvlng, and she conLlnued Lo revlew ln her mlnd all Lhe
cllnlcal daLa so far on Lhe vlrus, she had a sLrange feellng.

She had seen Lhls vlrus--- or one LhaL was lncredlbly slmllar--- somewhere.

She wracked her braln. uug Lhrough her memory. 8ooLed Lhrough her pasL.

noLhlng came Lo mlnd. llnally she read one of her Leam members' reporLs LhaL suggesLed Lhe
new vlrus mlghL be relaLed Lo Machupo, one of Lhe flrsL dlscovered hemorrhaglc fevers, agaln
by karl !ohnson.

Afrlca pushed none of her buLLons. 8uL 8ollvla...?

eru!

Per sLudenL anLhropology fleld Lrlp, and---

vlcLor 1remonL.

?es, LhaL had been hls name. A blologlsL on a fleld Lrlp Lo eru Lo collecL planLs and dlrLs for
poLenLlal medlclnals for... whaL company? A pharmaceuLlcal flrm ... 8lanchard harmaceuLlcals!

She Lurned back Lo her compuLer, qulckly enLered Lhe lnLerneL, and searched for 8lanchard. She
found lL almosL aL once--- ln Long Lake, new ?ork. And vlcLor 1remonL was presldenL and Chlef
CperaLlng Cfflcer now. She reached for her phone and dlaled Lhe number.

lL was Sunday mornlng, buL glanL corporaLlons someLlmes kepL Lhelr Lelephones open all
weekend for lmporLanL calls. 8lanchard dld. A human volce answered, and when Sophla asked
wwwavs!"o#co%
for vlcLor 1remonL, Lhe volce Lold her Lo walL. She drummed her flngers on Lhe desk, Lrylng Lo
conLrol her worrled lmpaLlence.

AL lasL a serles of cllcks and sllences on Lhe far end of Lhe llne were lnLerrupLed by anoLher
human volce. 1hls Llme lL was neuLral, Loneless: May l ask your name and buslness wlLh ur.
1remonL?"

Sophla 8ussell. 1ell hlm lL's abouL a Lrlp Lo eru where we meL."

lease hold." More sllence. 1hen: "Mr. 1remonL wlll speak wlLh you now.

Ms.... 8ussell?" Cbvlously he was consulLlng Lhe name handed Lo hlm on a pad. WhaL can l do
for you?" Pls volce was low and pleasanL buL commandlng. A man clearly accusLomed Lo belng
ln charge.

She sald mlldly, AcLually, lL's ur. 8ussell now. ?ou don'L remember my name, ur. 1remonL?"

Can'L say l do. 8uL you menLloned eru, and l do remember eru. 1welve or LhlrLeen years ago,
wasn'L lL?" Pe was acknowledglng why he was Lalklng Lo her, buL glvlng noLhlng away ln case
she was a [ob seeker or lL was all some hoax.

1hlrLeen, and l cerLalnly remember you." She was Lrylng Lo keep lL llghL. WhaL l'm lnLeresLed
ln ls LhaL Llme on Lhe Caralbo 8lver. l was wlLh a group of anLhropology undergrads on a fleld
Lrlp from Syracuse whlle you were collecLlng poLenLlal medlclnal maLerlals. l'm calllng Lo ask
abouL Lhe vlrus you found ln Lhose remoLe Lrlbesmen, Lhe naLlves Lhe oLhers called Lhe Monkey
8lood eople."

ln hls large corner offlce aL Lhe oLher end of Lhe llne, vlcLor 1remonL felL a [olL of fear. !usL as
qulckly, he repressed lL. Pe swlveled ln hls desk chalr Lo sLare ouL aL Lhe lake, whlch was
shlmmerlng llke mercury ln Lhe early-mornlng llghL. Cn Lhe far slde, a Lhlck plne foresL
sLreLched and cllmbed Lo Lhe hlgh mounLalns ln Lhe dlsLance.

Annoyed LhaL she had surprlsed hlm wlLh such a poLenLlally devasLaLlng memory, 1remonL
conLlnued Lo swlvel. Pe kepL hls volce frlendly. now l remember you. 1he eager blond young
lady dazzled by sclence. l wondered wheLher you'd go on Lo become an anLhropologlsL. uld
you?"

no, l ended up wlLh a docLoraLe ln cell and molecular blology. 1haL's why l need your help. l'm
worklng aL Lhe army's lnfecLlous dlseases research cenLer aL lorL ueLrlck. We've come across a
vlrus LhaL sounds a loL llke Lhe one ln eru--- an unknown Lype causlng headaches, fever, and
acuLe resplraLory dlsLress syndrome LhaL can klll oLherwlse healLhy people wlLhln hours and
produce a vlolenL hemorrhage ln Lhe lungs. uoes LhaL rlng a bell, ur. 1remonL?"

Call me vlcLor, and l seem Lo recall your flrsL name ls Susan... Sally... someLhlng llke...?"

Sophla."

Cf course. Sophla 8ussell. lorL ueLrlck," he sald, as lf wrlLlng lL down. l'm glad Lo hear you
remalned ln sclence. SomeLlmes l wlsh l'd sLayed ln Lhe lab lnsLead of [umplng Lo Lhe fronL
wwwavs!"o#co%
offlce. 8uL LhaL's waLer over a long-ago dam, eh?" Pe laughed.

She asked, uo you recall Lhe vlrus?"

no. Can'L say l do. l wenL lnLo sales and managemenL soon afLer eru, and probably LhaL's why
Lhe lncldenL escapes me. As l sald, lL was a long Llme ago. 8uL from whaL l recall of my
molecular blology, Lhe scenarlo you suggesL ls unllkely. ?ou musL be Lhlnklng of a serles of
dlfferenL vlruses we heard abouL on LhaL Lrlp. 1here was no shorLage. l remember LhaL much."

She dug Lhe phone lnLo her ear, frusLraLed. no, l'm cerLaln Lhere was Lhls one slngle agenL LhaL
came from worklng wlLh Lhe Monkey 8lood eople. l dldn'L pay a loL of aLLenLlon aL Lhe Llme.
8uL Lhen, l never expecLed Lo end up ln blology, much less cell and molecular. SLlll, Lhe oddness
of lL sLuck wlLh me."

`1he Monkey 8lood eople'? Pow blzarre. l'm sure l'd recall a Lrlbe wlLh such a colorful name
as LhaL."

urgency fllled her volce. ur. 1remonL, llsLen. lease. 1hls ls vlLal. CrlLlcal. We've [usL recelved
Lhree cases of a vlrus LhaL remlnds me of Lhe one ln eru. 1hose naLlves had a cure LhaL worked
almosL elghLy percenL of Lhe Llme--- drlnklng Lhe blood of a cerLaln monkey. As l recall, LhaL's
whaL asLonlshed you."

And sLlll would," 1remonL agreed. 1he accuracy of her memory was unnervlng. rlmlLlve
lndlans wlLh a cure for a faLal vlrus? 8uL l know noLhlng abouL lL," he lled smooLhly. 1he way
you descrlbe whaL happened, l'm cerLaln l'd remember. WhaL do your colleagues say? Surely
some worked ln eru, Loo."

She slghed. l wanLed Lo check wlLh you flrsL. We have enough false alarms, and lL's been a long
Llme slnce eru for me, Loo. 8uL lf you don'L remember..." Per volce Lralled off. She was Lerrlbly
dlsappolnLed. l'm cerLaln Lhere was a vlrus. erhaps l'll conLacL eru. 1hey musL have a record
of unusual cures among Lhe lndlans."

vlcLor 1remonL's volce rose sllghLly. 1haL may noL be necessary. l kepL a [ournal of my Lrlps
back Lhen. noLes on Lhe planLs and poLenLlal pharmaceuLlcals. erhaps l [oLLed down
someLhlng abouL your vlrus as well."

Sophla leaped aL Lhe suggesLlon. l'd appreclaLe your looklng. 8lghL away."

Whoa." 1remonL gave a warm chuckle. Pe had her. 1he noLebooks are sLored somewhere ln
my house. robably Lhe aLLlc. Maybe Lhe basemenL. l'll have Lo geL back Lo you Lomorrow."

l owe you, vlcLor. Maybe Lhe world wlll. llrsL Lhlng Lomorrow, please. ?ou have no ldea how
lmporLanL Lhls could be." She gave hlm her phone number.

Ch, l Lhlnk l know," 1remonL assured her. 1omorrow mornlng aL Lhe laLesL."

Pe hung up and roLaLed once more Lo gaze ouL aL Lhe brlghLenlng lake and Lhe hlgh mounLalns
LhaL suddenly seemed Lo loom close and omlnous. Pe sLood up and walked Lo Lhe wlndow. Pe
was a Lall man of medlum bulld, wlLh a dlsLlncLlve face on whlch naLure had played one of her
wwwavs!"o#co%
more klndly Lrlcks: lrom a youLh's overslzed nose, gawky ears, and Lhln cheeks, he had grown
lnLo a good-looklng man. Pe was now ln hls flfLles, and hls feaLures had fllled ouL. Pls face was
aqulllne, smooLh, and arlsLocraLlc. 1he nose was Lhe perfecL slze--- sLralghL and sLrong, a flLLlng
cenLerplece for hls very Lngllsh face. WlLh hls Lan skln and Lhlck, lron-gray halr, he drew
aLLenLlon wherever he wenL. 8uL he knew lL was noL hls dlgnlLy and aLLracLlveness LhaL people
found so appeallng. lL was hls self-confldence. Pe radlaLed power, and less-assured people
found LhaL compelllng.

uesplLe whaL he had Lold Sophla 8ussell, vlcLor 1remonL made no move Lo go home Lo hls
secluded esLaLe. lnsLead, he sLared unseelng aL Lhe mounLalns and foughL off Lenslon. Pe was
angry... and annoyed.

Sophla 8ussell. My Cod, Sophla 8ussell!

Who would have LhoughL? Pe had noL even recognlzed her name lnlLlally. ln facL, sLlll dld noL
remember any of Lhe names of LhaL lnslgnlflcanL llLLle sLudenL group. And he doubLed any
would recall hls. 8uL 8ussell had. WhaL klnd of braln reLalned such deLall? Cbvlously Lhe Lrlvlal
was Loo lmporLanL Lo her. Pe shook hls head, dlsgusLed. ln LruLh, she was noL a problem. !usL a
nulsance. SLlll, she musL be dealL wlLh. Pe unlocked Lhe secreL drawer ln hls carved desk, Look
ouL a cell phone, and dlaled.

An emoLlonless volce wlLh a falnL accenL answered. ?es?"

l need Lo Lalk Lo you," vlcLor 1remonL ordered. My offlce. 1en mlnuLes." Pe hung up,
reLurned Lhe cell phone Lo Lhe locked drawer, and plcked up hls regular offlce phone. Murlel?
CeL me Ceneral Caspar ln WashlngLon."

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
THREE

___________________

9:14 A.M., Monday, CcLober 13


As employees arrlved aL uSAM8llu LhaL Monday mornlng, word qulckly spread Lhrough Lhe
campus's bulldlngs of Lhe weekend's frulLless search Lo ldenLlfy and flnd a way Lo conLaln some
new klller vlrus. 1he press sLlll had noL dlscovered Lhe sLory, and Lhe dlrecLor's offlce ordered
everyone Lo malnLaln medla sllence. no one was Lo Lalk Lo a reporLer, and only Lhose worklng ln
Lhe labs were kepL ln Lhe loop abouL Lhe agonlzlng quesL.

Meanwhlle, regular work sLlll had Lo be done. 1here were forms Lo be flled, equlpmenL Lo be
malnLalned, phone calls Lo be answered. ln Lhe sergeanL ma[or's offlce, SpeclallsL lour Pldeo
1akeda was ln hls cublcle sorLlng mall when he opened an offlclal-looklng envelope emblazoned
wlLh Lhe u.S. ueparLmenL of uefense logo.

AfLer he read and reread Lhe leLLer, he leaned over Lhe dlvlder beLween hls cublcle and LhaL of
SpeclallsL llve Sandra Culnn, hls fellow clerk. Pe conflded ln an exclLed whlsper, lL's my
Lransfer Lo Cklnawa."

?ou're klddlng."

We'd glven up." Pe grlnned. Pls glrlfrlend, Mlko, was sLaLloned on Cklnawa.

8eLLer Lell Lhe boss rlghL away," Sandra warned. lL means Leachlng a new clerk Lo deal wlLh
Lhe goddamned absenLmlnded professors we goL here. She'll be plssed. Man, Lhey're all ouL of
Lhelr mlnds Loday anyway wlLh Lhls new crlsls, aren'L Lhey?"

Screw her," SpeclallsL 1akeda swore cheerfully.

noL ln my worsL nlghLmare." SgL. Ma[. Pelen uaugherLy sLood ln her offlce doorway. Would
you care Lo sLep ln here, SpeclallsL 1akeda?" she sald wlLh exaggeraLed pollLeness. Cr would
you prefer l beaL you senseless flrsL?"

An lmposlng slx-fooL blonde wlLh Lhe shoulders Lo offseL all her whlsLle-produclng curves, Lhe
sergeanL ma[or looked down wlLh her besL plranha smlle aL Lhe flve-fooL-slx 1akeda. 1he clerk
hurrled ouL of hls cublcle wlLh a nervous show of fear noL enLlrely faked. WlLh uaugherLy, as
beflLLed any good sergeanL ma[or, you were never fully sure you were safe.

Close Lhe door, 1akeda. And Lake a seaL."

1he speclallsL dld as lnsLrucLed.
wwwavs!"o#co%

uaugherLy flxed hlm wlLh a glmleL eye. Pow long have you known abouL Lhe posslblllLy of Lhls
Lransfer, Pldeo?"

lL came ouL of Lhe blue Lhls mornlng. l mean, l [usL opened Lhe leLLer."

And we puL lL ln for you... whaL, almosL Lwo years ago?"

?ear and a half, aL leasL. 8lghL afLer l came back from leave over Lhere. Look, SergeanL, lf you
need me Lo sLlck around awhlle, l'll be---"

uaugherLy shook her head. uoesn'L look llke l could do LhaL lf l wanLed Lo." WlLh her flnger she
sLabbed a memo on her desk. l goL Lhls L-mall from Lhe ueparLmenL of Lhe Army abouL Lhe
same Llme you musL've opened your leLLer. Looks llke your replacemenL's already on her way.
Comlng from lnLelllgence Command over ln kosovo, no less. She musL've been on a plane
before Lhe leLLer even goL Lo Lhe offlce." uaugherLy's expresslon was LhoughLful.

?ou mean she'll be here Loday?"

uaugherLy glanced aL Lhe clock on her desk. A couple of hours, Lo be exacL."

Wow, LhaL's fasL."

?es," uaugherLy agreed, lL sure ls. 1hey've even cuL Lravel orders for you. ?ou've goL a day Lo
clear ouL your desk and quarLers. ?ou're Lo be on a plane Lomorrow mornlng."

A day?"

8eLLer geL aL lL. And besL of luck, Pldeo. l've en[oyed worklng wlLh you. l'll puL a good reporL ln
your flle."

?esslr, er, SergeanL. And Lhanks."

SLlll a llLLle sLunned, 1akeda lefL SergeanL Ma[or uaugherLy conLemplaLlng Lhe memo. She was
rolllng a pencll beLween her hands and sLarlng off lnLo space as he enLhuslasLlcally dumped ouL
hls desk. Pe repressed a war whoop of vlcLory. Pe was noL only Llred of belng away from Mlko,
he was especlally Llred of llvlng ln Lhe uSAM8llu pressure cooker. Pe had been Lhrough plenLy
of emergencles here, buL Lhls new one had everyone worrled. Lven scared. Pe was glad Lo geL
Lhe hell ouL.

__________

1hree hours laLer, SpeclallsL lour Adele Schwelk sLood aL aLLenLlon ln Lhe same offlce ln fronL of
SergeanL Ma[or uaugherLy. She was a small bruneLLe wlLh almosL black halr, a rlgld carrlage,
and alerL gray eyes. Per unlform was lmpeccable, wlLh Lwo rows of medal rlbbons showlng
servlce overseas ln many counLrles and campalgns. 1here was even a 8osnlan rlbbon.

AL ease, SpeclallsL."

wwwavs!"o#co%
Schwelk sLood aL ease. 1hank you, SergeanL Ma[or."

uaugherLy read her Lransfer papers and spoke wlLhouL looklng up. klnd of fasL, wasn'L lL?"

l asked Lo be Lransferred Lo Lhe u.C. area a few monLhs ago. ersonal reasons. My colonel Lold
me an openlng had suddenly come up aL ueLrlck, and l [umped aL lL."

uaugherLy looked up aL her. "A llLLle overquallfled, aren'L you? 1hls ls a backwaLer posL. A small
command noL dolng much and never golng overseas.

l only know lL's ueLrlck. l don'L know whaL your unlL ls."

Ch?" uaugherLy ralsed a blond eyebrow. 1here was someLhlng Loo cool and composed abouL
Lhls Schwelk. Well, we're uSAM8llu: u.S. Army Medlcal 8esearch lnsLlLuLe for lnfecLlous
ulseases. SclenLlflc research. All our offlcers are docLors, veLs, or medlcal speclallsLs. We even
have clvlllans. no weapons, no Lralnlng, no glory."

Schwelk smlled. 1haL sounds peaceful, SergeanL Ma[or. A nlce change afLer kosovo. 8esldes,
haven'L l heard uSAM8llu ls on Lhe cuLLlng edge, worklng wlLh preLLy deadly PoL Zone
dlseases? Sounds llke lL could be exclLlng."

1he sergeanL ma[or cocked her head. lL ls for Lhe docs. 8uL for us lL's [usL offlce rouLlne. We
keep Lhe place runnlng. Cver Lhe weekend Lhere was some klnd of emergency. uon'L ask any
quesLlons. lL's none of your buslness. And lf any [ournallsL conLacLs you, refer Lhem Lo publlc
affalrs. 1haL's an order. Ckay, Lhere's your cublcle nexL Lo Culnn's. lnLroduce yourself. CeL
seLLled, and Culnn wlll brlng you up Lo speed."

Schwelk came Lo aLLenLlon. 1hank you, SergeanL Ma[or."

uaugherLy roLaLed her pencll agaln, sLudylng Lhe door LhaL had [usL closed behlnd Lhe new
woman. 1hen uaugherLy slghed. She had noL been compleLely LruLhful. AlLhough Lhere was
plenLy of rouLlne, Lhere were momenLs llke Lhls when all of a sudden Lhe army dldn'L make a
damn blL of sense. She shrugged. Well, she had seen sLranger Lhlngs Lhan an abrupL shlfL ln
personnel LhaL made boLh Lransferrlng parLles happy. She buzzed Culnn, asked for a cup of
coffee, and puL ouL of her mlnd Lhe laLesL lab crlsls and Lhe sLrange personnel Lransfer. She had
work Lo do.

__________

AL 1732, hours, SergeanL Ma[or uaugherLy locked her cublcle door, preparlng Lo leave Lhe
empLy offlce. 8uL Lhe offlce was noL empLy.

1he new woman, Schwelk, sald, l'd llke Lo sLay and learn as much as l can, lf LhaL's all rlghL,
SergeanL Ma[or."

llne. l'll Lell securlLy. ?ou have an offlce key? Cood. Lock up when you're flnlshed. ?ou won'L
be alone. 1haL new vlrus ls drlvlng Lhe docs crazy. l expecL some of Lhem wlll be on campus all
nlghL. lf Lhls goes on much longer, Lhey're golng Lo sLarL geLLlng canLankerous. 1hey don'L llke
mysLerles LhaL klll people."
wwwavs!"o#co%

So l've heard." 1he small bruneLLe nodded and smlled. See, plenLy of acLlon and exclLemenL
aL lorL ueLrlck."

uaugherLy laughed. l sLand correcLed," she sald, and wenL ouL.

AL her desk ln Lhe sllenL offlce, SpeclallsL Schwelk read memos and made noLes for anoLher half
hour unLll she was sure nelLher Lhe sergeanL ma[or nor securlLy was comlng back Lo check on
her. 1hen she opened Lhe aLLache case she had broughL lnslde durlng her flrsL coffee break.
When she had arrlved aL Andrews Alr lorce 8ase Lhls mornlng, lL had been walLlng ln Lhe car
asslgned Lo her.

lrom Lhe case she wlLhdrew a schemaLlc dlagram of Lhe phone lnsLallaLlons ln Lhe uSAM8llu
bulldlng. 1he maln box was ln Lhe basemenL, and lL conLalned connecLlons for all Lhe lnLernal
exLenslons and prlvaLe ouLslde llnes. She sLudled lL long enough Lo memorlze lLs poslLlon. 1hen
she reLurned Lhe dlagram, closed Lhe case, and sLepped lnLo Lhe corrldor, carrylng lL.

WlLh lnnocenL curloslLy on her face, she looked carefully around.

1he guard lnslde Lhe fronL enLrance was readlng. Schwelk needed Lo geL pasL hlm. She lnhaled,
keeplng herself calm, and gllded sllenLly along Lhe rear corrldor Lo Lhe basemenL enLrance.

She walLed. no movemenL or nolse from Lhe guard. AlLhough Lhe bulldlng was consldered hlgh
securlLy, Lhe proLecLlon was less Lo keep people ouL Lhan Lo shleld Lhe publlc from Lhe leLhal
Loxlns, vlruses, bacLerla, and oLher dangerous sclenLlflc maLerlals LhaL were sLudled aL
uSAM8llu. AlLhough Lhe guard was well Lralned, he lacked Lhe aggresslve edge of a senLry
defendlng a lab where Lop-secreL war weapons were creaLed.

8elleved LhaL he remalned engrossed ln hls book, she Lrled Lhe heavy meLal door. lL was locked.
She Look a seL of keys from Lhe case. 1he Lhlrd one opened Lhe basemenL door. She padded
soundlessly downsLalrs, where she wound ln and ouL among glanL machlnes LhaL heaLed and
cooled Lhe bulldlng, supplled sLerlle alr and negaLlve pressure for Lhe labs, operaLed Lhe
powerful exhausL sysLem, supplled waLer and chemlcal soluLlons for Lhe chemlcal showers, and
handled all Lhe oLher malnLenance needs of Lhe medlcal complex.

She was sweaLlng by Lhe Llme she locaLed Lhe maln box. She seL Lhe aLLache case on Lhe floor
and wlLhdrew from lL a smaller case of Lools, wlres, color-coded connecLlons, meLers, swlLchlng
unlLs, llsLenlng devlces, and mlnlaLure recorders.

lL was evenlng, and Lhe basemenL was quleL buL for Lhe occaslonal snap, gurgle, and hum of Lhe
plpes and shafLs. SLlll, she llsLened Lo make sure no one else was around. nervous energy senL
chllls across her skln. Warlly she sLudled Lhe gray walls. AL lasL she opened Lhe maln box and
wenL Lo work on Lhe mulLlLude of connecLlons.

__________

1wo hours laLer, back ln her offlce, she checked her Lelephone, aLLached a mlnlaLure speaker-
earphone seL, fllpped a swlLch on Lhe hldden conLrol box ln her desk drawer, and llsLened. ...
?eah, l'll be here aL leasL Lwo more hours, l'm afrald. Sorry, honey, can'L be helped. 1hls vlrus ls
wwwavs!"o#co%
a bear. 1he whole sLaff's on lL. Ckay, l'll Lry Lo geL Lhere before Lhe klds go Lo bed."

SaLlsfled her llsLenlng and rerouLlng equlpmenL was worklng, she cllcked off and dlaled an
ouLslde llne. 1he male volce LhaL had conLacLed her lasL nlghL and glven her lnsLrucLlons
answered. ?es?"

She reporLed: lnsLallaLlon ls compleLe. l'm connecLed Lo Lhe recorder for all phone calls, and
l've goL a llne on my seL Lo alerL me Lo any from Lhe offlces you're lnLeresLed ln. lL'll connecL me
wlLh Lhe shunL Lo lnLercepL calls."

?ou were unobserved? ?ou are unsuspecLed?"

She prlded herself on her ear for volces, and she knew all Lhe ma[or languages and many mlnor.
1hls volce was educaLed, and hls Lngllsh was good buL noL perfecL. A non-Lngllsh speech
paLLern, and Lhe smallesL Lrace of a Mlddle-LasLern accenL. noL lsrael, lran, or 1urkey. osslbly
Syrla or Lebanon, buL more llkely !ordan or lraq.

She flled Lhe lnformaLlon for fuLure reference.

She sald, Cf course."

"1haL ls well. 8e alerL Lo any developmenLs LhaL concern Lhe unknown vlrus Lhey are worklng
on. MonlLor all calls ln and ouL of Lhe offlces of ur. 8ussell, LleuLenanL Colonel SmlLh, and
Ceneral klelburger.

1hls [ob could noL lasL Loo long, or lL would become Loo rlsky. 1hey would probably never flnd
Lhe body of Lhe real SpeclallsL lour Adele Schwelk. Schwelk had no known relaLlves and few
frlends ouLslde Lhe army. She had been selecLed for Lhose reasons.

8uL Schwelk sensed SergeanL Ma[or uaugherLy was susplclous, vaguely dlsLurbed by her arrlval.
1oo much scruLlny could expose her.

Pow long wlll l remaln here?"

unLll we do noL need you. uo noLhlng Lo call aLLenLlon Lo yourself."

1he dlal Lone hummed ln her ear. She hung up and leaned forward Lo conLlnue famlllarlzlng
herself wlLh Lhe rouLlnes and requlremenLs of Lhe sergeanL ma[or's offlce. She also llsLened Lo
llve conversaLlons ln and ouL of Lhe bulldlng and monlLored Lhe llghL on Lhe desk phone LhaL
would alerL her Lo calls from Lhe 8ussell woman's laboraLory. lor a momenL she was curlous
abouL whaL was so lmporLanL abouL ur. 8ussell. 1hen she banlshed Lhe LhoughL. 1here were
some Lhlngs lL was dangerous Lo know.

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
FO)R

___________________

MldnlghL

WashlngLon, u.C.

WashlngLon's magnlflcenL 8ock Creek park was a wedge of wllderness ln Lhe hearL of Lhe clLy.
lrom Lhe oLomac 8lver near Lhe kennedy CenLer lL wound narrowly norLh Lo where lL
expanded lnLo a wlde sLreLch of woods ln Lhe clLy's upper norLhwesL. A naLural woodland, lL
abounded ln hlklng, blklng, horse Lralls, plcnlc grounds, and hlsLorlcal slLes. lerce Mlll, where
1llden SLreeL lnLersecLed 8each urlve, was one of Lhose hlsLorlcal landmarks. An old grlsLmlll, lL
daLed from pre-Clvll War days when a llne of such mllls bordered Lhe creek. lL was now a
museum run by Lhe naLlonal ark Servlce and, ln Lhe moonllghL, a ghosLly arLlfacL from a
faraway Llme.

norLhwesL of Lhe mlll, where Lhe brush was Lhlck ln Lhe shadows of Lall Lrees, 8lll Crlffln walLed,
holdlng a hlghly alerL uoberman on a LlghL leash. AlLhough Lhe nlghL was cold, Crlffln sweaLed.
Pls wary gaze scanned Lhe mlll and plcnlc grounds. 1he sleek dog snlffed Lhe alr, and lLs erecL
ears roLaLed, llsLenlng for Lhe source of lLs unease.

lrom Lhe rlghL, ln Lhe general dlrecLlon of Lhe mlll, someone approached. 1he dog had caughL
Lhe falnL sounds of auLumn leaves belng crunched underfooL long before Lhey were audlble Lo
Crlffln. 8uL once Crlffln heard Lhe fooLfalls, he released Lhe anlmal. 1he dog remalned
obedlenLly seaLed, every LauL muscle qulverlng, eager.

Crlffln gave a sllenL hand slgnal.

Llke a black phanLom, Lhe uoberman sprang off lnLo Lhe nlghL and made a wlde clrcle around
Lhe plcnlc grounds, lnvlslble among Lhe omlnous shadows of Lhe Lrees.

Crlffln desperaLely wanLed a clgareLLe. Lvery nerve was on edge. 8ehlnd hlm someLhlng small
and wlld rusLled Lhrough Lhe underbrush. Somewhere ln Lhe park a nlghL owl hooLed. Pe
acknowledged nelLher Lhe sounds nor hls nerves. Pe was hlghly Lralned, a compleLe
professlonal, and so he malnLalned waLch, vlgllanL and unmovlng. Pe breaLhed shallowly so as
Lo noL reveal hls presence by clouds of whlLe breaLh ln Lhe cold nlghL alr. And alLhough he kepL
hls Lemper under conLrol, he was an angry, worrled man.

When aL lasL LL. Col. !onaLhan SmlLh came lnLo vlew, sLrldlng across Lhe open area ln Lhe sllver-
blue moonllghL, Crlffln sLlll dld noL move. Cn Lhe far slde of Lhe plcnlc grounds, Lhe uoberman
wenL Lo ground, lnvlslble. 8uL Crlffln knew he was Lhere.

!on SmlLh heslLaLed on Lhe paLh. Pe asked ln a hoarse whlsper, 8lll?"

wwwavs!"o#co%
ln Lhe umbra of Lhe Lrees, Crlffln conLlnued Lo concenLraLe on Lhe nlghL. Pe llsLened Lo Lhe
Lrafflc on Lhe nearby parkway and Lo Lhe clLy nolses beyond. noLhlng was unusual. no one else
was ln Lhls parL of Lhe masslve preserve. Pe walLed for Lhe dog Lo Lell hlm oLherwlse, buL he had
resumed hls rounds, apparenLly saLlsfled, Loo.

Crlffln slghed. Pe sLepped ouL Lo Lhe edge of Lhe plcnlc grounds where Lhe moonllghL meL Lhe
shadows. Pls volce was low and urgenL. SmlLhy. Cver here."

!on SmlLh Lurned. Pe was [umpy. All he could see was a vague shape waverlng ln Lhe moonllghL.
Pe walked Loward lL, feellng exposed and vulnerable, alLhough he dld noL know Lo whaL.

8lll?" he growled. ls LhaL you?"

1he bad penny," Crlffln sald llghLly and reLurned deep lnLo Lhe shadows.

SmlLh [olned hlm. Pe bllnked, wllllng hls eyes Lo ad[usL qulckly. AL lasL he saw hls old frlend,
who was smlllng aL hlm. 8lll Crlffln had Lhe same round face and bland feaLures SmlLh
remembered, alLhough he looked as lf he had losL Len pounds. Pls cheeks were flaLLer, and hls
shoulders appeared heavler Lhan usual slnce hls Lorso and walsL were sllmmer. Pls brown halr
hung mld-lengLh, llmp and unruly. Pe was Lwo lnches shorLer Lhan SmlLh's slx feeL--- a good-
slzed, sLrong-looklng, sLocky man.

8uL SmlLh had also wlLnessed 8lll Crlffln make hlmself appear neuLral, ordlnary really, as lf he
had [usL goLLen off work from a facLory [ob assembllng compuLer parLs or was on hls way Lo Lhe
local cafe where he was Lhe head hamburger fllpper. lL was a face and body LhaL had sLood hlm
ln good sLead ln army lnLelllgence and ln Lhe l8l monlLorlng coverL operaLlons, because under
LhaL bland exLerlor was a sharp mlnd and lron wlll.

1o SmlLh, hls old frlend had always been someLhlng of a chameleon, buL noL LonlghL. 1onlghL,
SmlLh looked aL hlm and saw Lhe sLar lowa fooLball player and man of oplnlons. Pe had grown
up Lo be honesL, decenL, and darlng. 1he real 8lll Crlffln.

Crlffln held ouL hls hand. Pello, SmlLhy. Clad Lo see you afLer so long. lL's abouL Llme we
caughL up. When was lL lasL? 1he urake PoLel, ues Molnes?"

lL was. orLerhouses and oLosl beer." 8uL !on SmlLh dld noL smlle aL Lhe good memory as he
shook Crlffln's hand. 1hls ls a hell of a way Lo meeL. WhaL have you goL yourself lnLo? ls lL
Lrouble?"

?ou mlghL say." Crlffln nodded, hls volce sLlll llghL. 8uL never mlnd LhaL rlghL now. Pow Lhe
hell are you, SmlLhy?"

l'm flne," SmlLh snapped, lmpaLlenL. lL's you we're Lalklng abouL. Pow'd you know l was ln
London?" 1hen he chuckled. no, never mlnd. SLupld quesLlon, rlghL? ?ou always know. now,
whaL's Lhe---"

l hear you're geLLlng marrled. llnally found someone Lo Lame Lhe cowboy? SeLLle down ln Lhe
suburbs, ralse klds, and mow Lhe lawn?"

wwwavs!"o#co%
lL'll never happen." SmlLh grlnned. Sophla's a cowboy herself. AnoLher vlrus hunLer."

?eah. 1haL makes sense. MlghL acLually work." Crlffln nodded and gazed off, hls eyes as
resLless and uneasy as Lhe now-lnvlslble uoberman. As lf Lhe nlghL mlghL explode lnLo flames
around Lhem. Pow're your people dolng on Lhe vlrus anyway?"

Whlch vlrus? We work on so damn many aL ueLrlck."

8lll Crlffln's gaze sLlll Lraversed Lhe moonllghL and shadows of Lhe park llke a Lank gunner
searchlng for a LargeL. Pe lgnored Lhe sweaL collecLlng under hls cloLhes. 1he one you were
asslgned Lo lnvesLlgaLe early SaLurday."

SmlLh was puzzled. l'd been ln London slnce lasL 1uesday. ?ou musL know LhaL." Pe swore
aloud. uamn! 1haL musL be Lhe 'emergency' Sophla was called ln abouL whlle we were Lalklng.
l've goL Lo geL back---" Pe sLopped and frowned. Pow do you know ueLrlck's goL a new vlrus?
ls LhaL whaL Lhls ls all abouL? ?ou flgure Lhey Lold me all abouL lL whlle l was away, and now you
wanL Lo Lap me for lnformaLlon?"

Crlffln's face revealed noLhlng. Pe scruLlnlzed Lhe nlghL. Calm down, !on."

Calm down?" SmlLh was lncredulous. ls Lhe l8l so lnLeresLed ln Lhls parLlcular vlrus LhaL Lhey
senL you Lo pump me ln secreL? 1haL's damn sLupld. ?our dlrecLor can call my dlrecLor. 1haL's
Lhe way Lhese Lhlngs are done."

Crlffln flnally looked aL SmlLh. l don'L work for Lhe l8l anymore."

?ou don'L...?" SmlLh sLared lnLo Lhe sLeady eyes, buL now Lhere was noLhlng Lhere. 8lll Crlffln's
eyes, llke Lhe resL of hls feaLureless face, had gone empLy. 1he old 8lll Crlffln was gone, and for
a momenL SmlLh felL an ache ln Lhe plL of hls sLomach. 1hen hls anger rose, every sensor of hls
mlllLary and vlrus-hunLer experlence soundlng loudly. WhaL's so speclal abouL Lhls new vlrus?
And whaL do you wanL lnformaLlon for? Some sleazy Lablold?"

l'm noL worklng for any newspapers or magazlnes."

A congresslonal commlLLee, Lhen? Sure, whaL beLLer for a commlLLee looklng Lo cuL sclence
fundlng Lhan uslng an ex-l8l man!" SmlLh Look a deep breaLh. Pe dld noL recognlze Lhls man
whom he had once LhoughL of as hls besL frlend. SomeLhlng had changed 8lll Crlffln, and Crlffln
was showlng no slgns of reveallng any of lL. now Crlffln seemed Lo wanL Lo use Lhelr frlendshlp
for hls own ends. SmlLh shook hls head. no, 8lll, don'L Lell me who or whaL you're worklng for.
lL doesn'L maLLer. lf you wanL Lo know abouL any vlruses, go Lhrough army channels. And don'L
call me agaln unless you're my frlend and noLhlng more." ulsgusLed, he sLalked away.

SLay, SmlLhy. We need Lo Lalk."

Screw you, 8lll." !on SmlLh conLlnued Loward Lhe moonllghL.

Crlffln gave a low whlsLle.

Suddenly a large uoberman bounded ln fronL of !on SmlLh. Snarllng, lL spun Lo face hlm. SmlLh
wwwavs!"o#co%
froze. 1he dog planLed all four paws, llfLed hls muzzle, and growled long and deep. Pls sharp
LeeLh gllsLened whlLe and molsL, so polnLed LhaL wlLh one slash Lhey could Lear ouL a man's
LhroaL.

SmlLh's hearL Lhundered. Pe sLared unmovlng aL Lhe dog.

Sorry." Crlffln's volce behlnd hlm was almosL sad. 8uL you asked lf Lhere was bad Lrouble.
Well, Lhere ls--- buL noL for me."

As Lhe dog conLlnued Lo make low growls of warnlng ln hls LhroaL, SmlLh remalned lmmoblle,
excepL for hls face. Pe sneered ln conLempL. ?ou're saylng l'm ln some klnd of Lrouble? Clve
me a break."

?es." Crlffln nodded. 1haL's exacLly whaL l'm saylng, SmlLhy. 1haL's why l wanLed Lo meeL. 8uL
lL's all l can Lell you. ?ou're ln danger. 8eal danger. CeL Lhe hell ouL of Lown, fasL. uon'L go back
Lo your lab. CeL on a plane and---"

WhaL are you Lalklng abouL? ?ou know damn well l'd never do LhaL. 8un away from my work?
uamn. WhaL's happened Lo you, 8lll?"

Crlffln lgnored hlm. LlsLen Lo whaL l'm saylng! Call ueLrlck. 1ell Lhe general you need a
vacaLlon. A long vacaLlon. CuL of Lhe counLry. uo lL now, and geL as far away as posslble.
1onlghL!"

1haL won'L cuL lL. 1ell me whaL's so speclal abouL Lhls vlrus. WhaL danger am l ln? lf you wanL
me Lo acL, l've goL Lo know why."

lor ChrlsL's sake!" Crlffln exclalmed, loslng hls Lemper. l'm Lrylng Lo help. Co away. Co fasL!
1ake your Sophla."

8efore he had flnlshed speaklng, Lhe growllng uoberman abrupLly llfLed hls fronL paws off Lhe
paLh and whlrled, landlng nlneLy degrees souLh. Pls gaze lndlcaLed Lhe far slde of Lhe park.

Crlffln sald sofLly, vlslLors, boy?" Pe gave a hand slgnal, and Lhe dog raced lnLo Lhe Lrees.
Crlffln Lurned on SmlLh and exploded, CeL ouL of here, !on! Co. now!" Pe dashed afLer Lhe
uoberman, a sLocky shadow movlng wlLh lncredlble speed.

Man and dog vanlshed among Lhe Lhlck Lrees of Lhe dark park.

lor a momenL SmlLh was sLunned. Was lL for hlm 8lll was afrald or for hlmself? Cr for boLh of
Lhem? lL appeared hls old frlend had Laken a greaL rlsk Lo warn hlm and Lo ask hlm Lo do whaL
nelLher would have once consldered--- abandon [ob and accounLablllLy.

1o go Lhls far, 8lll's back had Lo be slammed up agalnsL a very unyleldlng wall.

WhaL ln Cod's name was 8lll Crlffln mlxed up ln?

A shlver shoL up SmlLh's splne. A pulse aL hls Lemple began Lo Lhrob. 8lll was rlghL. Pe was ln
danger, aL leasL here ln Lhls dark park. Cld hablLs reseLLled Lhemselves on hlm llke a long-
wwwavs!"o#co%
forgoLLen cloak. Pls senses grew acuLe, and he experLly surveyed Lhe Lrees and lawns.

Pe sprlnLed away along Lhe edge of Lhe dark Lrees whlle hls mlnd conLlnued Lo work. Pe had
assumed Lhe way 8lll had found hlm was Lhrough l8l channels, buL 8lll was no longer ln Lhe l8l.

SmlLh's sLay aL Lhe Wllbraham PoLel had been known only Lo hls flancee, Lo hls boss, and Lo Lhe
clerk who had made hls Lravel arrangemenLs aL lorL ueLrlck. no way would any of Lhem have
revealed hls whereabouLs Lo a sLranger, no maLLer how convlnclng Lhe sLranger was.

So how had 8lll--- a man who clalmed Lo be ouL of governmenL--- managed Lo learn where he
had been sLaylng ln London?

__________

An unllghLed black llmouslne lurked ln Lhe shadow of Lhe old mlll near Lhe 1llden SLreeL
enLrance Lo 8ock Creek park. Alone ln Lhe backseaL saL nadal al-Passan, a Lall man wlLh a dark
face as narrow and sharp as a haLcheL. Pe was llsLenlng Lo hls subordlnaLe, SLeve Maddux, who
leaned lnslde Lhe wlndow, reporLlng.

Maddux had been runnlng, and hls face was red and sweaLy. lf 8lll Crlffln's ln LhaL park, Mr. al-
Passan, he's a goddamn ghosL. All l saw was Lhe army doc Laklng a walk." Pe breaLhed hard,
Lrylng Lo caLch hls breaLh.

lnslde Lhe luxury car, Lhe bones and hollows of Lhe Lall man's face were deeply pocked, Lhe
mark of a rare survlvor of Lhe once-dreaded smallpox. Pls black eyes were hooded, cold, and
expresslonless. l have Lold you before, Maddux, you wlll noL blaspheme whlle you work for
me."

Pey, sorry. Ckay? !esus Chr-"

Llke a cobra sLrlklng, Lhe Lall man's arm snaked ouL, and hls long flngers clamped on Maddux's
LhroaL.

Maddux wenL pasLy wlLh fear, and he made sLrangllng sounds as he blL off Lhe curse. SLlll, Lhe
unsald syllables hung ln Lhe darkness Lhrough an omlnous sllence. llnally, Lhe hand on hls
LhroaL relaxed a fracLlon. SweaL drlpped off Maddux's forehead.

1he eyes lnslde Lhe car were llke mlrrors, gllsLenlng surfaces no one could see behlnd. 1he volce
was decepLlvely quleL. ?ou wlsh Lo dle so soon?"

Pey," Lhe scared man sald hoarsely, you're a Musllm. WhaL's wrong wlLh---"

All Lhe propheLs are sacred. Abraham, Moses, !esus. All!"

Ckay, okay! l mean, !es-" Maddux quaked as Lhe claw LlghLened on hls LhroaL. Pow'm l
s'posed Lo know LhaL?"

lor anoLher lnsLanL, Lhe flngers squeezed. 1hen Lhe Lall man leL go. Pls arm wlLhdrew. erhaps
you are rlghL. l expecL Loo much from sLupld Amerlcans. 8uL you know now, yes, and you wlll
wwwavs!"o#co%
noL forgeL agaln." lL wasn'L a quesLlon.

Wheezlng, Maddux gasped, Sure, sure, Mr. al-Passan. Ckay."

1he sharp-faced man, al-Passan, examlned Maddux wlLh hls cold, mlrrored eyes. 8uL !on SmlLh
was Lhere." Pe saL back ln Lhe gloom of Lhe car, Lalklng sofLly as lf Lo hlmself. Cur man ln
London flnds SmlLh changed hls fllghL and was mlsslng from London all day. ?our men plck hlm
up aL uulles, buL lnsLead of drlvlng home Lo Maryland, he comes here. AL Lhe same Llme, our
esLeemed colleague sllps away from our hoLel and l follow hlm Lo Lhls vlclnlLy before he eludes
me. ?ou fall Lo flnd hlm ln Lhe park, buL lL ls a sLrange colncldence, wouldn'L you say? Why ls Lhe
assoclaLe of ur. 8ussell here lf noL Lo meeL our Mr. Crlffln?"

Maddux sald noLhlng. Pe had learned mosL of hls boss's quesLlons were spoken aloud Lo some
unseen parL of hlmself. nervously he leL Lhe sllence sLreLch. Around Lhe llmo and Lhe Lwo men,
Lhe wlld park seemed Lo breaLhe wlLh a llfe of lLs own.

LvenLually al-Passan shrugged. erhaps l am wrong. erhaps lL ls a mere colncldence, and
Crlffln has noLhlng Lo do wlLh why Colonel SmlLh ls here. lL does noL really maLLer, l suppose.
1he oLhers wlll Lake care of Colonel SmlLh, yes?"

?ou goL lL." Maddux nodded emphaLlcally. no way he geLs ouL of u.C."

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
FIVE

___________________

1:34 A.M., 1uesday, CcLober 14


ln her offlce, Sophla 8ussell fllcked on her desk lamp and collapsed lnLo her chalr, weary and
frusLraLed. vlcLor 1remonL had called Lhls mornlng Lo reporL LhaL noLhlng ln hls eru [ournals
menLloned Lhe sLrange vlrus she had descrlbed or Lhe lndlan Lrlbe called Lhe Monkey 8lood
eople. 1remonL was her besL ouLslde lead, and she was devasLaLed he had been unable Lo
help.

AlLhough she and Lhe resL of Lhe ueLrlck mlcroblology sLaff had conLlnued Lo work around Lhe
clock, Lhey were no closer Lo resolvlng Lhe LhreaL posed by Lhe vlrus. under Lhe elecLron
mlcroscope Lhe new vlrus showed Lhe same globular shape wlLh halrllke proLruslons of some of
lLs proLelns, much llke a flu vlrus. 8uL Lhls vlrus was far slmpler Lhan any lnfluenza muLaLlon and
far more deadly.

AfLer Lhey had falled Lo flnd a maLch among Lhe hanLavlruses, Lhey had rechecked Marburg,
Lassa, and Lbola, even Lhough Lhose relaLed klllers had no mlcroscoplc slmllarlLles Lo Lhe
unknown vlrus. 1hey Lrled every oLher ldenLlfled hemorrhaglc fever. 1hey Lrled Lyphold,
bubonlc plague, pneumonlc plague, menlnglLls, and Lularemla.

noLhlng maLched, and Lhls afLernoon she had flnally lnslsLed Ceneral klelburger reveal Lhe vlrus
and enllsL Lhe ald of Lhe CuC and Lhe oLher Level lour lnsLallaLlons worldwlde. Pe had sLlll been
relucLanL, Lhere were sLlll only Lhe Lhree cases. 8uL aL Lhe same Llme, Lhe vlrus appeared Lo be
LoLally unknown and hlghly leLhal, and lf he dld noL Lake Lhe proper sLeps and a pandemlc
resulLed, he would be responslble. So, grumbllng, he had flnally acqulesced and senL off full
explanaLory memos and blood samples Lo Lhe CuC, Lhe Speclal aLhogens 8ranch of WPC,
orLon uown ln Lhe u.k., Lhe unlverslLy of Anvers ln 8elglum, Cermany's 8ernard nochL
lnsLlLuLe, Lhe speclal paLhogens branch of Lhe asLeur lnsLlLuLe ln lrance, and all Lhe oLher Level
lour labs around Lhe globe.

now Lhe flrsL of Lhe reporLs were comlng ln from Lhe oLher PoL Zone labs. Lveryone agreed Lhe
vlrus seemed llke a hanLavlrus, buL maLched noLhlng ln any of Lhelr daLa banks. All Lhe reporLs
from Lhe CuC and Lhe forelgn laboraLorles showed no progress. All conLalned desperaLe, lf
lnformed, guesses.

ln her offlce, Llred Lo Lhe marrow, Sophla leaned back ln her desk chalr and massaged her
Lemples, Lrylng Lo ward off a headache. She glanced aL her waLch and was shocked Lo see Lhe
Llme. Cood Cod, lL was nearly 2:00 A.M.

Worry llnes furrowed her brow. Where was !on? lf he had arrlved home lasL nlghL as scheduled,
wwwavs!"o#co%
he would have been ln Lhe lab Loday. 8ecause of her franLlc work schedule, she had noL
LhoughL Loo much abouL hls absence. now, desplLe her Llredness and headache and her lnlLlal
worrles abouL !on, she could noL help smlllng. She had a forLy-one-year-old flance who sLlll had
all Lhe curloslLy and lmpulslveness of a LwenLy-year-old. Wave a medlcal mysLery ln fronL of !on,
and he was off llke a racehorse. Pe musL have found someLhlng fasclnaLlng LhaL had delayed
hlm.

SLlll, he should have called by now. Soon he would be a full day laLe.

Maybe klelburger had ordered hlm somewhere ln secreL, and !on could noL call. 1haL'd be [usL
llke Lhe general. never mlnd she was !on's flancee. lf Lhe general had senL !on off, she would
learn abouL lL wlLh Lhe resL of Lhe sLaff, when Lhe general was good and ready Lo announce lL.

She saL up ln her chalr, Lhlnklng. 1he sclenLlflc sLaff was worklng Lhrough Lhe nlghL, even Lhe
general, who never passed up an opporLunlLy Lo be noLlced ln Lhe rlghL way. AbrupLly furlous
and anxlous abouL !on, she marched ouL, headlng for hls offlce.

__________

8rlg. Cen. Calvln klelburger, h.u., was one of Lhose blg, beefy men wlLh loud volces and noL
Loo many bralns Lhe army loved Lo ralse Lo Lhe rank of colonel and Lhen freeze Lhere. 1hese
men were someLlmes Lough and always mean buL had few people skllls and less dlplomacy.
1hey Lended Lo be called 8ull or 8uck. SomeLlmes offlcers wlLh Lhose nlcknames made hlgher
rank, buL Lhey were small, felsLy men wlLh blg [aws.

Pavlng achleved one sLar beyond whaL he could reasonably have expecLed, 8rlgadler Ceneral
klelburger abandoned acLual medlcal research ln Lhe heady llluslon of rlslng Lo full general wlLh
Lroop command. 8uL Lo lead armles, Lhe servlce wanLed smarL offlcers who could work well
wlLh Lhe necessary clvlllan offlclals. klelburger was so busy promoLlng hlmself he dld noL see hls
smarLesL move was Lo be lnLelllgenL and LacLful. As a resulL, he was now sLuck admlnlsLerlng an
lrreverenL gang of mlllLary and clvlllan sclenLlsLs, mosL of whom dld noL Lake well Lo auLhorlLy ln
Lhe flrsL place, parLlcularly noL Lo narrow-mlnded bombasL llke klelburger's.

Cf Lhe unruly loL, LL. Col. !on SmlLh had Lurned ouL Lo be Lhe mosL lrreverenL, Lhe mosL
unconLrollable, Lhe mosL lrrlLaLlng. So ln answer Lo Sophla's quesLlon, klelburger bellowed, l
sure as hell dldn'L send Colonel SmlLh on any asslgnmenL! lf we had a senslLlve Lask, he'd be Lhe
lasL one l'd send, exacLly because of sLunLs llke Lhls!"

Sophla was as frosLy as klelburger was cholerlc. !on doesn'L pull `sLunLs.' "

Pe's a full day laLe when we need hlm here!"

unless you phoned hlm, how would he know we needed hlm?" Sophla snapped. Lven l dldn'L
know how bad Lhe slLuaLlon was unLll l sLarLed examlnlng Lhe vlrus. 1hen l was busy ln Lhe lab.
Worklng. l'm sure you remember whaL LhaL's llke." 1he LruLh was, she doubLed he had any
memorles of Lhe pressures and exclLemenL of lab work, because she had heard LhaL even ln
Lhose days he had preferred Lo shuffle papers and crlLlque oLher sclenLlsLs' noLes. She lnslsLed,
!on musL have a reason for belng laLe. Cr someLhlng he can'L conLrol ls deLalnlng hlm."

wwwavs!"o#co%
Such as whaL, uocLor?"

lf l knew, l wouldn'L be wasLlng your valuable Llme. Cr mlne. 8uL lL's noL llke hlm Lo be laLe
wlLhouL calllng me."

klelburger's florld face sneered. l'd say lL's very much llke hlm. Pe's a goddamn plraLe looklng
for Lhe nexL chesL of gold, and he always wlll be. 1ake my word for lL, he's run lnLo an
`lnLeresLlng' medlcal problem or LreaLmenL or boLh and mlssed hls fllghL. lace lL, 8ussell, he's a
goddamn loose cannon, and afLer you're marrled you're golng Lo have Lo deal wlLh LhaL. l don'L
envy you."

Sophla compressed her llps, flghLlng a sLrong deslre Lo Lell Lhe general exacLly whaL she LhoughL
of hlm.

Pe sLared back, ldly undresslng her ln hls mlnd. Pe had always llked blondes. lL was sexy Lhe
way she pulled back her pale halr ln a ponyLall. Pe wondered wheLher she was blond
everywhere.

When she made no answer, he wenL on ln a more conclllaLory volce. uon'L sweaL lL, ur.
8ussell. Pe'll Lurn up soon. l hope so, anyway, because we need everyone we can geL on Lhls
vlrus. l suppose you have noLhlng Lo reporL?"

Sophla shook her head. 1o be frank, l'm abouL ouL of ldeas, and so ls Lhe resL of Lhe sLaff. 1he
oLher labs are sLruggllng, Loo. lL's early, buL all we're geLLlng so far from everyone ls negaLlves
and guesses."

klelburger Lapped hls desk ln frusLraLlon. Pe was a general, so he felL obllgaLed Lo do
someLhlng. ?ou say Lhls ls a LoLally unlque vlrus of a Lype never seen before?"

1here's always a flrsL one Lo be dlscovered."

klelburger groaned. 1hls could ruln any chance he had Lo break ouL of Lhe medlcal gheLLo and
move lnLo llne command.

Sophla was sLudylng hlm. May l make a suggesLlon, Ceneral?"

Why noL?" klelburger sald blLLerly.,

1he Lhree vlcLlms we have are wldely separaLed geographlcally. lus Lwo are abouL Lhe same
age, whlle one ls much younger. 1wo are male, one ls female. Cne ln acLlve servlce, one a
veLeran, and one clvlllan. Pow dld Lhey geL Lhe vlrus? WhaL was Lhe source? lL has Lo have been
cenLered somewhere. 1he odds are asLronomlcal agalnsL Lhree ouLbreaks wlLhln LwenLy-four
hours of Lhe same unknown vlrus Lhousands of mlles aparL."

As usual, Lhe general dld noL geL lL. WhaL's your polnL?"

unless we begln Lo see oLher vlcLlms cenLered ln one of Lhe Lhree locaLlons, we have Lo flnd
Lhe connecLlon among Lhe Lhree we do have. We need Lo sLarL lnvesLlgaLlng Lhelr llves. lor
lnsLance, maybe Lhey were all ln Lhe same hoLel room ln Mllwaukee slx monLhs ago. Maybe
wwwavs!"o#co%
LhaL's when all Lhree conLracLed lL." She paused. AL Lhe same Llme, we should comb Lhe
medlcal records ln Lhe Lhree areas for slgns of prevlous lnfecLlons LhaL could have produced
anLlbodles."

AL leasL lL was a poslLlve sLep, and lL would make klelburger look as lf he was acLlng declslvely.
l'll lnsLrucL Lhe sLaff Lo begln aL once. l wanL you and Colonel SmlLh Lo fly ouL Lo Callfornla flrsL
Lhlng ln Lhe mornlng Lo Lalk Lo Lhe people who knew Ma[or Anderson. ls LhaL clear?"

erfecLly, Ceneral."

Cood. LeL me know when SmlLh decldes Lo reLurn Lo work. l'm golng Lo chew hls ass!"

So mad she could noL even en[oy Lhe specLacle of klelburger acLlng ouL hls Pollywood
concepLlon of a Lough, no-nonsense Amerlcan hero, Sophla sLalked ouL of hls offlce.

ln Lhe corrldor, she looked up aL Lhe wall clock: 1:36 A.M. lresh worry overwhelmed her. Pad
someLhlng happened Lo !on? Where was he?

__________

2:03 A.M.

WashlngLon, u.C.

As he drove hls small 1rlumph Lhrough Lhe nlghL clLy, !on SmlLh, mulled whaL 8lll Crlffln had
Lold hlm, Lrylng Lo comprehend even Lhe unspoken hlnLs.

8lll sald he had lefL Lhe l8l. volunLarlly or by requesL?

LlLher way, 8lll was connecLed somehow Lo a new vlrus senL from some armed forces unlL for
uSAM8llu Lo sLudy. robably for Lhe lab ldenLlfy and suggesL Lhe besL meLhod of LreaLmenL. 1o
SmlLh, lL sounded rouLlne--- one of Lhe vlLal Lasks lorL ueLrlck had been esLabllshed Lo handle.

SLlll, 8lll Crlffln clalmed SmlLh was ln danger.

Pls Lralned uoberman sald more abouL Crlffln's sLaLe of mlnd Lhan any words he had uLLered.
Cbvlously, Crlffln belleved Lhere was perll, and noL [usL for !on buL for hlmself.

AfLer Lhelr meeLlng, !on had made hls way carefully along Lhe park's dark paLhs, sLopplng ofLen
Lo melL lnLo Lhe Lrees Lo make cerLaln he was noL belng followed. When aL lasL he had reached
hls resLored 1968 1rlumph, he had looked carefully around before geLLlng ln Lhe car, Lhen had
drlven souLh ouL of Lhe park, headlng away from Maryland and home, Lhe opposlLe of whaL a
pursuer would expecL. uesplLe Lhe laLe hour, Lrafflc had been moderaLe. noL unLll Lhe depLhs of
nlghL, someLlme around 4:00 A.M., would Lhe busLllng meLropolls flnally grow weary and lLs
maln arLerles empLy.

AL flrsL he had LhoughL a car was paclng hlm. So he had Lurned corners, sped up and slowed
down, and wound hls way Lo uuponL Clrcle and loggy 8oLLom and Lhen norLh agaln. lL had
Laken hlm more Lhan an hour of drlvlng, buL now he felL cerLaln no one was followlng hlm.
wwwavs!"o#co%

SLlll warlly waLchlng, he Lurned souLh agaln, Lhls Llme on Wlsconsln Avenue. 1rafflc was very
llghL here, and sLreeL lamps casL wlde yellow pools of lllumlnaLlon agalnsL Lhe dark nlghL. Pe
slghed wearlly. Cod, he wanLed Lo see Sophla. Maybe lL was safe aL lasL Lo go Lo her. Pe would
cross Lhe oLomac and Lake Lhe Ceorge WashlngLon arkway Lo 493 norLh--- headlng Lo
Maryland. 1o Sophla. !usL Lhlnklng abouL her made hlm smlle. 1he longer he was gone, Lhe
more he mlssed her. Pe could noL walL Lo hold her ln hls arms. Pe was nearlng Lhe rlver and
drlvlng Llredly beLween CeorgeLown's long rows of Lrendy bouLlques, eleganL booksLores,
fashlonable resLauranLs, bars, and clubs when a mammoLh Lruck, lLs englne rumbllng, pulled up
ln Lhe lefL lane nexL Lo hls small car.

lL was a slx-wheel dellvery Lruck, Lhe klnd LhaL doLLed every belLway and lnLersLaLe around
every clLy from Lhe ALlanLlc seaboard Lo Lhe aclflc coasL. AL flrsL SmlLh wondered whaL a Lruck
was dolng here slnce buslnesses and resLauranLs would noL open for dellverles for anoLher
Lhree or four hours. lnLeresLlngly, nelLher Lhe cab nor Lhe whlLe cargo secLlon dlsplayed a
company name, address, logo, slogan, phone number, or anyLhlng Lo mark whaL lL was
dellverlng or for whom.

1hlnklng longlngly of Sophla, SmlLh dld noL dwell on Lhe Lruck's unusual anonymlLy. SLlll, Lhe
evenLs of Lhe evenlng had acLlvaLed Lhe flnely honed sense of danger he had developed over
Lhe years of pracLlclng medlclne and commandlng aL Lhe fronL llnes where vlolence could erupL
mlnuLe Lo mlnuLe, where deaLh was close and real, where dlsease walLed Lo sLrlke from every
huL and bush. Cr maybe some movemenL, acLlon, or sound lnslde Lhe Lruck had caughL hls
aLLenLlon.

WhaLever lL was, a spllL second before Lhe behemoLh vehlcle suddenly pulled ahead and moved
Lo cuL off SmlLh's sporLs car, SmlLh knew lL was golng Lo do lL.

Adrenallne [olLed hlm. Pls LhroaL LlghLened. lnsLanLly he assessed Lhe slLuaLlon. As Lhe Lruck
Lurned lnLo hlm, he yanked hls sLeerlng wheel Lo Lhe rlghL. Pls car skldded and bounced up over
Lhe curb and onLo Lhe deserLed sldewalk. Pe had noL been golng all LhaL fasL--- [usL LhlrLy mlles
an hour--- buL drlvlng on a sldewalk, noL even a wlde one llke Lhls, aL LhlrLy mlles an hour was
lnsanlLy.

As Lhe Lruck roared alongslde, he foughL Lo conLrol hls car. WlLh exploslve crashes, he
sldeswlped a mallbox and llLLer bln and smashed a Lable off lLs pedesLal. Pe careened pasL Lhe
closed, sllenL doors of shops, bars, and clubs. uarkened wlndows flashed pasL llke bllnd eyes
wlnklng aL hlm. SweaLlng, he glanced lefL. 1he huge Lruck conLlnued Lo parallel hlm ouL on Lhe
sLreeL, walLlng for a chance Lo bore ln agaln and squash hlm agalnsL Lhe facade of a bulldlng. Pe
sald a sllenL prayer of Lhanks LhaL Lhe sldewalk was empLy of people.

uodglng Lrash cans, he saw Lhe Lruck's passenger-slde wlndow suddenly lower. A gun barrel
LhrusL ouL, almed dlrecLly aL hlm. lor an lnsLanL he was Lerrlfled. 1rapped on Lhe sldewalk, Lhe
Lruck blocklng Lhe avenue from hlm, he could nelLher hlde nor evade. And he was unarmed.
WhaLever Lhelr plans had been earller, now Lhey were counLlng on shooLlng hlm dead.

SmlLh Lapped hls brake and swerved so Lhe Lhug ln Lhe Lruck cab would have Lo conLend wlLh a
shlfLlng LargeL as he Lrled Lo flnd hls alm.

wwwavs!"o#co%
SweaL beaded on SmlLh's brow. 1hen for an lnsLanL he felL a sense of hope. Ahead lay an
lnLersecLlon. Pls hands were whlLe on Lhe sLeerlng wheel as he pushed Lhe 1rlumph Loward lL.

!usL as he acceleraLed, Lhe gun ln Lhe Lruck flred. 1he nolse was exploslve, buL Lhe bulleL was
Loo laLe. lL blasLed across Lhe 1rlumph's Lall and shaLLered a sLore wlndow. As glass bursL lnLo
Lhe alr, SmlLh lnhaled sharply. 1haL had been Loo damn close.

Pe glanced warlly agaln aL Lhe gun barrel as lL bounced ln Lhe Lruck's open wlndow. lorLunaLely,
he was closlng ln on Lhe lnLersecLlon. A bank sLood on one corner, whlle reLall buslnesses
occupled Lhe oLher Lhree.

And Lhen he had no more Llme. 1he lnLersecLlon was lmmedlaLely ahead, and Lhls mlghL be hls
only chance. Pe Look a deep breaLh. Cauglng dlsLance carefully, he slammed hls brakes. As Lhe
1rlumph shuddered, he swung Lhe sLeerlng wheel sharply rlghL. Pe had only seconds Lo check
Lhe Lruck as hls fleeL sporLs car swerved away off onLo Lhe cross sLreeL. 8uL ln Lhose few
momenLs he saw whaL he had hoped for: 1he vlcLlm of lLs own speed, Lhe Lruck hurLled ahead
down Lhe avenue and ouL of slghL.

LxulLlng lnslde, he gunned Lo full speed, hlL Lhe brakes agaln, and Lurned anoLher corner, Lhls
Llme onLo a leafy sLreeL of lederallsL row houses. Pe drove on, Lurnlng more corners and
waLchlng hls rearvlew mlrror Lhe whole Llme even Lhough he knew Lhe long Lruck could noL
posslbly have made a u-Lurn desplLe Lhe llghL Lrafflc of Lhe laLe nlghL.

8reaLhlng hard, he sLopped Lhe car aL lasL ln Lhe lacy shadows of a branchlng magnolla on a
dark resldenLlal sLreeL where 8MWs, Mercedeses, and oLher arLlfacLs of Lhe rlch lndlcaLed LhaL
Lhls was one of CeorgeLown's mosL ellLe nelghborhoods. Pe forced hls hands from Lhe sLeerlng
wheel and looked down. 1he hands were Lrembllng, buL noL from fear. lL had been a long Llme
slnce he had been ln Lrouble llke Lhls--- vlolenL Lrouble he had noL anLlclpaLed and dld noL wanL.
Pe Lhrew back hls head and closed hls eyes. Pe lnhaled deeply, amazed as always aL how
qulckly everyLhlng could change. Pe dld noL llke Lhe Lrouble. ...?eL Lhere was an older parL of
hlm LhaL undersLood lL. 1haL wanLed Lo be lnvolved. Pe LhoughL hls commlLmenL Lo Sophla had
ended all LhaL. WlLh her, he had noL seemed Lo need Lhe ouLslde perll LhaL ln Lhe pasL had
afflrmed he was fully, acLlvely allve.

Cn Lhe oLher hand, aL Lhls polnL he had no cholce.

1he klllers ln Lhe Lruck who had aLLacked hlm had Lo be parL of whaL 8lll Crlffln had Lrled Lo
warn hlm abouL. All Lhe quesLlons he had been mulllng ever slnce leavlng Lhelr mldnlghL
meeLlng reLurned:

WhaL was so speclal abouL Lhls vlrus?

WhaL was 8lll hldlng?

Warlly, he shoved Lhe car lnLo gear and drove onLo Lhe sLreeL. Pe had no answers, buL maybe
Sophla dld. As he LhoughL LhaL, hls chesL conLracLed. Pls mouLh wenL dry. A Lerrlble fear shoL
lce lnLo hls velns.

lf Lhey were Lrylng Lo klll hlm, Lhey could be Lrylng Lo klll her, Loo.
wwwavs!"o#co%

Pe glanced aL hls waLch: 2:32 A.M.

Pe had Lo call her, warn her, buL hls cell phone was sLlll aL hls house. Pe had seen no compelllng
reason Lo Lake lL Lo London. So now he needed a pay phone qulckly. Pls besL chance would be
on Wlsconsln Avenue, buL he dld noL wanL Lo rlsk anoLher aLLack from Lhe Lruck.

Pe needed Lo geL Lo lorL ueLrlck. now.

Pe hlL hls gas pedal, rushlng Lhe 1rlumph Loward C SLreeL. 1all Lrees passed ln a blur. Cld
vlcLorlans wlLh Lhelr ornaLe scrollwork and sharply polnLed roofs loomed over Lhe sldewalks
llke ghosL houses. Ahead was an lnLersecLlon wlLh lampllghL spllllng across lL ln sllver-gray
splashes. Suddenly car headllghLs appeared ahead, brlghL spoLllghLs ln Lhe dark nlghL. 1he car
was approachlng Lhe same lnLersecLlon as SmlLh's 1rlumph, buL from Lhe opposlLe dlrecLlon and
aL Lwlce Lhe speed.

SmlLh swore and checked Lhe crosswalk. 8undled agalnsL Lhe cool nlghL alr, a sollLary
pedesLrlan had sLepped off Lhe sldewalk. As Lhe man swayed and sang off-key from Loo much
whlskey, he sLaggered Loward Lhe oLher curb, swlnglng hls arms llke a Loy soldler. SmlLh's chesL
LlghLened. 1he man was headlng heedlessly lnLo Lhe paLh of Lhe acceleraLlng car.

1he drunk pedesLrlan never looked up. 1here was a sudden scream of brakes. Pelplessly SmlLh
waLched as Lhe speedlng car's fender sLruck hlm, and he flew back, arms wlde. WlLhouL
reallzlng lL, SmlLh had been holdlng hls breaLh. 8efore Lhe drunk could land ln Lhe guLLer, SmlLh
slammed hls brakes. AL Lhe same Llme, Lhe hlL-and-run drlver slowed for a momenL as lf puzzled
and Lhen rushed off agaln, vanlshlng around Lhe corner.

1he lnsLanL hls 1rlumph sLopped, SmlLh was ouL of Lhe car and runnlng Lo Lhe fallen man. All Lhe
nlghL sounds had dlsappeared from Lhe sLreeL. 1he shadows were long and Lhlck around Lhe
arLlflclal lllumlnaLlon of Lhe lnLersecLlon. Pe dropped Lo hls haunches Lo examlne Lhe man's
ln[urles [usL as anoLher car approached. 8ehlnd hlm, he heard a screech of brakes, and Lhe car
sLopped beslde hlm.

8elleved, he llfLed hls head and waved for help. 1wo men [umped ouL and ran Loward hlm. AL
Lhe same Llme, SmlLh sensed movemenL from Lhe ln[ured man.

Pe looked down: Pow do you feel?--" And froze. SLared.

1he vlcLlm" was noL only appralslng hlm wlLh alerL, sober eyes, he was polnLlng a Clock
semlauLomaLlc plsLol wlLh a sllencer up aL hlm. ChrlsL, you're a hard man Lo klll. WhaL Lhe hell
klnd of docLor are you anyway?"

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
SIh

___________________

2:37 A.M.

WashlngLon, u.C.

A parL of !on SmlLh was already ln Lhe pasL, back ln 8osnla and hls undercover sLlnL ln LasL
Cermany before Lhe wall came down. Shadows, memorles, broken dreams, small vlcLorles, and
always Lhe resLlessness. LveryLhlng he had LhoughL he had puL behlnd hlm.

As Lhe Lwo sLrangers pulled ouL weapons and sped Loward hlm Lhrough Lhe lnLersecLlon's llghL,
SmlLh grabbed Lhe wrlsL and upper arm of Lhe Lhug aL hls feeL. 8efore Lhe man could reacL,
SmlLh experLly pushed and pulled, feellng Lhe Lendons and [olnL do exacLly whaL he wanLed.

1he man's elbow snapped. Pe screamed and [erked, and hls face Lurned whlLe and LwlsLed ln
paln. As he passed ouL, Lhe Clock fell Lo Lhe pavemenL. All Lhls happened ln seconds. SmlLh gave
a grlm smlle. AL leasL he dld noL have Lo klll Lhe man. ln a slngle moLlon, he scooped up Lhe
weapon, rolled onLo hls shoulder, and came up on one knee wlLh Lhe plsLol cocked. Pe flred.
1he sllenced bulleL made a pop.

Cne of Lhe Lwo men runnlng aL hlm plLched forward, LwlsLlng ln agony on Lhe cold pavemenL.
As Lhe man grabbed hls Lhlgh where SmlLh's bulleL had enLered, Lhe second man dropped
beslde hlm. Lylng on hls belly, he llfLed hls head as lf he were on a flrlng range and SmlLh were a
sLaLlonary LargeL. 8lg mlsLake. SmlLh knew exacLly whaL Lhe man was golng Lo do. SmlLh
dodged, and hls aLLacker's sllenced gunshoL burned pasL hls Lemple.

now SmlLh had no cholce. 8efore Lhe man could shooL agaln or lower hls head, SmlLh flred a
second Llme. 1he bulleL exploded Lhrough Lhe aLLacker's rlghL eye, leavlng a black craLer. 8lood
poured ouL, and Lhe man plLched facedown, moLlonless. SmlLh knew he had Lo be dead.

Pls pulse Lhrobblng aL hls Lemples, SmlLh [umped up and walked cauLlously Loward Lhem. Pe
had noL wanLed Lo klll Lhe man, and he was angry Lo have been puL ln Lhe poslLlon where he
had Lo. Around hlm, Lhe alr seemed Lo sLlll vlbraLe from Lhe aLLack. Pe gazed qulckly up and
down Lhe sLreeL. no porch llghLs Lurned on. 1he laLe hour and Lhe sllenced bulleLs had kepL
secreL Lhe ambush.

Pe pulled an army-lssue 8ereLLa from Lhe llmp hand of Lhe man he had shoL ln Lhe eye and,
wlLh llLLle hope, checked hls vlLal slgns. ?es, he was dead. Pe shook hls head, dlsgusLed and
regreLful, as he removed weapons from Lhe reach of Lhe Lwo ln[ured men. 1he man wlLh Lhe
broken elbow was sLlll unconsclous, whlle Lhe one wlLh Lhe bulleL Lhrough hls Lhlgh swore a
sLrlng of curses and glared aL SmlLh.

SmlLh lgnored hlm. Pe hurrled back Loward hls 1rlumph. !usL Lhen Lhe nlghL rocked wlLh Lhe
wwwavs!"o#co%
sound of a large Lruck's approach. SmlLh whlrled. 1he broad whlLe expanse of Lhe unmarked,
slx-wheel dellvery Lruck sped lnLo Lhe lnLersecLlon. Somehow Lhese klllers had found hlm agaln.

Pow?

ln combaL, Lhere ls a Llme Lo sLand and flghL, and a Llme Lo run llke hell. SmlLh LhoughL abouL
Sophla and sprlnLed down a row of loomlng vlcLorlan houses close Lo Lhe sldewalk. ln some
backyard a lonely dog barked, followed lnsLanLly by an answerlng bark. Soon Lhe anlmals' calls
echoed across Lhe old nelghborhood. As Lhey dled away, SmlLh slld lnLo Lhe black shadows of a
Lhree-sLory vlcLorlan wlLh LurreLs, cupolas, and a wlde porch. Pe was aL leasL a hundred yards
from Lhe lnLersecLlon. Crouched low, he looked back and sLudled Lhe scene. Pe memorlzed Lhe
parked cars and Lhen focused on Lhe Lruck, whlch had sLopped. A shorL, heavy man had [umped
from Lhe cab Lo bend over Lhe Lhree wounded men. SmlLh dld noL recognlze hlm, buL he knew
LhaL Lruck.

1he man waved urgenLly. AnoLher Lwo men exlLed Lhe cab and ran Lo carry away Lhe ln[ured
aLLackers whlle Lhe flrsL man ralsed Lhe Lruck's rear accordlon door. A half-dozen men plled ouL
over Lhe LallgaLe and walLed, Lhelr heads swlvellng as Lhey examlned Lhe nlghL. Lven ln Lhe
caprlclous moonllghL, SmlLh could see Lhe heavy man's face gllsLen wlLh sweaL as he lssued
orders.

1he Lwo wounded men and Lhe corpse were puL lnLo Lhe car LhaL had pulled up alongslde
SmlLh, and one of Lhe men drove lL qulckly away, headlng norLh. 1hen Lhe blg dellvery Lruck
lefL, Loo, golng souLh Loward Lhe rlver, whlle Lhe leader senL hls men off ln palrs, no doubL Lo
search for !on SmlLh. WlLh luck, each would assume he was more Lhan a maLch for a forLy-year-
old, sedenLary research sclenLlsL, desplLe Lhe reporLs of Lhelr Lwo survlvlng comrades. An lvory-
Lower freak who wore a mlllLary unlform as a courLesy and had goLLen lucky--- people had
made LhaL mlsLake abouL SmlLh before.

Pe llsLened from hls hldlng place unLll Lwo of Lhem drew close. 1hls palr he would have Lo
neuLrallze somehow. Pe Lurned and loped off lnLo Lhe shadows, maklng sure Lhey heard hlm.
1hey Look Lhe balL, and a wlde gap opened beLween Lhe palr and Lhe oLhers as Lhey pursued
hlm. All hls nerves were aflre as he LroLLed across dark yards, waLchlng everywhere. lour blocks
beyond Lhe lnLersecLlon, he found a comblnaLlon LhaL would work: A whlLe, Colonlal-sLyle
manslon sLood llghLless up aL Lhe end of a shorL drlve, whlle off Lo Lhe slde was a gazebo, nearly
lnvlslble ln Lhe camouflage of nlghL and Lhe Lhlck Lrees and bushes LhaL marked Lhe properLy.

Pe coughed and scuffed hls shoes agalnsL Lhe drlveway Lo make sure Lhey would hear and Lhlnk
he was headlng off Lo hlde aL Lhe manslon.

1hen he sllpped lnLo Lhe secluded gazebo. Pe had been rlghL--- Lhrough lLs laLLlced walls he had
a clear vlew of Lhe properLy. Pe seL Lhe Clock and 8ereLLa on a bench, he dld noL plan Lo use
Lhem for anyLhlng more Lhan lnLlmldaLlon. no, Lhls work had Lo be done ln sllence and wlLh
speed.

Cne long mlnuLe passed.

Could Lhey have somehow guessed whaL he was dolng and called ln Lhe resL of Lhe Leam? AL
Lhls momenL, were Lhey clrcllng Lo come up from behlnd? Pe wlped a hand across hls forehead,
wwwavs!"o#co%
removlng sweaL. Pls hearL seemed Lo Lhunder.

1wo mlnuLes... Lhree mlnuLes...

A shadow emerged from Lhe Lrees and ran Loward Lhe lefL slde of Lhe blg house.

1hen a second ran Loward Lhe rlghL slde.

SmlLh lnhaled. 1hugs, clvlllan or mlllLary, were predlcLable. WlLhouL much lmaglnaLlon, Lhelr
LacLlcal ldeas were rudlmenLary--- Lhe dlrecL charge of Lhe bull, or Lhe slmple ruse of a
schoolboy quarLerback who always looked Lhe opposlLe way from where he lnLended Lo Lhrow
Lhe fooLball.

1he Lwo closlng ln llke plncers ln Lhe nlghL were beLLer Lhan mosL, buL llke CusLer aL LlLLle 8lg
Porn or Lord Chelmsford aL lsandhlwana agalnsL Lhe Zulu, Lhey had done hlm Lhe favor of
spllLLlng Lhelr forces so he could Lake Lhem on one aL a Llme. Pe had hoped Lhey would.

1he bolder padded around Lhe manslon's rlghL slde, beLween lL and Lhe gazebo. 1haL was a
break for SmlLh. As Lhe man conLlnued on, SmlLh crepL Loward hlm from behlnd. Pe sLepped on
a Lwlg. lL was a sofL snap, buL loud enough Lo alerL Lhe aLLacker. SmlLh's hearL seemed Lo sLop.
1he man whlrled around, plsLol rlslng Lo flre.

SmlLh acLed lnsLanLly. A slngle powerful rlghL flsL Lo Lhe LhroaL paralyzed Lhe vocal cords, a
sweeplng arc of rlghL leg smashed a slze-Lwelve shoe Lo Lhe slde of Lhe man's head, and he
dropped quleLly.

SmlLh slld back lnLo Lhe gazebo.

Cne... Lwo mlnuLes.

1he more cauLlous of Lhe palr maLerlallzed ln a paLch of moonllghL beLween Lhe gazebo and Lhe
fallen man. Pe had had Lhe sense Lo clrcle hls parLner ouL of slghL. 8uL LhaL was where hls
lmaglnaLlon ended, and he hurrled Lo kneel over Lhe fallen man.

!erry? !esus, whaL---" SmlLh's approprlaLed 8ereLLa smashed across Lhe back of Lhe benL head.

SmlLh dragged boLh unconsclous men lnLo Lhe gazebo. Crouched over Lhem, he panLed as he
llsLened Lo Lhe nlghL. 1he only dlsLlncLlve sound was of a dlsLanL car headlng souLh. WlLh rellef,
he lefL Lhe gazebo and loped Lhrough Lhe shadows of houses and Lrees back Lhe way he had
come. As he neared Lhe lnLersecLlon where he had been aLLacked, he slowed and llsLened
agaln. 1he only nolse was whaL sounded llke Lhe same car drlvlng ln Lhe opposlLe dlrecLlon, Lhls
Llme norLh.

Cn elbows and knees, a plsLol ln each hand, he crawled Lo wlLhln a fronL yard of Lhe
lnLersecLlon. 1he sprlnkllng of parked cars on elLher slde had noL changed, and hls 1rlumph sLlll
walLed aL Lhe curb where he had lefL lL Lo go Lo Lhe ald of Lhe fake vlcLlm. no one was ln slghL.

1here was no way Lhe slx-wheeler Lruck could have found hlm flrsL on Wlsconsln Avenue and
Lhen here. no one had LhaL klnd of luck. ?eL Lhe Lruck, Lhe car, and Lhe drunk" had creaLed a
wwwavs!"o#co%
dlverslon, lnLendlng hls deaLh.

1hey had Lo have known exacLly where he was.

Pe walLed as Lhe moon wenL down. 1he nlghL grew darker, a large owl hunLed Lhrough Lhe
Lrees, and Lhe dlsLanL car conLlnued Lo drlve souLh, Lhen norLh, Lhen souLh agaln, slowly maklng
lLs way closer Lo Lhe lnLersecLlon.

SaLlsfled LhaL no one was lurklng Lhere, SmlLh [umped up and ran Lo hls 1rlumph. Pe Look a
small flashllghL from Lhe glove comparLmenL and slld under Lhe car's rear. And Lhere lL was. no
lmaglnaLlon, no orlglnallLy. 1he brlghL funnel of hls flashllghL revealed a LransmlLLer no larger
Lhan hls Lhumbnall aLLached Lo Lhe car's undercarrlage by a powerful mlnl-magneL. 1he Lracklng
devlce's reader was probably ln Lhe Lruck or wlLh Lhe shorL, heavy leader.

Pe fllcked off Lhe flashllghL, sllpped lL lnLo hls pockeL, and removed Lhe Lracklng devlce. Pe
admlred Lhe creaLlvlLy LhaL had manufacLured such dellcaLe englneerlng. As he crawled ouL
from under Lhe 1rlumph, he noLlced Lhe car he had been monlLorlng was almosL aL Lhe
lnLersecLlon. Pe knelL beslde Lhe 1rlumph, waLchlng. 1he car was movlng slowly as Lhe drlver
plLched newspapers from hls rolled-down wlndow onLo Lhe lawns and drlveways of Lhe
nelghborhood.

1he drlver made a u-Lurn.

SmlLh sLood up and whlsLled. As Lhe car slowed ln Lhe lnLersecLlon, he ran Loward Lhe open
wlndow. Can l buy a paper from you?"

?eah, sure. l've goL some exLras."

SmlLh reached lnLo hls pockeL for change. Pe dropped a coln, benL Lo plck lL up, and wlLh a cool
smlle he sLuck Lhe mlcroLransmlLLer Lo Lhe car's undercarrlage.

SLralghLenlng, he Look Lhe newspaper and nodded. 1hanks. l appreclaLe lL."'

1he car drove on, and SmlLh [umped lnLo Lhe 1rlumph. Pe peeled away, hoplng hls Lrlck would
occupy hls assallanLs long enough for hlm Lo reach Sophla. 8uL lf Lhese aLLacks where parL of
whaL 8lll Crlffln had warned hlm would happen, Lhey knew who he was and where Lo flnd, hlm.
And where Lo flnd Sophla.

__________

4:07 A.M.


1he reporL from Lhe rlnce Leopold lnsLlLuLe of 1roplcal Medlclne ln 8elglum was Lhe Lhlrd
Sophla read afLer plunglng back lnLo work, Lhe lasL sclenLlsL sLlll Lhere. She was Loo worrled Lo
sleep. lf Lhe damned general was rlghL LhaL !on was off on one of hls enLhuslasms over some
medlcal developmenL, she would be furlous. SLlll, she hoped klelburger was rlghL, as LhaL would
mean she had no reason Lo be concerned.
wwwavs!"o#co%

She conLlnued sLudylng Lhe laLesL reporLs, buL noL unLll she reached Lhe one from Lhe rlnce
Leopold lab dld someLhlng flnally offer hope: ur. 8ene Clscours recalled a fleld reporL he had
read years ago whlle dolng a sLlnL aL a [ungle hosplLal far uprlver ln 8ollvlan Amazonla. Pe had
been preoccupled aL Lhe Llme baLLllng whaL appeared Lo be a new ouLbreak of Machupo fever,
noL far from Lhe rlver Lown of San !oaquln where karl !ohnson, kuns, and Mackenzle had flrsL
found Lhe deadly vlrus many years before. Pe had had no Llme for even Lhlnklng abouL an
unconflrmed rumor from far-off eru, so he had made a noLe and forgoLLen abouL lL.

8uL Lhe new vlrus had [ogged hls memory. Pe had checked Lhrough hls papers and found hls
orlglnal noLe--- buL noL Lhe acLual reporL. SLlll, Lhe noLe Lo hlmself back Lhen had emphaslzed an
apparenL comblnaLlon of hanLavlrus and hemorrhaglc fever sympLoms, as well as some
connecLlon Lo monkeys.

A surge of angry [usLlflcaLlon rushed Lhrough Sophla. ?es! AfLer vlcLor 1remonL had been
unable Lo help her, she had doubLed herself. now Clscours's reporL conflrmed her recollecLlon.
WhaL conLacL dld uSAM8llu have down Lhere? lf she was rlghL, Lhere had been no ma[or or
even mlnor ouLbreaks of LhaL vlrus slnce. Whlch meanL lL musL sLlll be conflned Lo Lhe narrow,
deep [ungle ln a remoLe parL of eru.

ln her dally logbook, she descrlbed her reacLlon Lo Lhe rlnce Leopold reporL, and she
summarlzed whaL she recalled of Lhe sLrange vlrus and her Lwo conversaLlons wlLh vlcLor
1remonL, slnce Lhey mlghL be relevanL now. She also wroLe some speculaLlons abouL how a
eruvlan vlrus could have been LransmlLLed beyond Lhe [ungle.

As she was wrlLlng, she heard Lhe door Lo her offlce open. Who---? Pope fllled her.

LxclLed, she spun her chalr around. !on? uarllng. Where Lhe hell---"

ln Lhe lnsLanL before her head exploded ln vlolenL paln and color, she had a gllmpse of four men
surroundlng her. none was !on. 1hen darkness.

__________

nadal al-Passan, dlsgulsed from head Lo fooL ln lab scrubs, meLhodlcally searched Lhe female
sclenLlsL's offlce desk. Pe read each documenL, reporL, noLebook, and memo. Pe sLudled every
flle. 1he Lask was offenslve, even Lhough he was proLecLed by surglcal gloves. Pe knew such
modern blasphemles occurred ln hls own counLry as well as many . oLher lslamlc, even Arab,
naLlons, buL he made no secreL of hls dlsLasLe. Allowlng females Lo sLudy and work beslde men
was noL only heresy, lL deflled boLh Lhe dlgnlLy of Lhe men and Lhe chasLlLy of Lhe women.
1ouchlng whaL Lhe woman had Louched deflled hlm.

8uL Lhe search was necessary, so he performed lL meLlculously, leavlng noLhlng unexamlned. Pe
found Lhe Lwo damaglng documenLs almosL aL once. Cne was Lhe only reporL open on her desk-
-- from Lhe rlnce Leopold lnsLlLuLe, by a ur. 8ene Clscours. 1he oLher was her handwrlLLen
phone record of ouLgolng calls LhaL Lhe uSAM8llu dlrecLor apparenLly requlred all personnel Lo
compleLe each monLh.
wwwavs!"o#co%

1hen he found her logbook muslngs abouL Lhe 8elglan reporL. lorLunaLely, lL fllled an enLlre
page, beglnnlng aL Lhe Lop and endlng aL Lhe boLLom. lrom a small leaLher case, he Look ouL a
pen-shaped, razorsharp drafLsman's blade. WlLh care and dellcacy, he exclsed Lhe page. Pe
examlned Lhe cuL Lo be cerLaln lL was lnvlslble, Lhen hld Lhe page ln hls scrubs. AfLer LhaL he
found noLhlng more of lmporLance.

Pls Lhree men, dressed ln ldenLlcal scrubs, were compleLlng Lhelr search of Lhe rows of flle
cablneLs.

Cne sald, CoL a new memo ln a flle 'bouL eru."

AnoLher sald, Couple of old flles Lalked abouL sLuff down ln SouLh Amerlca."

1he Lhlrd [usL shook hls head.

?ou read every documenL?" al-Passan snapped. Lvery flle? Looked ln every drawer?"

Llke you Lold us."

under everyLhlng? 8ehlnd anyLhlng LhaL moved?"

Pey, we aln'L sLupld."

Al-Passan had sLrong doubLs abouL LhaL. Pe found mosL WesLerners lazy and lncompeLenL. 8uL
from Lhe mess ln Lhe offlce, he declded Lhey had been Lhorough Lhls Llme.

very well. ?ou wlll now erase any lndlcaLlons of a search. LveryLhlng ls Lo be as lL was."

Whlle Lhey grumbled and reLurned Lo work, al-Passan sllpped on a second, Lhlcker palr of whlLe
rubber gloves. Pe Look a small refrlgeraLed meLal conLalner from a leaLher case, released a
pressure seal, and exLracLed a glass vlal. Pe carefully removed a hypodermlc syrlnge from Lhe
case, fllled lL from Lhe sealed vlal, and ln[ecLed Sophla ln Lhe veln of her lefL ankle.

AL Lhe prlck of Lhe needle, she sLlrred and moaned.

1he Lhree men heard. 1hey Lurned Lo look, and Lhelr faces wenL ashen.

CompleLe your Lasks," al-Passan sald harshly.

1he men dropped Lhelr gazes. As Lhey flnlshed sLralghLenlng Lhe offlce, al-Passan puL Lhe used
syrlnge lnslde a plasLlc conLalner, sealed lL, and reLurned lL Lo Lhe leaLher case. Pls men
lndlcaLed Lhey were flnlshed. Al-Passan lnspecLed Lhe offlce once more. SaLlsfled, he ordered
Lhem Lo leave. Pe gave one flnal glance aL Lhe now-moLlonless Sophla and saw Lhe sweaL LhaL
had beaded up on her face. When she groaned, he smlled and followed Lhem ouL.

___________________

CPA1L8
wwwavs!"o#co%

wwwavs!"o#co%
SEVEN

___________________

4:14 A.M.

1hurmonL, Maryland

A llghL wlnd rusLled Lhrough bushes and Lrees, carrylng Lhe sLlnk of apples roLLlng on Lhe
ground. !on SmlLh's Lhree-sLory, salLbox-sLyle house was seL back lnLo Lhe loomlng shoulder of
CaLocLln MounLaln. 1he place was dark, noL even a porch llghL Lo welcome hlm home, whlch
made hlm Lhlnk Sophla musL sLlll be aL Lhe lab. 8uL he had Lo be sure.

Pe was a block away, crouched behlnd an Suv, as he sLudled hls house, yard, and sLreeL. Pe
saw LellLale slgns: 1he Lrunk of Lhe old apple Lree was Loo Lhlck where someone sLood behlnd lL,
waLchlng. larLher up Lhe block, almosL hldden by Lwo Lall oak Lrees, Lhe hood of a black
Mercedes proLruded from a drlveway of nelghbors SmlLh knew owned only a 2000 8ulck Le
Sabre, whlch Lhey always parked ln Lhe garage.

Conslderlng how qulckly he had drlven home from CeorgeLown on Lhe almosL-deserLed
hlghway and roads, Lhere was no way Lhe palr walLlng here could have arrlved flrsL. Whlch
meanL Lhls was a second survelllance Leam, and LhaL alarmed hlm.

1he senLry ln fronL could see Lhe drlveway and garage doors. 1here was probably a man ln back,
Loo, Lo cover Lhe rear of Lhe house and garage. 8uL SmlLh could see no reason Lo wasLe a man
on Lhe slde of Lhe garage away from Lhe house.

Pe felL Lhe famlllar hollow of fear ln hls sLomach every soldler knows, buL also Lhe hoL rush of
adrenallne. Pe sllpped down an alley and sprlnLed behlnd Lhe houses unLll pasL hls sLreeL. 1hen
he recrossed ouL of slghL of Lhe hunLers. 8eglnnlng Lo sweaL agaln, he worked Lhrough a sLand
of sycamores Lo Lhe near slde of hls garage and sllLhered Lhe lasL, flve yards on hls elbows and
belly.

Pe llsLened. 1here was no sound behlnd Lhe house. Pe ralsed up Lo peer lnslde Lhe garage.

And slghed wlLh rellef. lL was empLy. Sophla's old green uodge was gone. She musL have been
aL lorL ueLrlck all Lhls Llme. lf so, she had never recelved hls message, and LhaL explalned Lhe
lack of a porch llghL. Pe breaLhed deeply, lnsLanLly feellng beLLer.

8eLraclng hls paLh, he hurrled back Lo hls 1rlumph and drove Lo a phone booLh a quarLer mlle
away. Pe could noL walL Lo hear her volce. Pe dlaled her work number. AfLer four rlngs, Lhe
machlne plcked up. l'm ouL of my offlce or ln Lhe lab. lease leave a message. l'll reLurn your
call as soon as posslble. 1hank you."

1he brlghL sound of her sLrong volce gave hlm a sharp pang and anoLher feellng he could noL
wwwavs!"o#co%
explaln. Lonellness?

Pe dlaled agaln. 1he volce LhaL answered was all buslness, whlch was reassurlng, parLlcularly
conslderlng Lhe clrcumsLances: unlLed SLaLes Army, lorL ueLrlck. SecurlLy."

1hls ls LL. Col. !onaLhan SmlLh, uSAM8llu."

8ase lu, Colonel?"

Pe gave hls number.

1here was a pause. 1hank you, Colonel. Pow can we help you?"

ConnecL me Lo Lhe desk guard aL uSAM8llu."

Cllcks, beeps, and a new volce. uSAM8llu. SecurlLy. Crasso."

Crasso, !on SmlLh. LlsLen---"

Pey, Colonel, you're back. LveryLhlng okay? uoc 8ussell's been askln'---"

l'm flne, Crasso. lL's ur. 8ussell l'm calllng abouL. She's noL answerlng her phone. ?ou know
where she ls?"

She's on Lhe nlghL llsL l goL when l came on, and l aln'L seen her leave."

WhaL Llme dld you come on?"

MldnlghL. She's probably ln Lhe lab and noL hearlng noLhlng."

SmlLh glanced aL hls waLch: 4:42 A.M.

Could you go up and check?"

Sure, Colonel. Call you back."

SmlLh reclLed Lhe phone number. Lvery second seemed llke a mlnuLe, and every mlnuLe lL was
harder Lo breaLhe. 1he cool nlghL seemed sLlfllng. 1he phone booLh suffocaLed hlm.

When Lhe phone rang aL lasL, he almosL [umped. ?es?"

noL Lhere, Colonel. Cfflce and lab are boLh closed up."

Any slgn of Lrouble?"

nope. LveryLhlng's packed away and covered up." Crasso sounded a llLLle defenslve. uamned
lf l know how l mlssed her. l guess she could've gone ouL one of Lhe oLher exlLs. ?ou could check
wlLh Lhe gaLe guard."

wwwavs!"o#co%
1hanks, Crasso. ?ou wanL Lo Lransfer me?"

Pold on, uoc."

A dlfferenL and very sleepy volce spoke: lorL ueLrlck. CaLe. Schroeder." 1hls ls LL. Col.
!onaLhan SmlLh, uSAM8llu. uld ur. Sophla 8ussell leave Lhe base LonlghL, Schroeder?"

uon'L know, Colonel. uon'L know ur. 8ussell. 1ry Lhe guy aL uSAM8llu."

SmlLh swore under hls breaLh. 1he clvlllan securlLy guards were always changlng, and Lhey
worked longer shlfLs Lhan Ms. lL was noL unknown for Lhem Lo doze ln Lhe gaLe klosk. 1he
barrler would sLop any cars Lrylng Lo enLer, and lf lL dld noL, Lhe nolse would cerLalnly wake
Lhem up. 8uL no barrler sLopped cars leavlng.

Pe hung up. lL sounded as lf she could have been Loo Llred Lo drlve all Lhe way Lo 1hurmonL.
Whlch meanL she was llkely aL her old condo ln lrederlck, whlch she had [usL sold buL had noL
yeL fully moved ouL of. Pe could call Lhe condo, buL LhaL would Lell hlm noLhlng. When Lhey
worked around Lhe clock, Lhey always Lurned off Lhelr phone's rlnger Lo geL a few hours sleep.

As he sped Lhe car away, hls mlnd raced. She had been so Llred she lefL Lhe lab Lhrough one of
Lhe slde doors, noL wanLlng Lo run lnLo anyone. 1haL was loglcal. !usL whaL she would have
done. 1he gaLe guard had mlssed her, probably asleep. She would go Lo her condo. Pe would
sllp lnLo bed beslde her. She would sense hls presence wlLhouL waklng up. She would smlle ln
her sleep, murmur, and move close Lo Louch hlm. Per hlp would press warm agalnsL hlm. Pe
would smlle, klss her shoulder llghLly, waLch her sleep before he fell asleep hlmself. Pe would . .
.

__________

lew guldebooks llsLed lorL ueLrlck as one of Lhe aLLracLlons Lo Lhe hlsLorlc ClLy of lrederlck.
WlLh lLs chaln-llnk fence and guard posL aL Lhe enLrance, ueLrlck was a medlum-secure army
base seL ln Lhe mlddle of a resldenLlal area. Sophla's condo was flve blocks away. arked up Lhe
sLreeL agaln, SmlLh saw no slgns of anyone waLchlng here. Pe sLepped from Lhe 1rlumph, closed
Lhe door sofLly, and llsLened. Pe heard Lhe dlsLanL coughs of sleepers. 1he occaslonal laughLer
or a volce ralsed ln drunken anger. A sollLary car squeallng around a Lurn. 1he consLanL low
hum LhaL was Lhe clLy lLself.

8uL no clandesLlne sounds or movemenLs he could ldenLlfy as LhreaLenlng.

Pe used hls key Lo Lhe lobby of Lhe Lhree-sLory condo bulldlng and sLrode across Lhe exposed
expanse of Lhe Llle and carpeL Lo Lhe elevaLors. All were empLy aL Lhls hour.

Cn Lhe Lhlrd floor, Lhe Clock ln hls hand, he sLepped off warlly. 1he corrldor echoed Lo hls
fooLfalls llke Lhe empLy rooms of an anclenL Lomb. When he reached her door, he llsLened
agaln. Pe heard noLhlng from lnslde. Pe Lurned Lhe key, Lhe quleL Lumblers cllcklng ln hls mlnd
loud as exploslons.

SllenLly he pulled open Lhe door and dropped flaL Lo Lhe carpeLlng lnslde.

wwwavs!"o#co%
1he aparLmenL was dark. noLhlng sLlrred. Pls hand felL a fllm of dusL coverlng Lhe slde Lable
near Lhe door.

Pe sLood and gllded Lhrough Lhe shadowy llvlng room Lo Lhe shorL corrldor LhaL led Lo Lhe Lwo
bedrooms. 8oLh were empLy, Lhe beds made, and unused. 1he klLchen showed no slgn LhaL
anyone had eaLen a meal or prepared even a cup of coffee. 1he slnk was dry. 1he refrlgeraLor
was sllenL, Lurned off weeks ago.

She had noL been here.

leellng numb, SmlLh walked llke a roboL back lnLo Lhe llvlng room. Pe Lurned on llghLs. Pe
lnspecLed for slgns of an aLLack, an ln[ury, even a search.

noLhlng. 1he condo was as clean and undlsLurbed as an exhlblL ln a museum.

lf Lhey had kllled or kldnapped her, lL had noL been here.

She was noL aL Lhe lab. She was noL aL Lhe house ln 1hurmonL. She was noL here. And he had no
lndlcaLlons LhaL anyLhlng had happened Lo her aL any of Lhose places.

Pe needed help, and he knew lL.

1he flrsL sLep was Lo call Lhe base and alerL Lhem Lo her dlsappearance. 1hen Lhe pollce. l8l. Pe
grabbed Lhe porLable Lelephone Lo dlal ueLrlck.

Pls hand froze mldalr. CuLslde ln Lhe corrldor, fooLsLeps echoed along Lhe walls.

Pe swlLched off Lhe llghLs and seL Lhe phone on Lhe Lable. Pe dropped Lo one knee behlnd Lhe
couch, Lhe Clock ln hls hand Lralned on Lhe door.

Someone advanced halLlngly Loward Sophla's condo, bumplng lnLo walls, progresslng ln flLs and
sLarLs. A drunk sLaggerlng home?

1he sLeps sLopped wlLh a hard Lhump agalnsL Sophla's door. 1here was ragged breaLhlng. A key
probed for Lhe lock.

Pe Lensed. 1he door swung open as lf flung.

ln Lhe shafL of llghL, Sophla swayed. Per cloLhes were Lorn and sLalned as lf she had been
crawllng ln a guLLer.

SmlLh leaped forward. Sophla!"

She sLaggered ln, and he caughL her before she collapsed. She gasped, baLLled for breaLh. Per
face burned wlLh fever.

Per black eyes sLared up aL hlm, Lrled Lo smlle. ?ou're . . . back, darllng. Where . . . where were
you?"

wwwavs!"o#co%
l'm so sorry, Soph. l had an exLra day, l wanLed..."

Per hand reached up Lo lnLerrupL hlm. Per volce sounded dellrlous. ...lab ...aL Lhe lab
...someone ...hlL ..."

She fell back ln hls arms, unconsclous. Per skln was pasLy. 1wo brlghL fevered spoLs glowed on
her cheeks. Per beauLlful face was plnched wlLh paln. She was Lerrlbly lll. WhaL had happened
Lo her? 1hls was noL [usL slmple exhausLlon.

Soph? Soph! Ch my Cod, Soph?"

1here was no response. She was llmp, unconsclous.

Shaken and Lerrlfled, he fell back on hls medlcal Lralnlng. Pe was a docLor. Pe knew whaL Lo do.
Pe lald her on Lhe couch, grabbed Lhe porLable phone, and dlaled 911 as he checked her pulse
and breaLhlng. 1he pulse was weak and rapld. She breaLhed ln labored gasps. She burned. 1he
sympLoms of acuLe resplraLory dlsLress plus fever.

Pe yelled lnLo Lhe phone, AcuLe resplraLory dlsLress. ur. !onaLhan SmlLh, dammlL. CeL here.
now!"

__________

1he unmarked van was almosL lnvlslble beneaLh Lhe Lree on Lhe sLreeL ouLslde Sophla 8ussell's
aparLmenL. Above, a weak sLreeLllghL hardly plerced Lhe nlghL, glvlng Lhe van's lnhablLanLs
exacLly whaL Lhey wanLed--- darkness and camouflage. lrom Lhe lnLerlor gloom, 8lll Crlffln
waLched Lhe paramedlc van, lLs beacons flashlng blue and red, ln fronL of Lhe Lhree-sLory condo
bulldlng LhaL blazed wlLh llghL across Lhe sLreeL.

nadal al-Passan's haLcheL face spoke from Lhe drlver's seaL, ur. 8ussell should noL have been
able Lo leave her laboraLory alone. She should never have reached Lhls far."

8uL she dld boLh." Crlffln's round face was neuLral. ln Lhe darkness, hls brown, mld-lengLh halr
was ebony. Pls blg shoulders and muscular body appeared relaxed. 1hls was a dlfferenL, harder,
colder man Lhan Lhe one who had meL hls frlend !on SmlLh [usL hours ago ln WashlngLon's 8ock
Creek park.

Al-Passan sald, l dld whaL was ordered for Lhe woman. lL was Lhe only way she could be
handled wlLhouL susplclon."

Crlffln's sllence covered Lhe Lurmoll lnslde hlm. 1he sudden and unforeseen lnvolvemenL of !on
was someLhlng he had never lmaglned. Pe had Lrled Lo warn !on off, buL al-Passan had senL
Maddux afLer !on ln WashlngLon before !on even had a chance Lo Lhlnk abouL runnlng. 1haL
would have Lold !on Lhe warnlng was Lrue, buL wlLh Lhe woman aLLacked, Loo, !on would noL
back away. Pow ln hell was he golng Lo save hls oldesL frlend now?

Pe and al-Passan had been walLlng for Lhe oLhers Lo locaLe SmlLh agaln when Lhe call from Lhelr
spy lnslde uSAM8llu, fake SpeclallsL lour Adele Schwelk, came ln on al-Passan's cell phone. 1he
moLlon sensor she had planLed ln Sophla 8ussell's offlce and lab had gone off, and when she
wwwavs!"o#co%
had acLlvaLed Lhe hldden vldeo camera, she had seen Sophla sLaggerlng from her offlce. She
had rushed Lo lorL ueLrlck, buL by Lhe Llme she had goLLen Lhere, 8ussell had vanlshed.

She couldn'L drlve ln her condlLlon," Schwelk had Lold al-Passan, so l checked her flle. She
owns a condo close Lo Lhe forL."

1hey had drlven sLralghL Lo Lhe bulldlng only Lo flnd Lhe paramedlcs already Lhere, and Lhe
whole bulldlng awakened by Lhe commoLlon. 1here was no way Lhey could geL lnslde wlLhouL
aLLracLlng aLLenLlon.

8lll Crlffln sald, Cnly way or noL, lf she can Lalk and Lells SmlLh Loo much, Lhe boss lsn'L golng Lo
be happy. And look aL Lhls."

lour paramedlcs pushed a gurney ouL Lhrough Lhe lobby doors. !on SmlLh sLrode alongslde Lhe
gurney holdlng Lhe hand of Lhe woman on Lhe sLreLcher as he benL close Lo Lalk Lo her. Pe
appeared obllvlous Lo anyLhlng else. Pe wenL on Lalklng and Lalklng.

Al-Passan cursed ln Arablc. We should have known of Lhe condo."

Crlffln had Lo Lake Lhe chance of maklng al-Passan haLe hlm more Lhan he already dld ln hopes
of goadlng Lhe Arab lnLo maklng a mlsLake. 8uL we dldn'L, and now Lhey're Lalklng. She's allve.
?ou blew lL, alPassan. ?our hlde's golng Lo be sLreLched for Lhls. now whaL do we do?"

nadal al-Passan's words were sofL. We follow Lhem Lo Lhe hosplLal. 1hen we make her dead
for cerLaln. And hlm, Loo." Pe Lurned Lo sLare aL Crlffln.

Crlffln knew al-Passan was waLchlng hls reacLlon for even Lhe sllghLesL hlnL of dlscomforL wlLh
Lhe ldea of kllllng !on. A falnL sLlffenlng, a fllnch, a mlcroscoplc shudder.

lnsLead, Crlffln nodded aL Lhe paramedlc van. Pls expresslon was arcLlc. lf necessary, we may
have Lo klll Lhem, Loo. Maybe Lhey heard her say someLhlng. l hope you're prepared for LhaL.
?ou're noL golng Lo wlmp ouL on me, are you? 1urn sofL?"

Al-Passan brlsLled. l had noL LhoughL of Lhe paramedlcs. Cf course, lf lL ls necessary, we wlll klll
Lhem." Pls eyes narrowed. Pe paused. lL ls posslble !on SmlLh ls converslng wlLh a corpse. Love
makes fools of even Lhe mosL lnLelllgenL. We wlll see wheLher she dles on her own. lf so, Lhen
we have only !on SmlLh Lo ellmlnaLe. 1haL makes our [obs easler, yes?"

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
EI(HT

___________________

3:32 A.M.

lrederlck, Maryland

Sophla lay ln Lhe curLalned lCu bed gasplng for breaLh, even under oxygen. Pooked Lo all Lhe
machlnes of a modern hosplLal, she was held capLlve by apparaLus unLouched by who she was
or whaL was wrong wlLh her. SmlLh held her fevered hand and wanLed Lo yell aL Lhe machlnes:
She's Sophla 8ussell. We Lalk. We laugh. We work LogeLher. We make love. We llve! We're
golng Lo be marrled Lhls sprlng. She's golng Lo geL well, and we'll marry ln [usL a few monLhs.
We're golng Lo llve LogeLher unLll we're old and gray and sLlll ln love."

Pe leaned close and sald ln a sLrong volce, ?ou'll be flne, Soph, my darllng." As he had Lold
counLless young soldlers lylng shaLLered ln a MASP unlL aL some fronL llne, he reassured,
?ou're golng Lo be well soon. ?ou'll be up and abouL and feellng a loL beLLer." Pe kepL Lhe fear
and worry from hls Lones. Pe had Lo bolsLer Lhelr morale, Lhere was always hope. 8uL Lhls was
Sophla, and he had Lo flghL harder Lhan he had ever foughL ln hls llfe Lo hlde hls despalr. !usL
hang on, darllng. lease, darllng," he whlspered. Pang on."

When she was consclous, she Lrled Lo smlle up aL hlm beLween shudderlng gasps for breaLh.
She squeezed hls hand weakly. 1he fever and sLruggle Lo breaLhe were dralnlng her.

She Lrled Lo smlle. ...where ...were ...you ..."

1enderly he lald a flnger on her llps. uon'L Lry Lo Lalk. ?ou need Lo concenLraLe on geLLlng well.
Sleep, darllng. 8esL, my beauLlful darllng."

Per eyes fell closed as lf Lhey were curLalns dropplng aL Lhe end of a play. She seemed Lo be
concenLraLlng, dlrecLlng all her faculLles lnward Lo baLLle whaLever was aLLacklng her. Pe
sLudled Lhe LranslucenL skln, Lhe flne bones, Lhe graceful arches of her brows. Per face had
always had a klnd of reflned beauLy LhaL was somehow made more appeallng by Lhe
lnLelllgence LhaL lay beneaLh. 8uL now LhaL fever wracked her, she looked Lhln and frall agalnsL
Lhe whlLe hosplLal sheeLs. Per skln was almosL LransparenL. Per fevered face had a Louch of
brllllance Lo lL LhaL frlghLened hlm.

A Lrlckle of blood appeared aL her lefL nosLrll.

Surprlsed, SmlLh dabbed aL lL wlLh a Llssue and moLloned Lo Lhe nurse. SLop LhaL bleedlng."

1he nurse Look Lhe box of gauze pads. She musL've broken a caplllary ln her nose, poor dear."

SmlLh dldn'L answer. Pe sLrode across Lhe room of machlnes and bllnklng llghLs Lo where ur.
wwwavs!"o#co%
!oslah WlLhers, Lhe hosplLal's pulmonary speclallsL, ur. Lrlc Mukogawa, Lhe lnLernlsL from lorL
ueLrlck, and CapL. uonald Cherlnl, uSAM8llu's besL vlrologlsL, were consulLlng ln low volces.
1hey looked up as SmlLh reached Lhem, concern on Lhelr faces.

Well?"

We've Lrled every anLlbloLlc we can Lhlnk of LhaL mlghL help," ur. WlLhers Lold hlm. 8uL lL
appears Lo be a vlrus, ur. SmlLh. All our efforLs Lo allevlaLe Lhe sympLoms have been useless.
She's responded Lo noLhlng."

SmlLh swore. Come up wlLh someLhlng. AL leasL sLablllze her!"

!on" ---CapLaln Cherlnl puL a hand on SmlLh's shoulder--- lL looks llke Lhe vlrus we goL ln Lhe
lab lasL weekend. We have every Level lour lab ln Lhe world worklng on lL, and so far we
haven'L a clue whaL lL ls or how Lo LreaL lL. lL looks llke a hanLavlrus, buL lL lsn'L. AL leasL noL llke
any hanLa we know." Pe grlmaced and shook hls head sadly. She musL've somehow been
conLamlnaLed---"

SmlLh sLared aL Cherlm. ?ou're saylng she made a mlsLake ln Lhe lab, uon? ln Lhe PoL Zone?
no way! She's a hell of a loL more careful and skllled Lhan LhaL!"

1he base lnLernlsL sald quleLly, We're dolng everyLhlng we can, Colonel."

1hen do more! uo beLLer! llnd someLhlng, for Cod's sake!"

uocLors! Colonel!"

1he nurse sLood over Lhe lCu bed where Sophla's whole body had [erked up lnLo a bow of
agony, as lf Lrylng Lo draw one slngle long breaLh.

SmlLh slammed Lhe oLhers aslde and ran. Sophla!"

As he reached her slde, she Lrled Lo smlle.

Pe Look her hand. uarllng?"

Per eyes fell closed, and her hand wenL llmp.

no!" he roared.

She seLLled lnLo Lhe bed as lf she were weary from a long [ourney. Per chesL sLopped movlng.
AfLer her long baLLle of gasps and panLs, Lhere was sudden, lrrevocable sllence. And before LhaL
could really reglsLer, blood gushed from her nose and mouLh.

Porrlfled, unbellevlng, SmlLh [erked hls head up Lo check Lhe monlLor. A green llne plodded
sLeadlly across Lhe screen. llaL. A flaLllne. ueaLh.

addles!" he bellowed.

wwwavs!"o#co%
1he nurse blL back a sob and produced Lhe shock resusclLaLlon elecLrodes.

Pe foughL panlc. Pe remlnded hlmself LhaL he had LreaLed ln[ured bodles ln bloody sklrmlshes
ln hoL spoLs around Lhe world. Pe was a Lralned physlclan. Pe saved llves. 1haL was hls [ob.
WhaL he dld besL. Pe was golng Lo save Sophla's llfe. Pe could do lL.

Pls gaze on Lhe monlLor, he lnlLlaLed Lhe shock. Sophla's body curved sllenLly ln an arc and fell
back.

Agaln! "

llve Llmes he Lrled, lncreaslng Lhe shock each Llme. Pe LhoughL he had broughL her back a
couple of Llmes. Pe was almosL sure she had responded aL leasL once. She could noL be dead. lL
was lmposslble.

CapLaln Cherlnl Louched hls wrlsL. !on?"

no!"

Pe shocked her agaln. 1he monlLors remalned flaL, unresponslve. lL had Lo be a mlsLake.
CerLalnly a nlghLmare. Pe musL be asleep and havlng a nlghLmare. Sophla was allve. lull of
vlLallLy. 8eauLlful as a summer day. And a smarL-aleck. Pe loved Lhe way she Leased hlm---

Pe snapped, Agaln!"

1he pulmonary speclallsL, ur. WlLhers, puL hls arm around SmlLh's shoulders. !on, leL go of Lhe
paddles."

SmlLh looked aL hlm. WhaL?"

8uL he released Lhe paddles, and WlLhers Look Lhem.

1he lnLernlsL, ur. Mukogawa, sald, l'm very sorry, !on. We all are. 1hls ls horrlble.
unbellevable." Pe moLloned Lo Lhe oLhers. We'll leave you alone. ?ou'll need some Llme."

1hey flled ouL. 1he curLalns closed around Sophla's bed, and a wasLeland of paln Look over
SmlLh's hearL. Pe shook. Pe dropped down on hls knees and pressed hls forehead agalnsL
Sophla's llmp arm. lL was warm. Pe wanLed Lo keep Lelllng hlmself she was allve. Pe wanLed her
Lo move, Lo slL up and laugh, Lo Lell hlm lL was all [usL a bad [oke.

A Lear slld down hls cheek. Angrlly he wlped lL away. Pe removed Lhe oxygen LenL so he could
really see her. She looked so allve sLlll, her skln plnk and molsL. Pe saL beslde her on Lhe bed. Pe
plcked up boLh her hands and held Lhem ln hls. Pe klssed her flngers.

l remember when l flrsL saw you. Ch, you were lovely. And glvlng LhaL door researcher hell
because he had mlsread Lhe sllde. ?ou're a greaL sclenLlsL, Sophla. 1he besL frlend l've ever had.
And Lhe only woman l ever loved---

Pe saL and Lalked Lo her ln hls LhoughLs. Pe poured ouL hls love. SomeLlmes he squeezed her
wwwavs!"o#co%
hands [usL as he dld when Lhey wenL Lo Lhe movles LogeLher. Cnce he looked down and saw hls
Lears had puddled on Lhe sheeL. lL was a long Llme before he flnally sald, Cood-bye, darllng."

__________

ln Lhe hosplLal walLlng room, Lhe long, slow nlghL was over buL Lhe mornlng busLle had yeL Lo
begln. Mlserable and numb, SmlLh saL slumped alone ln an armchalr.

1he flrsL day Sophla had walked lnLo Lhe lab aL uSAM8llu she had sLarLed Lalklng before he had
even Laken hls gaze from hls mlcroscope. 8andl haLes your guLs," she had Lold hlm. l don'L
know why. l klnd of llke Lhe way you Look Lhe blame for whaLever you dld Lo her and LhaL you
were sorry. lL was clear you meanL lL, and you were sufferlng for lL."

Pe had Lurned Lhen, Look one look, and knew agaln why he had badgered Lhe army lnLo
brlnglng her Lo lorL ueLrlck. Pe had seen her flrsL ln Lhe nlP lab where she had casLlgaLed a
careless researcher, and he had been shocked Lo meeL her agaln aL her slsLer's place, buL Lhose
Lwo encounLers had been enough Lo know he wanLed Lo spend Llme wlLh her. Pe had saL Lhere
under 8andl's angry gaze admlrlng Sophla. She had long cornsllk halr pulled back ln a ponyLall
and a sllm flgure full of curves.

She had noL mlssed hls lnLeresL. 1haL flrsL day ln Lhe uSAM8llu lab, she had Lold hlm, l'll Lake
Lhe empLy bench over Lhere. ?ou can sLop sLarlng aL me, and l'll geL Lo work. Lveryone Lells me
you're a hoLshoL combaL docLor. l respecL LhaL. 8uL l'm a beLLer researcher Lhan you'll ever be,
and you'd beLLer geL used Lo lL."

l'll remember LhaL."

She had sLared hlm sLralghL ln Lhe eye. And keep your dlck ln your panLs unLll l say Lake lL ouL."

Pe nodded, smlled, and Lold her, l can walL."

1he hosplLal's walLlng room was an lsland ouL of Llme. ln hls mlnd Lhe world was somewhere
else. Crazy memorles rampaged Lhrough hls braln. Pe seemed Lo be ouL of conLrol. Pe would
have Lo call Lhe weddlng off. Cancel everyLhlng. 1he caLerers, Lhe llmouslne, Lhe...

My Cod, whaL was he dolng?

Pe shook hls head vlolenLly. 1rled Lo focus hls mlnd. Pe was ln Lhe hosplLal.

uawn's llghL reflecLed plnk and yellow on Lhe bulldlngs across Lhe sLreeL. Pe would have Lo puL
hls dress unlform back lnLo moLhballs.

Where had she been ln recenL weeks? Pe should have been wlLh her. Pe should never have
goLLen her Lhe [ob aL uSAM8llu.

Pow many people had Lhey lnvlLed Lo Lhe weddlng? Pe had Lo wrlLe each one. ersonally. 1ell
Lhem she was gone... gone...

Pe had kllled her. Sophla. Pe had made uSAM8llu make an offer so good she had Laken Lhe [ob
wwwavs!"o#co%
aL ueLrlck, and he had kllled her. Pe had known he wanLed her Lhe momenL he saw her aL
8andl's. When he had Lrled Lo Lell 8andl how sorry he was her flance had dled, 8andl had been
Loo angry Lo llsLen. 8uL Sophla had undersLood. Pe had seen lL ln her eyes--- Lhose black eyes,
so lnLense, so llvely, so allve...

Pe had Lo Lell her famlly. 8uL she had no famlly. Cnly 8andl. Pe had Lo Lell 8andl.

Pe lurched Lo hls feeL Lo flnd a pay Lelephone, and Somalla came back Lo hlm ln a rush. Pe had
been posLed Lo a hosplLal shlp ln Lhe mlnor lnvaslon Lo brlng order and proLecL our clLlzens ln a
counLry Lorn aparL by Lhe war raglng beLween Lwo warlords who had dlvlded Mogadlshu and
Lhe counLry. 1hey summoned hlm lnLo Lhe remoLe bush Lo LreaL a ma[or wlLh fever. LxhausLed
from a Lwelve-hour shlfL, he had dlagnosed malarla, buL Lhen lL had Lurned ouL Lo be Lhe far-
less-known and far-more-deadly Lassa fever. 1he ma[or had dled before Lhe dlagnosls could be
correcLed and beLLer LreaLmenL begun.

1he army exoneraLed hlm of wrongdolng. lL was a mlsLake many more experlenced docLors---
unfamlllar wlLh vlrology--- had made before and would make agaln, and Lassa usually kllled
even wlLh Lhe besL LreaLmenL. 1here was no cure. 8uL he knew he had been arroganL, so full of
hlmself LhaL he had noL called for help unLll Loo laLe. Pe blamed hlmself. So much so LhaL he
had pressured Lhe army Lo asslgn hlm Lo lorL ueLrlck Lo become an experL ln vlrology and
mlcroblology.

1here, afLer he really undersLood Lhe rarlLy of Lassa compared Lo malarla, he flnally accepLed
hls error as a rlsk of fleld medlclne ln dlsLanL and unfamlllar places. 8uL Lhe ma[or had been
8andl 8ussell's flance, and 8andl had never forglven SmlLh, never sLopped blamlng hlm for hls
deaLh. now he had Lo Lell her he had kllled anoLher person she loved.

Pe slumped back onLo Lhe couch.

Sophla. Soph. Pe had kllled her. uarllng Sophla. 1hey would marry ln Lhe sprlng, buL she was
dead. Pe should never have broughL her Lo ueLrlck. never!

__________

Colonel SmlLh?"

SmlLh heard Lhe volce as lf from under mlles of waLer aL Lhe boLLom of a murky lagoon. Pe saw
a shape. 1hen a face. And bursL Lhrough Lhe surface Lo bllnk ln Lhe hard llghL.

SmlLh? Are you all rlghL?" 8rlgadler Ceneral klelburger sLood over hlm.

1hen lL sLruck hlm and lefL hlm chllled Lo Lhe marrow. Sophla was dead.

Pe saL up. l have Lo be Lhere aL Lhe auLopsy! lf---"

8elax. 1hey haven'L sLarLed yeL."

SmlLh glared. Why Lhe hell wasn'L l Lold abouL Lhls new vlrus? ?ou knew damn well where l
was."
wwwavs!"o#co%

uon'L use LhaL Lone wlLh me, Colonel! ?ou weren'L conLacLed aL flrsL because Lhe maLLer dldn'L
seem urgenL--- a slngle soldler ln Callfornla. 8y Lhe Llme Lhe Lwo oLher cases were reporLed, you
were due home ln a llLLle over a day anyway. lf you'd reLurned when your orders lnsLrucLed,
you would have known. And perhaps---"

SmlLh's sLomach clenched lnLo an enormous flsL, and hls hands followed sulL. Was klelburger
suggesLlng he mlghL have saved Sophla had he been here? 1hen he slumped back. Pe dld noL
need Lhe general Lo do whaL he was already dolng hlmself. Cver and over as he saL ln Lhe dawn
walLlng room he blamed hlmself.

Pe sLood up abrupLly. l have Lo make a call."

Pe walked Lo Lhe Lelephone near Lhe elevaLors and dlaled 8andl 8ussell's home. AfLer Lwo rlngs
Lhe machlne plcked up, and he heard her preclse, geL-Lo-Lhe-polnL volce: 8andl 8ussell. Can'L
Lalk now. AfLer Lhe beep, leave a message.... 1hanks."

1haL Lhanks" came grudglngly, as lf an lnner volce had Lold her Lo noL be all buslness all Lhe
Llme. 1haL was 8andl.

Pe dlaled her offlce aL Lhe lorelgn Affalrs lnqulrles lnsLlLuLe, an lnLernaLlonal Lhlnk Lank. 1hls
message was even crlsper: 8ussell. Leave a message." no Lhanks Lhls Llme, noL even as an
afLerLhoughL.

8lLLerly, he consldered leavlng Lhe same klnd of message: SmlLh here. 8ad news. Sophla's
dead. Sorry."

8uL he slmply hung up. 1here was no way he could leave a deaLh message. Pe would have Lo
keep Lrylng Lo reach her, no maLLer how much lL hurL. lf he could noL geL her by Lomorrow, he
would Lell her boss whaL had happened and ask hlm or her Lo have 8andl call hlm. WhaL else
could he do?

8andl had always been a someLlme Lhlng, frequenLly away on long buslness Lrlps. She saw
Sophla rarely. AfLer he and Sophla grew close, 8andl seldom called and never came around.

8ack ln Lhe walLlng room, he found klelburger lmpaLlenLly swlnglng a knlfe-creased unlform leg
and pollshed booL.

SmlLh dropped lnLo a chalr beslde Lhe general. 1ell me abouL Lhls vlrus. Where dld lL break
ouL? WhaL klnd ls lL? AnoLher hemorrhaglc llke Machupo?"

?es Lo all of LhaL, and no Lo all of LhaL," klelburger Lold hlm. Ma[or kelLh Anderson dled lrlday
evenlng ouL ln lorL lrwln of acuLe resplraLory dlsLress syndrome, buL lL was noL llke any A8uS
we'd ever seen. 1here was masslve hemorrhaglng from Lhe lungs, and blood ln Lhe chesL cavlLy.
1he enLagon alerLed us, and we goL blood and Llssue samples early SaLurday mornlng. 8y Lhen
Lwo oLher deaLhs had occurred ln ALlanLa and 8osLon. ?ou weren'L here, so l puL ur. 8ussell ln
charge, and Lhe Leam worked around Lhe clock. When we dld Lhe unA resLrlcLlon map, lL Lurned
ouL Lo be unllke any known vlrus. lL falled Lo reacL Lo any of Lhe anLlbody samples we had for
any vlrus. l declded Lo brlng ln CuC and Lhe oLher Level lour faclllLles worldwlde, buL everyLhlng
wwwavs!"o#co%
ls sLlll negaLlve. lL's new, and lL's deadly."

ln Lhe corrldor, ur. LuLfallah, Lhe hosplLal paLhologlsL, passed wlLh Lwo orderlles pushlng a
sheeL-draped gurney. Pe nodded Lo SmlLh.

1he general conLlnued Lalklng. WhaL l wanL you Lo do ls---"

SmlLh lgnored hlm. WhaL he had Lo do was more lmporLanL Lhan anyLhlng klelburger wanLed.
Pe [umped up and followed Lhe processlon Lo Lhe auLopsy rooms.

__________

PosplLal orderly Lmlllano Coronado sllpped ouL lnLo Lhe servlce alley behlnd Lhe hosplLal Lo
have a clgareLLe. roud of hls dlsLanL ancesLor's darlng and fame, he sLood erecL, hls shoulders
squared, and ln hls lmaglnaLlon he sLared off lnLo Lhe vasL dlsLances of Colorado four cenLurles
ago, looklng for Lhe ClLles of Cold.

A sudden paln sllced across hls LhroaL. Pls clgareLLe dropped from hls mouLh, and hls vlslon of
glory sank lnLo Lhe refuse llLLerlng Lhe dark alley. A knlfe blade had cuL a Lhln Lrlckle of blood
from hls neck. 1he blade pressed agalnsL Lhe wound.

noL a sound," Lhe volce sald from behlnd.

1errlfled, Lmlllano could only grunL.

1ell me abouL ur. 8ussell." nadal al-Passan dug Lhe razor-sharp knlfe deeper as
encouragemenL. ls she allve?"

Coronado Lrled Lo swallow. She dle."

WhaL dld she say before she dled?"

noLhln' ...she don' say noLhln' Lo no one."

1he knlfe dug ln. ?ou are sure? noL Lo Colonel SmlLh, her flance? 1haL does noL sound
posslble."

Lmlllano was desperaLe. She unconsclous, you know? Pow she gonna Lalk?"

1haL ls good."

1he knlfe dld lLs work, and Lmlllano Coronado lay unconsclous and dylng as hls blood soaked
Lhe refuse of Lhe shadowed alley.

Al-Passan looked carefully around. Pe lefL Lhe alley and clrcled Lhe block Lo where Lhe van
walLed.

Well?" 8lll Crlffln asked as al-Passan cllmbed ln.

wwwavs!"o#co%
Accordlng Lo Lhe orderly, she sald noLhlng."

1hen maybe SmlLh knows noLhlng. Maybe lL's good Maddux mlssed hlm ln u.C. 1wo murders
aL uSAM8llu lncreases Lhe rlsk of someone flgurlng lL ouL."

l would prefer Maddux had kllled hlm. 1hen we would noL be havlng Lhls dlscusslon."

8uL Maddux dldn'L klll hlm, and we can reLhlnk Lhe necesslLy."

We cannoL be cerLaln she dld noL speak ln her condomlnlum."'

We can lf she was unconsclous Lhe whole Llme."

She was noL unconsclous when she wenL lnLo her bulldlng," al-Passan replled. Cur leader wlll
noL llke Lhe posslblllLy she Lold hlm of eru."

Crlffln shoL back: l've goL Lo say lL agaln, al-Passan, Loo many unexplalned deaLhs and kllllngs
can draw a loL of aLLenLlon. Lspeclally lf SmlLh's Lold anyone abouL Lhe aLLacks on hlm. 1he boss
could llke LhaL even less."

Al-Passan heslLaLed. Pe dlsLrusLed Crlffln, buL Lhe ex-l8l man could be rlghL. 1hen we musL leL
hlm declde whlch course of acLlon he llkes leasL."

8lll Crlffln felL a welghL llfL from hlm. noL all Lhe way off, because he knew SmlLhy. lf !on even
suspecLed LhaL Sophla's deaLh was noL an accldenL, he would never back off. SLlll, 8lll hoped Lhe
hardhead would belleve she had made a mlsLake ln Lhe lab, and Lhe aLLacks on hlm had no
relaLlon Lo her deaLh. When Lhere were no more aLLacks, he would glve lL up. 1hen SmlLhy
would be ouL of danger, and Crlffln could sLop worrylng.

__________

ln Lhe Llle and sLalnless-sLeel auLopsy room ln Lhe basemenL of Lhe lrederlck hosplLal, SmlLh
looked up as paLhologlsL LuLfallah sLepped from Lhe dlssecLlng Lable. 1he alr was cold and
slnged wlLh Lhe sLlnk of formaldehyde. 8oLh men were dressed compleLely ln green scrubs.

LuLfallah slghed. Well, LhaL's lL, !on. no doubL aL all. She dled of " a masslve vlral lnfecLlon LhaL
desLroyed her lungs."

WhaL vlrus?" SmlLh's masked volce demanded, alLhough he was preLLy sure he knew Lhe
answer.

LuLfallah shook hls head. l'll leave LhaL parL Lo you LlnsLelns aL ueLrlck. 1he lungs and almosL
noLhlng else... buL lL's noL pneumonla, Luberculosls, or anyLhlng else l've ever seen. SwlfL and
devasLaLlng."

SmlLh nodded. WlLh a glanL efforL of wlll, he blanked hls mlnd agalnsL who was lylng cuL open
on Lhe sLalnless-sLeel Lable wlLh lLs channels and slopes Lo caLch blood. Pe and LuLfallah began
Lhe grlm buslness of collecLlng Llssue and blood samples.

wwwavs!"o#co%
__________

Cnly laLer afLer Lhe auLopsy was flnlshed and SmlLh had Laken off hls green cap and mask and
gloves and scrubs and saL ouLslde Lhe auLopsy room alone on a long bench dld he leL hlmself
grleve for Sophla agaln.

Pe had walLed Loo long. Pe had leL hls exclLed chase of sclence and medlclne around Lhe globe
keep hlm away Loo much. Pe had been lylng a Lo hlmself LhaL wlLh Sophla he was no longer a
cowboy. lL was noL Lrue. Lven afLer he had asked her Lo marry hlm, he had sLlll lefL her for hls
pursulLs. And now he could noL geL LhaL losL Llme back.

1he paln of mlsslng her was sharper Lhan anyLhlng physlcal he had ever felL. WlLh a rush of
achlng comprehenslon, he Lrled Lo come Lo Lerms wlLh Lhe facL LhaL Lhey would never be
LogeLher agaln. Pe leaned forward, and hls face fell lnLo hls hands. Pe yearned for her. 1hlck
Lears poured Lhrough hls flngers. 8egreL. CullL. Mournlng. Pe shook wlLh sllenL sobs. She was
gone, and all he could Lhlnk abouL was LhaL hls arms ached Lo hold her one more Llme.

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
NINE

___________________

9:18 A.M.

8eLhesda, Maryland

MosL people Lhlnk of Lhe behemoLh naLlonal lnsLlLuLes of PealLh as a slngle enLlLy, whlch ls far
from Lhe LruLh. SeL on more Lhan Lhree hundred lush acres ln 8eLhesda, [usL Len mlles from Lhe
CaplLol's dome, Lhe nlP conslsLs of LwenLy-four separaLe lnsLlLuLes, cenLers, and dlvlslons LhaL
employ slxLeen Lhousand people. Cf Lhose, an asLoundlng slx Lhousand are h.u.s. lL ls a
collecLlon of more advanced degrees ln one locaLlon Lhan mosL colleges and some enLlre sLaLes
are able Lo boasL.

Llly LowensLeln, 88L, was Lhlnklng abouL all LhaL as she sLared ouL her offlce sulLe's wlndows on
Lhe Lop floor of one of Lhe sevenLy-flve campus bulldlngs. Per gaze swepL over Lhe flower beds,
Lhe rolllng lawns, Lhe Lree-rlmmed parklng loLs, and Lhe offlce sLrucLures where so many hlghly
educaLed and lnLelllgenL people labored.

She was looklng for an answer where Lhere was none.

As dlrecLor of Lhe lederal 8esource Medlcal Clearlng house (l8MC), Llly was herself hlghly
educaLed, well-Lralned, and aL Lhe Lop of her professlon. Alone ln her offlce, she sLared ouL aL
Lhe presLlglous nlP, buL she dld noL see Lhe people or bulldlngs or anyLhlng else. WhaL she was
acLually seelng and Lhlnklng abouL was her problem. A problem LhaL had grown almosL
lmpercepLlbly over many years unLll lL welghed her down llke Lhe proverblal Lhousand-pound
gorllla.

Llly was a compulslve gambler. lL made no dlfference whaL klnd, she was addlcLed Lo Lhem all.
AL flrsL she spenL her vacaLlons ln Las vegas. LaLer, afLer she Look her flrsL [ob ln WashlngLon,
she wenL Lo ALlanLlc ClLy because she could geL Lo Lhe Lables fasLer. She could play ALlanLlc ClLy
on weekends, or on a slngle day off, or even a one-nlghL sLand ln recenL years as Lhe
compulslon grew wlLh Lhe slze of her debLs.

lf lL had sLopped Lhere--- caslno gambllng and an occaslonal Lrlp Lo Lhe Lrack aL lmllco and
ArllngLon--- perhaps lL would have remalned a mlnor monkey. lL would have been annoylng,
dralnlng away her good salary, causlng rlfLs ln her famlly when she canceled vlslLs and falled Lo
send ChrlsLmas or blrLhday presenLs Lo her nleces and nephews. lL would have lefL her wlLh few
frlends, buL lL would never have grown lnLo Lhe Lerrlfylng beasL she now faced.

She placed beLs by Lelephone wlLh bookmakers, placed beLs ln bars wlLh oLher bookmakers,
and, flnally, borrowed money from Lhose who lenL money Lo faceless, franLlc souls llke herself.
now she owed more Lhan flfLy Lhousand dollars, and a man who would noL glve hls name had
called Lo Lell her he had boughL up all her debLs and would llke Lo dlscuss paymenL. lL shoL chllls
wwwavs!"o#co%
up her splne. Per hand shook as lf from palsy. Pe was pollLe, buL Lhere was an lmplled LhreaL ln
hls words. AL exacLly nlne-LhlrLy she was Lo meeL hlm aL a downLown 8eLhesda sporLs bar she
knew only Loo well.

1errlfled, she had Lrled Lo flgure ouL whaL Lo do. She had no llluslons. She could, of course, go Lo
Lhe pollce, buL Lhen everyLhlng would come ouL. She would lose her [ob and probably go Lo
prlson because, lnevlLably, she had cuL a few corners ln buylng offlce supplles, and she had
pockeLed Lhe dlfference. She had even dlpped lnLo peLLy cash. 1haL was whaL compulslve
gamblers dld.

1here were no more frlends or famlly who would lend her money, even lf she were wllllng Lo leL
Lhem know she had a problem. Cne of her Lwo cars, Lhe 8eemer, had been repossessed, and
her house was morLgaged Lo Lhe maxlmum. She had no husband, noL anymore. Per share of
her son's prlvaLe school LulLlon was ln arrears. She had no bonds, no sLocks, no real esLaLe. no
one was golng Lo help her, noL even a loan shark. noL anymore.

She could noL even run away. Per only means of supporL was her [ob. WlLhouL her [ob she had
noLhlng. She was noLhlng.

__________

lrom a rear booLh ln Lhe sporLs bar, 8lll Crlffln waLched Lhe woman enLer. She was abouL whaL
he had expecLed. Mlddle-aged, mlddle-class, almosL prlm, nondescrlpL. A few lnches Laller,
maybe flve-fooL-nlne. A few pounds heavler. 8rown halr, brown eyes, hearL-shaped face, small
chln. 1here was a cerLaln LellLale carelessness abouL her cloLhes: Per sulL bordered on shabby
and dld noL flL as well as lL should on Lhe dlrecLor of a blg governmenL faclllLy. Per halr was
ragged, and her gray rooLs were showlng. 1he gambler.

8uL she was also a shade haughLy as she sLood lnslde Lhe door looklng for someone Lo come
forward and clalm her, Lhe slgn of Lhe mlddle-rank bureaucraL.

Crlffln leL her sLew.

llnally he sLepped ouL of Lhe booLh, caughL her eye, and nodded. She walked sLlffly pasL Lables
and booLhs Loward hlm.

Ms. LowensLeln," he sald.

Llly nodded Lo conLrol her apprehenslon. And you are?"

1haL doesn'L maLLer. SlL down."

She saL, nervous and uneasy, so she wenL on Lhe aLLack. Pow dld you flnd ouL abouL my
debLs?"

8lll Crlffln smlled Lhlnly. ?ou don'L really care abouL all LhaL, Ms. LowensLeln, do you? Who l
am, where l goL Lhe debLs, why l boughL Lhem up. none of lL maLLers a damn, rlghL?" Pe gazed
aL her Lrembllng cheeks and llps. She caughL hls look and sLlffened her face. lnwardly he
nodded. She was Lerrlfled, whlch made her vulnerable Lo alLernaLlves. l have your markers."
wwwavs!"o#co%
Pe waLched her brown eyes as Lhey shlfLed uneaslly. l'm here Lo offer you a way Lo geL ouL
from under."

She snorLed derlslvely. CuL from under?"

no gambler cared much abouL slmply eraslng debL. Cambllng was a compulslon, an lllness. uebL
was an embarrassmenL and danger, buL lL had llLLle lmpacL unLll lL meanL Lhe Lracks, Lhe
bookmakers, anyone who ran a game would refuse Lo leL you play wlLhouL cash on Lhe Lable.
Crlffln knew Llly was ln a dally scramble Lo come up wlLh enough Lo place more Lhan a flve-
dollar Lrack beL.

So he offered her Lhe bone LhaL wagged Lhls dog's Lall: ?ou can sLarL fresh. l wlpe away your
debLs. no one ever knows, and l glve you enough Lo sLarL over. Sound good?"

A fresh sLarL?" An exclLed flush appeared above LowensLeln's collar. lor a momenL, her eyes
were brlghL wlLh exclLemenL. 8uL [usL as qulckly, she frowned. She was ln Lrouble, buL she was
noL an ldloL. 1haL depends on whaL l have Lo do for lL, doesn'L lL?"

ln hls mlllLary lnLelllgence days, Crlffln had been one of Lhe army's besL recrulLers of asseLs
behlnd Lhe lron CurLaln. Lure Lhem wlLh Lhe personal advanLages, Lhe moral prlnclples, Lhe
rlghLness of Lhe cause unLll Lhey were compromlsed. 1hen when Lhey balked aL whaL you asked
Lhem Lo do, and Lhey always dld sooner or laLer, drop Lhe carroL, LlghLen Lhe screws, and lean. lL
was noL Lhe aspecL of hls [ob he had llked mosL, buL he had been good aL lL, and lL was Llme Lo
lean on Lhls woman.

no, noL really." Pls volce dropped LhlrLy degrees. lL depends on noLhlng. ?ou can'L pay me off,
and you can'L be exposed. lf you Lhlnk you can do elLher, geL up and walk ouL now. uon'L wasLe
my Llme."

Llly Lurned red. She brlsLled. now you llsLen Lo me, you arroganL---"

l know," Crlffln cuL her off. lL's hard. ?ou're Lhe boss, rlghL? Wrong. l'm Lhe boss now. Cr
Lomorrow you'll be ouL of a [ob, wlLh no chance of geLLlng anoLher. noL ln Lhe governmenL, noL
ln u.C., probably noL anywhere."

Llly's sLomach Lurned Lo sLone. 1hen Lo mush. She sLarLed Lo cry. no! She would noL cry! She
never crled. She was Lhe boss. She...

lL's okay," Crlffln sald. Cry. CeL lL ouL. lL's hard, and lL's golng Lo geL harder. 1ake your Llme."

1he more he spoke compasslonaLely, Lhe harder Llly wepL. 1hrough her Lears, she waLched hlm
lean back, relaxed. Pe waved Lo Lhe walLress and polnLed aL hls glass. Pe dld noL polnL aL her or
ask whaL she wanLed. 1hls was noL soclal, Lhls was buslness. Whoever he was, she reallzed
suddenly, lL was noL he who was blackmalllng her. Pe was only Lhe messenger. uolng a [ob.
lndlfferenL. noLhlng personal.

When Lhe walLress broughL hls beer, Llly Lurned her head away, ashamed Lo be seen red-eyed
and crylng. She had never had Lo deal wlLh anyLhlng llke Lhls, anyone llke Lhls, and she felL
Lerrlbly alone.
wwwavs!"o#co%

Crlffln slpped hls beer. lL was Llme Lo produce Lhe carroL agaln. Ckay, feel beLLer? Maybe Lhls'll
help. 1hlnk abouL lL Lhls way--- Lhe ax was golng Lo fall someday. 1hls way, you geL lL over wlLh,
wlpe Lhe slaLe clean, and l glve you a llLLle exLra, say flfLy Lhousand, Lo geL you sLarLed agaln. All
for a couple of hours' work. robably less Llme, lf you're as good aL your [ob as l Lhlnk you are.
now, LhaL's noL so bad, ls lL?"

Wlpe Lhe slaLe clean... flfLy Lhousand... 1he words bursL lnLo her braln llke a blaze of sunshlne.
SLarL agaln. 1he nlghLmare over. And money. She could really sLarL over. CeL help. 1herapy. Ch,
Lhls was never golng Lo happen agaln. never!

She dabbed her eyes. She suddenly wanLed Lo klss Lhls man, hug hlm. WhaL... whaL do you
wanL me Lo do?"

1here, rlghL Lo Lhe polnL," Crlffln sald approvlngly. l knew you were smarL. l llke LhaL. l need a
smarL person for Lhls."

uon'L Lry Lo flaLLer me. noL now."

Crlffln laughed. lelsLy Loo. CoL Lhe splrlL back, rlghL? Pell, no one's even golng Lo geL hurL. !usL
a few records erased. 1hen you're home free."

8ecords? Lrased? Per records! never. She shuddered, and Lhen she Look hold of herself. WhaL
had she expecLed? Why else would Lhey need her? She was a record llbrarlan. Chlef of lederal
8esource Medlcal Clearlng Pouse. Cf course, lL was medlcal records.

Crlffln waLched her. 1hls was Lhe crlLlcal momenL. 1haL flrsL shock of a new asseL knowlng whaL
he or she was acLually golng Lo have Lo do. 8eLray Lhelr counLry. 8eLray Lhelr employer. 8eLray
Lhelr famlly. 8eLray a LrusL. WhaLever lL was. And as he waLched, he saw Lhe momenL pass. 1he
lnLernal baLLle. She had goLLen a grlp on herself.

Pe nodded. Ckay, LhaL's Lhe bad parL. 1he resL ls all downhlll. Pere's whaL we wanL. 1here's a
reporL Lo lorL ueLrlck and CuC and probably Lo a loL of oLher places overseas, Loo, LhaL we need
deleLed from all Lhe records. Wlped ouL, erased clean. All coples. lL never exlsLed. 1he same
wlLh any World PealLh CrganlzaLlon reporLs of vlrus ouLbreaks and/or cures ln lraq ln Lhe lasL
Lwo years. 1hose, plus all records of a couple of Lelephone calls. Can you do LhaL?"

She was sLlll Loo shocked Lo speak. 8uL she nodded.

now, Lhere's one oLher condlLlon. lL musL be done by noon."

8y noon? now? uurlng offlce hours? 8uL how---?"

1haL's your problem."

All she could do was nod agaln.

Cood." Crlffln smlled. now, how abouL LhaL drlnk?"

wwwavs!"o#co%
___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
TEN

___________________

1:33 .M.


SmlLh worked feverlshly ln Lhe Level lour lab, pushlng agalnsL a wall of faLlgue. Pow had Sophla
dled? WlLh 8lll Crlffln's warnlng rlnglng ln hls head, and conslderlng Lhe leLhal aLLacks on hlm ln
WashlngLon, he could noL belleve her deaLh had been an accldenL. ?eL Lhere was no doubL how
she had dled--- acuLe resplraLory dlsLress syndrome from a deadly vlrus.

AL Lhe hosplLal, Lhe docLors had Lold hlm Lo go home, Lo geL some sleep. 1he general had
ordered hlm Lo follow Lhe docLors' advlce. lnsLead, he had sald noLhlng and drlven sLralghL Lo
lorL ueLrlck's maln aLe. 1he guard saluLed sadly as he passed. Pe had parked ln hls usual of near
uSAM8llu's monollLhlc, yellow brlck-and-concreLe bulldlng. LxhausL venLllaLors on Lhe roof
blew an endless sLream of heavlly fllLered alr from Lhe Level 1hree and lour labs.

Walklng ln a seml-Lrance of grlef and exhausLlon, carrylng Lhe refrlgeraLed conLalners of blood
and Llssue from Lhe auLopsy, he had showed hls securlLy lu badge Lo Lhe guard aL Lhe desk, who
nodded Lo hlm sympaLheLlcally. Cn auLomaLlc plloL, he had conLlnued walklng. 1he corrldors
were llke someLhlng ln a hazy dream, a floaLlng maze of LwlsLs and Lurns, doors and Lhlck glass
wlndows on Lhe conLalnmenL labs. Pe paused aL Sophla's offlce and looked ln.

A lump formed ln hls LhroaL. Pe swallowed and hurrled on Lo Lhe Level lour sulLe where he
sulLed up ln hls conLalnmenL sulL.

uslng Sophla's Llssue and blood, he worked alone ln Lhe PoL Zone lab agalnsL advlce, orders,
and Lhe dlrecLlves of safe procedure. Pe repeaLed all Lhe lab work she had done wlLh Lhe
samples from Lhe Lhree oLher vlcLlms--- lsolaLlng Lhe vlrus, sLudylng lL under Lhe elecLron
mlcroscope, and LesLlng lL agalnsL uSAM8llu's frozen bank of speclmens from prevlous vlcLlms
of varlous vlruses from around Lhe world. 1he vlrus LhaL had kllled Sophla reacLed Lo none. Pe
ran yeL anoLher polymerase-chaln-reacLlon-drlven unA sequenclng analysls Lo ldenLlfy Lhe new
vlrus, and he made a prellmlnary resLrlcLlon map. 1hen he LransmlLLed hls daLa Lo hls offlce
compuLer and, afLer seven mlnuLes of decon showerlng ln Lhe alr lock, removed hls space sulL
and scrubs.

uressed agaln, he hurrled Lo hls offlce, where he checked hls daLa agalnsL Sophla's. AL lasL he
saL back and sLared lnLo space. 1he vlrus LhaL had kllled Sophla maLched none he had ever
heard of or seen. lL had been close here and Lhere, yes, buL always Lo a dlfferenL known vlrus.

WhaL lL dld maLch was Lhe unknown vlrus she had been worklng on.

Cbsessed as he was wlLh Sophla's deaLh, he sLlll felL horror aL Lhe poLenLlal LhreaL Lo Lhe world
wwwavs!"o#co%
from Lhls new, deadly vlrus. lour vlcLlms mlghL be only Lhe beglnnlng.

Pow had Sophla conLracLed lL?

lf she had had an accldenL ln whlch she had any posslble conLacL wlLh Lhe new vlrus, she would
have reporLed lL lnsLanLly. noL only was LhaL a sLandlng order, lL was lnsanlLy noL Lo. 1he
paLhogens ln a PoL Zone were leLhal. 1here was no vacclne and no cure, buL prompL LreaLmenL
Lo bolsLer Lhe body's reslsLance and malnLaln Lhe besL posslble healLh, plus normal medlcal
sLeps for any vlrus, had saved many who all buL cerLalnly would have dled unLreaLed.

ueLrlck had a bloconLalnmenL hosplLal where Lhe docLors knew everyLhlng Lhere was Lo know
abouL LreaLlng vlcLlms. lf anyone could have saved her, lL would have been Lhem, and she knew
lL.

Cn Lop of everyLhlng, she was a sclenLlsL. lf she had LhoughL Lhere was Lhe remoLesL posslblllLy
she could have conLracLed Lhe vlrus, she would have wanLed everyLhlng LhaL had happened Lo
her recorded and analyzed Lo add Lo Lhe body of knowledge abouL Lhe vlrus and perhaps save
oLhers.

She would have reporLed anyLhlng. AnyLhlng aL all.

Add Lo LhaL Lhe vlolenL aLLacks on hlm ln CeorgeLown, and SmlLh could draw only one
concluslon: Per deaLh had been no accldenL.

ln hls mlnd, he heard her gasplng volce ...lab ...someone ...hlL ..."

1he LorLured words had meanL noLhlng Lo hlm ln Lhe horror of Lhe momenL, buL now Lhey
reverberaLed ln hls mlnd. Pad someone enLered her lab and aLLacked her Lhe way Lhey had
aLLacked hlm?

Calvanlzed, he read agaln Lhrough her noLes, memos, and reporLs for any clue, any hlnL of whaL
had really happened.

And saw Lhe number ln her careful prlnLlng aL Lhe Lop of Lhe nexL-Lo-lasL page of her logbook.
Per logbook deLalled each day's work on Lhe unknown vlrus. 1he enLry number was 8L-33-99.

Pe undersLood Lhe noLaLlon. 8L" referred Lo Lhe rlnce Leopold sLlLuLe ln 8elglum. 1here was
noLhlng speclal abouL LhaL, slmply her way Lo ldenLlfy a reporL from some oLher researcher she
had used ln her work. 1he number referred Lo a speclflc experlmenL or llne of reasonlng or a
chronology. WhaL was lmporLanL abouL Lhls reference and number was LhaL she always---
always--- wroLe Lhem aL Lhe end of her reporL.

AL Lhe end.

1hls noLaLlon was aL Lhe Lop of a page--- aL Lhe beglnnlng of a commenLary concernlng Lhe
problem of Lhree vlcLlms separaLed wldely by geography, clrcumsLances, age, gender, and
experlence dylng from Lhe same vlrus aL Lhe same Llme, and no one else ln Lhe surroundlng
areas even conLracLlng lL.

wwwavs!"o#co%
1he commenLary menLloned no oLher reporLs, so Lhe log number was ln Lhe wrong place.

Pe examlned Lhe Lwo lasL pages carefully, pushlng aparL Lhe sheeLs so he could sLudy Lhe guLLer
where Lhe paper was sealed lnLo Lhe book's splne. Pls magnlfylng glass revealed noLhlng.

Pe LhoughL a momenL and Lhen carrled Lhe open logbook Lo hls large dlssecLlng mlcroscope. Pe
poslLloned Lhe book's exposed guLLer under Lhe vlewlng lens and peered lnLo Lhe blnocular
eyeplece. Pe slld Lhe splne under Lhe vlewer.

Pe lnhaled sharply when he saw lL--- a cuL almosL as sLralghL and dellcaLe as a laser scalpel. 8uL
alLhough very good, lL was noL good enough Lo hlde Lhe LruLh from Lhe powerful mlcroscope. A
knlfe-edge showed, falnLly [agged.

A page had been cuL ouL.

__________

8rlg. Cen. Calvln klelburger sLood ln Lhe open doorway Lo !on SmlLh's offlce. Pls hands clasped
behlnd hls back, legs spread aparL, beefy face seL flrmly ln a severe expresslon, he looked llke
aLLon on a Lank ln Lhe Ardennes lnsplrlng Lhe lourLh Armored.

l ordered you Lo go home, Colonel SmlLh. ?ou're no good Lo anyone ouL on your feeL. We need
a full, clear-Lhlnklng sLaff on Lhls efforL. Lspeclally wlLhouL ur. 8ussell."

SmlLh dld noL look up. Someone cuL a page from her logbook."

Co home, Colonel."

now SmlLh ralsed hls head. uldn'L you hear me? 1here's a page mlsslng from Lhe lasL work she
dld. Why?"

She probably removed lL because she dldn'L wanL lL."

Pave you forgoLLen everyLhlng you know abouL sclence slnce you goL LhaL sLar? no one
desLroys a research noLe. l can Lell you whaL was cuL ouL was connecLed Lo some reporL she had
read from Lhe rlnce Leopold lnsLlLuLe ln 8elglum. l've found no copy of such a reporL ln her
papers."

lL's probably ln Lhe compuLer daLa bank."

1haL's where l'm golng Lo look nexL."

?ou'll have Lo do lL laLer. llrsL l wanL you Lo geL some resL, and Lhen l need you Lo go Lo
Callfornla ln ur. 8ussell's place. ?ou've goL Lo Lalk Lo Ma[or Anderson's famlly, frlends, anyone
and everyone who knew hlm."

no, dammlL! Send someone else." Pe wanLed Lo Lell klelburger abouL Lhe aLLacks on hlm ln
WashlngLon. 1haL mlghL go a long way Lo maklng Lhe general belleve LhaL he had Lo keep Lrylng
Lo flnd ouL how Sophla had conLracLed Lhe vlrus. 8uL klelburger would wanL Lo know whaL he
wwwavs!"o#co%
had been dolng ln WashlngLon ln Lhe flrsL place when he was supposed Lo be back aL ueLrlck,
whlch would force hlm Lo reveal hls clandesLlne meeLlng wlLh 8lll Crlffln. Pe could noL expose
an old frlend unLll he knew more, whlch meanL he had Lo convlnce Lhe general Lo leL hlm go on.
SomeLhlng's wrong abouL Sophla's deaLh, l know lL. l'm golng Lo flnd ouL whaL."

1he general brlsLled. noL on Lhe army's Llme, you're noL. We've goL a far blgger problem Lhan
Lhe deaLh of one sLaff member, Colonel, no maLLer who she was."

SmlLh reared up from hls seaL llke a sLalllon aLLacked by a raLLlesnake. 1hen l'm ouL of Lhe
army!"

lor a momenL klelburger glared, hls Lhlck flsLs clenched aL hls sldes. Pls face was beeL red, and
he was ready Lo Lell SmlLh Lo go ahead and qulL. Pe had had enough of hls lnsubordlnaLlon.

1hen he reconsldered. lL would look bad on hls record--- an offlcer unable Lo command loyalLy
ln hls Lroops. 1hls was noL Lhe Llme Lo deal wlLh SmlLh's arrogance and lnsubordlnaLlon.

Pe forced hls face Lo relax. All rlghL, l suppose l don'L blame you. ConLlnue worklng on ur.
8ussell's case. l'll send someone else Lo Callfornla."

__________

2:02 .M.

8eLhesda, Maryland

Lven Lhough she had rushed, lL Look Llly LowensLeln Lhe enLlre mornlng Lo do whaL Lhe
nameless man had ordered. now she was flnlshlng a celebraLory lunch aL her favorlLe
resLauranL ln downLown 8eLhesda. Cn Lhe oLher slde of Lhe wlndow, Lhe clLy's Lall bulldlngs,
remlndlng her agaln of a mlnl-uallas, reflecLed Lhe brlghL CcLober sunllghL as she slpped her
second dalqulrl.

Surprlslngly, Lapplng lnLo WPC's worldwlde compuLerlzed medlcal neLwork had Lurned ouL Lo
be Lhe slmplesL of her Lasks. nobody had LhoughL lL necessary Lo puL sLrlngenL securlLy on a
sclenLlflc and humanlLarlan lnformaLlon neLwork. So lL had been chlld's play Lo erase all Lrace of
a serles of reporLs from WPC records concernlng Lhe vlcLlms and survlvors of Lwo mlnor vlral
ouLbreaks ln Lhe clLles of 8aghdad and 8asra.

1he lraql compuLer sysLem was flve years ouL of daLe, so golng ln Lo remove Lhe orlglnals of Lhe
same reporLs aL Lhe source was almosL as easy. Cddly, Llly had found mosL of Lhe orlglnal
lnformaLlon from lraq had already been erased by Lhe Saddam Pusseln reglme. noL wanLlng Lo
reveal any weakness or need, no doubL.

Clearlng Lhe slngle 8elglan reporL from all elecLronlc records of her own l8MC masLer
compuLer, from uSAM8llu and CuC's daLabases, and from all Lhe oLher daLabases worldwlde
had been more Llme consumlng. 8uL Lhe hardesL Lask proved Lo be eraslng Lhe lLem from Lhe
Lelephone log aL lorL ueLrlck. She had been forced Lo call ln favors from hlgh-level phone
company conLacLs who owed her.

wwwavs!"o#co%
Curlous, she had aLLempLed Lo comprehend Lhe reason behlnd Lhe blackmaller's demands, buL
Lhere seemed Lo be no common ground among Lhe lLems she deleLed excepL LhaL mosL dealL
wlLh a vlrus. 1here had been hundreds of oLher research reporLs flylng back and forLh over Lhe
elecLronlc clrculLs among a dozen Level lour research lnsLlLuLlons worldwlde, and her
blackmaller had shown no lnLeresL ln Lhose.

WhaLever he had wanLed, her parL was successfully compleLed. She had noL been dlscovered,
had lefL no Lrace, and would soon be free of her flnanclal problems for good. She would never
geL ln so deep agaln, she promlsed herself. WlLh flfLy Lhousand dollars ln cash, she could go Lo
vegas or ALlanLlc ClLy wlLh enough Lo recoup everyLhlng she had losL. WlLh a carefree smlle, she
qulckly declded she would begln wlLh a Lhousand on Lhe CaplLals Lo wln LonlghL.

She almosL laughed aloud as she lefL Lhe resLauranL and Lurned Lhe corner Loward Lhe bar
where her favorlLe bookmaker had hls prlvaLe booLh. She felL a flery surge LhaL Lold her she
could noL lose. noL now. noL anymore.

Lven when she heard Lhe screams behlnd her, Lhe screech and rumble of rubber and meLal, and
Lurned Lo see Lhe blg black Suv careenlng along Lhe sldewalk dlrecLly aL her, she had a wlde
smlle on her face. 1he smlle was sLlll Lhere when Lhe Suv sLruck her and swerved back onLo Lhe
sLreeL, leavlng her dead on Lhe sldewalk.

__________

3:16 .M.


SmlLh pushed away from Lhe compuLer screen. 1here were flve reporLs from Lhe rlnce Leopold
lnsLlLuLe, buL none had arrlved yesLerday or early Loday, and none reporLed anyLhlng buL more
fallure Lo classlfy he unknown vlrus.

1here had Lo be a reporL wlLh new lnformaLlon ln lL--- aL leasL one facL lmporLanL enough for
Sophla Lo be lnsplred ln some new llne of lnvesLlgaLlon she had chronlcled as a full-page noLe
lasL nlghL. 8uL he had searched ueLrlck's daLabase, CuC's daLabase, and Lled lnLo Lhe army's
supercompuLer Lo search every oLher Level lour lab ln Lhe world, lncludlng Lhe rlnce Leopold
lLself.

1here was noLhlng.

lrusLraLed, he sLared aL Lhe uncooperaLlve screen. LlLher Sophla had made a mlsLake, puL Lhe
wrong code on her deslgnaLlon, and Lhe reporL had never exlsLed, or---

Cr lL had been erased from every daLabase ln Lhe world, lncludlng lLs source.

1haL was dlfflculL Lo belleve. noL lmposslble Lo do, buL hard Lo belleve someone would go Lo
such Lrouble over a vlrus when lL was ln everyone's besL lnLeresLs Lo lnvesLlgaLe. SmlLh shook
hls head, Lrylng Lo dlsmlss Lhe ldea LhaL Lhere had been anyLhlng crlLlcal on LhaL mlsslng page,
buL he could noL. 1he page had been cuL ouL.

wwwavs!"o#co%
And by someone who had goLLen on and off Lhe base unseen. Cr had Lhey?

Pe reached agaln for Lhe phone Lo flnd ouL who else had been ln Lhe lab lasL nlghL, buL afLer
speaklng Lo Lhe whole sLaff and SergeanL Ma[or uaugherLy, he was no closer Lo an answer. All
of uaugherLy's people had gone home by 6:00 .M. whlle Lhe sclenLlflc sLaff had sLayed unLll
2:00 A.M., even klelburger. AfLer LhaL, Sophla had been here alone.

Cn Lhe nlghL desk, Crasso had seen noLhlng, noL even Sophla's leavlng, as SmlLh already knew.
AL Lhe gaLe, Lhe guards swore Lhey had seen no one afLer 2:00 A.M., buL Lhey had obvlously
mlssed Sophla sLaggerlng ouL on fooL, so Lhelr reporL meanL llLLle. 8esldes, he doubLed anyone
skllled enough Lo cuL ouL Lhe page wlLhouL leavlng a Lrace Lo Lhe naked eye would have drawn
aLLenLlon Lo hlmself as he enLered or lefL.

SmlLh was aL a dead end.

1hen, ln hls mlnd, he heard Sophla gasp. Pe closed hls eyes and saw once agaln her beauLlful
face, conLorLed ln excruclaLlng paln. lalllng lnLo hls arms, sLruggllng Lo breaLhe, yeL managlng Lo
blurL ouL, ...lab ...someone ...hlL. ..."

__________

3:27 .M.

1he Morgue, lrederlck, Maryland

ur. LuLfallah was annoyed. l don'L know whaL more we can flnd ouL, Colonel SmlLh. 1he
auLopsy was clear. ueflnlLe. Shouldn'L you Lake a break? l'm surprlsed you can funcLlon aL all.
?ou need some sleep ..."

l'll sleep when l know whaL happened Lo her," SmlLh snapped. And l'm noL quesLlonlng whaL
kllled her, only how lL kllled her."

1he paLhologlsL had relucLanLly agreed Lo remeeL SmlLh ln Lhe hosplLal's auLopsy room. Pe was
noL happy Lo have been pulled away from a perfecLly good 1anqueray marLlnl.

Pow?" LuLfallah's eyebrows shoL up. 1hls was Loo much. Pe made no efforL Lo keep Lhe
scaLhlng sarcasm from hls volce. l'd say LhaL'd be Lhe usual way any leLhal vlrus kllls, Colonel."

SmlLh lgnored hlm. Pe was benL close Lo Lhe Lable, flghLlng Lo keep from breaklng down agaln
aL Lhe slghL of hls vlbranL Sophla so pale and llfeless. Lvery lnch, uocLor. Lxamlne her lnch by
lnch. Look for anyLhlng we mlssed, anyLhlng unusual. AnyLhlng."

SLlll brlsLllng, LuLfallah began Lo search. 1he Lwo medlcal men worked ln sllence for an hour.
LuLfallah was sLarLlng Lo make annoyed sounds agaln when he gave a muffled exclamaLlon
Lhrough hls surglcal mask. WhaL's Lhls?"

SmlLh [erked alerL. WhaL? WhaL do you have? Show me!"

8uL lL was LuLfallah who dld noL answer Lhls Llme. Pe was examlnlng Sophla's lefL ankle. When
wwwavs!"o#co%
he spoke, lL was a quesLlon. Was ur. 8ussell dlabeLlc?"

no. WhaL have you found?"

Any oLher lnLravenous medlcaLlons?"

no."

LuLfallah nodded Lo hlmself. Pe looked up. uld she do drugs, Colonel?"

?ou mean narcoLlcs? Pell, no."

1hen Lake a look."

SmlLh [olned Lhe paLhologlsL, who was sLandlng on Sophla's lefL slde. 1ogeLher Lhey benL close
Lo Lhe ankle. 1he mark was all buL lnvlslble--- a reddenlng and swelllng so small no one had
noLlced, or perhaps lL had noL been Lhere before, a laLe manlfesLaLlon of Lhe vlrus.

ln Lhe cenLer of Lhe reddenlng was a slngle, Llny needle mark for an ln[ecLlon, as experLly
admlnlsLered as Lhe page had been cuL from her noLebook.

SmlLh sLood up abrupLly. lury enveloped hlm. Pe grlpped hls hands ln whlLe-hard flsLs as hls
head pounded. Pe had guessed lL. now he knew lL.

Sophla had been murdered.

__________

8:16 .M.

lorL ueLrlck, Maryland.

!on SmlLh slammed lnLo hls offlce and sLalked Lo hls desk. 8uL he dld noL slL. Pe could noL. Pe
paced Lhe room, back and forLh, a wlld anlmal ln a corral. uesplLe Lhe Lurmoll ln hls body, hls
mlnd was dlamond sharp. ConcenLraLlng. lor hlm rlghL now, desplLe Lhe needs of Lhe world...
Lhere was one slngle goal--- Lo flnd Sophla's klller.

All rlghL, Lhen. 1hlnk. She musL have learned someLhlng so dangerous she had Lo be kllled, and
all physlcal evldence of whaL she had learned or deduced ellmlnaLed. So whaL else dld
researchers ln a worldwlde sclenLlflc lnvesLlgaLlon do? 1hey Lalked.

Pe grabbed Lhe Lelephone. CeL me Lhe base securlLy commander."

Pls flngers Lapped a LaLLoo on Lhe desk llke a drummer beaLlng elghLeenLh- and nlneLeenLh-
cenLury reglmenLs lnLo baLLle.

ulngman speaklng. Pow can l help you, Colonel?"

uo you keep a record of lncomlng and ouLgolng phone calls from uSAM8llu?"
wwwavs!"o#co%

noL speclflcally, buL we can geL one of a call made Lo or from Lhe base. May l ask whaL ln
parLlcular you're lnLeresLed ln?"

Any and all made by ur. Sophla 8ussell slnce lasL SaLurday. lncomlng, Loo."

?ou have auLhorlzaLlon, slr?"

Ask klelburger."

l'll geL back Lo you, Colonel."

llfLeen mlnuLes laLer, ulngman phoned wlLh a llsL of Sophla's lncomlng and ouLgolng calls.
1here had been few, slnce Sophla and Lhe resL of Lhe sLaff had been burled ln Lhelr labs and
offlces wlLh Lhe vlrus. llve ouLgolng, Lhree overseas, and only four lncomlng. Pe called Lhe
numbers. All checked ouL as dlscusslons of whaL had noL been found, of fallure.

ulsappolnLed, he saL back--- and Lhen shoL forward ouL of hls chalr. Pe ran Lhrough Lhe corrldor
lnLo Sophla's offlce, where he pawed Lhrough everyLhlng on her desk agaln. Checked Lhe
drawers. Pe was noL wrong--- her monLhly Lelephone log, Lhe one klelburger lnslsLed Lhey keep
falLhfully, was also mlsslng.

Pe hurrled back Lo hls offlce and made anoLher call. Ms. CurLls? uld Sophla Lurn her CcLober
phone log ln early? no? ?ou're sure? 1hank you."

1hey had Laken her phone log, Loo. 1he murderers. Why? 8ecause Lhere had been a call LhaL
revealed whaL Lhey were Lrylng Lo hlde. lL had been erased along wlLh Lhe rlnce Leopold
reporL. 1hey were powerful and clever, and he had hlL a seemlngly lmpeneLrable wall Lrylng Lo
dlscover whaL Sophla had done, or knew, Lo make someone Lhlnk he needed Lo klll her.

Pe would have Lo flnd Lhe answer anoLher way--- look lnLo Lhe hlsLory of Lhe vlcLlms. SomeLhlng
musL have connecLed Lhem before Lhey dled, someLhlng Lraglcally leLhal.

Pe dlaled agaln. !on SmlLh, Ms. CurLls. 1he general ln hls offlce?"

Pe surely ls, Colonel. ?ou hold on now." Ms. Melanle CurLls was from Mlsslsslppl, and she llked
hlm. 8uL LonlghL he dld noL feel llke Lhelr usual fllrLaLlous banLer.

1hank you."

Ceneral klelburger here."

SLlll wanL me Lo go Lo Callfornla Lomorrow?"

WhaL's changed your mlnd, Colonel?"

Maybe l've seen Lhe llghL. 1he blgger danger should geL Lhe prlorlLy."

Sure." klelburger snorLed ln dlsbellef. Ckay, soldler. ?ou'll fly ouL of Andrews aL 0800
wwwavs!"o#co%
Lomorrow. 8e ln my offlce aL 0700, and l'll glve you your lnsLrucLlons."

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
E'EVEN

___________________

3:04 .M.

Adlrondack ark, new ?ork

ConLrary Lo Lhe assumpLlons of mosL of Lhe world, Lwo-Lhlrds of new ?ork was noL skyscrapers,
[ammed subways, and ruLhless flnanclal cenLers. As vlcLor 1remonL, CCC of 8lanchard
harmaceuLlcals, sLood on hls deck ln Lhe vasL Adlrondack SLaLe ark looklng wesL, ln hls mlnd's
eye he could see Lhe map: sLreLchlng from vermonL on Lhe easL nearly Lo Lake CnLarlo on Lhe
wesL, Canada on Lhe norLh Lo [usL above Albany on Lhe souLh, some slx mllllon acres of lush
publlc and prlvaLe lands rose from rushlng rlvers and Lhousands of lakes Lo forLy-slx rugged
peaks LhaL Lowered more Lhan four Lhousand feeL above Lhe Adlrondack flaLlands.

1remonL knew all Lhls because he had Lhe klnd of honed mlnd LhaL auLomaLlcally grasped,
sLored, and used lmporLanL facLs. Adlrondack ark was vlLal Lo hlm noL only because lL was a
sLunnlng woodland wllderness, buL because lL was sparsely seLLled. Cne of Lhe sLorles he llked
Lo Lell guesLs around hls flreplace was abouL a sLaLe Lax chlef who had boughL a local summer
cabln. When Lhe Lax man declded hls counLy blll was Loo hlgh, he had lnvesLlgaLed. ln Lhe
process, he had--- here 1remonL would laugh hearLlly--- dlscovered counLy Lax offlclals were
lnvolved ln masslve corrupLlon. 1he offlclal was able Lo geL an lndlcLmenL agalnsL Lhe lowllfes,
buL no [ury could be lmpaneled. 1he reason? 1here were so few permanenL resldenLs ln Lhe
counLy LhaL all were elLher lnvolved ln Lhe lllegal scheme or relaLed Lo someone who was.

1remonL smlled. 1hls lsolaLlon and backwoods corrupLlon made hls Llmbered paradlse perfecL.
1en years ago he had moved 8lanchard harmaceuLlcals lnLo a redbrlck complex he had
ordered bullL ln Lhe foresL near Long Lake vlllage. AL Lhe same Llme, he had made a hldden
reLreaL on nearby Lake Magua hls maln resldence.

1onlghL as Lhe sun faded ln a flery orange ball behlnd plnes and hardwoods, 1remonL was
sLandlng on Lhe roofed veranda of Lhe flrsL floor of hls lodge. Pe sLudled Lhe play of Lhe brllllanL
sunseL agalnsL Lhe rugged ouLllnes of Lhe mounLalns and drank ln Lhe affluence, power, and
LasLe LhaL Lhls vlew, Lhls lodge, Lhls llfesLyle proved.

Pls lodge had been parL of one of Lhe greaL camps esLabllshed here by Lhe wealLhy Loward Lhe
end of Lhe nlneLeenLh cenLury. 8ullL wlLh Lhe same log-and-bark sldlng as Lhe lodge aL CreaL
Camp Sagamore on nearby 8aqueLLe Lake, hls sprawllng hldeaway was Lhe only survlvlng
sLrucLure from Lhe old days. Concealed from above by a Lhlck canopy of Lrees and from Lhe lake
by a dense foresL, lL was all buL lnvlslble Lo ouLslders. 1remonL had planned hls resLoraLlon LhaL
way, allowlng Lhe vegeLaLlon Lo grow hlgh and wlld. 1here was nelLher an address posL on Lhe
road nor a dock ln Lhe lake Lo reveal lLs presence. no publlc nor corporaLe access was provlded,
or wanLed. Cnly vlcLor 1remonL, a few LrusLed parLners ln hls Pades ro[ecL, and Lhe loyal
sclenLlsLs and Lechnlclans who worked ln Lhe prlvaLe hlgh-Lech lab on Lhe second floor knew lL
wwwavs!"o#co%
exlsLed.

As Lhe CcLober sun dropped lower, Lhe chllly Adlrondack nlghL blL aL 1remonL's cheeks and
seeped Lhrough hls [ackeL and Lrousers. SLlll, he was ln no hurry Lo go lnslde. Pe savored Lhe
Lhlck clgar he smoked and Lhe LasLe of Lhe flfLy-year-old Langavulln he slpped. lL warmed hls
blood and coaLed hls LhroaL wlLh a saLlsfylng burn. 1he Langavulln was perhaps Lhe globe's
flnesL whlskey, buL lLs heavy peaL-smoke flavor and lncredlbly balanced body were llLLle known
ouLslde ScoLland. 1haL was because 1remonL boughL Lhe enLlre supply each year from Lhe
dlsLlllery on lslay.

8uL as he sLood ln Lhe lasL golden rays of Lhe sunseL on Lhe veranda, lL was Lhe wllderness
raLher Lhan Lhe whlskey LhaL broughL a smlle Lo hls paLrlclan llps. 1he prlsLlne lake was only a
shorL canoe porLage from overpopulaLed 8aqueLLe. 1he Lall plnes swayed genLly, and Lhelr
pungenL scenL fllled Lhe alr. ln Lhe dlsLance, Lhe naked peak of 3,344-fooL MounL Marcy shone
llke a flnger polnLlng aL Cod.

1remonL had been aLLracLed Lo Lhe mounLalns slnce he had been an unruly Leenager ln
Syracuse. Pls faLher, a professor of economlcs up on Lhe hlll aL Lhe unlverslLy, had noL been able
Lo conLrol hlm Lhen any more Lhan Lhe faL-ass chalrman of 8lanchard could conLrol hlm now.
8oLh were always lnslsLlng upon whaL could noL be done, LhaL no one could do everyLhlng he
wanLed. Pe had never undersLood such narrowness. WhaL llmlLaLlon was Lhere excepL your
lmaglnaLlon? ?our ablllLles? ?our darlng? 1he Pades ro[ecL lLself was an example. lf Lhey had
known ln Lhe beglnnlng whaL he envlsloned, boLh would have Lold hlm lL was lmposslble. no
one could do lL.

lnwardly he snorLed wlLh dlsgusL. 1hey were puny, small men. ln a few weeks, Lhe pro[ecL
would be a LoLal success. Pe would be a LoLal success. 1hen Lhere would be decades of proflLs.

Maybe lL was because Lhls was Lhe flnal sLage of Pades, buL he had found hlmself occaslonally
drlfLlng off ln reverle, Lhlnklng abouL hls long-dead faLher. ln a sLrange way, hls faLher had been
Lhe only man he had ever respecLed. 1he old man had noL undersLood hls only son, buL he had
sLood by hlm. As a Leen, 1remonL had been fasclnaLed by Lhe movle !eremlah !ohnson. Pe had
seen lL a dozen Llmes. 1hen, ln Lhe dead of an lcy wlnLer, he had Laken off for Lhe mounLalns,
deLermlned Lo llve off Lhe land [usL as !ohnson had. lck berrles and dlg rooLs. PunL hls own
meaL. llghL lndlans. lL hlmself agalnsL Lhe elemenLs ln a herolc venLure few had Lhe courage or
lmaglnaLlon Lo aLLempL.

8uL Lhere had been llLLle LhaL was noble abouL Lhe experlence. Pe kllled Lwo deer ouL of season
wlLh hls faLher's 30-30 8emlngLon, mlsLakenly shoL aL and almosL kllled some hlkers, goL
vlolenLly slck on Lhe wrong berrles, and damn near froze Lo deaLh. lorLunaLely, because of hls
mlsslng rlfle, parka, and backpack, plus hls consLanL Lalklng abouL Lhe fllm, hls faLher had
guessed where he had headed. When Lhe foresL servlce wanLed Lo glve up Lhe hunL, hls faLher
had raged and pushed all Lhe levers of academla and sLaLe pollLlcs. 1he resulL was Lhe foresL
servlce grumbled buL soldlered on, evenLually flndlng hlm, mlserable and frosLblLLen, ln a cave
on Lhe snowy slopes of Marcy.

uesplLe everyLhlng, he counLed lL as one of Lhe mosL lmporLanL experlences of hls llfe. Pe had
learned from Lhe mounLaln flasco LhaL naLure was hard, lndlfferenL, and no frlend Lo humanlLy.
Pe had also dlscovered physlcal challenge held llLLle allure for hlm, lL was Loo easy Lo lose. 8uL
wwwavs!"o#co%
hls greaLesL lesson was Lhe crlLlcal polnL of why !ohnson had gone Lo Lhe mounLalns. AL Lhe
Llme, he had LhoughL lL was Lo challenge naLure, Lo flghL lndlans, Lo prove manhood. Wrong. lL
was Lo make money. 1he mounLaln men were Lrappers, and everyLhlng Lhey dld and suffered
was for one goal--- Lo geL rlch.

Pe had never forgoLLen LhaL. 1he boldness and slmpllclLy of Lhe goal had shaped hls llfe.

As Lhese LhoughLs fllckered Lhrough hls mlnd on Lhe rusLlc veranda, he reallzed he wlshed hls
faLher were here for Lhe concluslon of Pades. 1he old man would flnally recognlze LhaL a man
could do anyLhlng he wanLed as long as he was smarL enough and Lough enough. Would hls
faLher be proud? robably noL. Pe laughed aloud. 1oo bad for Lhe old man. Pls moLher would
be, buL LhaL was meanlngless. Women dldn'L counL.

AbrupLly he came alerL. Pe cocked hls head, llsLenlng. 1he chop-chop of hellcopLer roLors was
growlng louder. 1remonL knocked back hls scoLch, lefL hls clgar ln a large serpenLlne ashLray Lo
dle a naLural deaLh, and sLrode lnLo Lhe enormous hlgh-beamed llvlng room. eerlng down
from Lhe log walls were Lhe glass eyes of mounLed Lrophy heads. Adlrondack wood-and-leaLher
furnlLure sLood on hand-knoLLed rugs around Lhe walk-ln flreplace. 1remonL conLlnued pasL Lhe
crackllng flre and along a back hall where Lhe aroma of hoL baklng-powder blsculLs scenLed Lhe
alr from Lhe klLchen.

llnally he sLepped ouL on Lhe oLher slde of Lhe lodge lnLo Lhe cool dusk. 1he chopper, a 8ell S-
92C Pellbus, was seLLllng down ln a clearlng a hundred yards away.

1he four men who descended were ln Lhelr mld-forLles or early flfLles, llke 1remonL hlmself.
unllke 1remonL, who was dressed ln cusLom-made chlnos, pewLer-colored bush shlrL, Core-1ex
llned safarl [ackeL, and a broad-brlmmed safarl haL LhaL hung from lLs chln sLrap down hls back,
Lhey wore expenslve, Lallored buslness sulLs. 1hey were smooLh-looklng men wlLh Lhe
sophlsLlcaLed manners of Lhe prlvlleged buslness class.

As Lhe nolsy roLors Lhundered, 1remonL greeLed each wlLh Lhe broad smlle and vlgorous
handshake of an old frlend. 1he chopper coplloL [umped ouL Lo unload luggage. 1remonL waved
Loward Lhe lodge and Lurned Lo lead hls vlslLors Lhere.

MomenLs afLer Lhe Pellbus Look off lnLo Lhe LwlllghL, a smaller 2068 !eL8anger lll hellcopLer
seLLled lnLo Lhe clearlng. 1wo men very dlfferenL from Lhe occupanLs of Lhe flrsL hellcopLer
sLepped from Lhe !eL8anger. 1hey wore ordlnary, off-Lhe-rack sulLs no one would look aL Lwlce.
1he Lall, swarLhy man ln Lhe dark blue sulL had a pockmarked face wlLh heavy-lldded eyes and a
nose as curved and sharp as a sclmlLar. 1he round-faced, bland-looklng man wlLh Lhe blg
shoulders and lanky brown halr wore charcoal gray. nelLher had luggage. lL was noL only Lhe
ordlnary cloLhes and lack of sulLcases LhaL marked Lhem as dlfferenL. 1here was someLhlng
abouL Lhe way Lhey moved... a Lralned predaLory manner LhaL anyone who knew abouL such
Lhlngs would recognlze as dangerous.

1he palr ducked under Lhe !eL8anger's flashlng roLors and followed Lhe oLhers Loward Lhe
lodge.

AlLhough vlcLor 1remonL never looked back, Lhe four oLher men noLlced Lhe lasL Lwo. 1hey
glanced aL each oLher uneaslly, as lf Lhey had seen boLh men before.
wwwavs!"o#co%

nadal al-Passan and 8lll Crlffln showed no reacLlon Lo elLher 1remonL's lndlfference or Lo Lhe
nervousness of Lhe oLher four. SllenLly, Lhelr gazes swepL all around, and Lhey enLered Lhe
lodge by a dlfferenL door.

__________

AL Lhe long norweglan banqueL Lable, vlcLor 1remonL and hls four guesLs dlned on a feasL LhaL
could have come from valhalla lLself--- wlld duck conflL wlLh shlLakl mushrooms, poached local
lake LrouL, and venlson shoL by 1remonL hlmself, wlLh bralsed 8elglan endlve, poLaLoes
dauphln, and a 8hone PermlLage reducLlon sauce. llushed and saLed, Lhe men chose
oversLuffed chalrs ln Lhe vasL llvlng room. 1hey lndulged ln cognac, 8emy MarLln Cordon 8leu,
and clgars--- Cuban Maduros made excluslvely for 1remonL. AfLer Lhey were seLLled ln around
Lhe blazlng flre, 1remonL flnlshed hls sLaLus reporL on Lhe pro[ecL LhaL had consumed Lhelr
lmaglnaLlons, hopes, and llves for Lhe lasL dozen years.

...we'd always hypoLheslzed Lhe muLaLlon would Lake place ln Lhe Amerlcan sub[ecLs as much
as a year laLer Lhan lL dld ln Lhe non-Amerlcan sub[ecLs. A maLLer of general healLh, nuLrlLlon,
physlcal flLness, and geneLlcs. Well..."

1remonL paused for emphasls and Lo sLudy Lhelr faces. 1hey had all been wlLh hlm from Lhe
sLarL--- a year afLer he had reLurned from eru wlLh Lhe odd vlrus and Lhe monkeys' blood.
1here was Ceorge Pyem far off Lo Lhe rlghL, llke a wlng gunner. 1all and ruddy, ln Lhose days he
had been a young accounLanL who had seen Lhe flnanclal poLenLlal lnsLanLly. now he was chlef
accounLanL for 8lanchard whlle acLually worklng for 1remonL. nexL Lo hlm was xavler 8ecker,
golng Lo faL, a compuLer genlus who had shorLened research on lmprovlng Lhe vlrus and Lhe
serum by flve years. CpposlLe 1remonL saL Adam Caln, posLdoc vlrologlsL who had seen
Ceorge's numbers and declded hls fuLure was wlLh 8lanchard and 1remonL, raLher Lhan wlLh
Lhe CuC. Pe had found a way Lo lsolaLe Lhe leLhal muLaLed vlrus and keep lL sLable for as much
as a week. Cn 8ecker's oLher slde was 8lanchard's securlLy chlef, !ack McCraw, who had
covered all Lhelr asses from Lhe sLarL.

Pls four clandesLlne assoclaLes were ready and eager for Lhe payoff.

1remonL held Lhe pause anoLher beaL. 1he vlrus has surfaced here ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes. Soon
lL's golng Lo appear across Lhe world. CounLry by counLry. An epldemlc. 1he press doesn'L know
abouL lL yeL, buL Lhey wlll. no way Lo sLop Lhem or Lhe vlrus. 1he only recourse governmenLs
wlll have ls Lo pay our prlce."

1he four men grlnned. 1helr eyes shone wlLh dollar slgns. 8lg dollar slgns. 8uL Lhere was
someLhlng else, Loo--- Lrlumph, prlde, anLlclpaLlon, and eagerness. 1hey were already
professlonal successes. now Lhey were golng Lo be flnanclal successes, hugely wealLhy,
achlevlng Lhe plnnacle of Lhe Amerlcan dream.

1remonL sald, Ceorge?"

Ceorge abrupLly reseL hls face. Pe looked sad, cresLfallen. 1he proflL pro[ecLlon for Lhe
sLockholders ls ready any Llme." Pe heslLaLed. l'm afrald lL's less Lhan we'd hoped. erhaps
only flve... slx aL besL... bllllon dollars." And laughed uproarlously aL hls [oke.
wwwavs!"o#co%

xavler 8ecker, frownlng severely aL Ceorge's levlLy, dld noL walL Lo be asked. WhaL abouL Lhe
secreL audlL l dlscovered?"

!ack says LhaL only Paldane has acLually seen lL," 1remonL Lold Lhem, and l'll handle hlm when
we meeL before Lhe board dlnner aL Lhe annual meeLlng. WhaL else, xavler?" Mercer Paldane
was chalrman of 8lanchard harmaceuLlcals.

l've manlpulaLed Lhe compuLer logs Lo show we've been worklng on Lhe cockLall of
recomblnanL anLlbodles LhaL form our serum Lhe whole Len years, lmprovlng lL slnce we goL Lhe
paLenL, and LhaL we've flnlshed our flnal LesLs and submlLLed lL for luA approval. 1he logs also
now show our asLronomlcal cosLs." LxclLemenL was ln xavler's volce. Supply's ln Lhe mllllons of
doses and cllmblng."

Adam laughed. no one suspecLs a damn Lhlng."

Lven lf Lhey suspecL, Lhey'll never flnd Lhe Lrall." !ack McCraw, Lhe securlLy chlef, rubbed hls
hands, pleased.

!usL Lell us when Lo move!" Ceorge begged.

1remonL smlled and held up hls hand. uon'L worry, l've goL a compleLe LlmeLable based on
how fasL Lhey reallze Lhey've goL an epldemlc on Lhelr hands. l'll make my move on Paldane
before Lhe board meeLlng."

1he flve men drank, Lhelr fuLures growlng brlghLer every second.

1hen 1remonL puL down hls brandy. Pls face grew somber. Pe agaln ralsed a hand Lo sllence
Lhem. unforLunaLely, we've run lnLo a slLuaLlon LhaL could be more of a problem Lhan Lhe
audlL. Pow blg or small Lhe danger ls, or wheLher Lhere's any danger aL all afLer some, ah, sLeps
we were forced Lo Lake, we can'L be cerLaln yeL. 8uL resL assured lL's belng waLched and
Lhoroughly dealL wlLh."

!ack McCraw scowled. WhaL klnd of problem, vlcLor? Why wasn'L l Lold?"

1remonL eyed hlm. 8ecause l don'L wanL 8lanchard even remoLely connecLed." Pe expecLed
!ack Lo be [ealous of securlLy, buL ln Lhe end 1remonL made all declslons. As for Lhe problem, lL
was slmply one of Lhose evenLs no one could anLlclpaLe. When l was ln eru on LhaL expedlLlon
where l found Lhe vlrus and Lhe poLenLlal serum, l ran lnLo a group of young undergraduaLes on
a fleld Lrlp. 8eyond belng pollLe, we pald llLLle aLLenLlon Lo each oLher because we were
lnLeresLed ln dlfferenL sLudles." Pe shook hls head ln wondermenL. "8uL Lhree days ago one
called. When she sald her name, l vaguely recalled a sLudenL who had shown a loL of lnLeresL ln
my work. She wenL on Lo become a cell and molecular blologlsL. 1he problem was she's now aL
uSAM8llu, whlch ls sLudylng Lhe flrsL deaLhs. As we expecLed, Lhey hadn'L been able Lo flgure
ouL Lhe vlrus. 8uL Lhe unlque comblnaLlon of sympLoms suddenly broughL LhaL Lrlp Lo eru back
lnLo her mlnd. She remembered my name. She called me.''

!esus!" Ceorge exclalmed, hls ruddy face gone whlLe.

wwwavs!"o#co%
She Lled Lhe vlrus Lo you?" !ack McCraw growled.

1o us!" xavler exploded.

1remonL shrugged. l denled lL. l convlnced her she was wrong, LhaL Lhere'd been no such vlrus.
1hen l senL nadal al-Passan and hls people Lo ellmlnaLe her."

1here was a collecLlve relaxaLlon ln Lhe glanL llvlng room. Slghs of rellef as Lhe Lenslon eased.
1hey had worked hard and long for more Lhan a decade, had rlsked Lhelr professlons and
llvellhoods on Lhls one vlslonary gamble, and none had any lnLenLlon of loslng Lhe rlches LhaL
were now wlLhln reach.

unforLunaLely," 1remonL wenL on, we were unsuccessful ln dolng Lhe same Lo her flance and
research parLner. Pe escaped us, and lL's posslble she had Llme Lo speak Lo hlm before she
dled."'

!ack McCraw undersLood. 1haL's why al-Passan ls here. l knew someLhlng was up."

1remonL shook hls head. uon'L make more of Lhls Lhan Lhere ls. l senL for al-Passan Lo reporL
on how we sLood. Whlle l have Lhe mosL Lo lose, we're all ln lL LogeLher."

1he sllence ln Lhe room was louder Lhan any nolse.

xavler broke lL. Ckay. LeL's hear whaL he's goL Lo say."

1he flre had dled down Lo glowlng coals and a few fllckerlng flames. 1remonL moved Lo Lhe slde
of Lhe sLone flreplace. Pe pressed a buLLon ln Lhe carved manLleplece. llrsL nadal al-Passan and
Lhen 8lll Crlffln enLered Lhe cavernous room. Al-Passan [olned vlcLor 1remonL before Lhe
flreplace, whlle Crlffln remalned unobLruslve ln Lhe background. Al-Passan relaLed deLalls of
Sophla 8ussell's call Lo 1remonL, her deaLh, and hls removal of everyLhlng LhaL could connecL
Lhe vlrus Lo Lhe Pades ro[ecL. Pe descrlbed !onaLhan SmlLh's reacLlons. Pe deLalled Crlffln's
blackmalllng of Llly LowensLeln and Lhe subsequenL erasure of all elecLronlc evldence.

noLhlng remalns Lo connecL us Lo 8ussell or Lhe vlrus," al-Passan flnlshed, unless she Lold
Colonel SmlLh."

!ack McCraw growled, 1haL's a preLLy damn blg ùnless.' "

1haL ls whaL l Lhlnk," al-Passan agreed. SomeLhlng has made SmlLh susplclous LhaL her deaLh
was noL an accldenL. Pe has been lnvesLlgaLlng vlgorously, lgnorlng hls share of Lhe sclenLlflc
work on Lhe vlrus lLself."

Can he flnd us?" Lhe accounLanL, Ceorge, asked nervously.

Anyone can flnd anyone lf Lhey look long enough and hard enough. 1haL ls why l Lhlnk we
musL ellmlnaLe hlm."

vlcLor 1remonL nodded Lo Lhe rear of Lhe room. 8uL you don'L agree, Crlffln?"

wwwavs!"o#co%
Lveryone roLaLed Lo sLare aL Lhe former l8l man, who was leanlng agalnsL a wall behlnd Lhem.
8lll Crlffln was Lhlnklng abouL !on SmlLh. Pe had done hls damnedesL Lo warn hls frlend off. Pe
had used hls old l8l credenLlals Lo learn from !on's offlce LhaL he was ouL of Lown, and Lhen he
had gone Lhrough a 8olodex of agencles acqulrlng one blL of lnformaLlon afLer anoLher unLll he
had flnally uncovered whlch conference !on was aLLendlng and, from Lhere, where ln London he
had been sLaylng.

So as hls canny gaze swepL Lhe flve who sLared aL hlm, he dld whaL he had Lo do Lo save
hlmself, whlle Lrylng Lo dlsLracL Lhe heaL from !on: Pe shrugged, noncommlLLal. SmlLh's been
worklng so hard Lo flnd ouL whaL happened Lo Lhe 8ussell woman LhaL l Lhlnk she musL've Lold
hlm noLhlng abouL eru or us. CLherwlse, he'd llkely be here rlghL now, knocklng on Lhe door Lo
Lalk Lo you, Mr. 1remonL. 8uL our mole lnslde uSAM8llu says SmlLh's sLopped lnvesLlgaLlng her
deaLh and ls back concenLraLlng on Lhe vlrus wlLh Lhe Leam. Pe's even flylng Lo Callfornla
Lomorrow Lo do Lhe rouLlne lnLervlews wlLh Lhe famlly and frlends of Ma[or Anderson."

1remonL nodded LhoughLfully. nadal?"

Cur conLacL ln ueLrlck says Ceneral klelburger ordered SmlLh Lo Callfornla, buL he refused," al-
Passan reporLed. LaLer he volunLeered Lo go, and LhaL ls a very dlfferenL maLLer. l belleve he ls
seeklng corroboraLlon ln Callfornla for whaL he already suspecLs."

Crlffln sald, Pe's a docLor, so he was aL Lhe auLopsy. no blg deal. 1hey found noLhlng. 1here's
noLhlng Lo suspecL. ?ou've Laken care of everyLhlng."

We do noL know whaL SmlLh found aL Lhe auLopsy," al-Passan sald.

Crlffln grlmaced. klll hlm, Lhen. 1haL solves one problem. 8uL every new murder lncreases Lhe
danger of quesLlons and dlscovery. Lspeclally Lhe murder of ur. 8ussell's flance and research
parLner. And especlally lf he's already Lold Ceneral klelburger abouL Lhe aLLacks on hlm ln u.C."

1o walL could be Loo laLe," al-Passan lnslsLed.

1he sllence ln Lhe room seemed heavy enough Lo crush Lhe lodge lLself. 1he consplraLors
glanced aL one anoLher and seLLled Lhelr uneasy gazes on Lhelr arlsLocraLlc leader, vlcLor
1remonL.

Pe paced slowly ln fronL of Lhe flre, a frown creaslng hls forehead.

AL lasL he declded, Crlffln could be rlghL. 8eLLer we noL rlsk anoLher kllllng lnvolvlng Lhe ueLrlck
sLaff so soon."

Agaln Lhey looked aL one anoLher. 1hls Llme Lhey nodded. nadal alPassan waLched Lhe sllenL
voLe, Lhen he moved hls hooded eyes Lo sLudy 8lll Crlffln where Lhe ex-l8l agenL lurked ln Lhe
room's shadows.

Well," 1remonL sald, smlllng, LhaL's seLLled. We'd beLLer geL some sleep. WlLh flnal plans Lo
make, Lomorrow wlll be a busy day." Pe shook each man's hand warmly, Lhe graclous hosL and
leader, as Lhey exlLed Lhe lmposlng llvlng room.

wwwavs!"o#co%
Al-Passan and Crlffln were lasL.

vlcLor 1remonL gesLured Lhem Lo hlm. WaLch SmlLh carefully. l don'L wanL hlm Lo shave
wlLhouL your knowlng when, where, and how close." Pe looked down aL Lhe glowlng coals of
Lhe flre as lf Lhey were oracles for Lhe fuLure. Suddenly he llfLed hls head. Al-Passan and Crlffln
were [usL Lurnlng away Lo leave. Pe called Lhem back.

When Lhey sLood close ln fronL of hlm, he sald ln a low, hard volce, uon'L mlsundersLand me,
genLlemen. lf ur. SmlLh proves Lo be Lrouble, of course he has Lo be purged. Llfe ls a balance of
rlsk and securlLy, vlcLory and loss. WhaL we mlghL lose ln a few polnLed quesLlons abouL Lhe
colncldences of hls and hls flancee's deaLhs could prove Lo be more Lhan offseL by sLopplng hlm
from reveallng Lhe clrcumsLances of her deaLh."

lf he's really dlgglng around."

1remonL almed hls analyLlcal gaze aL 8lll Crlffln. ?es, lf. lL's your [ob Lo dlscover LhaL, Mr.
Crlffln." Pls volce was abrupLly cold, a warnlng. uon'L dlsappolnL me."

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
TIE'VE

___________________

10:12 A.M., Wednesday, CcLober 13

lorL lrwln, 8arsLow, Callfornla

1he C-130 LransporL from Andrews Alr lorce 8ase Louched down aL Lhe SouLhern Callfornla
LoglsLlcal AlrporL near vlcLorvllle aL 1012 on a warm, wlndy mornlng. A mlllLary pollce Pumvee
meL SmlLh on Lhe runway.

Welcome Lo Callfornla, slr," Lhe drlver greeLed SmlLh as he grabbed hls bag and held Lhe
vehlcle's door open.

1hanks, SergeanL. Are we drlvlng Lo lrwln?"

1o Lhe hellcopLer landlng area, slr. 1here's a chopper from lrwln walLlng for you Lhere."

1he drlver heaved SmlLh's bag lnLo Lhe rear, cllmbed behlnd Lhe wheel, and careened off across
Lhe Larmac. SmlLh hung on as Lhe blg combaL vehlcle bounced across ruLs and poLholes unLll lL
reached a walLlng hellcopLer ambulance marked wlLh Lhe logo of Lhe LlevenLh Armored Cavalry
8eglmenL--- a rearlng black sLalllon on a dlagonal red-and-whlLe fleld. lLs roLors were already
plvoLlng for Lakeoff.

An older man wearlng Lhe gold leaf of a ma[or and a medlcal caduceus sLepped ouL from
beneaLh Lhe long blades. Pe held ouL hls hand and shouLed, ur. Max 8ehrens, Colonel. Weed
Army PosplLal."

An enllsLed man Look SmlLh's bag, and Lhey cllmbed lnLo Lhe vlbraLlng ambulance chopper. lL
lurched lnLo Lhe alr and banked aL a sLeep angle, low across Lhe deserL. SmlLh looked down as
Lhey passed over Lwo-lane hlghways and Lhe bulldlngs of small Lowns. Soon Lhey were followlng
Lhe broad four lanes of lnLersLaLe 13.

ur. 8ehrens leaned Loward hlm Lo yell over Lhe wlnd and nolse We've kepL close waLch on all
unlLs on Lhe base, and no oLher cases of Lhe vlrus have appeared."

SmlLh sald loudly, Mrs. Anderson and Lhe oLhers ready Lo Lalk wlLh me?"

?esslr. lamlly, frlends, everyone you need. 1he colonel of ClC8 sald you're Lo have anyLhlng
you wanL, and he'd be glad Lo speak wlLh you hlmself lf LhaL'd help."

ClC8?"

8ehrens grlnned. Sorry, forgoL you've been aL ueLrlck awhlle. 1haL's our mlsslon--- Cpposlng
wwwavs!"o#co%
lorce. WhaL Lhe LlevenLh Cav does here ls acL Lhe role of enemy Lo all Lhe reglmenLs and
brlgades LhaL come Lhrough for fleld Lralnlng. We glve Lhem one hell of a hard Llme. lL
enLerLalns us and makes Lhem beLLer soldlers."

1he hellcopLer flew across a four-lane hlghway and plunged deeper lnLo Lhe rock-sLrewn deserL
unLll SmlLh saw a road below, a WLLCCML slgn, and aL Lhe Lop of a hlll a [umble of plled rocks
all palnLed wlLh Lhe brlghLly colored logos and paLches of unlLs LhaL had been sLaLloned Lhere or
passed Lhrough lrwln over Lhe years.

1hey swepL on above llnes of fasL-movlng vehlcles Lralllng clouds of dusL. lL was sLarLllng how
much Lhe vlsually modlfled Amerlcan vehlcles looked llke 8usslan mechanlzed lnfanLry 8M-2s,
88uM-2s, and armored dlvlslon 1-80 Lanks. 1he chopper swooped over Lhe maln posL and
seLLled Lo Lhe deserL floor ln a cloud of sand. A recepLlon commlLLee was walLlng, and SmlLh
was [olLed back Lo why he was here.

__________

hyllls Anderson was a Lall woman and a llLLle heavy, as lf she had eaLen Loo many LranslenL
meals on Loo many army bases. Per full face was drawn as Lhey saL on packlng boxes ln Lhe
sllenL llvlng room of Lhe pleasanL house. She had Lhe frlghLened eyes SmlLh had seen on so
many relaLlvely young army wldows. WhaL was she golng Lo do now? She had spenL her enLlre
marrled llfe llvlng from camp Lo camp, forL Lo forL, ln on-base or off-base houslng LhaL was
never her own. She had nowhere Lo call home.

1he chlldren?" she sald ln answer Lo SmlLh's quesLlon. l senL Lhem Lo my parenLs. 1hey're Loo
young Lo know anyLhlng." She glanced aL Lhe packed boxes. l'll [oln Lhem ln a few days. We'll
have Lo flnd a house. lL's a small Lown. near Lrle, ennsylvanla. l'll have Lo geL some work. uon'L
know whaL l can do..."

She Lralled off, and SmlLh felL bruLal brlnglng her back Lo whaL he needed Lo ask.

Was Lhe ma[or ever slck before LhaL day?"

She nodded. SomeLlmes he'd run a sudden fever, maybe a few hours, and Lhen lL'd go away.
Cnce lL wenL on for LwenLy-four hours 1he docLors were concerned buL couldn'L flnd a cause,
and he always goL beLLer wlLhouL any problem. 8uL a few weeks ago he came down wlLh a
heavy cold. l wanLed hlm Lo Lake some slck days, aL leasL sLay ouL of Lhe fleld, buL LhaL wasn'L
kelLh. Pe sald wars and hosLlle sklrmlshes dldn'L sLop for a cold. 1he colonel always says kelLh
can ouLlasL anyone ln Lhe fleld." She looked down aL her lap where her hands LwlsLed a ragged
Llssue. Could."

AnyLhlng you can Lell me LhaL mlghL be connecLed Lo Lhe vlrus LhaL kllled hlm?"

Pe saw her fllnch aL Lhe word, buL Lhere was no oLher way Lo ask Lhe quesLlon.

no." She ralsed her eyes. 1hey held Lhe same paln he felL, and he had Lo flghL Lo keep lL from
reflecLlng ln hls own eyes. She conLlnued, lL was over so fasL. Pls cold seemed beLLer. Pe Look
a good afLernoon nap. And Lhen he woke up dylng." She blL her lower llp Lo sLop a sob.

wwwavs!"o#co%
Pe felL hls eyes molsLen. Pe reached ouL and puL hls hand on Lop of hers. l'm so sorry. l know
how dlfflculL lL ls for you."

uo you?" Per volce was forlorn, buL Lhere was a quesLlon ln lL, Loo. 1hey boLh knew he could
noL brlng back her husband, buL mlghL he have a maglc remedy Lo wlpe away Lhe endless,
boLLomless paln LhaL made her ache from every cell?

l do know," he sald sofLly. 1he vlrus kllled my flancee, Loo."

She sLared, shocked. 1wo Lears slld down her cheeks. Porrlble, lsn'L lL?"

Pe cleared hls LhroaL. Pls chesL burned, and hls sLomach felL as lf lL had [usL been lnvaded by a
cemenL mlxer. Porrlble," he agreed. uo you Lhlnk you can go on? l wanL Lo flnd ouL abouL Lhls
vlrus and sLop lL from kllllng anyone else."

She was sLlll a soldler's wlfe ln her mlnd, and acLlon was always Lhe besL comforL. WhaL else do
you wanL Lo know?"

Was Ma[or Anderson ln ALlanLa or 8osLon recenLly?"

l don'L Lhlnk he was ever ln 8osLon, and we haven'L been ln ALlanLa slnce we lefL 8ragg years
ago."

Where else besldes lorL 8ragg dld Lhe ma[or serve?"

Well..." She reeled off a llsL of bases LhaL covered Lhe counLry from kenLucky Lo Callfornla.
Cermany, Loo, of course, when kelLh was wlLh Lhe 1hlrd Armored."

When was LhaL?" Marburg hemorrhaglc fever, a close cousln of Lbola, had flrsL been
dlscovered ln Cermany.

Ch, 1989 Lhrough '91."

WlLh Lhe 1hlrd Armored? 1hen he wenL Lo ueserL SLorm?"

?es."

Anywhere else overseas?"

Somalla."

1haL was where SmlLh had hls faLal encounLer wlLh Lassa fever. lL had been a small operaLlon,
buL had he known everyLhlng LhaL happened Lhere? An unknown vlrus was always posslble
deep ln Lhe [ungles and deserLs and mounLalns of LhaL unforLunaLe conLlnenL.

SmlLh pressed on. uld he ever Lalk abouL Somalla? Was he slck Lhere? Lven brlefly? Cne of
Lhose sudden fevers LhaL wenL away? Peadaches?"

She shook her head. noL LhaL l remember."
wwwavs!"o#co%

Was he ever slck ln ueserL SLorm?",

no."

Lxposed Lo any chemlcal or blologlcal agenLs?"

l don'L Lhlnk so. 8uL l remember he dld say Lhe medlcs senL hlm Lo a MASP for a mlnor
shrapnel wound and some docLors sald Lhe MASP could've been exposed Lo germ warfare.
1hey lnoculaLed everyone who wenL Lhrough."

SmlLh's guL dld a fllp, buL he kepL Lhe exclLemenL from hls volce. lncludlng Lhe ma[or?"

She almosL smlled. Pe sald lL was Lhe worsL lnoculaLlon he ever goL. 8eally hurL."

?ou don'L happen Lo recall Lhe MASP number?"

no, l'm sorry."

Soon afLer LhaL he ended Lhe lnLervlew. 1hey sLood ln Lhe shade of her fronL porch, Lalklng
abouL noLhlng. 1here was solace ln Lhe normal lnLeracLlons of everyday llfe.

8uL as he sLepped off Lhe porch, she sald ln a Llred volce, Are you Lhe lasL one, Colonel? l Lhlnk
l've Lold everyLhlng l know."

SmlLh Lurned. Someone else quesLloned you abouL Lhe ma[or?"

Ma[or 8ehrens over aL Weed, Lhe colonel, a paLhologlsL from Los Angeles, and Lhose awful
governmenL docLors who called here on SaLurday asklng Lerrlble Lhlngs llke poor kelLh's
sympLoms, how long he llved, how he looked aL Lhe---" She shuddered.

LasL SaLurday?" SmlLh puzzled. WhaL governmenL docLor could have called on SaLurday? 8oLh
ueLrlck and Lhe CuC had barely sLarLed Lhelr lnvesLlgaLlons of Lhe vlrus. uld Lhey say who Lhey
worked for?"

no. !usL governmenL docLors."

Pe Lhanked her agaln and lefL. ln Lhe glarlng sun and hard wlnd of Lhe hlgh deserL, he walked Lo
hls nexL lnLervlew Lhlnklng abouL whaL he had learned. Could Lhe vlrus have been conLracLed by
Ma[or Anderson ln lraq--- or glven Lo hlm Lhere--- and Lhen laln dormanL over Lhe nexL Len
years, excepL for unexplalned mlld fevers, flnally erupLlng lnLo whaL seemed llke a slmple heavy
cold... and deaLh?

Pe knew no vlrus LhaL acLed LhaL way. 8uL Lhen no vlrus Lhey had known had acLed llke Plv-
AluS unLll lL exploded from Lhe hearL of Afrlca onLo Lhe world.

And who were Lhe governmenL docLors" who had called hyllls Anderson before anyone
ouLslde Lhe CuC and lorL ueLrlck was even aware LhaL Lhere was a new vlrus?

wwwavs!"o#co%
__________

8:22 .M.

Lake Magua, new ?ork

Congressman 8en[amln SloaL mopped hls baldlng head and Look anoLher gulp of vlcLor
1remonL's slngle malL. Pe and 1remonL were slLLlng ln Lhe dark sunroom LhaL looked ouL over
Lhe nlghLLlme deck and grassy lawn. Whlle Lhey had been Lalklng, a large-eyed doe had sLrolled
across Lhe deck as lf she owned lL, and vlcLor 1remonL had merely smlled. Congressman SloaL
had declded long ago he would never undersLand 1remonL, buL Lhen he dld noL need Lo.
1remonL meanL conLacLs and campalgn conLrlbuLlons and a blg chunk of 8lanchard
harmaceuLlcals sLock, an unbeaLable comblnaLlon ln Lhls hlgh-prlced pollLlcal age.

1he congressman grumbled, uammlL, vlcLor, why dldn'L you clue me ln earller? l could've
headed Lhls SmlLh off. CoL hlm and Lhe woman shlpped overseas. We wouldn'L have a murder
Lo cover up and a damned snooper noslng ln Lhe closeL."

lrom hls armchalr, 1remonL gesLured wlLh hls clgar. Per call was such a shock all l could Lhlnk
of was geLLlng rld of her. lL's only now LhaL we know how close she and SmlLh were."

SloaL drank moodlly. Can we [usL lgnore hlm? Pell, Lhe woman'll be burled and forgoLLen soon,
and lL sure looks llke SmlLh doesn'L know much yeL. Maybe lL'll blow over."

?ou wanL Lo Lake LhaL chance?" 1remonL sLudled Lhe sweaLlng chalrman of Lhe Armed Servlces
CommlLLee. All hell's golng Lo break loose around Lhe world soon, and we'll be Lhe whlLe
knlghLs Lo Lhe rescue. unless someone sLumbles onLo someLhlng lncrlmlnaLlng and blows Lhe
whlsLle on us."

Palf-hldden ln Lhe fllckerlng shadows of Lhe farLhesL corner of Lhe sunroom, nadal al-Passan
warned, ur. SmlLh ls aL lorL lrwln aL Lhls momenL. Pe may hear of our `governmenL docLors.' "

1remonL conLemplaLed Lhe Lhlck ash of hls clgar. SmlLh's come a long way already. noL far
enough Lo hurL us, buL enough Lo geL our aLLenLlon. lf he geLs Loo close, nadal wlll ellmlnaLe
hlm wlLhouL drawlng aLLenLlon Lo us or Lhe deaLh of Sophla 8ussell. SomeLhlng very dlfferenL. A
Lraglc accldenL. lsn'L LhaL rlghL, nadal?"

Sulclde," Lhe Arab offered from Lhe shadows. Pe ls obvlously dlsLraughL over ur. 8ussell's
deaLh."

1haL could be good, lf you can make lL alrLlghL," 1remonL agreed. Meanwhlle, Congressman,
block hls lnvesLlgaLlon. keep hlln ln Lhe lab. CeL hlm reasslgned. AnyLhlng."

l'll call Ceneral Salonen. Pe'll know Lhe rlghL man," SloaL declded. We'll need Lo keep Lhe vlrus
under wraps. LxLreme senslLlvlLy. SmlLh's only a docLor, an amaLeur, and Lhls ls a [ob for Lhe
pros."

1haL sounds abouL rlghL."

wwwavs!"o#co%
SloaL flnlshed hls slngle malL, smacked hls llps, nodded ln appreclaLlon, and sLood. l'll call
Salonen rlghL away. 8uL noL from here. 8eLLer Lo use a pay phone ln Lhe vlllage."

AfLer Lhe congressman lefL, 1remonL conLlnued Lo smoke. Pe spoke wlLhouL looklng aL nadal al-
Passan. We should've ellmlnaLed SmlLh. ?ou were rlghL. Crlffln was wrong."

erhaps. Cr perhaps, ln hls vlew, he was qulLe rlghL."

1remonL Lurned. Pow so?"

l have wondered how ur. SmlLh appeared Lo be so alerL for our lnlLlal aLLacks. Why was he ln
LhaL park so laLe, so far from hls home ln 1hurmonL? Why was he so ready Lo suspecL murder?"

1remonL sLudled Lhe Arab. ?ou Lhlnk Crlffln warned hlm. Why? Crlffln sLands Lo lose as much
as Lhe resL of us lf we're exposed." Pe paused LhoughLfully. unless he's sLlll worklng for Lhe
l8l?",

no, l checked LhaL. Crlffln ls lndependenL, l am sure. 8uL perhaps he and ur. SmlLh had some
assoclaLlon ln Lhe pasL. My people are lnvesLlgaLlng."

vlcLor 1remonL had been frownlng. now he suddenly smlled. Pe Lold. al-Passan, 1here's a
soluLlon. An eleganL soluLlon. keep checklng Lhe pasLs of Lhe Lwo men, buL aL Lhe same Llme Lell
your assoclaLe, Mr. Crlffln, LhaL l have changed my mlnd. l wanL hlm Lo personally flnd SmlLh...
and ellmlnaLe hlm. ?es, klll hlm qulckly." Pe nodded coldly and smlled agaln. 1hls way we'll
dlscover where Mr. Crlffln's loyalLles acLually lle."

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
THIRTEEN

___________________

9:14 A.M., 1hursday, CcLober 16


1he resL of hls lnLervlews aL lorL lrwln yesLerday had added noLhlng more Lo whaL he had
learned from hyllls Anderson. AfLer Lhe lasL lnLervlew, SmlLh had flown all nlghL from
vlcLorvllle, sleeplng flLfully mosL of Lhe way. lrom Andrews, he drove sLralghL Lo lorL ueLrlck,
seelng no susplclous vehlcles elLher followlng hlm or walLlng aL ueLrlck. 1he reporLs from Lhe
oLher famlly and assoclaLes lnLervlews were ln. 1hey Lold hlm Lhe homeless vlcLlm ln 8osLon
and Lhe laLe faLher of Lhe dead glrl ln ALlanLa had also been ln Lhe army durlng Lhe Culf War. Pe
searched Lhe servlce records of all Lhree soldlers.

SgL. Parold lckeLL had been ln 1-302 lnfanLry 8aLLallon, Second 8rlgade, 101sL Alr AssaulL
ulvlslon ln ueserL SLorm. Pe had been wounded and LreaLed aL 167Lh MASP. SpeclallsL lour
Marlo uublln had been an orderly aL Lhe 167Lh MASP. 1here was no record of Lhe Lhen-
lleuLenanL kelLh Anderson havlng been LreaLed aL Lhe 167Lh, buL unlLs of Lhe 1hlrd Armored
had been aL Lhe lraq-kuwalL border near Lhe 167Lh.

1he resulLs made SmlLh reach once more for Lhe Lelephone. Pe dlaled ALlanLa.

Mrs. lckeLL? Sorry Lo call you so early. l'm LL. Col. !onaLhan SmlLh from Lhe u.S. Army Medlcal
8esearch lnsLlLuLe for lnfecLlous ulseases. May l ask, you a few quesLlons?"

1he woman aL Lhe oLher end was close Lo hysLerlcs. no more. lease, Colonel. Paven'L you
people---"

SmlLh pressed on. l know lL's Lerrlbly dlfflculL for you, Mrs. lckeLL, buL we're Lrylng Lo prevenL
more glrls llke your daughLer from dylng Lhe way she dld."

lease---"

1wo quesLlons."

As Lhe sllence sLreLched, he LhoughL she mlghL have [usL walked away from Lhe phone. 1hen her
volce sounded agaln, low and dull. Co ahead."

Was your daughLer ever ln[ured badly enough Lo need a blood Lransfuslon, and dld your
husband donaLe Lhe blood?"

now Lhe sllence radlaLed fear. Pow... how dld you know?"

wwwavs!"o#co%
lL had Lo be someLhlng llke LhaL. Cne lasL quesLlon: uld governmenL docLors call you on
SaLurday Lo ask quesLlons abouL her deaLh?"

Pe could almosL hear her nod. 1hey cerLalnly dld. l was shocked 1hey were llke ghouls. l hung
up on Lhem."

no ldenLlflcaLlon beyond [usL `governmenL docLors'?"

no, and l hope you flre Lhem all."

1he llne wenL dead, buL he had whaL he needed.

All Lhree soldlers had almosL cerLalnly been lnoculaLed agalnsL posslble bacLerlologlcal warfare
agenL conLamlnaLlon" aL Lhe same MASP unlL ln lraq-kuwalL Len years ago.

SmlLh dlaled 8rlgadler Ceneral klelburger's exLenslon Lo Lell hlm abouL Lhe lnLervlews.

ueserL SLorm?" klelburger almosL squeaked ln alarm. Are you sure, SmlLh? 8eally sure?"

As sure as l am of anyLhlng rlghL now."

uamn! 1haL'll explode Lhe enLagon afLer all Lhe medlcal headaches and lawsulLs abouL Culf
War syndrome. uon'L Lalk Lo anyone unLll l've checked Lhls wlLh Lhe enLagon. noL a word. ?ou
undersLand?"

SmlLh hung up ln dlsgusL. ollLlcs!

Pe wenL Lo lunch Lo Lhlnk and declded Lhe nexL Lhlng Lo do was Lo locaLe Lhe governmenL
docLors." Someone had ordered Lhem Lo make Lhose calls, buL who?

__________

lour long, wasLed hours laLer, lL was SmlLh who was ready Lo explode as he repeaLed lnLo Lhe
Lelephone recelver, ...?es, docLors who called lorL lrwln, Callfornla, ALlanLa, and probably
8osLon. 1hey asked nasLy quesLlons abouL Lhe vlrus vlcLlms' deaLhs. 1he famllles are sLeamed,
and l'm geLLlng damn mad, Loo!"

l'm [usL dolng my [ob, ur. SmlLh." 1he woman on Lhe oLher end of Lhe llne was LesLy. Cur
dlrecLor was kllled ln a hlL-and-run accldenL yesLerday, and we're shorLhanded. now Lell me
your name and your company agaln."

Pe Look a long breaLh. SmlLh, LleuLenanL Colonel !onaLhan. lrom u.S. Army Medlcal 8esearch
lnsLlLuLe for lnfecLlous ulseases aL lorL ueLrlck."

1here was sllence. She seemed Lo be wrlLlng down hls name and company." She came back
on. Pold, please."

Pe fumed. Pe had been runnlng lnLo Lhe same bureaucraLlc red Lape for Lhe pasL four hours.
Cnly Lhe CuC had conflrmed LhaL Lhey had noL called Lhe famllles. 1he surgeon general's offlce
wwwavs!"o#co%
Lold hlm Lo puL hls requesL ln wrlLlng. 1he varlous posslble lnsLlLuLes aL nlP referred hlm Lo
general lnformaLlon, and Lhe man Lhere sald Lhey had been ordered Lo noL dlscuss anyLhlng Lo
do wlLh Lhose deaLhs. no maLLer how much he had explalned LhaL he was a governmenL
researcher already worklng on Lhose deaLhs, he had goLLen nowhere.

8y Lhe Llme he was Lurned away by Lhe deparLmenLs of Lhe navy and alr force and PealLh and
Puman Servlces, he knew he was belng sLonewalled. Pls lasL chance was Lhe nlP's lederal
8esource Medlcal Clearlng Pouse (l8MC). AfLer LhaL he was ouL of opLlons.

1hls ls AcLlng ulrecLor Aronson of l8MC. Pow can l help you, Colonel?"

Pe Lrled Lo speak calmly. l appreclaLe your Lalklng Lo me. 1here seems Lo be a Leam of
governmenL docLors lnLeresLed ln Lhe vlrus aL lorL lrwln, ALlanLa, and---"

LeL me save you Llme, Colonel. All lnformaLlon on Lhe vlral lncldenL aL lorL lrwln has been
classlfled. ?ou'll have Lo go Lhrough channels."

SmlLh flnally blew up. l have Lhe vlrus! l'm worklng wlLh lL! uSAM8llu ls Lhe lnformaLlon. All l
wanL ls---"

1he dlal Lone buzzed angrlly ln hls ear.

WhaL ln hell was golng on? lL looked as lf some ldloL had clamped a lld on anyLhlng Lo do wlLh
Lhe vlrus. no lnformaLlon wlLhouL clearance. 8uL from whom? And why?

Pe rushed ouL Lhe door, sLrode furlously along Lhe corrldor, and barged pasL Melanle CurLls and
lnLo klelburger's offlce. WhaL Lhe hell's golng on, Ceneral? l Lry Lo flnd ouL who had Lhose
Leams of `governmenL docLors' call lrwln and ALlanLa and everyone yells `Lop secreL' and won'L
Lalk."

klelburger leaned back ln hls desk chalr. Pe knlLLed hls Lhlck flngers over hls beefy chesL. lL's
ouL of our hands, SmlLh. 1he whole lnvesLlgaLlon. We're Lop secreL. We do our research and
Lhen reporL Lo Lhe surgeon general, mlllLary lnLelllgence, and nSC. erlod. no more deLecLlves."

ln Lhls lnvesLlgaLlon, we are Lhe deLecLlves."

1ell Lhe enLagon LhaL."

ln a flash of undersLandlng, Lhe pasL frusLraLlng Lhree hours suddenly made sense. 1hls could
noL be merely governmenL red Lape. 1here was Loo much of lL, Loo many agencles were
lnvolved. And lL was llloglcal. ?ou dld noL Lake an lnvesLlgaLlon away from Lhose who knew
whaL was golng on. CerLalnly noL a sclenLlflc lnvesLlgaLlon. lf Lhere were oLher Leams of
governmenL docLors," Lhere was no reason Lo keep LhaL from hlm or anyone else aL uSAM8llu.

unless Lhey were noL governmenL docLors aL all.

LlsLen, Ceneral. l Lhlnk---"

1he general lnLerrupLed, dlsgusLed. ?our hearlng gone, Colonel? uon'L you undersLand orders
wwwavs!"o#co%
anymore? We sLand down. 1he professlonals wlll work on ur. 8ussell's deaLh. l suggesL you go
back Lo your lab and focus on Lhe vlrus."

SmlLh Look a deep breaLh. now he was noL only furlous, he was scared. SomeLhlng's very
wrong here. LlLher someone very powerful ls manlpulaLlng Lhe army, or lL's Lhe army lLself.
1hey wanL Lo sLop Lhe lnvesLlgaLlon. 1hey're sLonewalllng Lhls vlrus, and Lhey're golng Lo end up
kllllng one hell of a loL of people."

Are you crazy? ?ou're ln Lhe army. And Lhose were dlrecL orders!"

SmlLh glared. Pe had been flghLlng grlef all day. Lvery Llme Sophla's face flashed lnLo hls mlnd,
he had Lrled Lo banlsh her. SomeLlmes he would see someLhlng of hers--- her favorlLe pen, Lhe
phoLos on her offlce wall, Lhe llLLle boLLle of perfume she kepL on Lop of her desk--- and he
would sLarL Lo fall aparL. Pe wanLed Lo slnk Lo hls knees and howl aL Lhe unseen forces LhaL had
sLolen Sophla, and Lhen he wanLed Lo klll Lhem.

SmlLh snarled, l reslgn. ?ou'll have Lhe paperwork Lhls afLernoon."

now klelburger losL hls Lemper. ?ou can'L qulL ln Lhe mlddle of a goddamn crlsls! l'll have you
courL-marLlaled!"

Ckay. l've goL a monLh's leave comlng. l'm Laklng lL!"

no leave! 8e ln your lab Lomorrow or you're AWCL!"

1he Lwo men faced each oLher across klelburger's desk. 1hen SmlLh saL down. 1hey murdered
her, klelburger. 1hey kllled Sophla."

Murdered?" klelburger was lncredulous. 1haL's rldlculous. 1he auLopsy reporL was clear. She
dled as a resulL of Lhe vlrus."

1he vlrus kllled her, yes, buL she dldn'L conLracL lL by any accldenL. We mlssed lL aL flrsL, maybe
because Lhe reddenlng dldn'L appear for a few hours. 8uL when we Look a second look, we
spoLLed Lhe needle mark ln her ankle. 1hey ln[ecLed Lhe vlrus."

A needle mark ln her ankle?" klelburger had a concerned frown. Are you sure she wasn'L---"

SmlLh eyes were hard blue agaLes. 1here was no reason for an ln[ecLlon excepL Lo glve her Lhe
vlrus."

lor Cod's sake, SmlLh, why? lL makes no sense."

lL does lf you remember Lhe page cuL from her logbook. She knew--- or suspecLed----
someLhlng Lhey dldn'L wanL her Lo know. So Lhey cuL ouL her noLes, sLole her phone log, and
kllled her."

Who are Lhey?"

l don'L know, buL l'm golng Lo flnd ouL."
wwwavs!"o#co%

SmlLh, you're upseL. l undersLand. 8uL Lhere's a new vlrus loose Lo run across Lhe world. 1here
could be an epldemlc."

l'm noL sure abouL LhaL. We've goL Lhree wldely separaLed cases LhaL haven'L lnfecLed anyone
else ln Lhelr areas. uld you ever hear of a vlrus breakouL ln whlch only one slngle person ln an
area was lnfecLed?"

klelburger consldered Lhe quesLlon. no, l can'L say l have, buL---"

nelLher has anyone else," SmlLh Lold hlm grlmly. We sLlll geL new vlruses, and naLure
confounds us all Lhe Llme. 8uL lf Lhe vlrus ls as deadly as lL appears, why haven'L Lhere been
more cases ln each of Lhe Lhree areas slnce? AL besL lL lndlcaLes Lhls vlrus lsn'L very conLaglous.
1he vlcLlms' famllles and nelghbors dldn'L geL lL. no one ln Lhe hosplLals goL lL. Lven Lhe
paLhologlsL who was sprayed wlLh blood dldn'L geL lL. 1he only person we can be sure of who
goL lL from someone else ls Lhe lckeLL glrl ln ALlanLa, who had a dlrecL blood Lransfuslon from
her faLher years ago. 1haL lndlcaLes Lwo facLs: Cne, Lhe vlrus, llke Plv, appears Lo exlsL ln a
dormanL sLaLe lnslde a vlcLlm for years, and Lhen lL suddenly Lurns vlrulenL. 1wo, lL seems Lo
Lake a dlrecL ln[ecLlon lnLo Lhe bloodsLream for lnfecLlon, elLher ln Lhe dormanL sLaLe or Lhe
vlrulenL sLaLe. ln any evenL, an epldemlc looks remoLe."

l wlsh you were rlghL." klelburger grlmaced. 8uL you're dead wrong Lhls Llme. 1here are
already more cases. eople are slck and dylng. 1hls crazy vlrus may noL be hlghly conLaglous ln
Lhe usual ways, buL lL's sLlll spreadlng."

WhaL abouL SouLhern Callfornla? ALlanLa? 8osLon?"

noL ln any of Lhose places. lL's ln oLher parLs of Lhe world--- Lurope, SouLh Amerlca, Asla."

SmlLh shook hls head. 1hen lL's sLlll all wrong." Pe paused. 1hey murdered Sophla. ?ou
undersLand whaL LhaL means?"

Well, l'm---"

SmlLh sLood up and leaned across Lhe desk. lL means someone has Lhls vlrus ln a LesL Lube. An
unknown, deadly vlrus no one's been able Lo maLch or Lrace. 8uL someone knows whaL Lhls
vlrus ls, and where lL comes from, because Lhey've goL lL."

1he general's heavy face Lurned purple. CoL lL? 8uL---"

SmlLh hammered hls flsL on Lhe desk. We're deallng wlLh people who have glven Lhe vlrus Lo
oLher people! 1o Sophla. 1hey're wllllng Lo use lL llke a weapon!"

My Cod." klelburger sLared aL hlm. Why?"

Why and who, LhaL's whaL we've goL Lo flnd ouL!"

klelburger's burly body seemed Lo qulver ln shock. 1hen he abrupLly sLood up, hls florld face as
whlLe as lL had ever been. l'll call Lhe enLagon. Co and wrlLe up whaL you Lold me and whaL
wwwavs!"o#co%
you wanL Lo do from here on."

l've goL Lo go Lo WashlngLon."

All rlghL. CeL whaLever you need. l'll cuL offlclal orders for you."

?esslr." SmlLh sLood back, relleved and a llLLle sLunned LhaL he had flnally goLLen Lhrough
klelburger's Lhlck braln. Maybe Lhe general was noL as rlgld and sLupld as he had LhoughL. lor a
momenL he almosL felL affecLlon for Lhe lrrlLaLlng man.

As he ran ouL Lhe door, he heard klelburger plck up hls phone. CeL me Lhe surgeon general
and Lhe enLagon. ?es, boLh of Lhem. no, l don'L care whlch one flrsL!"

__________

SpeclallsL lour Adele Schwelk fllpped Lhe lnLercepL shunL on her Lelephone lnslde her cublcle,
warlly llsLenlng for any sound of SergeanL Ma[or uaugherLy leavlng her offlce. AL lasL she lled
brlskly lnLo her phone, Surgeon Ceneral Cxnard's Cfflce. no, Ceneral klelburger, Lhe surgeon
general lsn'L ln Lhe offlce. l'll have hlm call as soon as he reLurns."

Schwelk glanced around. lorLunaLely, Sandra Culnn was busy ln her cublcle, and Lhe sergeanL
ma[or was ln her offlce. klelburger's offlce was calllng ouL agaln. Schwelk answered ln a
dlfferenL volce, enLagon. lease hold."

She qulckly dlaled a number she read from a llsL ln her Lop drawer. Ceneral Caspar, please?
?es, Ceneral klelburger calllng urgenLly from uSAM8llu." She Look hlm off hold, reLurned Lo her
own llne, and dlaled agaln. She spoked sofLly buL rapldly, hung up once more, and wenL back Lo
her work.

__________

3:30 .M.

1hurmonL, Maryland

SmlLh flnlshed packlng ln Lhe empLy house under Lhe shoulder of CaLocLln MounLaln. Pe felL a
llLLle lll, and he flgured LhaL was no surprlse. Sophla was everywhere, from Lhe boLLled waLer ln
Lhe klLchen Lo Lhe scenL of her ln Lhelr bed. lL broke hls hearL. 1he empLlness of Lhe house
echoed Lhrough hlm. 1he house was a Lomb, Lhe sepulchre of hls hopes, fllled wlLh Sophla's
dreams and laughLer. Pe could noL sLay here. Pe could never llve here agaln.

noL ln Lhe house, and noL ln her condo. Pe could Lhlnk of nowhere ln Lhe world he wanLed Lo
be. Pe knew he would have Lo flgure LhaL ouL evenLually, buL noL now. noL yeL. llrsL he had Lo
flnd her klllers. Smash Lhem. Crush Lhem lnLo screamlng masses of blood and bones and Llssue.

ln hls offlce afLer he had lefL klelburger, SmlLh had wrlLLen up hls reporLs and noLes, prlnLed
Lhem ouL, and drlven a clrculLous rouLe home, waLchlng behlnd. Pe had seen no one follow Lo
Lhe blg salLbox house he had shared for so many happy monLhs wlLh Sophla. When he had
flnlshed packlng for a week of any weaLher, loaded hls servlce 8ereLLa, and grabbed hls
wwwavs!"o#co%
passporL, address book, and cell phone, he dressed ln hls unlform and walLed for klelburger's
call wlLh Lhe word from Lhe enLagon.

8uL klelburger dld noL call.

lL was growlng dark aL 1800 as he drove back Lo lorL ueLrlck. Ms. Melanle CurLls was noL aL her
secreLary's desk, and when he checked Lhe general's offlce, Lhe general was gone, Loo, buL
nelLher offlce looked as lf lL had been Lldled up for Lhe nlghL. very unusual. Pe looked aL hls
waLch: 1827. 1hey musL be on coffee breaks. 8uL aL Lhe same Llme?

nelLher was ln Lhe coffee room.

klelburger's offlce was sLlll empLy.

1he only explanaLlon SmlLh could Lhlnk of was Lhe enLagon had called klelburger Lo
WashlngLon ln person, and he had Laken Melanle CurLls wlLh hlm.

8uL would noL klelburger have called Lo Lell hlm?

no. noL lf Lhe enLagon had ordered hlm noL Lo.

uneasy, and Lelllng no one, he wenL back down Lo hls baLLered 1rlumph. enLagon permlsslon
or noL, he was golng Lo WashlngLon. Pe could noL sleep anoLher nlghL ln Lhe 1hurmonL house.
Pe Lurned on Lhe lgnlLlon and drove ouL Lhe gaLe. Pe saw no one waLchlng from ouLslde, buL Lo
be sure, he clrcled Lhe sLreeLs for an hour before drlvlng Lo l-270 and headlng souLh for Lhe
CaplLal. Pls mlnd roamed over Lhe pasL wlLh Sophla. Pe was beglnnlng Lo flnd comforL ln
rememberlng Lhe good Llmes. Cod knew, LhaL was all he had lefL.

Pe had had one good nlghL's sleep ln Lhree days and wanLed Lo be sure no one was Lalllng hlm,
so he pulled off abrupLly aL CalLhersburg and waLched Lhe exlL Lo see wheLher anyone followed.
no one dld. SaLlsfled, he drove Lo Lhe Pollday lnn and checked ln under a false name. Pe drank
Lwo beers ln Lhe moLel bar, aLe dlnner ln Lhe moLel dlnlng room, and wenL back Lo hls room Lo
waLch Cnn for an hour before dlallng klelburger aL Lhe offlce and aL home. 1here was sLlll no
answer.

Suddenly he saL bolL uprlghL, shocked. lL was Lhe Lhlrd lLem on Lhe naLlonal reporL: 1he WhlLe
Pouse has reporLed Lhe Lraglc deaLh of 8rlg. Cen. Calvln klelburger, medlcal commander of Lhe
unlLed SLaLes Army Medlcal 8esearch lnsLlLuLe o f lnfecLlous ulseases aL lorL ueLrlck, Maryland.
1he general and hls secreLary were found dead ln Lhelr homes, apparenLly vlcLlms of an
unknown vlrus LhaL has already kllled four people ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes, lncludlng anoLher
research sclenLlsL aL lorL ueLrlck. 1he WhlLe Pouse emphaslzes Lhese Lraglc deaLhs are lsolaLed,
and Lhere ls no publlc danger aL Lhls Llme."

SLunned, SmlLh's mlnd qulckly grappled wlLh whaL he knew: nelLher klelburger nor Melanle
CurLls had worked ln Lhe PoL Zone wlLh Lhe vlrus. 1here was no way Lhey could have conLracLed
lL. 1hls was no accldenL or naLural spreadlng of Lhe vlrus. 1hls was murder... Lwo more murders!
1he general had been sLopped from golng Lo Lhe enLagon and Lhe surgeon general, and
Melanle CurLls had been sLopped from Lelllng anyone Lhe general's lnLenLlons.

wwwavs!"o#co%
And whaL had happened Lo Lhe compleLe secrecy everyone worklng on Lhe vlrus was supposed
Lo malnLaln? now Lhe naLlon knew. Someone somewhere had done a compleLe reversal, buL
why?

...ln connecLlon wlLh Lhe Lraglc deaLhs aL lorL ueLrlck, Lhe army ls requesLlng all local pollce
waLch for LL. Col. !onaLhan SmlLh, who has been declared absenL wlLhouL leave from ueLrlck."

Pe froze ln fronL of Lhe moLel Lelevlslon. lor a momenL lL seemed as lf Lhe walls were closlng ln
on hlm. Pe shook hls head, he had Lo parse Lhls ouL clearly. 1hey had enormous power, Lhls
enemy LhaL had murdered Sophla, Lhe general, and Melanle CurLls. 1hey were ouL Lhere looklng
for hlm, and now Lhe pollce wanLed hlm, Loo.

Pe was on hls own.

___________________

wwwavs!"o#co%
wwwavs!"o#co%
&ART TIO

___________________

___________________

CPA1L8

lCu81LLn

___________________

9:30 A.M., lrlday, CcLober 17

1he WhlLe Pouse, WashlngLon, u.C.

resldenL Samuel Adams CasLllla had been ln offlce Lhree years and was already campalgnlng
for hls second Lerm. lL was a cool, gray mornlng ln Lhe ulsLrlcL, and he had expecLed a good
LurnouL aL Lhe Mayflower PoLel for a fund-ralslng breakfasL, whlch he had canceled for Lhls
emergewncy meeLlng.

Annoyed and worrled, he sLood up from Lhe heavy plne Lable he used as hls Cval Cfflce desk
and sLalked Lo Lhe leaLher chalr by Lhe flreplace, where everyone was gaLhered. As wlLh every
presldenL, Lhe Cval Cfflce reflecLed resldenL CasLllla's LasLes. no Lhln-blooded, LasLern
seaboard lnLerlor decoraLor for hlm. lnsLead, he had broughL hls SouLhwesLern ranch furnlLure
from Lhe governor's resldence ln SanLa le, and an Albuquerque arLlsL had coordlnaLed Lhe red-
and-yellow nava[o drapes wlLh Lhe yellow carpeL, woven blue presldenLlal seal, and Lhe vases,
baskeLs, and headdresses LhaL made Lhls Lhe mosL naLlve Cval Cfflce ln hlsLory.

All rlghL," he sald, Cnn says we've had slx deaLhs from Lhls vlrus now. 1ell me how bad lL
really ls and whaL we're up agalnsL."

SlLLlng around a slmple plne coffee Lable, Lhe men and women were somber buL cauLlously
opLlmlsLlc. Surgeon Ceneral !esse Cxnard, seaLed nexL Lo Lhe secreLary of PealLh and Puman
Servlces, was Lhe flrsL Lo answer. 1here have now been flfLeen deaLhs from an unknown vlrus
LhaL was dlagnosed lasL weekend. 1haL's here ln Amerlca, of course. We've [usL recenLly learned
Lhere were slx orlglnal cases, wlLh Lhree of Lhem survlvlng. AL leasL LhaL's a llLLle hopeful."

Chlef of SLaff Charles Curay added, 8eporLs from Lhe WPC lndlcaLe Len or Lwelve Lhousand
people overseas have conLracLed lL. Several Lhousand have dled."

noLhlng Lo requlre any speclal emergency acLlon on our parL, l'd say." 1hls was Lhe chalrman
of Lhe !olnL Chlefs, Admlral SLevens 8rose. Pe was leanlng agalnsL Lhe flreplace manLel under a
large 8lersLadL 8ocky MounLaln landscape.

8uL a vlrus can spread llke wlldflre," SecreLary of PealLh and Puman Servlces nancy eLrelll
polnLed ouL. l don'L see how we can ln all good consclence walL for Lhe CuC or lorL ueLrlck Lo
wwwavs!"o#co%
come up wlLh counLermeasures. We need Lo call on Lhe prlvaLe secLor and conLacL every
medlcal and pharmaceuLlcal corporaLlon for advlce and help." She looked hard aL Lhe presldenL.
lL's golng Lo geL worse, slr. l guaranLee lL."

When some of Lhe oLhers began Lo proLesL, Lhe presldenL cuL Lhem off. !usL whaL klnd of
deLalls do we know abouL Lhls vlrus so far?"

Surgeon Ceneral Cxnard grlmaced. lL's of a Lype never seen before, as far as ueLrlck and Lhe
CuC can Lell. We don'L know how lL's LransmlLLed yeL. lL's apparenLly hlghly leLhal, slnce Lhree
people who worked wlLh lL aL ueLrlck have dled, alLhough Lhe morLallLy raLe of Lhe flrsL slx cases
was only flfLy percenL."

1hree ouL of slx ls leLhal enough for me," Lhe presldenL Lold Lhem grlmly. "?ou say we recenLly
losL Lhree sclenLlsLs aL lorL ueLrlck, Loo? Who?

Cne was Lhe medlcal commander, 8rlg. Cen. Calvln klelburger."

Cood Lord." 1he presldenL shook hls head sadly. l remember hlm. We Lalked soon afLer l Look
offlce. 1haL's Lraglc."

Admlral 8rose agreed omlnously: lL's blown Lhe lld off. l'd declared Lhe maLLer Lop secreL afLer
Lhe flrsL four deaLhs because my exec, Ceneral Caspar, reporLed Loo many amaLeurs were
bumbllng around ln whaL could be a crlLlcal slLuaLlon. l was concerned abouL publlc panlc." Pe
paused for conflrmaLlon of Lhe correcLness of hls declslon. Lveryone nodded, even Lhe
presldenL. 1he general lnhaled, relleved. 8uL Lhe pollce were called Lo Ceneral klelburger's and
hls secreLary's homes when Lhey were dlscovered dead. 1he hosplLal recognlzed Lhe same vlrus
LhaL'd kllled Lhe flrsL uSAM8llu sclenLlsL. So now Lhe newspeople have lL. l've had Lo open lL up,
buL Lhe medla knows lL's goL Lo geL lLs lnformaLlon only from Lhe enLagon. erlod."

Sounds llke a good sLep," nancy eLrelll, Lhe PPS secreLary, agreed. 1here's also a sclenLlsL
who appears Lo have gone AWCL from ueLrlck. 1haL concerns me, Loo."

Pe's mlsslng? ?ou know why?"

no, slr," !esse Cxnard admlLLed. 8uL Lhe clrcumsLances are susplclous."

Pe dlsappeared soon before klelburger and hls secreLary dled," Lhe !olnL Chlefs chalrman
explalned. We've goL Lhe army, Lhe l8l, and Lhe local pollce alerLed. 1hey'll flnd hlm. 8lghL now
we're saylng lL's for quesLlonlng."

1he presldenL nodded. 1haL sounds reasonable. And l agree wlLh nancy. LeL's see whaL Lhe
prlvaLe secLor can offer. Meanwhlle, everyone keep me lnformed. A leLhal vlrus no one knows
anyLhlng abouL scares Lhe hell ouL of me. lL should scare Lhe hell ouL of all of us."

___________________

CPA1L8

lll1LLn
wwwavs!"o#co%

___________________

9:22 A.M.

WashlngLon, u.C.

1he mulLleLhnlc nelghborhood of Adams-Morgan ls a busLllng dlsLrlcL of roofLop resLauranLs
wlLh sweeplng vlews of Lhe clLy. lLs maln arLerles--- Columbla 8oad and LlghLeenLh SLreeL---
offer a llvely poLpourrl of sldewalk cafes, nelghborhood bars and clubs, new and secondhand
booksLores, record sLores, funky used-cloLhlng shops, and Lrendy bouLlques. newcomers ln Lhe
exoLlc dress of CuaLemala and Ll Salvador, Colombla and Lcuador, !amalca and PalLl, boLh
Congos, and Cambodla, Laos, and vleLnam add color Lo an already plcLuresque nelghborhood.

AL a rear Lable ln a coffee shop [usL off LlghLeenLh, where coffee mugs had made clrcular
brands LhaL looked so old Lhey mlghL have been Lhere slnce Lhe days lndlans Lrod local rldges,
Speclal AgenL Lon lorbes, l8l, walLed for LL. Col. !onaLhan SmlLh Lo come Lo Lhe polnL. Pe knew
llLLle personal deLall abouL SmlLh excepL he clalmed Lo be a frlend of 8lll Crlffln's. 1haL made
lorbes boLh lnLeresLed and wary.

Slnce he had had no Llme Lo research SmlLh's background beyond flndlng ouL LhaL he was
asslgned Lo lorL ueLrlck as a research sclenLlsL, AgenL lorbes had suggesLed Lhey meeL ln Lhls
grungy coffee shop. Pe had arrlved early and waLched from across Lhe sLreeL as laLe breakfasL
seekers sLrolled pasL. 1hen SmlLh had arrlved.

ln hls drab-green offlcer's unlform, Lhe lleuLenanL colonel had sLopped Lo glance around
ouLslde, observed Lhe lnLerlor from Lhe door, and flnally enLered. 1he l8l man noLlced Lhe
lmpresslve physlque of Lhe man and a sense of repressed power. AL leasL from an lnlLlal
lmpresslon, SmlLh nelLher looked nor acLed llke an egghead research sclenLlsL ln Lhe arcane
fleld of cell and molecular blology.

SmlLh slpped coffee, chaLLed abouL Lhe weaLher--- unseasonably, warm--- asked lf lorbes
wanLed a pasLry--- lorbes decllned--- and Lapped hls fooL under Lhe mlnuscule Lable. lorbes
waLched and llsLened. 1he lleuLenanL colonel's hlgh-planed face was sLrong, falnLly Amerlcan
lndlan, and hls black halr was swepL neaLly back. Pe had navy blue eyes LhaL seemed full of a
darkness LhaL had noLhlng Lo do wlLh Lhelr lnky color. lorbes sensed vlolence LhaL ached Lo
explode. 1hls offlcer was noL only on edge, he was wound as LlghL as a sLeel sprlng.

l need Lo geL ln Louch wlLh 8lll," SmlLh flnally announced.

Why?"

SmlLh pondered Lhe wlsdom of answerlng. AL lasL he declded he would have Lo Lake Lhe chance
and reveal someLhlng of whaL he knew. AfLer all, he had come here Lo geL help. A few days ago
8lll conLacLed me, arranged a clandesLlne meeLlng ln 8ock Creek park, and warned me l mlghL
be ln danger. now l am ln danger, and l need Lo know more abouL how he knew and whaL he
knows now."
wwwavs!"o#co%

1haL's plaln enough. ?ou care Lo Lell me whaL Lhe danger ls?"

Someone wanLs Lo klll me."

8uL you don'L know who?"

ln a nuLshell, no, l don'L."

lorbes looked around aL Lhe empLy Lables. 1he clrcumsLances, whaL we call Lhe envlronmenL
of Lhe danger, you don'L wanL Lo geL lnLo LhaL?"

8lghL now, no. l [usL need Lo flnd 8lll."

lL's a blg 8ureau. Why me?"

l remembered 8lll saylng you were abouL hls only frlend Lhere. 1he only one he'd LrusL,
anyway. ?ou'd be on hls slde lf Lhe chlps were down."

Whlch was Lrue, lorbes knew, as far as lL wenL, and anoLher plus for SmlLh. 8lll would have Lold
LhaL only Lo anoLher person he LrusLed.

Ckay. now Lell me abouL you and 8lll."

SmlLh descrlbed Lhelr chlldhood LogeLher, hlgh school and college, and lorbes llsLened,
comparlng lL Lo whaL Crlffln had sald and whaL he knew from Lhe personnel flle he had sLudled
afLer Crlffln dlsappeared. lL all appeared Lo maLch.

lorbes drank coffee. Pe leaned forward ln Lhe somnolenL cafe and conLemplaLed hls hands
cupped around Lhe mug. Pls volce was low and serlous. 8lll saved my llfe. noL once, buL Lwlce.
We were parLners and frlends and a loL more. Much, much more." Pe looked up aL SmlLh.
Ckay?"

As lorbes looked up aL hlm, SmlLh Lrled Lo see behlnd hls eyes. 1here was a world of meanlng ln
LhaL slngle word wlLh a quesLlon mark: Ckay? uld lL mean Lhey were so close Lhere were Lhlngs
beLween hlm and 8lll Lhe 8ureau dldn'L know? 8roken rules LogeLher? Covered each oLher's
backs? 8enL laws? We dld Lhlngs, okay? uon'L ask. noL Lhe deLalls. !usL say, when lL comes Lo
Crlffln, l can be LrusLed Lo help. Can you be LrusLed, Loo?

SmlLh Lrled, ?ou know where he ls."

no."

Can you geL ln Louch wlLh hlm?"

Maybe." lorbes drank Lhe coffee more as a Llme flller Lhan because he wanLed lL. Pe's noL
wlLh Lhe 8ureau anymore. l guess you dldn'L know LhaL."

l knew. Pe Lold me when we meL. WhaL l don'L know ls wheLher l should belleve hlm. Pe could
wwwavs!"o#co%
be worklng undercover."

Pe's noL undercover." lorbes heslLaLed. llnally he conLlnued, Pe came from freewheellng
army lnLelllgence, and Lhe 8ureau has rules. 8ules for everyLhlng. CuesLlons abouL every move
you make no maLLer how good Lhe resulL. aperwork LhaL has Lo be fllled ouL for everyLhlng. 8lll
was Loo much of a self-sLarLer. lnlLlaLlve does noL go down well wlLh Lhe brass. noL Lo menLlon
secreL lnlLlaLlve. 1he 8ureau llkes agenLs Lo reporL every breaLh Lhey breaLhe ln LrlpllcaLe. 1haL
never saL well wlLh 8lll."

SmlLh smlled. no, lL wouldn'L have."

Pe goL lnLo Lrouble. lnsubordlnaLlon. noL a Leam player. l Look plenLy of LhaL myself. 8uL 8lll
wenL farLher. Pe cuL rules and corners, and he dldn'L always accounL for hls acLlons or
expenses. Pe goL accused of mlsapproprlaLlng funds. When he made deals Lo close cases, Lhe
8ureau refused Lo honor some LhaL lnvolved parLlcularly bad characLers. 1hey made lL hard for
8lll, and he flnally goL dlsgusLed."

Pe qulL?"

lorbes reached lnLo hls [ackeL for a handkerchlef. SmlLh saw Lhe blg 10mm 8rownlng ln hls
shoulder holsLer. 1he 8ureau sLlll belleved ln lLs agenLs belng Lhe men wlLh Lhe blgger guns.
lorbes mopped hls face. Pe was clearly worrled. 8uL noL for hlmself. lor 8lll Crlffln.

Pe sald, noL exacLly. Pe'd meL someone on a Lax-fraud case, someone wlLh money and power.
l never knew who. 8lll sLarLed mlsslng meeLlngs and sLaylng away from Lhe Poover 8ulldlng
beLween asslgnmenLs. When he was senL Lo work wlLh a fleld offlce, someLlmes he dldn'L show
up for days. 1hen he blew an asslgnmenL, and Lhere were slgns of hlgh llvlng--- Loo much
money, Lhe usual. 1he dlrecLor found evldence 8lll was secreLly moonllghLlng for Lhe Lax-fraud
guy and LhaL some of whaL he was dolng skaLed preLLy close Lo Lhe edge--- lnLlmldaLlon, uslng
hls badge Lo lean on people, LhaL sorL of Lhlng. ln Lhe 8ureau, lf you work for Lhe 8ureau, you
represenL Lhe 8ureau. erlod. 1hey flred hlm. Pe wenL Lo work for someone. l had Lhe feellng lL
was Lhe Lax-fraud guy he'd been moonllghLlng for." Pe shook hls head regreLfully. l haven'L
seen hlm ln more Lhan a year."

SmlLh Lrled Lo waLch Lhe sLreeL ouLslde Lhe fronL wlndows, buL Lhere were Loo many slgns Laped
Lo Lhe dlrLy glass. l can see where he'd be frusLraLed, even dlsgusLed. 8uL Lo work for someone
llke LhaL? 1o lnLlmldaLe oLhers? 1haL doesn'L sound llke 8lll."

Call lL dlsgusL, dlsllluslon, prlnclples beLrayed." lorbes shrugged. As far as he was concerned,
no one aL Lhe 8ureau really cared abouL [usLlce. lL was all abouL Lhe rules. 1he law. And, yeah, l
Lhlnk he wanLed money and power, Loo. no one fllps sldes llke a bellever who loses hls bellef."

And LhaL's okay wlLh you?"

lL's noL okay, and lL's noL noL-okay. lL's whaL 8lll wanLs, and l don'L ask quesLlons. Pe's my man
regardless."

SmlLh consldered everyLhlng. Pls poslLlon was slmllar Lo whaL 8lll's had been. lnsLead of Lhe
8ureau, lL was Lhe army LhaL was beLraylng SmlLh, and how far from golng rogue was he rlghL
wwwavs!"o#co%
now? ln Lhe enLagon's eyes, he probably already was rogue. CerLalnly AWCL. Was he Lhe one
Lo [udge 8lll? Was Lhls l8l man a beLLer frlend of SmlLh's old frlend Lhan was SmlLh?

Moral acLlons were noL always as absoluLe as we llked Lo Lhlnk.

?ou don'L know where he ls? Cr who Lhe man he's worklng for, or wlLh, ls?"

lorbes sald, l don'L know where he ls, or lf he's even worklng for Lhe same guy. lL's only a
hunch, and l never knew who Lhe guy was."

8uL you can geL ln Louch wlLh 8lll?"

lorbes's eyes bllnked slowly. LeL's say l can. WhaL would you wanL me Lo say?"

SmlLh had already worked LhaL ouL. 1haL l Look Lhe warnlng. 1haL l survlved, buL Lhey
murdered Sophla. 1haL l know Lhey have Lhe vlrus. 8uL l don'L know whaL Lhey're plannlng, and
l need Lo Lalk Lo hlm."

lorbes sLudled Lhe blg soldler-sclenLlsL. 1he l8l had been brlefed days ago on Lhe worrlsome
slLuaLlon wlLh Lhe unknown vlrus, lncludlng Lhe deaLh of ur. Sophla 8ussell. 1hen an army
memo had arrlved Lhls mornlng declarlng SmlLh AWCL, a danger Lo Lhe lnLegrlLy of Lhe
lnvesLlgaLlon, Lhe facLs of whlch had been declared Lop secreL by Lhe WhlLe Pouse. lL asked Lhe
8ureau Lo look for SmlLh and, lf Lhey found hlm, Lo reLurn hlm Lo lorL ueLrlck under guard.

8uL a llfeLlme of learnlng Lo assess people, someLlmes ln a maLLer of seconds wlLh hls llfe
hanglng on Lhe ouLcome, had made lorbes LrusL hlmself. SmlLh was noL Lhe enemy. lf anyLhlng
LhreaLened Lhe lnLegrlLy of Lhe lnvesLlgaLlon, lL was Lhe paranold order LhaL Look Lhe sclenLlflc
lnvesLlgaLors ouL of Lhe fleld. 1he enLagon dldn'L wanL any more headllnes abouL
bacLerlologlcal warfare agenLs and our soldlers' posslble exposure durlng ueserL SLorm. 1hey
were coverlng Lhelr sedenLary buLLs as usual.

lf l can conLacL hlm, l'll glve hlm your message, Colonel." lorbes sLood up. A Llp. 8e careful
who you Lalk Lo, and waLch your back, whaLever you plan Lo do. 1here's an arresL order ouL for
you--- AWCL and a fuglLlve. uon'L Lry Lo conLacL me agaln."

SmlLh's chesL conLracLed as he llsLened Lo Lhe news. Pe was noL surprlsed, buL Lhe conflrmaLlon
was sLlll a blow. Pe felL beLrayed and vlolaLed, buL LhaL was Lhe paLLern slnce he had reLurned
from London. llrsL he had losL Sophla, and now he was loslng hls professlon, hls career. lL sLuck
ln hls LhroaL llke broken glass.

As Lhe l8l man walked Lo Lhe door, SmlLh glanced around Lhe cafe wlLh lLs scaLLerlng of paLrons
benL over Lhelr exoLlc coffees and Leas. Pe looked up [usL ln Llme Lo see lorbes push Lhrough
Lhe doorway and scan Lhe busLllng sLreeL wlLh a long-accusLomed eye. 1hen he was gone,
vanlshlng llke Lhe sLeam from hls coffee. SmlLh puL money on Lhe Lable and sllpped ouL Lhe back
door. Pe saw no one susplclous ouLslde and no dark sedans parked wlLh people ln Lhem. Pls
pulse beaLlng a wary LaLLoo, he walked away brlskly Loward Lhe dlsLanL Woodley MeLro sLaLlon.

___________________

wwwavs!"o#co%
CPA1L8

Slx1LLn

___________________

l0:03 A.M.

WashlngLon, u.C.

AL uuponL Clrcle, SmlLh lefL Lhe MeLro. 1he mornlng sun radlaLed down brlghL and warm on Lhe
Lhlck Lrafflc as lL clrcled Lhe park. Pe glanced casually around and began Lo walk, [olnlng Lhe
Lhrongs of buslness and governmenL people Laklng early coffee breaks. Pls gaze consLanLly
moved as he headed off Lhrough Lhe maze of sLreeLs LhaL hosLed cafes, cockLall lounges,
booksLores, and bouLlques. 1he shops here were snore upscale Lhan ln Adams-Morgan, and
even Lhough lL was CcLober, LourlsLs were pulllng ouL Lhelr blllfolds Lo make purchases.

Several Llmes as he examlned faces, he had blLLersweeL feellngs of de[a vu, and for a few
exclLlng momenLs lL seemed as lf he had [usL caughL slghL of Sophla...

She was noL dead.

She was allve and vlLal. !usL a few sLeps away.

1here was one bruneLLe who had Lhe same swlnglng, sexy galL. Pe had Lo flghL hlmself from
rushlng pasL so he could Lurn and sLare. AnoLher woman had her long blond halr pulled back ln
Lhe same klnd of loose ponyLall LhaL Sophla always wore Lo keep her halr from her face when
she worked. 1hen Lhere was Lhe woman who breezed pasL leavlng a scenL so much llke Sophla's
LhaL hls sLomach knoLLed wlLh angulsh.

Pe had Lo geL over Lhls, he Lold hlmself sLernly.

Pe had work Lo do. Cruclal work LhaL would glve some meanlng Lo Sophla's Lraglc deaLh.

Pe lnhaled and kepL aL lL. Pe made hlmself waLch all around for Lalls. Pe walked norLh up
MassachuseLLs Avenue Loward Sherldan Clrcle and Lmbassy 8ow. Palfway Lo Sherldan, he
made one lasL move Lo assure hlmself LhaL he had lefL behlnd any survelllance: Pe sLepped
qulckly lnLo Lhe maln enLrance of Lhe [usL-opened hllllps CollecLlon, hurrled Lhrough empLy
rooms of remarkable 8enolrs and Cezannes, provocaLlve 8oLhkos and C'keeffes, and sllpped
ouL a slde flre door. Pe paused, leaned back agalnsL Lhe bulldlng, and sLudled pedesLrlans and
cars.

AL lasL he was saLlsfled. no one was waLchlng hlm. lf Lhere had been a Lall, he had losL hlm or
her. So he hurrled back Lo MassachuseLLs Avenue and hls 1rlumph parked on a slde sLreeL.

AfLer hearlng Lhe LelecasL lasL nlghL abouL klelburger, Melanle CurLls, and Lhe AWCL charge
agalnsL hlm, he had lnLenslfled Lhese evaslve maneuvers. 8efore dawn he had awakened ln
wwwavs!"o#co%
CalLhersburg on Lhe lnner alarm of all combaL surgeons ln Lhe fleld. Pe had been drenched ln a
cold, sad sweaL followlng a nlghL of dreamlng abouL Sophla. Pe forced hlmself Lo eaL a solld
breakfasL, and he sLudled Lhe mornlng Lrafflc as lL lncreased on Lhe hlghway and Lhe Lrafflc
hellcopLers LhaL monlLored lL. Showered, shaved, and deLermlned, he was on Lhe road by
seven.

Pe had called Speclal AgenL lorbes from a pay phone and drlven across Lhe oLomac lnLo
WashlngLon. Pe had crulsed around for a Llme before parklng Lhe 1rlumph off Lmbassy 8ow
and hopplng on Lhe MeLro Lo meeL lorbes.

AfLer reLrlevlng Lhe 1rlumph, he drove sedaLely Lo a busy resldenLlal sLreeL beLween uuponL
and WashlngLon Clrcles where a promlnenL slgn marked Lhe enLrance Lo a narrow drlveway
bordered by a hlgh, unruly hedge: 8lvA1L 8CL81? --- kLL Cu1! 8eneaLh lL hung smaller
slgns: nC 18LSASSlnC. nC SALLSMLn. nC SCLlCl1lnC. nC CCLLLC1C8S. CC AWA?!

SmlLh lgnored Lhe slgns and pulled lnLo Lhe drlveway. 1here was a small whlLe clapboard
bungalow wlLh black Lrlm hldden behlnd Lhe hedge. Pe parked ln fronL of a brlck walk LhaL led
from Lhe drlve Lo Lhe fronL door.

As soon as he sLepped ouL, a mechanlcal volce announced: PalL! SLaLe your name and purpose
of vlslL. lallure Lo do so wlLhln flve seconds wlll resulL ln defenslve measures." 1he deep volce
appeared Lo emanaLe from Lhe sky wlLh Lhe auLhorlLy of Lhe heavens.

SmlLh grlnned. 1he bungalow owner was an elecLronlc genlus, and Lhe drlveway surface was
booby-Lrapped wlLh a caLalog of nasLy dlscomforLs, from a cloud of eye-sLlnglng gas Lo a
mercapLan spray LhaL baLhed vlcLlms ln a foul sLench. 1he owner--- SmlLh's old frlend MarLy
Zellerbach--- had been hauled lnLo courL a few Llmes many years ago by lraLe salesmen, meLer
readers, posLal offlclals, and dellvery people.

8uL MarLy had Lwo h.u.s, and he always appeared mlld and responslble, lf a llLLle nalve. 1haL
he was also exLremely wealLhy and boughL Lhe besL defense aLLorneys dld noL hurL. 1helr
argumenLs were passlonaLe and convlnclng: Pls vlcLlms could noL have mlssed hls slgns. 1hey
had Lo know Lhey were Lrespasslng. 1hey had been asked Lo perform a perfecLly reasonable acL
of ldenLlflcaLlon by a dlsabled man who llved alone. And Lhey had been warned.

Pls securlLy, whlle annoylng, was nelLher leLhal nor serlously ln[urlous. Pe had always won hls
cases, and afLer a few Llmes Lhe pollce gave up charglng hlm and advlsed complalnanLs Lo seLLle
for compensaLlon and qulL Lrespasslng.

Come on, MarLy," SmlLh sald, amused, lL's your old pal, !onaLhan SmlLh."

1here was a surprlsed heslLaLlon. 1hen: Approach Lhe fronL door uslng Lhe brlck paLh. uo noL
sLep off Lhe paLh. 1haL would acLlvaLe furLher defenslve measures." 1he sLllLed volce
dlsappeared, and suddenly Lhe words were concerned. Careful, !on. l wouldn'L wanL you Lo
end up sLlnklng llke a skunk."

__________

SmlLh Look Lhe rouLe MarLy descrlbed. lnvlslble laser beams swepL Lhe enLlre properLy. A
wwwavs!"o#co%
fooLsLep off Lhe paLh, or lnLruslon from anywhere else, would acLlvaLe Cod-knew-whaL.

Pe cllmbed Lo Lhe covered porch. Call off Lhe waLchdogs, MarLy. l've arrlved. Cpen Lhe door."

lrom somewhere lnslde, Lhe volce coaxed, ?ou have Lo follow Lhe rules, !on." lnsLanLly Lhe
dlsembodled volce reLurned: SLand ln fronL of Lhe door. Cpen Lhe box Lo Lhe rlghL and place
your lefL hand on Lhe glass."

Ch, please." 8uL SmlLh smlled.

A palr of omlnous meLal covers over Lhe door slld up Lo reveal dark Lubes LhaL could conLaln
anyLhlng from palnL guns Lo rockeL launchers. MarLy had always found chlldllke glee ln ldeas
and games mosL people lefL behlnd aL adolescence. 8uL SmlLh gamely sLood ln fronL of Lhe
door, opened Lhe meLal box, and resLed hls hand on Lhe glass plaLe. Pe knew Lhe rouLlne: A
vldeo camera snapped a dlglLal phoLo of hls face, and lnsLanLly MarLy's supercompuLer would
converL Lhe faclal measuremenLs lnLo a serles of numerlcal values. AL Lhe same Llme, Lhe glass
plaLe recorded SmlLh's palm prlnL. 1hen Lhe compuLer compared Lhe collecLed daLa Lo Lhe bar
codes lL kepL on flle for everyone MarLy knew.

1he wooden volce announced: ?ou are LL. Col. !onaLhan !ackson SmlLh. 1herefore, you may
enLer."

1hanks, MarLy," he sald dryly. l've been wonderlng who ln Lhe hell l was."

very funny, !on."

A serles of dramaLlc cllcks, clanks, and Lhuds followed, and Lhe woodcovered sLeel door swung
open on a creaky Lrack. MalnLenance was noL one of MarLy's Lop prlorlLles, buL LheaLrlcallLy
was. SmlLh sLepped lnslde whaL was a LradlLlonal foyer excepL for one lmposlng deLall--- hls
progress was sLopped by a walk-ln meLal cage. As Lhe fronL door auLomaLlcally closed behlnd,
SmlLh walLed, Lrapped by [all-llke bars.

Pl, !on." MarLy's hlgh, slow, preclse volce welcomed hlm from beyond Lhe foyer. As Lhe cage's
gaLe cllcked open, MarLy appeared ln a doorway Lo Lhe slde. Come ln, please." Pls eyes
Lwlnkled wlLh devllmenL.

Pe was a small, roLund man who walked awkwardly, as lf he had never really learned how Lo
move hls legs. SmlLh followed hlm lnLo an enormous compuLer room ln a sLaLe of uLLer dlsorder
and neglecL. A formldable Cray malnframe and oLher compuLer equlpmenL of every posslble
descrlpLlon fllled all wall space and mosL of Lhe floor, and whaL furnlLure Lhere was looked llke
SalvaLlon Army dlscards. SLeel cages enclosed Lhe draped wlndows.

As MarLy's rlghL hand flopped almlessly, he held ouL hls lefL for SmlLh Lo shake, whlle hls
brllllanL green eyes looked away aL Lhe lefL wall of compuLer equlpmenL.

SmlLh sald, lL's been a whlle, MarLy. lL's good Lo see you."

1hanks. Me, Loo." Pe smlled shyly, and hls green eyes made gllLLerlng conLacL and Lhen
sklLLered away agaln.
wwwavs!"o#co%

Are you on your medlcaLlon, MarLy?"

Ch, yes." Pe dld noL sound happy abouL LhaL. SlL down, !on. ?ou wanL some coffee and a
cookle?"

MarLln !oseph Zellerbach--- h.u. u.LlLL. (CanLab)--- had been a paLlenL of SmlLh's uncle 1ed, a
cllnlcal psychlaLrlsL, slnce SmlLh and MarLy were ln grammar school LogeLher. lar beLLer
ad[usLed and soclally maLure, SmlLh had Laken MarLy under hls wlng, proLecLlng hlm from Lhe
cruel Leaslng of oLher chlldren and even some Leachers. MarLy was noL sLupld. ln facL, he had
LesLed aL Lhe genlus level slnce Lhe age of flve, and SmlLh had always found hlm funny, nlce, and
lnLellecLually sLlmulaLlng. WlLh Lhe years, MarLy had grown even more lnLelllgenL--- and more
lsolaLed. ln school, he ran academlc clrcles around everyone, buL he had no concepL of--- or
lnLeresL ln--- oLher people and Lhe relaLlonshlps so lmporLanL Lo preLeens and Leens.

Pe obsessed on one arcane curloslLy afLer anoLher and lecLured aL greaL lengLh. Pe knew all Lhe
answers ln many of hls courses, so Lo relleve hls boredom he would dlsrupL hls classes wlLh hls
wlld and dazzllng fanLasles and manlas. no one could belleve anyone as smarL as MarLy was noL
belng lnLenLlonally rude and a Lroublemaker, so Leachers frequenLly senL hlm Lo Lhe prlnclpal's
offlce. ln laLer years, SmlLh had Lo flghL a number of enraged boys who LhoughL MarLy was
dlsslng" Lhem or Lhelr glrlfrlends.

All of Lhls unusual behavlor was Lhe resulL of Asperger's syndrome, a rare dlsorder aL Lhe less
severe end of Lhe auLlsm specLrum. ulagnosed ln chlldhood wlLh everyLhlng from a dash of
auLlsm" Lo obsesslve compulslve dlsorder and hlgh-funcLlonlng auLlsm, MarLy was flnally
dlagnosed accuraLely by SmlLh's uncle 1ed. MarLy's key sympLoms were consumlng obsesslons,
hlgh lnLelllgence, crlppllng lack of soclal and communlcaLlons skllls, and ouLsLandlng LalenL ln a
speclflc area--- elecLronlcs.

Cn Lhe mllder end, Asperger sufferers were ofLen descrlbed as acLlve buL odd" or auLlsLlc-
eccenLrlc." 8uL MarLy had a sllghLly more severe case, and desplLe speclallsLs' aLLempLs Lo
soclallze hlm, excepL for Lhe few brlef Lrlps Lo courL years ago, he had noL lefL Lhls bungalow---
whlch he had carefully and lovlngly creaLed as parL elecLronlc paradlse and parL haven for hls
eccenLrlclLles--- ln flfLeen years.

1here was no cure, and Lhe only help for people llke MarLy was medlcaLlon, usually cenLral
nervous sysLem sLlmulanLs llke Adderall, 8lLalln, CylerL, or Lhe new one MarLy Look--- Mlderal.
As wlLh schlzophrenla, Lhe medlclnes allowed MarLy Lo funcLlon wlLh boLh feeL flrmly planLed
on Lhe earLh. 1hey resLralned hls fanLasles, enLhuslasms, and obsesslons. AlLhough he haLed
Lhem, he Look Lhem when he knew he had Lo do normal" acLlvlLles such as pay bllls or when
hls Asperger's was LhreaLenlng Lo spln hlm compleLely ouL of conLrol.

8uL when medlcaLed, MarLy sald everyLhlng was dull and flaL and dlsLanL, and much of hls
genlus and creaLlvlLy was losL. So he had eagerly embraced Lhe new medlclne LhaL acLed fasL Lo
calm hlm, as mosL dld, buL whose effecLs lasLed only slx hours aL mosL, whlch meanL a dose
could be Laken more frequenLly. Llvlng sealed off from Lhe world ln hls bungalow, he could be
off hls meds more Lhan mosL Asperger's sufferers could.

lf you needed a compuLer genlus Lo do creaLlve, maybe lllegal, hacklng, you wanLed MarLy
wwwavs!"o#co%
Zellerbach off hls meds. lL was Lhen up Lo you Lo keep hlm on Lrack and Lo know when lL was
Llme Lo brlng hlm back Lo earLh lf he LhreaLened Lo fly off lnLo an orblL of hls own.

Whlch was why SmlLh was here.

MarLy, l need help."

Cf course, !on." MarLy smlled, a sLalned coffee mug ln hls hand. lL's almosL Llme for a new
dose of meds. l'll sLay off."

l was hoplng you'd say LhaL." SmlLh explalned abouL Lhe reporL from Lhe rlnce Leopold
lnsLlLuLe ln 8elglum LhaL dld noL appear Lo exlsL. AbouL Lhe ouLslde phone calls Sophla could
have made or recelved, yeL Lhe records were gone. AbouL hls need for any lnformaLlon relaLlng
Lo Lhe unknown vlrus anywhere ln Lhe world. A couple of oLher Lhlngs, Loo. l wanL Lo flnd 8lll
Crlffln. ?ou remember hlm from school." And flnally he descrlbed hls Lracklng Lhe Lhree vlrus
vlcLlms Lo Lhe Culf War and Lhe MASP unlL. See lf you can flnd anyLhlng abouL Lhe vlrus ln lraq
as far back as Len years ago."

MarLy puL down hls mug and made a beellne for hls malnframe. Pe flashed an enLhuslasLlc
smlle. l'll use my new programs."

SmlLh sLood. l'll be back ln an hour or so."

All rlghL." MarLy rubbed hls hands LogeLher. 1hls ls golng Lo be fun."

SmlLh lefL hlm worklng hls slugglsh, awkward flngers on Lhe keyboard. 1he meds would wear off
soon, and Lhen, SmlLh knew, Lhe flngers and Lhe braln would fly unLll Lhey came close Lo
splrallng off Lhe earLh enLlrely, and MarLy would have Lo Lake hls Mlderal agaln.

CuLslde, SmlLh walked qulckly Lo hls 1rlumph. As Lrafflc drove nolslly pasL, he dld noL noLlce a
hellcopLer pause hlgh overhead and Lhen speed on, maklng a long loop Lo Lhe lefL Lo parallel
hlm as he drove Loward MassachuseLLs Avenue.

__________

1he nolse of Lhe roLors and wlnd Lhrough Lhe open wlndow of Lhe 8ell !eL8anger vlbraLed Lhe
chopper. nadal al-Passan cupped a mlcrophone close Lo hls mouLh. Maddux? SmlLh has vlslLed
a bungalow near uuponL Clrcle." Pe locaLed Lhe bungalow on a clLy map and descrlbed Lhe
hldden drlveway and hlgh hedge. llnd ouL who llves Lhere and whaL SmlLh wanLed."

Pe cllcked off hls mlcrophone and sLared down aL Lhe old, classlc 1rlumph below as lL headed
Loward CeorgeLown. lor Lhe flrsL Llme, al-Passan felL uneasy. lL was noL a feellng he would
communlcaLe Lo 1remonL, buL as a resulL he would sLay close Lo Lhls SmlLh. 8lll Crlffln, even lf
he were Lo be LrusLed, mlghL noL be enough Lo end Lhe LhreaL.

___________________

wwwavs!"o#co%
CPA1L8

SLvLn1LLn

___________________

10:34 A.M.

WashlngLon, u.C.

8lll Crlffln had been brlefly marrled, and SmlLh had meL Lhe woman Lwlce back before Lhe
couple was even engaged. 8oLh Llmes Lhey had been happlly ouL on Lhe Lown, hlLLlng Lhe nolsy
new ?ork bars 8lll frequenLed ln hls army days. 8lll dld a loL of loud bars Lhen, perhaps because
hls llfe was spenL ln remoLe forelgn locaLlons where every sLep could be hls lasL and every
sound was an enemy. SmlLh knew almosL noLhlng abouL Lhe woman or Lhe marrlage, excepL
LhaL lL had lasLed less Lhan Lwo years. Pe had heard she sLlll llved ln Lhe same CeorgeLown
aparLmenL she had shared wlLh 8lll. lf 8lll was ln danger, he mlghL have holed up Lhere, where
few people would know Lo look.

lL was a long shoL, buL aslde from MarLy, he had few opLlons.

When he reached her aparLmenL house, he used hls cell phone Lo call her.

She answered prompLly and efflclenLly. Mar[orle Crlffln."

Ms. Crlffln, you won'L remember me, buL Lhls ls !onaLhan SmlLh, 8lll's---"

l remember you, CapLaln SmlLh. Cr ls lL ma[or or colonel by now?"

l'm noL sure whaL lL ls, and lL doesn'L maLLer anyway, buL lL was lleuLenanL colonel yesLerday. l
see you kepL 8lll's name."

l loved 8lll, Colonel SmlLh. unforLunaLely for me, Pe loved hls work more. 8uL you dldn'L call Lo
lnqulre abouL my marrlage or dlvorce. ?ou're looklng for 8lll, rlghL?"

Pe was wary. Well---"

lL's all rlghL. Pe sald you mlghL call."

?ou've seen hlm?"

1here was a pause. Where are you?"

ln fronL of your bulldlng. 1he 1rlumph."

l'll come down."

wwwavs!"o#co%
__________

ln Lhe large, chaoLlc room crammed wlLh compuLer Lermlnals, monlLors, and clrculL boards,
MarLy Zellerbach leaned forward, concenLraLlng. 1orn prlnLouLs were sLacked ln messy plles
near hls chalr. A radlo recelver emlLLed low sLaLlc as lL eavesdropped on Lhe squeals and beeps
of daLa Lransmlsslons. 1he drapes were closed, and Lhe alr was cool and dry, almosL
clausLrophoblc, whlch was good for MarLy's equlpmenL and Lhe way he llked lL. Pe was smlllng.
Pe had used !on SmlLh's codes Lo connecL wlLh Lhe uSAM8llu compuLer sysLem and enLer Lhe
server. now Lhe real acLlon began. Pe felL a deep Lhrlll as he scrolled Lhrough Lhe varlous
dlrecLorles unLll he found Lhe sysLem admlnlsLraLor's password flle. Pe gave a llLLle laugh of
derlslon. 1he daLa was scrambled.

Pe exlLed and found Lhe flle LhaL revealed LhaL Lhe uSAM8llu server used opcorn--- one of Lhe
laLesL encrypLors. Pe nodded, pleased. lL was flrsL-raLe sofLware, whlch meanL Lhe lab was ln
good hands.

LxcepL LhaL Lhey had noL counLed on MarLy Zellerbach. uslng a program he had lnvenLed, he
conflgured hls compuLer Lo search for Lhe password by scrambllng every word from WebsLer's
unabrldged plus Lhe dlalogue of all four SLar Wars movles, Lhe SLar 1rek Lelevlslon serles and
feaLure movles, MonLy yLhon's llylng Clrcus, and every !. 8. 8. 1olklen novel--- all favorlLes of
cyberLechs.

MarLy [umped up and paced. Pe grabbed hls hands behlnd hls back, and ln hls weavlng galL he
moved around Lhe room as lf lL were a shlp on Lhe hlgh seas and he lLs plraLe capLaln. Pls
program was lncredlbly fasL. SLlll, llke oLher morLals, he had Lo walL. 1oday Lhe besL hackers and
crackers could sLeal mosL passwords, peneLraLe even Lhe enLagon's compuLers, and rlde llke
Cld WesL ouLlaws Lhrough Lhe worldwlde lnLerneL. Lven a novlce could buy sofLware LhaL
enabled hlm Lo lnvade and aLLack Web slLes. lor LhaL reason, ma[or corporaLlons and
governmenL agencles conLlnually helghLened Lhelr securlLy. As a resulL, MarLy now wroLe hls
own programs and developed hls own scanners Lo flnd sysLem weaknesses and Lo break
Lhrough Lhe flrewalls LhaL would sLop oLhers.

Suddenly he heard hls compuLer rlng Lhe Lones of Lhe doorbell from Lhe old Leave lL Lo 8eaver
Lelevlslon show. ulng-dong-dlng. WlLh a chuckle, he rushed back Lo hls chalr, swlveled Lo face
Lhe monlLor, and crowed. 1he password was hls. lL was noL Lerrlbly lmaglnaLlve--- 8eLazold,
named for Lhe exLrasensory naLlves of Lhe SLar 1rek planeL called 8eLa. Pe had noL had Lo use
hls more sophlsLlcaLed password cracker, whlch lncluded a number randomlzer and avolded all
real words. WlLh Lhe sysLem admlnlsLraLor's password flle, he acqulred Lhe sysLem's lnLernal l-
-- lnLerneL roLocol--- address as well. now he had Lhe blueprlnL Lo uSAM8llu's compuLer
neLwork, and soon he was rooL," Loo, whlch meanL he had access Lo every flle and could
change and deleLe and Lrace all daLa. Pe was Cod.

lor hlm, whaL !on SmlLh had asked was noL chlld's play, buL lL was noL cllmblng MounL LveresL
elLher. Culckly MarLy scanned all Lhe L-mall messages from Lhe rlnce Leopold lnsLlLuLe, buL
each reporLed fallure Lo flnd a maLch for Lhe new vlrus. 1hose flles were noL whaL !on wanLed.
1o mosL people's eyes, lf Lhere was anyLhlng else from Lhe lab, lL had been compleLely erased.
Cone forever. 1hey would glve up now.

lnsLead, MarLy senL anoLher search program Lo look ln Lhe spaces and cracks beLween daLa. As
wwwavs!"o#co%
more daLa was lnpuLLed onLo a sysLem, Lhe new overwroLe Lhe old, and once daLa was
overwrlLLen, lL supposedly was noL reLrlevable. When hls program could flnd no evldence of any
oLher L-mall from Lhe 8elglum lab, MarLy flgured LhaL was probably whaL had happened ln Lhls
case.

Pe Lhrew back hls head and sLreLched hls arms hlgh Lo Lhe celllng. Pls medlcaLlon had worn off.
A Lhrlll rushed Lhrough hlm as hls braln seemed Lo acqulre dlamondllke clarlLy. Pe looked down,
and hls flngers flew over Lhe keyboard ln a race Lo keep up wlLh hls LhoughLs. Pe lnsLrucLed hls
program Lo do a dlfferenL search, Lhls Llme focuslng on blLs of Lhe name, L-mall address, and
oLher ldenLlfylng quallLles. WlLh lncredlble speed, Lhe program searched... and Lhere lL was---
Lwo Llny pleces of Lhe laboraLory's name--- opold lnsL.

WlLh a shouL, he followed Lhe L-mall's fooLprlnLs--- Lraces of daLa and numbers, almosL a scenL
Lo MarLy--- Lo nlP's lederal 8esource Medlcal Clearlng Pouse and a Lermlnal accessed only by
Lhe password of Lhe dlrecLor, Llly LowensLeln. lrom Lhere, he palnsLaklngly Lracked Lhe prlnLs
forward Lo Lhe rlnce Leopold lnsLlLuLe lLself.

Pls green eyes flashed as he bellowed: 1here you are, you frumlous beasL!" lL was a reference
Lo Lewls Carroll and Lhe !abberwock. ln a hldden backup flle burled deep wlLhln Lhe lnsLlLuLe's
sysLem language he had locaLed an acLual copy of Lhe reporL.

1he reporL had been L-malled from Lhe rlnce Leopold lnsLlLuLe of 1roplcal Medlclne Lo Level
lour labs across Lhe world. AfLer a qulck glance, lL was evldenL !on mlghL flnd Lhls useful. 1haL
declded, MarLy Lrled Lo Lrace Lhe L-mall elsewhere. Pe frowned as Lhe evldence mounLed:
Someone had erased lL noL only from lLs orlglnaLlon slLe ln Lhe cenLral compuLer of Lhe rlnce
Leopold lnsLlLuLe buL also aL Lhe addresses of Lhe varlous reclplenLs. Cr LhaL was whaL was
supposed Lo have happened. And LhaL was whaL Lhe average compuLer nerd, Lhe ordlnary
hacker, even mosL elecLronlc securlLy experLs would have found.

8uL noL MarLy Zellerbach. 1hey came Lo hlm--- Lhe oLher cyberspace wlzards--- for soluLlons Lo
problems noL yeL seen and for lnslghLs lnLo whaL had never been done. Pe had no LlLles---
beyond hls h.u.s ln quanLum physlcs and maLhemaLlcs and hls degree ln llLeraLure--- and he
worked for no one buL hlmself. Llke a whale Lrapped on land, ln Lhe physlcal world he flopped
and gasped and was an ob[ecL of plLy or derlslon, buL deep ln Lhe elecLronlc waLers of Lhe
cyberocean, he slld sleek and powerful. 1here he was klng--- nepLune--- and lesser morLals pald
homage.

Laughlng happlly, he flourlshed hls flnger llke a duellsL's sword and [umped Lo hls feeL. Pe
punched Lhe prlnL command. As he spun a lopslded plroueLLe, Lhe machlne spaL ouL Lhe reporL.
lor MarLy, Lhere was noLhlng qulLe so saLlsfylng as dolng someLhlng no one else could. lL was
small recompense for a llfe llved alone, and ln hls quleL momenLs he occaslonally consldered
LhaL.

8uL ln Lhe end... Lhe LruLh was he looked down upon Lhe leadfooLed, numb-headed folks who
[udged hlm whlle llvlng ordlnary" llves and havlng relaLlonshlps." Cood grlef, desplLe hls
Asperger's syndrome, desplLe hls need for drugs, he flgured ln Lhe lasL flfLeen years of seldom
venLurlng beyond Lhe walls of hls bungalow, he had had more relaLlonshlps Lhan mosL people ln
a llfeLlme. WhaL ln heaven's name dld Lhe ldloLs ouL Lhere Lhlnk he had been dolng? Ceesh.
WhaL dld Lhey Lhlnk L-mall was for? uumb!
wwwavs!"o#co%

Crabblng Lhe reporL, he waved lL alofL llke Lhe head of a slaln enemy. MonsLer vlrus, none can
defeaL Lhe paladln. And l am 1he aladln! vlcLory ls mlne!"

A half hour laLer, fooLprlnLs from Lhe same l8MC Lermlnal led hlm sLralghL lnLo Lhe anLlquaLed
elecLronlc neLwork of Lhe lraql governmenL and Lo a serles of reporLs a year ago concernlng an
ouLbreak of A8uS. Pe prlnLed ouL Lhose, Loo, and conLlnued Lo prowl Lhrough Lhe lraql
cybersysLem searchlng for reporLs of anyLhlng llke Lhe vlrus as far back as ueserL SLorm. 8uL
Lhere was noLhlng else Lo flnd.

Sophla 8ussell's Lelephone records were a Lougher challenge. Pe found no lnLruder fooLprlnLs ln
Lhe lrederlck phone sysLem. lf Lhere had been a record of an unaccounLed-for call from Sophla
8ussell's llne Lo an ouLslde desLlnaLlon, lL had been erased from lnslde Lhe company and every
Lrace removed.

All aLLempLs Lo flnd 8lll Crlffln Lhrough college, medlcal, soclal securlLy, or any oLher prlvaLe or
publlc parL of hls pasL had Lurned up Lhe same message: Address unknown. So MarLy launched
lnLo Lhe l8l sysLem, whlch he had peneLraLed so ofLen hls compuLer could almosL do lL on lLs
own. Pls Llme was llmlLed before Lhey would Lrace hlm, because Lhelr lnLruder ueLecLlon
SysLem (luS) was one of Lhe besL. Pe popped ln long enough Lo see LhaL Crlffln's offlclal record
showed LermlnaLlon for cause. lf Lhere were any secreL arrangemenLs, MarLy found none--- no
clandesLlne reporLs, no pay vouchers, no code passwords, and noLhlng else Lo lndlcaLe Crlffln
was undercover. Powever, Lhe record was flagged, and Lhere was a noLaLlon: Crlffln's llsLed
address was no longer valld, Lhe 8ureau had no currenL address, and one should be obLalned.

8oy, Crlffln was really someLhlng. Lven Lhe l8l wondered where he was.

lar Lougher Lhan Lhe l8l's flrewall and luS was Lhe army lnLelllgence sysLem. Cnce MarLy
breached Lhe flrewall, he had Lo dash ln, read Lhe personnel flle, and dash ouL. Pe found no
currenL address. MarLy scraLched hls head and pursed hls llps. lL seemed Lo hlm Crlffln had noL
only wanLed Lo vanlsh, buL he had had Lhe experLlse Lo do lL. Shocklng.

1haL deserved some respecL. Lven Lhough MarLy had never personally llked Crlffln, he had Lo
hand lL Lo hlm now. So he saL back, crossed hls arms, and smlled, noL Louchlng hls compuLer for
a full LhlrLy agonlzlng seconds. lL was hls way of glvlng Lhe guy some respecL.

1hen wlLh a flourlsh he opened a blank flle dedlcaLed Lo 8lll Crlffln hlmself. Pe was noL
accusLomed Lo fallure ln Lhe cyberworld, and lL boLh annoyed and lnsplred hlm. 8lll Crlffln had
blown hlm away. 8uL Lhls was noL Lhe end. lL was Lhe beglnnlng! 1here was noLhlng qulLe so
dellclous as a new challenge from a worLhy opponenL, and Crlffln was provlng Lo be [usL LhaL.
So MarLy grlnned. Pe scraLched hls chln and wllled hls braln Lo leap lnLo Lhe sLraLosphere. 1o
flnd a soluLlon ln hls soarlng lmaglnaLlon. 1haL was whaL he could do off hls meds--- Lake fllghL.

8uL [usL as an ldea began Lo form, he [umped, sLarLled. Pls compuLer radlaLed a hlgh-plLched
Lone and flashed a dazzllng red slgnal:

ln18uuL8S! ln18uuL8S! ln18uuL8S!

More exclLed Lhan nervous, MarLy pressed a key. 1hls could be amuslng. 1he screen revealed:
wwwavs!"o#co%

LCCA1lCnS A Anu x

Lagerly he Lapped a buLLon, and Lwo hlgh-resoluLlon monlLors came Lo llfe on Lhe wall above.
AL LocaLlon A, whlch was behlnd Lhe bungalow, Lwo men searched for a way Lo squeeze
Lhrough Lhe Lhlck hedge. 8uL lL was Loo dense Lo be peneLraLed and Loo hlgh Lo cllmb over.
MarLy waLched Lhelr feeble aLLempLs and hooLed.

8uL LocaLlon x was anoLher maLLer. Pe swallowed hard and sLared: An unmarked gray van had
sLopped ln hls hldden drlveway. 1wo muscled sLrangers sLepped from lL, boLh holdlng large
seml-auLomaLlc plsLols as Lhelr gazes swepL hls properLy. WlLh a [olL of Lerror, MarLy's caLalog
braln ldenLlfled one gun as an old ColL .43 1911, whlle Lhe oLher was a l0mm 8rownlng of Lhe
Lype used now by Lhe l8l. 1hese lnLruders were noL golng Lo be easlly scared off.

MarLy's shorL, sLubby body shuddered. Pe haLed sLrangers and vlolence of any klnd. Pls round
face, so brlghL and exclLed seconds ago, was now pale and Lrembllng. Pe sLudled Lhe screen as
Lhe mechanlcal volce challenged Lhe men ln Lhe fronL yard.

!usL as he suspecLed, Lhey declded Lo lgnore Lhe warnlng. 1hey ran Loward Lhe fronL sLeps--- an
assaulL.

ln an lnsLanL, MarLy's mood lmproved. AL leasL he could have fun for a llLLle whlle. Pe snapped
hls flngers and bounced up and down ln hls chalr as hls auLomaLlc securlLy sysLem released a
cloud of eye-sLlnglng gas. 1he Lwo men grabbed Lhelr faces. 1hey [umped back, coughlng and
swearlng.

MarLy laughed. nexL Llme, llsLen when someone glves you good advlce!"

ln Lhe rear, Lhe second palr of sLrangers had sLacked garbage cans from Lhe nelghbor's yard Lo
cllmb up over Lhe hedge. MarLy waLched lnLenLly. AL [usL Lhe rlghL momenL... [usL as Lhey
reached Lhe Lop of Lhe hedge... he Lapped a key.

A barrage of heavy rubber bulleLs knocked Lhem off. 1hey fell hard, flaL onLo Lhelr backs ln Lhe
nelghbor's yard.

MarLy had Llme only Lo chuckle, because Lhe Lwo ln fronL had recovered enough Lo sLumble
Lhrough Lhe gas and reach Lhe fronL door.

Ah, Lhe plece de reslsLance!" MarLy promlsed.

Pe waLched eagerly as a sLream of Mace from Lhe porLs over Lhe door senL Lhe men sLaggerlng
and howllng back agaln. Pe clapped hls hands. 1he shorL, burly one who seemed Lo be Lhe
leader recovered enough Lo lurch for Lhe doorknob.

MarLy leaned forward eagerly. 1he knob held a sLun devlce. lL senL a shock lnLo Lhe guy's hand.
Pe screamed and [umped.

MarLy chorLled and spun ln hls chalr Lo check Lhe oLher palr. 1he Lwo ln Lhe backyard showed
resourcefulness. 1hey had rammed Lhelr car Lhrough Lhe hedge and were on Lhelr feeL and
wwwavs!"o#co%
movlng forward agaln, crawllng under Lhe sweep of lasers.

MarLy grlnned as he LhoughL abouL whaL walLed for Lhem: sLun devlces ln Lhe oLher doors and
wlndows, and cages LhaL would Lrap Lhem lf Lhey goL lnslde.

8uL all Lhe defenses, dlabollcal Lhough Lhey were, were noL leLhal. MarLy was a nonvlolenL man
who had never had reason Lo expecL serlous danger. Pls securlLy was almed aL pranksLers,
Lrespassers, and LormenLers--- agalnsL ouLslders lnvadlng hls peaceful lsolaLlon. Pe had
consLrucLed, lnvenLed, boughL, and bullL a chlld's game of brllllanL comlc-sLrlp mayhem and
secreL escape rouLes.

8uL none would, ln Lhe end, sLop deLermlned klllers ln a real world.

Clammy fear grlpped hls chesL. Pls hearL pounded. 8uL belng a genlus had lLs advanLages. Pe
had deslgned a plan a dozen years ago for [usL Lhls sorL of emergency. Pe grabbed Lhe remoLe
conLrol and Lhe prlnLouLs for !on, and Lhen he rushed lnLo Lhe baLhroom. Pe pressed a buLLon
on Lhe remoLe, and Lhe baLhLub reared up agalnsL Lhe wall. AnoLher Louch of Lhe remoLe
opened a Lrapdoor hldden under Lhe Lub. Pls chesL LlghL wlLh fear, he cllmbed down Lhe ladder
pasL Lhe house's crawl space and lnLo a well-llghLed Lunnel. WlLh Lwo cllcks of hls remoLe, Lhe
door closed above hlm and, ouL of hls vlew, Lhe Lub lowered back lnLo place.

MarLy lnhaled, relleved. ln hls rolllng galL, he swayed and bumped along Lo anoLher Lrapdoor
overhead.

Seconds laLer he emerged ln a nearly ldenLlcal bungalow he also owned on Lhe nexL sLreeL. 1hls
one was unmodlfled and empLy. lL was a deserLed house wlLh a perpeLual lC8 SALL slgn and
noLhlng ln lL excepL a Lelephone. 8ehlnd hlm, across Lhe hedge beLween Lhe bungalows, he
could hear curses and yelps of paln. 8uL he also heard Lhe LellLale nolse of glass shaLLerlng, and
he knew Lhe aLLackers would soon be lnslde hls house, searchlng for hls escape rouLe.

Afrald, he grabbed Lhe phone and dlaled.

___________________

CPA1L8

LlCP1LLn

___________________

11:07 A.M.

WashlngLon, u.C.

CeorgeLown unlverslLy was founded by !esulLs ln 1789, Lhe flrsL 8oman CaLhollc unlverslLy ln
Lhe unlLed SLaLes. Pandsome elghLeenLh- and nlneLeenLh-cenLury bulldlngs sLood among Lhe
Lrees and cobbled lanes, remlnders of a Llme when sclence knew llLLle of vlruses, buL educaLlon
wwwavs!"o#co%
was beglnnlng Lo be seen as a soluLlon Lo Lhe vlolenL problems of modern socleLy. 1hrough Lhe
wlndow of CeorgeLown's faculLy lounge, SmlLh LhoughL abouL Lhls as he admlred Lhe old
campus under Lhe blg Lrees.

Pe sald, So you're on Lhe faculLy here?"

AssoclaLe professor of hlsLory." Mar[orle Crlffln shrugged sadly. l suppose 8lll never Lold you
whaL l dld. l was aL n?u when we meL. 1hen l applled down here."

Pe never Lalked much abouL hls prlvaLe llfe," SmlLh admlLLed. MosLly our work and shared
pasL. 1he old days."

AbsenLmlndedly she sLlrred her Lea. 1he few Llmes we saw each oLher recenLly, lL wasn'L even
LhaL much. SomeLhlng's happened Lo 8lll over Lhe lasL few years. Pe's become sllenL, moody."

When dld you lasL geL LogeLher, Mar[orle?"

1wlce ln [usL Lhe pasL few days. Cn 1uesday mornlng he appeared on my doorsLep. And Lhen
agaln lasL nlghL." She drank Lea. Pe was nervous, edgy. Pe seemed worrled abouL you. When
he came lnslde, Lhe flrsL Lhlng he dld was go Lo Lhe fronL wlndows and waLch Lhe sLreeL. l asked
hlm whaL he was looklng for, buL he dldn'L answer. SuggesLed a cup of Lea lnsLead. Pe had
broughL a bag of crolssanLs from Lhe lrench bakery on M SLreeL."

A spur-of-Lhe-momenL vlslL," SmlLh guessed. Why?"

Mar[orle Crlffln dld noL answer aL once. Per face seemed Lo sag as she sLudled Lhe parade of
sLudenLs ouLslde Lhe wlndows on Lhe cobbled lane. 1ouchlng base, maybe. l haLe Lo Lhlnk he
was saylng good-bye. 8uL LhaL could've been lL." She looked up aL SmlLh. l'd hoped you'd
know."

She was, SmlLh reallzed almosL wlLh a shock, a beauLlful woman. noL llke Sophla, no. A calm
beauLy. A cerLaln serenlLy ln herself and ln who she was. noL passlve, exacLly, buL noL resLlessly
seeklng elLher. She had dark gray eyes and black halr caughL ln a lrench knoL aL Lhe nape of her
neck. An easy sLyle. Cood cheekbones and a sLrong [awllne. A body beLween Lhln and heavy.
SmlLh felL a sLlrrlng, an aLLracLlon, and Lhen lL was gone. lL dled before lL could do more Lhan
appear ln a flash, unexpecLed and unwanLed, lmmedlaLely followed by a sharp sLab of sorrow. A
Lhrob of angulsh LhaL was Sophla.

1wo days ago, almosL Lhree now," he Lold her, he warned me l was ln danger." Pe descrlbed
Lhe meeLlng ln 8ock Creek park, Lhe aLLacks on hlm, Lhe vlrus, and Lhe deaLh of Sophla.
Someone has Lhe llve vlrus, Mar[orle, and Lhey kllled Sophla, klelburger, and hls secreLary wlLh
lL."

Cood Cod." Per flne face redrew lLself ln llnes of horror.

l don'L know who or why, and Lhey're Lrylng Lo sLop me from flndlng ouL. 8lll's worklng wlLh
Lhem."

She covered her mouLh wlLh her hand. no! 1haL's noL posslble!"
wwwavs!"o#co%

lL's Lhe only way he could've known Lo warn me. WhaL l'm Lrylng Lo flgure ouL ls wheLher he's
undercover or wlLh Lhem on hls own." Pe heslLaLed. Pls closesL frlend ln Lhe l8l says he lsn'L
undercover."

Lonny lorbes. l always llked Lonny." She pressed her llps LogeLher and shook her head sadly.
8lll's grown harder. More cynlcal. 1he lasL Lwo Llmes l saw hlm, someLhlng was really
boLherlng hlm. lL seemed Lo me lL was abouL someLhlng he's noL proud of buL won'L sLop dolng
because of Lhe way Lhe world ls." She plcked up her Leacup, found lL empLy, and sLared lnLo lL.
l'm [usL guesslng abouL hlm, of course. l'll never marry agaln. l see a nlce man now and Lhen,
buL LhaL's all lL'll ever be. 8lll was my greaL love. 8uL hls greaL love was hls work, and somehow
lL falled hlm. WhaL l do know ls he feels beLrayed. Pe's losL hls falLh, you could say."

SmlLh undersLood. ln a world wlLh no values excepL money, he wanLs hls share. lL's happened
Lo oLhers. SclenLlsLs who sell ouL for blg bucks. uL a moneLary value on eradlcaLlng dlsease,
curlng llls, savlng llves. unconsclonable."

8uL he can'L beLray you," Mar[orle sald. So he's Lorn aparL by Lhe confllcL."

Pe's already beLrayed me. Sophla's dead."

As she opened her mouLh Lo proLesL, SmlLh's cell phone rang. 1hroughouL Lhe faculLy lounge,
annoyed heads Lurned.

SmlLh grabbed Lhe phone from hls pockeL. ?es?"

lL was MarLy, and he sounded boLh exclLed and Lerrlfled. !on, l always sald Lhe world was
unsafe." Pe paused and gasped. now l've proved lL. ersonally. 1here's a whole group of
lnLruders. Well, four acLually. 1hey've broken lnLo my house. lf Lhey flnd me, Lhey'll klll me. 1hls
ls your area of experLlse. ?ou've goL Lo save me!"

SmlLh kepL hls volce low. Where are you?"

AL my oLher house." Pe gave Lhe address. Suddenly hls volce broke. lL shook wlLh Lerror.
Purry!"

l'm on my way."

SmlLh apologlzed Lo Mar[orle Crlffln, scrlbbled hls cell phone number for her, and asked her Lo
call lf 8lll Lurned up agaln. Pe ran ouL of Lhe lounge.

__________

As SmlLh drove worrledly pasL MarLy's house, he saw a gray van parked ln Lhe drlveway. no one
appeared Lo be ln Lhe van, and Lhe hlgh hedge and curLalns hld Lhe house's lnLerlor. Pe
surveyed all around and saw noLhlng susplclous. 1here were Lhe usual Lrafflc nolses. SmlLh
scanned consLanLly for Lrouble as he conLlnued on around Lhe block and pulled lnLo Lhe
drlveway of a bungalow LhaL was dlrecLly behlnd MarLy's. ln Lhe fronL lawn sLood a whlLe meLal
lC8 SALL slgn rusLlng around Lhe edges.
wwwavs!"o#co%

lrom Lhe house's fronL wlndow, a shade peeled upward, and MarLy's frlghLened face peeked
ouL [usL above Lhe slll.

SmlLh ran Lo Lhe fronL door.

MarLy opened lL, cluLchlng a sheaf of papers and a remoLe conLrol Lo hls chesL. Come ln. Purry.
Purry." Pe sLared fearfully pasL. lf you were llorence nlghLlngale, l'd be dead by now. WhaL
Look you so long?"

lf l were llorence nlghLlngale, l wouldn'L be here. We'd be ln dlfferenL cenLurles." SmlLh
locked Lhe door and scanned Lhe empLy room as MarLy checked Lhe fronL wlndow. llll me ln.
1ell me everyLhlng LhaL happened."

MarLy dropped Lhe wlndow shade and descrlbed Lhe four sLrangers, Lhelr weapons, and Lhelr
aLLempLs Lo break ln. Meanwhlle, SmlLh sLrode Lhrough Lhe house, checklng locks on doors and
wlndows, and MarLy followed ln hls rolllng galL. 1he drapes and curLalns were drawn, and Lhe
rooms were shadowy wlLh sunllghL and dusL moLes. 1he place was empLy, and as secure as any
ordlnary house could be. Whlch was noL very.

AL lasL MarLy flnlshed hls sLory wlLh a sLream of speculaLlons.

?ou're rlghL," SmlLh sald soberly, Lhey'll sLarL searchlng Lhe nelghborhood soon."

Swell. !usL whaL l wanLed Lo hear." MarLy grlnned weakly. lL came ouL as a macabre grlmace,
buL lL was a brave Lry.

SmlLh squeezed hls frlend's shoulder, Lrylng Lo keep Lhe urgency from hls volce. Pow dld Lhey
know abouL us, MarLy? uld you Lell anyone?"

noL ln a quadrllllon years."

1hen Lhey had Lo have followed me, buL l don'L see how." Pe qulckly wenL Lhrough all Lhe
precauLlons he had Laken Lo shake pursulL slnce he had lefL lrederlck. 1hey couldn'L have puL a
LransmlLLer on Lhe 1rlumph Lhls Llme."

1haL was when he heard lL... a nolse LhaL rose above Lhe amblenL sounds of Lhe clLy. AL flrsL he
could noL place lL. 1hen he knew whaL lL was, and how Lhey had followed hlm. Pls LhroaL
LlghLened. Pe sLrode Lo Lhe fronL wlndow, ralsed Lhe shade, and looked ouL and up.

uamn!" Pe slammed hls flsL agalnsL Lhe wall.

MarLy [olned hlm, sLarlng up aL Lhe hellcopLer hoverlng low Lo Lhe souLh on a sLralghL llne wlLh
Lhe palr of bungalows. As Lhey waLched, lL banked ln a sweeplng Lurn norLh and came back
around Loward Lhe house where he and MarLy hld. SmlLh remembered hearlng a chopper
earller when he had drlven away from MarLy's house.

Pe cursed and slammed Lhe wall agaln. 1haL was Lhe answer--- Lhe 1rlumph. Pe knew he had
shaken Lhem before he pulled off Lhe lnLersLaLe aL CalLhersburg--- Lhere had been no way Lhey
wwwavs!"o#co%
could have bugged Lhe 1rlumph LhaL Llme. 8uL how many resLored--- buL baLLered from lasL
nlghL--- '68 1rlumphs could Lhere be ln Lhe area? noL many, and probably noL anoLher on Lhe
lnLersLaLe from lrederlck Lo WashlngLon early Lhls mornlng. Cne of Lhose choppers he had seen
whlle eaLlng breakfasL ln CalLhersburg LhaL he had LhoughL was monlLorlng Lrafflc could have
easlly been someLhlng else enLlrely. All Lhey had had Lo do was guess he would go lnLo
WashlngLon and waLch Lhe lnLersLaLe for a 1rlumph. A llcense check would conflrm lL.

lck hlm up aL CalLhersburg. lollow hlm lnLo WashlngLon.

Pls 1rlumph had nalled hlm. uammlL!

MarLy's volce was severe. Ckay, !on. We don'L have Llme for your bouLs of anger. 8esldes, l
don'L wanL any holes ln my walls unless l puL Lhem Lhere. 1ell me whaL you've flgured ouL.
Maybe l can help."

no Llme. 1hls ls my area of experLlse, rlghL? ?ou used Lo have a car. uo you sLlll have lL?" Pe
had been falsely secure ln hls 1rlumph. now hls enemles would be falsely secure ln relylng on lL
Lo Lrack hlm. Lveryone had bllnd spoLs.

MarLy nodded. l keep lL aL a garage near MassachuseLLs Avenue. 8uL !on, you know l never go
ouL anymore." Pe wandered lnLo Lhe nexL room and looked nervously ouL Lhe wlndow. Pe sLlll
carrled hls remoLe and Lhe sheaf of papers as lf Lhey were Lallsmans agalnsL danger.

?ou do now," SmlLh Lold hlm flrmly. We're golng Lo go ouL of here Lhe fronL way, and---"

!-!-!on! Look!" MarLy [abbed Lhe remoLe llke a polnLer ouL Lhe back wlndow.

lnsLanLly SmlLh was beslde hlm, hls 8ereLLa ln hls hand. 1wo of Lhe sLrangers had come Lhrough
Lhe hedge and now LroLLed Loward Lhe bungalow where MarLy and SmlLh hld. 1he men were
low Lo Lhe ground, runnlng wlLh Lhe careful urgency of men on Lhe aLLack. And Lhey were
armed. SmlLh's pulse pounded. 8eslde hlm, MarLy was rlgld wlLh fear. Pe puL a hand on MarLy's
shoulder and squeezed as he crouched beslde Lhe wlndow.

Pe leL Lhe palr geL wlLhln flfLeen feeL. Pe slld up Lhe wlndow, almed carefully, and flred Lhe
8ereLLa aL each man's legs. Pls braln was rusLy wlLh years of lnacLlon, buL hls muscle memory
overcame Lhe rusL as smooLhly as an olled machlne.

1he Lwo plLched forward onLo Lhelr faces, moanlng wlLh paln and shock. As Lhey crawled for Lhe
cover of a palr of old buckeye Lrees, SmlLh hurrled Lo Lhe llvlng room.

Come on, MarLy."

MarLy followed close behlnd, and Lhey boLh looked ouL Lhe wlndow. As SmlLh had feared, Lhe
second palr was ln fronL. Cne was Lhe same burly man who had led Lhe ambush Lwo days ago ln
CeorgeLown. 1hey had heard Lhe shoLs, and Lhe burly man had dlved Lo Lhe grass and pulled a
Clock from hls [ackeL. Pe landed hard on hls chesL, buL held on Lo Lhe Clock. 1he oLher man's
reacLlon was LhlrLy seconds Loo slow. Pe sLlll sLood on Lhe brlck paLh, hls blg old u.S. Army ColL
.43 halfway up Loward Lhe house.

wwwavs!"o#co%
SmlLh mlssed hls leg. 8uL before Lhe man could sLumble back for Lhe safeLy of Lhe sLreeL,
SmlLh's second shoL drew blood from hls shoulder and senL hlm sprawllng.

MarLy waLched worrledly. Cood shooLlng, !on."

SmlLh LhoughL fasL. Pls unexpecLed shoLs had puL Lhe Lwo ln Lhe backyard ouL of acLlon. 8uL ln
Lhe fronL, Lhe leader was unln[ured, and Lhe second man had been only nlcked. 1hey would be
careful now LhaL Lhey knew Lhey faced leLhal opposlLlon, buL Lhey would noL go away.

And Lhe hellcopLer would send relnforcemenLs.

Pls volce Lense, SmlLh asked qulckly, uoes your Lunnel work from Lhls end?"

MarLy looked up. Pe nodded, undersLandlng. ?es, !on. lL'd be llloglcal lf lL dldn'L."

LeL's go!"

ln Lhe bedroom, MarLy pressed hls remoLe conLrol. 1he box bed swung sllenLly ouL of Lhe way,
exposlng Lhe Lrapdoor. AnoLher elecLronlc command opened lL.

lollow me." Poldlng hls papers and Lhe remoLe LlghLly, MarLy slld lnLo Lhe brlghLly llghLed
shafL wlLh lLs ladder LhaL wenL Lhrough a crawl space and down lnLo Lhe concreLe underground
Lunnel. As soon as he landed, he lurched ouL of Lhe way.

A few seconds laLer, SmlLh's feeL Louched down nexL Lo hlm. lmpresslve, MarL."

useful, Loo." Pe pressed a buLLon on hls remoLe. 1hls closes Lhe Lrapdoor and puLs everyLhlng
back Lhe way lL was."

1he Lwo moved qulckly along Lhe brlghL Lunnel. llnally Lhey reached Lhe oLher end, and SmlLh
lnslsLed on golng up flrsL. As he emerged lnLo Lhe small baLhroom of MarLy's home bungalow,
he had a shock: A flfLh man was crosslng Lhe hall lnLo Lhe llvlng room.

SmlLh's pulse hammered. Pe llsLened. 1hen he reallzed Lhe man was headlng Loward Lhe
baLhroom.

Pe dropped back lnLo Lhe shafL. Close lL up!"

Pls round face anxlous, MarLy elecLronlcally closed Lhe Lrap and lowered Lhe baLhLub. Seconds
laLer Lhey heard Lhe man enLer Lhe baLhroom, followed by Lhe sound of a sLream falllng lnLo Lhe
LolleL.

SmlLh quleLly Lold MarLy whaL he wanLed hlm Lo do.

___________________

CPA1L8

nlnL1LLn
wwwavs!"o#co%

___________________

8ereLLa ready, SmlLh cllmbed up Lo walL on Lhe Lop rung of Lhe meLal ladder. Pe Look a deep
breaLh as Lhe Lrapdoor unlocked. 8uL lL was sLlll welghLed ln place by Lhe Lub. As he ralsed hls
8ereLLa, Lhe Lub swung up agalnsL Lhe wall, Lhe Lrap sprang open, and Lhe enLlre baLhroom plus
a secLlon of Lhe hall and llvlng room came lnLo vlew. SmlLh repressed a grlm smlle. 1he slLuaLlon
was beLLer Lhan he had hoped.

Ahead was Lhe back of Lhe man aL Lhe LolleL. 1he guy's [aw dropped. SLarlng lnLo Lhe mlrror, he
had seen Lhe baLhLub rlse llke a whlLe apparlLlon lnLo Lhe alr behlnd. 1he guy was noL only
sLunned, he was exposed. Pe dld noL even have Llme Lo zlp.

8uL he was a professlonal. So, fly hanglng open, he grabbed hls weapon from where he had lald
lL on Lop of Lhe LolleL Lank and spun around.

Cood. 8uL noL good enough." WlLh a mlghLy swlng, SmlLh slammed hls 8ereLLa lnLo Lhe man's
knee. Pe heard bone crack. 1he man dropped Lo Lhe floor, groanlng and cluLchlng Lhe knee. Pls
weapon skldded Loward Lhe door.

SmlLh leaped up Lhrough Lhe Lrap, snaLched Lhe gun, and grabbed Lhe walkle-Lalkle from Lhe
back of Lhe LolleL Lank. now Lhe man could noL shooL or call for help.

Pey!" Lhe man bellowed. aln sLreLched hls narrow face. Pe Lrled Lo geL up, buL Lhe crushed
knee shoL dlsabllng paln, and he fell back onLo Lhe floor.

Ch, my," MarLy sald as he clambered ouL. Pe hurrled pasL hlm and lnLo Lhe hallway.

SmlLh followed, locklng Lhe baLhroom door.

MarLy wondered, ?ou dldn'L shooL hlm?"

Pe pushed MarLy forward. l crlppled hlm. 1haL was enough. lL'll Lake Lhree or four operaLlons
Lo repalr LhaL knee. 1he way he ls, he can'L hurL us and he's noL golng anyplace. Come on, MarL.
We've really goL Lo move."

As Lhey crossed MarLy's compuLer-fllled offlce, he sLopped for a momenL, hls face forlorn. Pe
slghed, Lhen he followed SmlLh Lo Lhe fronLdoor cage, whlch had been shoL open.

SmlLh cracked open Lhe fronL door and peered ouL. 1he gray van sLlll sLood ln Lhe drlveway. Pe
was LempLed Lo hoL-wlre lL, a sklll he had learned from 8lll Crlffln as a Leenager, buL Lhe
hellcopLer sLlll swung back and forLh over Lhe bungalows.

MarL, we're golng Lo MassachuseLLs Avenue and your car. Crab your meds."

l don'L llke Lhls." MarLy sLumbled back Lo hls desk, plcked up a small black leaLher case, and
reLurned Lo SmlLh aL Lhe fronL door. l don'L llke Lhls aL all." Pe shuddered. 1he world ls full of
wwwavs!"o#co%
sLrangers!"

SmlLh lgnored hls complalnLs. MarLy mlghL fear people he dld noL know, buL !on flgured he was
far more afrald of dylng. SLay close Lo bulldlngs, walk under Lrees, anyLhlng Lo hlde. no
runnlng--- LhaL'd aLLracL aLLenLlon. WlLh luck, Lhe chopper up Lhere won'L spoL us. lf lL does,
we'll have Lo lose lL when we reach your car. 1o be safe, l'm golng Lo Lry Lo dlsable Lhe van ouL
Lhere."

MarLy suddenly ralsed a flnger. Pe grlnned from ear Lo ear. l can handle LhaL!"

lrom here? Pow?"

l'll fry lLs compuLer."

SmlLh never doubLed MarLy where elecLronlcs were concerned. Ckay. LeL's see you do lL."

MarLy hunLed ln hls desk drawers and produced a leaLher case abouL Lhe slze of a large camera.
Pe almed an aperLure Lhrough Lhe fronL doorway aL Lhe slde aL Lhe van. Pe opened Lhe lld,
Lwlrled some dlals, and punched a buLLon. 1haL should do lL."

SmlLh sLared susplclously. l dldn'L see anyLhlng happen."

Cf course you dldn'L. l used 1Lu Lo desLroy Lhe on-board compuLer LhaL conLrols englne
funcLlons."

WhaL Lhe hell ls 1Lu?"

1ranslenL elecLromagneLlc devlce. lL works on 8l--- radlo frequency. 1hlnk of sLaLlc elecLrlclLy,
buL sLronger. l bullL Lhls one myself and made lL even more powerful Lhan Lhe usual. 8uL Lhe
8usslans wlll sell you an lndusLrlal-sLrengLh one. lL comes ln a brlefcase and cosLs a hundred
Lhousand dollars or so."

!on was lmpressed. 8rlng LhaL Lhlng along." Pe sLepped ouLdoors. LeL's go."

MarLy sLood moLlonless [usL ouLslde hls doorway. Pe sLared, sLunned aL Lhe blue sky and green
grass and movlng Lrafflc. Pe looked overwhelmed. lL's been a long Llme," he murmured and
shlvered.

?ou can do lL," SmlLh encouraged.

MarLy swallowed and nodded. Ckay. l'm ready."

SmlLh ln Lhe lead, Lhey ran from Lhe porch and along Lhe hlgh hedge Lo where lL [olned Lhe slde
hedge. !on pushed Lhrough, and MarLy followed. AL Lhe sLreeL, he sLepped ouL and llnked hls
arm wlLh MarLy's. 1hey were [usL Lwo convlvlal frlends sLrolllng along Loward Lhe avenue Lwo
blocks ahead.

8ehlnd Lhem Lhe hellcopLer hung over Lhe palr of bungalows. 8usy MassachuseLLs Avenue was
ahead. Cnce Lhere, SmlLh hoped Lhey could dlsappear among Lhe Lhrong of pedesLrlans flocklng
wwwavs!"o#co%
Lo Lhe magnlflcence of Lmbassy 8ow and Lhe oLher hlsLorlc bulldlngs and lnsLlLuLlons beLween
uuponL and Sherldan Clrcles.

1hey dld noL make lL. As Lhey reached Lhe second block, Lhe chopper roared closer. SmlLh
glanced over hls shoulder. 1he hellcopLer was sweeplng Loward Lhem.

Ch, my." MarLy saw lL, Loo.

lasLer!" SmlLh ordered.

1hey ran down Lhe slde sLreeL, Lhe hellcopLer followlng so low lL was ln danger of Lrlmmlng Lhe
Lrees. 1he drafL from Lhe mlghLy blades blasLed Lhelr backs. 1hen shoLs exploded from Lhe
chopper. MarLy gave a llLLle scream. 8ulleLs klcked dlrL and concreLe around Lhem and whlned
off lnLo Lhe alr.

SmlLh grabbed hls arm and shouLed, keep runnlng!"

1hey pounded on, MarLy flalllng llke a comblnaLlon of roboL and rag doll. 1he hellcopLer passed
over and baLLled Lo bank and come back.

lasLer!" SmlLh was sweaLlng. Pe pulled on MarLy's arm.

1he hellcopLer had compleLed lLs Lurn and sLarLed back.

8uL Lhen SmlLh exulLed. lL's golng Lo be Loo laLe!" 1hey Lore onLo MassachuseLLs Avenue and
plunged ln among Lhe crowds. lL was lrlday afLernoon, and people were reLurnlng from long
lunches, maklng plans for Lhe weekend, and headlng Loward appolnLmenLs.

Ch, oh." MarLy crlnged agalnsL SmlLh, buL he kepL walklng. Pls round head swlveled, and hls
eyes were huge as he Look ln Lhe mulLlLude.

?ou're dolng greaL," SmlLh assured hlm. l know lL's Lough, buL we're safe for a whlle here.
Where's your car?"

anLlng nervously, MarLy Lold hlm, nexL slde sLreeL."

SmlLh looked up aL Lhe hellcopLer LhaL had made lLs Lurn and was now hoverlng over Lhe
crowds and movlng ahead slowly, Lrylng Lo slngle Lhem ouL. Pe sLudled MarLy ln hls cusLomary
Lan wlndbreaker over a blue shlrL and baggy chlnos.

1ake off your wlndbreaker and Lle lL around your walsL."

Ckay. 8uL Lhey sLlll could spoL us. 1hen Lhey'll shooL us."

We're golng Lo be lnvlslble." Pe was lylng, buL under Lhe clrcumsLances lL seemed Lhe wlsesL
course. Pldlng hls worry, he unbuLLoned hls unlform blouse and sllpped ouL of lL as Lhey hurrled
along. Pe wrapped lL around hls garrlson cap and Lucked Lhe bundle under hls arm. lL was noL
much of a dlsgulse, buL Lo eyes searchlng from a hellcopLer for Lwo people ln a crowd below, lL
mlghL be enough.
wwwavs!"o#co%

1hey walked anoLher block, Lhe chopper closlng ln on Lhem. SmlLh looked over aL MarLy, whose
round face was mlserable and sweaLlng. 8uL he offered a forced smlle. SmlLh smlled back, even
Lhough he pulsed wlLh Lenslon.

1he hellcopLer was closer. Suddenly lL was almosL above Lhem.

MarLy's volce was exclLed. 1hls ls lL! l recognlze Lhe sLreeL. 1urn here!"

SmlLh waLched Lhe chopper. noL yeL. reLend Lo Lle your shoelace." MarLy squaLLed and fussed
aL hls Lennls shoes. SmlLh benL and brushed aL hls Lrousers as lf he had goLLen dlrL on Lhem.
eople hurrled pasL. A few Lhrew annoyed glances aL Lhem for lmpedlng Lhe flow.

1he hellcopLer passed over.

now." SmlLh pushed Lhrough Lhe crowd flrsL, creaLlng a paLh for MarLy. ln a dozen feeL, Lhey
were on a narrow slde sLreeL LhaL resembled an alley. MarLy led hlm Lo a Lhree-sLory, yellow-
brlck bulldlng marked by a wlde garage door. 1here was an aLLendanL's klosk, buL no cars were
golng ln or ouL. SmlLh dld noL llke Lhe flaL roof. 1he chopper could land up Lhere.

MarLy presenLed hls ldenLlflcaLlon Lo a sLunned aLLendanL who had clearly never lald eyes on
Lhe owner of Lhe vehlcle ln quesLlon. Pow long you Laklng lL ouL for, Mr. Zellerbach?"

We don'L know for sure," SmlLh Lold Lhe man, savlng MarLy from havlng Lo Lalk Lo Lhe sLranger.

1he aLLendanL scoured Lhe ownershlp papers once more and led Lhem up Lo Lhe second floor,
where a row of sLored cars walLed under proLecLlve canvas covers.

When he whlpped Lhe cover off Lhe nexL-Lo-Lhe-lasL one, SmlLh sLared. A 8olls-8oyce?"

My faLher's." MarLy grlnned shyly.

lL was a LhlrLy-year-old Sllver Cloud, as gleamlng as Lhe day lL had crulsed ouL from under Lhe
hands of Lhe long-forgoLLen crafLsmen who bullL lL. When Lhe aLLendanL sLarLed lL up and rolled
lL carefully ouL from Lhe row, lLs orlglnal 8olls-8oyce englne purred so sofLly SmlLh was noL sure
lL was acLually runnlng. 1here was noL a squeak, squeal, knock, or raLLle.

1here you are, Mr. Zellerbach," Lhe aLLendanL sald proudly. She's our belle. 8esL car ln Lhe
house. l'm glad Lo see she's golng somewhere aL lasL."

SmlLh Look Lhe keys and Lold MarLy Lo slL ln Lhe backseaL. Pe lefL hls unlform blouse off buL puL
on hls cap so he would look more llke a chauffeur. 8ehlnd Lhe wheel, he sLudled Lhe dashboard
lnsLrumenLs and gauges on Lhe whorled wood and examlned Lhe conLrols. WlLh a sense of awe,
he slld Lhe cluLch lnLo gear and drove Lhe eleganL machlne ouL of sLorage and onLo Lhe slde
sLreeL. AlmosL anywhere ln Lhe naLlon Lhe 8olls would sLand ouL as glarlngly as hls 1rlumph. 8uL
noL ln new ?ork, Los Angeles, or WashlngLon. Pere lL was [usL one more expenslve car carrylng
an ambassador, a forelgn dlgnlLary, an lmporLanL offlclal, or a CLC of some klnd.

uo you llke lL, !on?" MarLy asked from Lhe backseaL.
wwwavs!"o#co%

lL's llke rldlng a maglc carpeL," SmlLh sald. 8eauLlful."

1haL's why l kepL lL." MarLy gave a saLlsfled smlle and leaned back llke an overwelghL caL
agalnsL Lhe seaL, comforLed by Lhe close walls of Lhe car. Pe seL hls papers and hls black
medlclne case beslde hlm and gave a llLLle chorLle. ?ou know, !on, LhaL guy ln Lhe baLhroom's
golng Lo Lell Lhe oLhers abouL my escape rouLe, buL Lhey're never golng Lo flgure ouL how Lo
make lL work." Pe held up Lhe remoLe conLrol wlLh a flourlsh. Zounds! 1hey're screwed!"

SmlLh laughed and glanced aL Lhe rearvlew mlrror. 1he chopper clrcled helplessly a block away.
Pe Lurned Lhe grand machlne onLo MassachuseLLs Avenue. lnslde Lhe Sllver Cloud, Lhere was
hardly a sound desplLe Lhe heavy Lrafflc.

Pe asked, Are Lhose papers prlnLouLs of whaL you were able Lo download?"

?es. l have good news, and l have bad news."

MarLy descrlbed hls cybersearch as Lhey passed uuponL Clrcle and gllded norLh, Lhrough Lhe
clLy Lo l-93 and onLo Lhe 8elLway. As MarLy Lalked, SmlLh remalned Lense and alerL for anyone
followlng. Pe had Lhe consLanL sense Lhey could be aLLacked agaln from any polnL aL any Llme.

1hen he looked lnLo Lhe rearvlew mlrror aL MarLy wlLh amazemenL. ?ou really were able Lo
flnd Lhe reporL from Lhe rlnce Leopold?"

MarLy nodded. And vlrus reporLs from lraq."

Amazlng. 1hank you. WhaL abouL 8lll Crlffln and Sophla's phone records?"

no. Sorry, !on. l really Lrled."

l know you dld. l'd beLLer read whaL you've goL."

1hey were approachlng Lhe ConnecLlcuL Avenue exlL aL Lhe exLenslon of 8ock Creek park ln
Maryland. SmlLh Look Lhe exlL, drove lnLo Lhe park, and sLopped Lhe 8olls aL a secluded
meadow surrounded by a sLand of Lhlck Lrees. As MarLy handed hlm Lhe Lwo prlnLouLs, he sald,
1hey'd been deleLed by Lhe dlrecLor of nlP's lederal 8esource Medlcal Clearlng Pouse."

1he governmenL!" SmlLh swore. uamn. LlLher someone ln Lhe governmenL or army's behlnd
whaL's happenlng, or Lhe people who are have even more power Lhan l'd LhoughL."

1haL scares me, !on," MarLy sald.

lL scares me, and we beLLer flnd ouL whlch lL ls soon."

MuLLerlng, he read Lhe rlnce Leopold reporL flrsL.

ur. 8enee Clscours descrlbed a fleld reporL he had seen whlle dolng a sLlnL aL a [ungle hosplLal
far uprlver ln 8ollvlan Amazonla years ago. Pe had been baLLllng whaL appeared Lo be a new
ouLbreak of Machupo fever and had no Llme Lo Lhlnk abouL an unconflrmed rumor from far-off
wwwavs!"o#co%
eru. 8uL Lhe new vlrus [ogged hls memory, so he checked hls papers and found hls orlglnal
noLe--- buL noL Lhe acLual reporL. Pls [oLLlngs Lo hlmself back Lhen emphaslzed an unusual
comblnaLlon of hanLavlrus and hemorrhaglc fever sympLoms and some connecLlon Lo monkeys.

SmlLh LhoughL abouL lL. WhaL had caughL Sophla's lnLeresL ln Lhls? 1here were few facLs,
noLhlng buL Lhe vague memory of an anecdoLe from Lhe fleld. Was lL Lhe menLlon of Machupo?
8uL Clscours made no speclal connecLlon, dld noL suggesL any llnk, and Machupo anLlbodles
had shown no effecL on Lhe unknown vlrus. lL dld suggesL Lhe new unknown vlrus acLually
exlsLed ln naLure, buL researchers would assume LhaL. erhaps lL was Lhe menLlon of 8ollvla.
Maybe eru. 8uL why?

ls lL lmporLanL?" MarLy wanLed Lo know, eager Lo help.

l don'L know yeL. LeL me read Lhe resL."

1here were Lhree more reporLs--- all from Lhe lraql MlnlsLer of PealLh's offlce. 1he flrsL Lwo
concerned Lhree A8uS deaLhs a year ago ln Lhe 8aghdad area LhaL were unexplalned buL flnally
aLLrlbuLed Lo a hanLavlrus carrled by deserL mlce drawn lnLo Lhe clLy by lack of food ln Lhe
flelds. 1he Lhlrd reporLed Lhree more A8uS cases ln 8asra who had survlved. All Lhree ln 8asra.
SmlLh felL a chlll. 1he exacL same numbers had dled and survlved. Llke a conLrolled experlmenL.
Was LhaL whaL Lhe Lhree Amerlcan vlcLlms were, Loo, parL of some experlmenL?

lus Lhere was Lhe connecLlon of Lhe flrsL Lhree Amerlcan vlcLlms Lo ueserL SLorm.

Pe felL a seLLllng ln hls chesL, as lf now aL lasL he had a clearer sense of dlrecLlon. Pe had Lo go
Lo lraq. Pe needed Lo flnd ouL who had dled and who had survlved... and why.

MarLy, we're golng Lo Callfornla. 1here's a man Lhere who'll help us."

l don'L fly."

?ou do now."

8uL, !on---" MarLy proLesLed.

lorgeL lL, MarLy. ?ou're sLuck wlLh me. 8esldes, you know deep down you llke dolng crazy
Lhlngs. Conslder Lhls one of your crazlesL."

l don'L belleve Lhlnklng poslLlvely ls enough ln Lhls case. l mlghL freak ouL. noL LhaL l'd wanL Lo,
you undersLand. 8uL even Alexander Lhe CreaL had flLs."

Pe had epllepsy. ?ou have Asperger's, and you've goL medlcaLlon Lo conLrol lL."

MarLy froze. LlLLle problem Lhere. l don'L have my meds."

uldn'L you brlng your case?"

?es, of course l broughL lL. 8uL l have only one dose lefL."

wwwavs!"o#co%
We'll have Lo geL you more ln Callfornla." As MarLy grlmaced, SmlLh resLarLed Lhe 8olls and
pulled onLo Lhe lnLersLaLe. We'll need money. 1he army, Lhe l8l, probably Lhe pollce, and Lhe
people wlLh Lhe vlrus wlll be monlLorlng my bank accounLs, credlLs cards, Lhe works. 1hey won'L
be monlLorlng yours yeL."

?ou're rlghL. Slnce l value my llfe, l suppose l have Lo go along. AL leasL for a whlle. Ckay.
Conslder lL a donaLlon. uo you Lhlnk flfLy Lhousand dollars would be enough?"

SmlLh was sLunned aL Lhe large sum. 8uL when he LhoughL abouL lL, he reallzed money was
meanlngless Lo MarLy. llfLy Lhousand should do flne."

__________

Cver Lhe roar of Lhe roLors and Lhe sllpsLream wlnd, nadal al-Passan shouLed lnLo Lhe phone,
We have losL Lhem." Pe wore dark sunglasses over hls haLcheL face. 1hey seemed Lo absorb
Lhe sunllghL llke black holes.

ln hls offlce near Lhe Adlrondack lake, vlcLor 1remonL swore. uamn. Who ls Lhls MarLln
Zellerbach? Why dld SmlLh go Lo hlm?"

Al-Passan covered hls open ear Lo hear beLLer. l wlll flnd ouL. WhaL abouL Lhe army and Lhe
l8l?"

SmlLh's offlclally AWCL and connecLed Lo Lhe deaLhs of klelburger and Lhe woman because he
was Lhe lasL Lo see Lhem allve. 8oLh Lhe pollce and Lhe army are looklng for hlm." 1he dlsLanL
roar of Lhe hellcopLer ln hls ear made hlm wanL Lo shouL as lf he were Lhere wlLh al-Passan.
!ack McCraw's sLaylng on Lop of Lhe slLuaLlon Lhrough hls source ln Lhe 8ureau."

1haL ls good. Zellerbach's resldence has much compuLer equlpmenL. very advanced. lL ls
posslble LhaL ls why SmlLh wenL Lhere. erhaps we could learn whaL he ls looklng for by
analyzlng whaL Lhls Zellerbach was dolng when we arrlved."

l'll send xavler Lo WashlngLon. Pave your people waLch Lhe hosplLals where all Lhe vlcLlms
were LreaLed, especlally Lhe Lhree survlvors. So far Lhe governmenL hasn'L revealed Lhe
survlvals, buL Lhey wlll. When SmlLh hears abouL Lhem, he'll probably Lry Lo reach Lhem."

l have already seen Lo lL."

Cood, nadal. Where's 8lll Crlffln?"

1haL l do noL know. Pe has noL reporLed ln Lo me Loday."

llnd hlm!"

___________________

CPA1L8

1WLn1?
wwwavs!"o#co%

___________________

7:14 .M.

new ?ork ClLy

Mercer Paldane, chalrman of 8lanchard harmaceuLlcals, lnc., could barely manage a smlle as
Mrs. endragon broughL ln Lhe agenda for Lomorrow's board meeLlng. SLlll, he bld her hls
cusLomary cheerful goodnlghL. Safely alone agaln, he saL broodlng ln hls whlLe Lle and Lalls. Cne
of Lhe quarLerly dlnners for Lhe board was LonlghL, and he had an enormous problem LhaL musL
be addressed flrsL.

Paldane was proud of 8lanchard, boLh of lLs hlsLory and lLs fuLure. lL was an old company,
founded by Lzra and Lll[ah 8lanchard ln a garage ln 8uffalo ln 1884 Lo make soap and face
cream from Lhelr moLher's orlglnal reclpes. Cwned and run by one or Lhe oLher 8lanchard, lL
had prospered and branched lnLo fermenLaLlon producLs. uurlng World War ll, 8lanchard was
one of Lhe few manufacLurers selecLed Lo make penlclllln, whlch elevaLed lL Lo a pharmaceuLlcal
company. AfLer Lhe war, Lhe company grew rapldly and wenL publlc wlLh greaL fanfare ln Lhe
1960s. 1wenLy years laLer, ln Lhe early 1980s, Lhe lasL 8lanchard descendanL handed over Lhe
operaLlon of Lhe company Lo Mercer Paldane. As CLC, Paldane ran 8lanchard lnLo Lhe 1990s.
1en years ago, he had assumed Lhe chalrmanshlp as well. lL was hls company now.

unLll Lwo days ago, Lhe fuLure of 8lanchard looked as rosy as lLs pasL. vlcLor 1remonL had been
hls dlscovery, a brllllanL blochemlsL wlLh execuLlve poLenLlal and creaLlve flalr. Paldane had
nurLured vlcLor slowly, brlnglng hlm up Lhrough all Lhe company's operaLlons. Pe had been
groomlng vlcLor Lo succeed hlm. ln facL, four years ago Paldane had promoLed hlm Lo CCC,
even Lhough he reLalned effecLlve conLrol. Pe knew vlcLor seeLhed under Lhe consLralnL, LhaL
he was eager Lo run Lhe company, buL Paldane consldered LhaL a plus. Any man worLh hls salL
wanLed hls own show, and a hungry man kepL hls compeLlLlve edge.

1onlghL lL was Mercer Paldane who seeLhed.

A year ago, a new audlLor had reporLed accounLlng for research and developmenL LhaL seemed
odd. 1he audlLor was concerned, even nervous. lL was lmposslble Lo follow funds for a pro[ecL
Lhrough Lo lLs concluslon. Paldane consldered Lhe man's worry noLhlng more Lhan unfamlllarlLy
wlLh Lhe lnLrlcacles of 8&u ln Lhe pharmaceuLlcal lndusLry. 8uL Paldane was also a cauLlous
execuLlve, so he had hlred a second ouLslde audlLlng flrm Lo look more deeply.

1he resulL was alarmlng. 1wo days ago, Paldane had recelved Lhe reporL. ln an lnLrlcaLe paLLern
of small, barely noLlceable lrregularlLles--- overruns, shorLfalls, paper Lransfers, borrowlngs,
excesslve supply and repalr cosLs, pllferlng, and splllage and leakage losses--- almosL a bllllon
dollars appeared Lo be mlsslng from Lhe LoLal 8&u budgeL over a Len year perlod. A bllllon
dollars! ln addlLlon, a slmllar sum appeared Lo have been applled Lo a phanLom 8&u program
Paldane had never heard of. 1he paper Lrall was exceedlngly complex, and Lhe audlLors
admlLLed Lhey could noL be absoluLely cerLaln of Lhelr flndlngs. 8uL Lhey also sald Lhey were
sure enough LhaL Lhey belleved Lhey should be granLed permlsslon Lo conLlnue dlgglng.
wwwavs!"o#co%

Paldane Lhanked Lhem, Lold Lhem he would be ln Louch, and lmmedlaLely LhoughL of vlcLor
1remonL. noL for a second dld he belleve a bllllon dollars could be losL Lhrough Llny plnprlcks, or
LhaL vlcLor would sLeal such a sum. 8uL lL was posslble hls hungry second-ln-command could
order a secreL research pro[ecL and Lry Lo keep lL hldden from Paldane. ?es, he would belleve
LhaL.

Pe made no lmmedlaLe move. vlcLor and he would meeL ln hls new ?ork offlce before Lhe
prlvaLe dlnner he gave for Lhe board aL Lhe quarLerly meeLlng. Pe would brace vlcLor wlLh whaL
he knew and demand an explanaLlon. Cne way or anoLher, he would dlscover wheLher any
secreL program exlsLed. lf lL dld, he would have Lo flre vlcLor. 8uL Lhe pro[ecL mlghL be worLh
savlng. lf Lhere were no such program, and vlcLor could noL explaln Lhe losL bllllon, he would
flre hlm on Lhe spoL.

Paldane slghed. lL was Lraglc abouL vlcLor, buL aL Lhe same Llme he felL an eagerness LhaL made
hls blood rush. Pe was geLLlng on ln years, buL he sLlll en[oyed a good flghL. Lspeclally one LhaL
he knew he would wln.

AL Lhe sound of hls prlvaLe elevaLor comlng up, he crossed Lhe luxurlous offlce wlLh lLs vlew
souLh over Lhe enLlre clLy Lo Lhe 8aLLery and Lhe bay. Pe poured a snlfLer of hls besL xC cognac
and reLurned Lo hls desk. Pe opened a humldor, selecLed a clgar, llghLed lL, and Look Lhe flrsL
long, savory draw as Lhe elevaLor sLopped and vlcLor 1remonL sLepped ouL ln hls whlLe Lle and
Lalls.

Paldane Lurned hls head. Cood evenlng, vlcLor. our yourself a brandy."

1remonL eyed hlm where he saL behlnd Lhe blg desk smoklng Lhe clgar. ?ou're looklng solemn
LonlghL, Mercer. Some problem?"

CeL your brandy, and we'll dlscuss lL."

1remonL poured a snlfLer of Lhe flne old cognac, helped hlmself Lo a clgar, saL ln a comforLable
leaLher armchalr faclng Paldane, and crossed hls legs.

Pe smlled. So, leL's noL wasLe our valuable Llme. l have a lady Lo plck up for Lhe dlnner. WhaL
have l done wrong?"

Paldane brlsLled. Pe was belng challenged. Pe declded Lo be blunL and puL vlcLor ln hls place.
lL seems we have a bllllon dollars unaccounLed for. WhaL dld you do, vlcLor--- sLeal lL or dlverL
lL lnLo some peL scheme?"

1remonL slpped hls brandy, Lurned hls clgar Lo sLudy Lhe ash, and nodded as lf he had expecLed
Lhls. Pls long, arlsLocraLlc face was shadowy ln Lhe lampllghL. 1he secreL audlL. l LhoughL LhaL
was probably lL. Well, Lhe slmple answer ls no... and yes. l dldn'L sLeal Lhe money. l dld dlverL lL
Lo a pro[ecL all my own."

Paldane conLrolled hls anger. Pow long has Lhls been golng on?"

Ch, l'd say Len years or so. A couple of years afLer LhaL speclmen-flndlng Lrlp Lo eru you senL
wwwavs!"o#co%
me on when l was worklng ln Lhe maln research lab. 8emember?"

A decade! lmposslble! ?ou couldn'L have fooled me LhaL long. WhaL really---"

Ch, buL l could, and l dld. noL alone, of course. l puL LogeLher a Leam lnslde Lhe company. 1he
besL men we have. 1hey saw Lhe bllllons LhaL could be made on my concepL, and Lhey slgned
on. A llLLle creaLlve bookkeeplng here, help from securlLy Lhere, some flne sclenLlsLs, my own
ouLslde laboraLory, a loL of dedlcaLlon, some cooperaLlon lnslde our federal governmenL and
mlllLary, and volla!--- Lhe Pades ro[ecL. Concelved, planned, developed, and ready Lo go."
vlcLor 1remonL smlled agaln and waved Lhe clgar llke a maglc wand. ln a few weeks--- monLhs
aL mosL--- my Leam and 8lanchard wlll make bllllons. osslbly hundreds of bllllons. Lveryone
wlll be rlch--- me, my Leam, Lhe board, Lhe sLockholders... and, of course, you."

Paldane held hls clgar frozen ln mldalr. ?ou're lnsane."

1remonL laughed. Pardly. !usL a good buslnessman who saw an opporLunlLy for glganLlc
proflL."

lnsane and golng Lo prlson!" Paldane snapped.

1remonL held up a hand. Calm yourself, Mercer. uon'L you wanL Lo know whaL Lhe Pades
ro[ecL ls? Why lL's golng Lo make all of us fllLhy rlch, lncludlng you, desplLe your lack of
graLlLude?"

Mercer Paldane heslLaLed. 1remonL was admlLLlng he had used company funds for secreL
research. Pe would have Lo be LermlnaLed and probably prosecuLed. 8uL he was also a flne
chemlsL, and legally Lhe pro[ecL dld belong Lo 8lanchard. erhaps lL would make a large proflL.
AfLer all, as chalrman and CLC, lL was hls duLy Lo proLecL and enhance Lhe company's boLLom
llne.

So Paldane cocked hls whlLe head. l can'L see how lL can change anyLhlng, vlcLor, buL whaL ls
Lhls brllllanL coup of yours?"

When you senL me Lo eru LhlrLeen years ago, l found an odd vlrus ln a remoLe area. lL was
deadly, faLal ln mosL cases. 8uL one Lrlbe had a cure: 1hey drank Lhe blood of a speclflc specles
of monkey LhaL also carrled Lhe dlsease. l was lnLrlgued, so l broughL home llve vlrus from
vlcLlms as well as varlous monkeys' blood. WhaL l found was sLarLllng, buL raLher eleganLly
loglcal."

Paldane sLared. Co on."

vlcLor 1remonL Look a long drlnk of Lhe cognac, smacked hls llps ln appreclaLlon, and smlled
over Lhe Lop of Lhe snlfLer aL hls boss. 1he monkeys were lnfecLed by Lhe same vlrus as Lhe
humans. 8uL lL's a sLrange one. 1he vlrus lles dormanL for years lnslde lLs hosL, raLher llke Lhe
Plv vlrus before lL becomes AluS. Ch, a small fever perhaps, some headaches, oLher sudden
and brlef palns, buL noLhlng leLhal unLll, apparenLly sponLaneously, lL muLaLes, glves sympLoms
of a heavy cold or mlld flu for Lwo weeks or so, and Lhen becomes leLhal Lo boLh humans and
monkeys. Powever, and Lhls was key, lL sLrlkes earller and wlLh far less severlLy ln Lhe monkeys.
Many monkeys survlve, and Lhelr blood ls full of neuLrallzlng anLlbodles Lo Lhe muLaLed vlrus.
wwwavs!"o#co%
1he lndlans learned Lhls, by Lrlal and error l expecL, so when Lhey fell lll Lhey drank Lhe blood
and were cured. ln mosL cases, anyway, lf Lhey goL Lhe rlghL monkey's blood."

1remonL leaned forward. 1he beauLy of Lhls symblosls ls LhaL no maLLer how Lhe vlrus
muLaLes, Lhe muLaLlon always appears ln Lhe monkeys flrsL, whlch means anLlbodles are always
avallable for any muLaLlon. lsn'L LhaL an exqulslLe blL of naLure?"

SLunnlng," Paldane sald drlly. 8uL l see no avenue Lo proflL ln your anecdoLe. uoes Lhls vlrus
exlsL elsewhere where Lhere's no naLural cure?"

AbsoluLely nowhere as far as we've been able Lo ascerLaln. 1haL's Lhe key Lo Lhe Pades
ro[ecL."

LnllghLen me. lease. l can'L walL."

1remonL laughed. Sarcasm. Cne sLep aL a Llme, Mercer." Pe sLood up and walked Lo Lhe bar.
Pe poured more of Lhe chalrman's flne cognac. SeaLed agaln, he crossed hls knees. Cf course,
we couldn'L very well lmporL mllllons of monkeys and klll Lhem for Lhelr blood. noL Lo menLlon
LhaL noL all monkeys carrled Lhe anLlbodles, and LhaL blood would deLerloraLe rapldly anyway.
So flrsL we had Lo lsolaLe Lhe vlrus and Lhe anLlbodles ln Lhe blood. 1hen we had Lo esLabllsh
meLhods of large-scale producLlon and provlde a broad enough specLrum Lo accommodaLe
some of Lhe sponLaneous muLaLlons over Llme."

l suppose you're golng Lo Lell me you dld all Lhls."

AbsoluLely. We lsolaLed Lhe vlrus and were capable of producLlon wlLhln Lhe flrsL year. 1he resL
Look varylng lengLhs of Llme, and we flnallzed Lhe recomblnanL anLlserum only lasL year. now
we have mllllons of unlLs ready Lo shlp. lL's been paLenLed as a cure for Lhe monkey vlrus,
wlLhouL menLlonlng Lhe human vlrus, of course. 1haL's golng Lo appear Lo be a blL of luck. Cur
cosLs have been lnflaLed and well LabulaLed, so we can clalm a hlgher prlce Lo Lhe publlc, and
we've applled for luA approval."

Paldane was lncredulous. ?ou don'L have luA approval?"

When Lhe pandemlc sLarLs, we'll geL lnsLanL approval."

When lL sLarLs?" lL was Paldane's Lurn Lo laugh. A derlslve laugh. WhaL pandemlc? ?ou mean
Lhere's no epldemlc of Lhe vlrus Lo use your serum on? My Cod, vlcLor---"

1remonL smlled. 1here wlll be."

Paldane sLared. Wlll be?"

1here have been slx recenL cases ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes, Lhree of whlch we secreLly cured wlLh
our serum. More vlcLlms here are comlng down wlLh lL, plus Lhere have already been over a
Lhousand deaLhs overseas. ln a few days, Lhe globe wlll know whaL lL's faclng. lL won'L be
preLLy."

Mercer Paldane saL moLlonless aL hls desk. Cognac forgoLLen. Clgar burnlng Lhe deskLop where
wwwavs!"o#co%
Lhe sLub had fallen from Lhe ashLray. 1remonL walLed, Lhe smlle never leavlng hls smooLh face.
Pls lron-gray halr and Lan skln glowed ln Lhe lampllghL. When Paldane flnally spoke, hls rlgldlLy
was palnful Lo wlLness, even for 1remonL.

8uL Paldane's volce was conLrolled. 1here's some parL of Lhls scheme you aren'L Lelllng me."

robably," 1remonL sald.

WhaL ls lL?"

?ou don'L wanL Lo know."

Paldane LhoughL LhaL over for a Llme. no, lL won'L play. ?ou're golng Lo prlson, vlcLor. ?ou'll
never work agaln."

Clve me some credlL. 8esldes, you're ln as deep as l am."

Paldane's whlLe eyebrows shoL up ln surprlse. 1here's no way---!"

1remonL chuckled. Pell, you're ln deeper. My ass ls covered. Lvery order, every requlslLlon,
and every expendlLure was approved and slgned by you. LveryLhlng we dld has your
auLhorlzaLlon ln wrlLlng. MosL of lL's real because when you geL ln an lrrlLable mood, you slgn
papers [usL Lo geL Lhem off your desk. l puL Lhem Lhere, you scrlbbled your slgnaLure and
shooed me ouL of Lhe offlce llke a schoolboy. 1he resL are forgerles no one's golng Lo spoL. Cne
of my people has an experL."

Llke a wary old llon, Paldane repressed hls ouLrage aL 1remonL's underhandedness. lnsLead, he
sLudled hls proLege, assesslng Lhe poLenLlal value of whaL he had revealed. Crudglngly, Paldane
had Lo agree Lhe proflLs could be asLronomlcal, and he would see Lo lL LhaL he goL hls share. AL
Lhe same Llme, he Lrled Lo deLecL a flaw, a mlsLake LhaL could lead Lo all Lhelr downfalls.

1hen Paldane saw lL: 1he governmenL's golng Lo wanL Lo mass-produce your cure. Clve lL Lo
Lhe world. 1hey'll Lake lL away from you. naLlonal lnLeresL."

1remonL shook hls head. no. 1hey couldn'L produce Lhe serum unless we gave Lhem Lhe
deLalls, and no one else has Lhe producLlon faclllLles ln place. 1hey won'L Lry Lo Lake lL anyway.
llrsL, because we'll have enough on hand Lo do Lhe [ob. Second, no Amerlcan governmenL ls
golng Lo deny us a reasonable proflL. 1haL's Lhe name of Lhe game we preach Lo Lhe world, lsn'L
lL? 1hls ls a caplLallsL socleLy, and we're slmply pracLlclng good caplLallsm. 8esldes, Lhe spln ls
we're worklng around Lhe clock Lo save humanlLy, so we deserve our reward. Cf course, as l
sald, we've lnflaLed our research cosLs, buL Lhey won'L look Loo deep. 1he proflLs wlll be
sLupendous."

Paldane grlmaced. So Lhere's golng Lo be a pandemlc. l suppose Lhe only good Lhlng abouL
LhaL ls you've goL Lhe cure. erhaps noL so many llves wlll be losL."

1remonL noLed Lhe cynlclsm LhaL Paldane had used Lo convlnce hlmself Lo caplLulaLe. As
always, 1remonL had anLlclpaLed Paldane correcLly. now he looked slowly around Lhe
chalrman's offlce as lf memorlzlng every deLall.
wwwavs!"o#co%

Pe focused on hls former menLor agaln, and hls face grew cool and remoLe. 8uL Lo make lL all
work, l need Lo be ln charge. So aL Lhe board meeLlng Lomorrow, you're golng Lo sLep down.
?ou're golng Lo Lurn Lhe company over Lo me. l'll be CLC, chalrman of Lhe execuLlve commlLLee,
full conLrol. ?ou can sLay on as chalrman of Lhe board, lf you llke. ?ou can even have more
conLacL wlLh dally operaLlons Lhan any oLher board member. 8uL ln a year you'll reLlre wlLh a
very faL separaLlon bonus and penslon, and l'll Lake over Lhe board, Loo."

Paldane sLared. 1he combaLlve old llon was fraylng around Lhe edges. Pe had noL anLlclpaLed
Lhls, and he was shocked. Pe had underesLlmaLed 1remonL. lf l refuse?"

?ou can'L. 1he paLenL ls ln Lhe name of my lncorporaLed group, wlLh me as prlnclpal
sLockholder, and llcensed Lo 8lanchard for a large percenLage fee. ?ou, by Lhe way, approved
LhaL arrangemenL years ago, so lL's qulLe legal. 8uL don'L worry. 1here'll be plenLy for 8lanchard,
and a blg bonus for you. 1he board and sLockholders wlll be ecsLaLlc aL Lhe proflLs, noL Lo
menLlon Lhe publlc-relaLlons coup. We'll be Lhe heroes rldlng Lo rescue Lhe world from an
apocalypLlc dlsasLer worse Lhan Lhe 8lack lague."

?ou keep sLresslng how much money l'm golng Lo make. ln or ouL. l see no reason Lo leave. l'll
[usL run lL myself and make sure you are flnanclally rewarded."

1remonL chuckled, en[oylng Lhe vlslon of belng a savlor and maklng a forLune worLhy of Mldas
aL Lhe same Llme. 1hen he Lurned hls gaze grlmly onLo Paldane. 1he Pades ro[ecL wlll be a
sLunnlng success, Lhe blggesL 8lanchard has ever had. 8uL even Lhough on paper you approved
lL all, you really know noLhlng abouL lL. lf you Lrled Lo Lake over, you'd look llke a fool aL besL. AL
worsL, you'd reveal your lncompeLence. Lveryone would suspecL you were Lrylng Lo Lake credlL
for my work. AL LhaL polnL, l could geL Lhe board and sLockholders Lo klck you ouL ln flve
mlnuLes."

Paldane lnhaled sharply. ln hls mosL Lerrlfylng nlghLmares, he had never expecLed Lhls could
happen. LvenLs had hlm ln an lron grlp, and he had losL conLrol. A sense of helplessness, of
belng a flsh LhaL Lhrashed lnslde an lmpeneLrable neL, swepL over hlm. Pe could Lhlnk of
noLhlng Lo say. 1remonL was rlghL. Cnly a fool would flghL now. 8eLLer Lo play Lhe game and
walk away wlLh Lhe looL. As soon as he declded LhaL, he felL beLLer. noL well, buL beLLer.

Pe shrugged. Well, leL's go and have dlnner, Lhen."

1remonL laughed. 1haL's Lhe Mercer l know. Cheer up. ?ou'll be rlch and famous."

l'm already rlch. l never gave a damn abouL belng famous."

CeL used Lo lL. ?ou're golng Lo llke lL. 1hlnk of all Lhe former presldenLs you can play golf wlLh."

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
TIENTP ONE

___________________

4:21 .M.

San lranclsco, Callfornla

uslng MarLy Zellerbach's credlL card, SmlLh and MarLy arrlved ln a renLed [eL aL San lranclsco
lnLernaLlonal AlrporL laLe lrlday afLernoon. Worrled abouL MarLy's need Lo reflll hls
prescrlpLlon, SmlLh lmmedlaLely renLed a car, drove Lhem downLown, and found a pharmacy.
1he drugglsL called MarLy's WashlngLon docLor aL home for auLhorlzaLlon, buL Lhe docLor
lnslsLed on speaklng dlrecLly wlLh MarLy. As MarLy Lalked, SmlLh llsLened on an exLenslon.

1he docLor was sLlff and sLralned, and he asked lrrelevanL quesLlons. llnally he wanLed Lo know
wheLher Colonel SmlLh was wlLh MarLy.

WlLh a [olL of adrenallne, SmlLh grabbed Lhe recelver from MarLy's hand and hung up boLh
phones.

As Lhe pharmaclsL gave a puzzled frown from behlnd Lhe glassed-ln counLer, SmlLh explalned Lo
MarLy ln a low volce, ?our docLor was Lrylng Lo hold you here. robably for Lhe l8l or army
lnLelllgence Lo arrlve and arresL me. Maybe for Lhe klllers aL Lhe bungalow, and we boLh know
whaL Lhey'd do."

MarLy's eyes wldened ln alarm. 1he pharmaclsL gave Lhe name of hls drugsLore and sald where
lL was. now my docLor knows, Loo!"

8lghL. So does whoever was llsLenlng ln on Lhe docLor's end. LeL's go."

1hey rushed ouL. MarLy's medlcaLlon was wearlng off, and Lhey needed Lo save Lhe lasL dose for
Lhe mornlng and Lhe long drlve ahead. MarLy grumbled and sLayed close Lo SmlLh. Pe puL up
wlLh buylng cloLhes and oLher necesslLles, and he grudglngly aLe dlnner ln an lLallan resLauranL
ln norLh 8each LhaL SmlLh remembered from a brlef sLlnL aL Lhe resldlo when lL was an acLlve
army base. 8uL Lhe compuLer genlus was growlng more aglLaLed and LalkaLlve.

AL nlghLfall Lhey Look a room aL Lhe Mlsslon lnn far ouL on Mlsslon SLreeL. log had rolled ln,
wrapplng lLself around plcLuresque lampposLs and rlslng above bay wlndows.

MarLy noLlced none of Lhe area's charm or Lhe advanLages of Lhe small moLel. ?ou can'L
posslbly sub[ecL me Lo Lhls medleval LorLure chamber, !on. Who ln heaven's name would be
ldloLlc enough Lo wanL Lo sleep ln such a foul dungeon?" 1he room smelled of Lhe fog. We'll go
Lo Lhe SLanford CourL. lL's aL leasL presenLable and almosL llvable." lL was one of San lranclsco's
legendary grande dame hoLels.

wwwavs!"o#co%
SmlLh was amazed. ?ou've sLayed Lhere before?"

Ch, Lhousands of Llmes!" MarLy sald ln an enLhuslasLlc exaggeraLlon LhaL warned SmlLh he was
beglnnlng Lo spln ouL of conLrol. 1haL's where we renLed a sulLe when my faLher Look me Lo
San lranclsco. l was enLhralled by lL. l used Lo played hlde-and-seek ln Lhe lobby wlLh Lhe
bellmen."

And everyone knew LhaL's where you sLayed ln San lranclsco?"

Cf course."

Co Lhere agaln lf you don'L mlnd our vlolenL frlends flndlng you."

MarLy lnsLanLly fllp-flopped. Ch, dear me. ?ou're rlghL. 1hey musL be ln San lranclsco by now.
Are we safe ln Lhls dump?"

1haL's Lhe ldea. lL's ouL of Lhe way, and l reglsLered under an allas We're only here one nlghL."

l don'L plan Lo sleep a wlnk." MarLy refused Lo Lake off hls cloLhes for bed. 1hey could aLLack
aL any hour. l'm cerLalnly noL golng Lo be seen runnlng down Lhe sLreeL ln my nlghLshlrL wlLh
Lhose beasLs or Lhe l8l pursulng me."

?ou've goL Lo geL a good nlghL's sleep. lL's a long Lrlp Lomorrow."

8uL MarLy would hear none of lL, and whlle SmlLh was shavlng and brushlng hls LeeLh, he
hooked a chalr under Lhe knob of Lhe only door. 1hen he crumpled a newspaper sheeL by sheeL
and arranged Lhe crushed papers ln fronL of Lhe door. 1here. now Lhey can'L sneak ln on us. l
saw LhaL ln a movle. 1he deLecLlve puL hls plsLol on Lhe bedslde Lable, Loo, so he could reach lL
qulckly. ?ou'll do LhaL wlLh your 8ereLLa, !on, rlghL?"

lf lL makes you feel beLLer." SmlLh came ouL of Lhe baLhroom, drylng hls face. LeL's geL Lo
bed."

When SmlLh slld under Lhe covers, MarLy lay down fully dressed on Lhe Lwln. Pe sLared up aL
Lhe celllng, hls eyes wlde open. Suddenly he looked Lo SmlLh. Why are we ln Callfornla?"

SmlLh Lurned off Lhe bedslde llghL. 1o meeL a man who can help us. Pe llves ln Lhe Slerras near
?osemlLe."

1haL's rlghL. 1he Slerras. Modoc counLry! ?ou know Lhe sLory of CapLaln !ack and Lhe Lava
8eds? Pe was a brllllanL Modoc leader, and Lhe Modocs were puL on Lhe same reservaLlon as
Lhelr arch enemles, Lhe klamaLhs." ln Lhe dlm room, MarLy launched lnLo Lhe exclLed reverle of
hls unleashed mlnd. ln Lhe end, Lhe Modocs kllled some whlLes, so Lhe army came afLer Lhem
wlLh cannon! Maybe Len of Lhem agalnsL a whole reglmenL. And..."

Pe relaLed every deLall of Lhe ln[usLlce done by Lhe army Lo Lhe lnnocenL Modoc leader. lrom
Lhere he descrlbed Lhe saga of Chlef !oseph and hls nez erce ln WashlngLon and ldaho and
Lhelr mad dash for freedom agalnsL half Lhe army of Lhe unlLed SLaLes. 8efore he had flnlshed
reclLlng !oseph's hearLrendlng flnal speech, hls head [erked around Loward Lhe door.
wwwavs!"o#co%

1hey're ln Lhe corrldor! l hear Lhem! CeL your gun, !on!"

SmlLh leaped up, grabbed Lhe 8ereLLa, and Lrled Lo speed quleLly Lhrough Lhe rumpled
newspapers, whlch was lmposslble. Pe llsLened aL Lhe door. Pls hearL was Lhunderlng.

Pe llsLened for flve mlnuLes. noL a sound. Are you sure you heard someLhlng, MarLy?"

AbsoluLely. oslLlvely." Pls hands flapped ln Lhe alr. Pe was slLLlng uprlghL, hls back rlgld, hls
round face qulverlng.

SmlLh crouched, Lrylng Lo relleve hls weary body. Pe conLlnued Lo llsLen for anoLher half hour.
eople came and wenL ouLslde. 1here was conversaLlon and occaslonal laughLer. llnally he
shook hls head. noL a Lhlng. CeL some sleep." Pe moved Lhrough Lhe nolsy newspapers Lo hls
bed.

MarLy was chasLened and sllenL. Pe lay back. 1en mlnuLes laLer he enLhuslasLlcally began Lhe
chronologlcal hlsLory of every lndlan War slnce klng hlllp's ln Lhe 1600s.

1hen he heard sLeps agaln. 1here's someone aL Lhe door, !on! ShooL Lhem. ShooL Lhem! 8efore
Lhey break ln! ShooL Lhem!"

!on sped Lo Lhe door. 8uL Lhere was no sound beyond lL. lor SmlLh, lL was Lhe flnal sLraw. MarLy
would be lnvenLlng wlld dangers and relaLlng more sLorles abouL early Amerlca all nlghL. Pe was
reachlng warp speed, and Lhe longer he was off hls medlcaLlon, Lhe worse lL would be for boLh
of Lhem.

SmlLh goL up agaln. Ckay, MarLy, you'd beLLer Lake your lasL dose." Pe smlled klndly. We'll
[usL have Lo LrusL we can geL you more when we geL Lo eLer Powell's place Lomorrow.
Meanwhlle, you've goL Lo sleep, and so do l."

MarLy's mlnd buzzed and flashed. Words and lmages whlpped Lhrough wlLh lncredlble speed.
Pe heard !on's volce as lf aL a greaL dlsLance, almosL as lf a conLlnenL separaLed Lhem. 1hen he
saw hls old frlend and Lhe smlle. !on wanLed hlm Lo Lake hls drug, buL everyLhlng wlLhln hlm
ralled agalnsL lL. Pe haLed Lo leave Lhls Lhrllllng world where llfe happened qulckly and wlLh
greaL drama.

MarLy, here's, your medlclne." !on sLood beslde hlm wlLh a glass of waLer ln one hand and Lhe
dreaded plll ln Lhe oLher.

l'd raLher rlde a camel across Lhe sLarry sky and drlnk blue lemonade. Wouldn'L you? Wouldn'L
you llke Lo llsLen Lo falrles playlng Lhelr golden harps? Wouldn'L you raLher Lalk Lo newLon and
Callleo?"

MarL? Are you llsLenlng? lease Lake your meds."

MarLy looked down aL !on, who was crouchlng ln fronL of hlm now, hls face earnesL and
worrled. Pe llked !on for many reasons, none of whlch seemed relevanL now.

wwwavs!"o#co%
!on sald, l know you LrusL me, MarLy. ?ou've goL Lo belleve me when l Lell you we leL you sLay
off your medlcaLlon Loo long. lL's Llme for you Lo come back."

MarLy spoke ln an unhappy rush. l don'L llke Lhe pllls. When l Lake Lhem, l'm noL me. l'm noL
Lhere anymore! l can'L Lhlnk because Lhere's no `l' Lo Lhlnk!"

lL's rough, l know," SmlLh sald sympaLheLlcally. 8uL we don'L wanL you Lo cross Lhe llne. When
you're off Lhem Loo long, you go a llLLle nuLs."

MarLy shook hls head angrlly. 1hey Lrled Lo Leach me how Lo be `normal' wlLh oLher people Lhe
way Lhey Leach someone Lo play a plano! Memorlze normallLy! `Look hlm ln Lhe eye, buL don'L
sLare.' ùL ouL your hand when lL's a man, buL leL a woman puL ouL her hand flrsL.' lmbeclllc! l
read abouL a guy who sald lL [usL rlghL: `We can learn Lo preLend Lo acL llke everyone else, buL
we really don'L geL Lhe polnL.' l don'L geL Lhe polnL, !on. l don'L wanL Lo be normal!"

l don'L wanL you Lo be `normal' elLher. l llke your wlldness and brllllance. ?ou wouldn'L be Lhe
MarLy l know wlLhouL LhaL. 8uL we've goL Lo keep you balanced, Loo, so you don'L go so far ouL
lnLo Lhe sLraLosphere we can'L brlng you back. AfLer we geL Lo eLer's Lomorrow, you can sllde
off Lhe pllls agaln."

MarLy sLared. Pls mlnd dld carLwheels of numbers and algorlLhms. Pe craved Lhe freedom of
hls unfeLLered LhoughLs, buL he knew !on was rlghL. Pe was sLlll ln conLrol, buL [usL barely. Pe
dld noL wanL Lo rlsk dropplng off Lhe edge.

MarLy slghed. !on, you're a champ. l apologlze. Clve me Lhe darn plll."

1wenLy-flve mlnuLes laLer, boLh men were sound asleep.

__________

12:06 A.M., SaLurday, CcLober 18

San lranclsco lnLernaLlonal AlrporL

nadal al-Passan sLrode off Lhe uC-10 red-eye from new ?ork lnLo Lhe maln concourse. 1he
overwelghL man ln Lhe shabby sulL who greeLed hlm had never meL hlm, buL Lhere was no one
else on Lhe new ?ork fllghL who flL Lhe descrlpLlon he had been glven.

?ou al-Passan?"

Al-Passan eyed Lhe shabby man wlLh dlsLasLe. ?ou are from Lhe deLecLlve agency?"

?ou goL LhaL rlghL."

WhaL do you have Lo reporL?"

l8l beaL us Lo Lhe drugsLore guy, buL all he knows anyways ls Lhere was Lwo of 'em, an' when
Lhey lefL Lhey Look a Laxl. We're checklng Lhe cab companles, an' so's Lhe local cops and Lhe l8l.
PoLels, moLels, roomln' houses, car renLals, an' oLher drugsLores, Loo. So far noLhln'. An' Lhe
wwwavs!"o#co%
cops an' l8l aln'L doln' no beLLer."

l wlll be aL Lhe PoLel Monaco near unlon Square. Call me Lhe lnsLanL you flnd anyLhlng."

?ou wanL us checkln' all nlghL?"

unLll you flnd Lhem, or Lhe pollce do."

1he slovenly man shrugged. lL's your money."

Al-Passan caughL a Laxl Lo Lhe newly renovaLed downLown San lranclsco hoLel wlLh lLs small,
eleganL lobby and dlnlng room decoraLed Lo look llke a conLlnenLal clLy ln Lhe 1920s. As soon as
he was alone ln hls room, he phoned new ?ork and reporLed everyLhlng Lhe sloppy man had
Lold hlm.

Al-Passan sald, Pe cannoL use army resources. We are coverlng all SmlLh's and Zellerbach's
frlends as well as everyone connecLed Lo Lhe vlrus vlcLlms."

Plre anoLher deLecLlve agency lf you have Lo," vlcLor 1remonL ordered from hls new ?ork
hoLel room. xavler's found whaL Lhls Zellerbach person was dolng for hlm." Pe reclLed Lhe
dlscoverles ln MarLy's compuLer logs. ApparenLly, Zellerbach found Lhe Clscours memo, and he
uncovered reporLs abouL Lhe vlrus ln lraq. SmlLh has probably flgured ouL we have Lhe vlrus,
and now he wanLs Lo know whaL we're golng Lo do wlLh lL. Pe's no longer a poLenLlal LhreaL,
he's a menace!"

Al-Passan's volce was a promlse. noL for much longer."

keep ln Louch wlLh xavler. 1hls Zellerbach person Lrled Lo Lrace Lhe 8ussell woman's phone call
Lo me. We expecL he'll Lry agaln. xavler ls monlLorlng Zellerbach's compuLer. lf he uses lL, xavler
wlll keep hlm onllne long enough Lo lnlLlaLe a phone Lrace Lhrough our local pollce ln Long
Lake."

l wlll call WashlngLon and glve hlm my cell phone number."

Pave you locaLed 8lll Crlffln?"

Al-Passan was quleL, embarrassed. Pe has conLacLed no one slnce we asslgned hlm Lo klll
SmlLh."

1remonL's volce cracked llke a whlp. ?ou sLlll don'L know where Crlffln ls? lncredlble! Pow
could you lose one of your own people!"

Al-Passan kepL hls volce low, respecLful. vlcLor 1remonL was one of Lhe few heaLhens ln Lhls
godless counLry he respecLed, and 1remonL was rlghL. Pe should have kepL a closer eye on Lhe
ex-l8l man. We are worklng Lo flnd Crlffln. lL ls a polnL of prlde wlLh me LhaL we flnd hlm
qulckly."

1remonL was sllenL, calmlng hlmself. AL lasL he sald, xavler Lells me MarLln Zellerbach was also
looklng for Crlffln's mosL recenL address, obvlously for SmlLh. As you suggesLed, Lhere ls a
wwwavs!"o#co%
connecLlon somewhere. now we have evldence of lL."

lL ls lnLeresLlng LhaL 8lll Crlffln has made no aLLempL Lo conLacL or approach !on SmlLh. Cn Lhe
oLher hand, SmlLh vlslLed Crlffln's ex-wlfe yesLerday ln CeorgeLown."

1remonL consldered. erhaps Crlffln ls playlng boLh sldes. 8lll Crlffln could Lurn ouL Lo be our
mosL dangerous enemy, or our mosL useful weapon. llnd hlm!"

__________

7:00 A.M.

San lranclsco Mlsslon ulsLrlcL

MarLy and SmlLh were awake and checked ouL by 7:00 A.M. 8y 8:00 Lhey had drlven across San
lranclsco's gllsLenlng bay and were headlng easL on l-380. AfLer LaLhrop, Lhey crossed Lo 99 and
120 and headed souLh Lhrough ferLlle lnland farmlands Lo Merced, where Lhey sLopped Lo eaL a
laLe breakfasL. 1hen Lhey Lurned easL agaln, sLralghL Loward ?osemlLe on 140. 1he day was cool
buL sunny, MarLy was sLlll calm, and as Lhey reached Lhe hlgher elevaLlons Lhe sky seemed Lo
grow a LranslucenL blue.

1hey cllmbed sLeadlly Lo Lhe Lhree-Lhousand-fooL Mld lnes SummlL, plcked up Lhe rushlng
Merced 8lver, and enLered Lhe park aL Ll orLal. MarLy had been waLchlng quleLly ouL Lhe
wlndow. As Lhey cllmbed Lwo Lhousand feeL beslde Lhe rapldly falllng rlver and lnLo Lhe famed
valley, hls gaze conLlnued Lo drlnk ln Lhe sLunnlng mounLaln scenery.

l Lhlnk l've mlssed geLLlng ouL," he declded. lndescrlbably beauLlful."

And few people Lo lnLerfere wlLh Lhe vlew."

!on, you know me Loo well."

1hey drove pasL Lhe Lowerlng sLream of 8rldal vell lalls, wreaLhed ln lLs own rlslng mlsLs, and
Lhe sheer cllffs of Ll CaplLan. ln Lhe dlsLance was legendary Palf uome and ?osemlLe lalls. 1hey
Lurned sharply onLo Lhe norLh fork of Lhe valley drlve and conLlnued on 8lg Cak llaL 8oad Lo lLs
[uncLlon wlLh hlgh-elevaLlon 1loga 8oad, whlch was closed Lo all Lrafflc from november Lo May
and ofLen far lnLo !une. 1hey conLlnued easL Lhrough paLches of snow and Lhe magnlflcenL
scenery of Lhe hlgh counLry of Lhe unLamed Slerras. AL lasL Lhey headed down Lhe easLern
slope, Lhe land growlng drler and less lush.

As Lhey descended, MarLy began slnglng old cowboy Lunes. 1he meds were wearlng off. A few
mlles before 1loga 8oad reached Plghway 393 and Lhe Lown of Lee vlnlng, SmlLh Lurned onLo a
narrow blackLop road. Cn elLher slde were parched, grassy open slopes wlLh barbed-wlre
fences marklng properLy llnes. CaLLle and horses grazed under Lrees whose black sllhoueLLes
sLood sLark agalnsL Lhe gold-velveL mounLalns.

MarLy bursL lnLo song: Pome, home on Lhe range, where Lhe deer and Lhe anLelope play!
Where seldom ls heard a dlscouraglng word and Lhe skles are noL cloudy all day!"

wwwavs!"o#co%
SmlLh drove Lhe car up dlzzylng swlLchbacks, crossed several sLreams on rlckeLy wood brldges,
and ended aL Lhe edge of a deep ravlne wlLh a broad creek roarlng below. A narrow sLeel
fooLbrldge crossed Lhe ravlne Lo a clearlng and a log cabln hldden among Lowerlng ponderosa
plne and lncense cedar. 1he snow-capped peak of LhlrLeen-Lhousand-fooL MounL uana Lowered
llke a senLlnel ln Lhe dlsLance.

As SmlLh parked, MarLy conLlnued Lo fly Lhrough hls mlnd, sLlmulaLed by Lhe remarkable range
of scenery--- from ocean Lo mounLalns Lo caLLle land. 8uL now he reallzed Lhey musL be near
Lhelr desLlnaLlon, and he would be expecLed Lo sLay here. Sleep here. Maybe llve here qulLe a
whlle.

SmlLh came around and opened hls door, and he cllmbed relucLanLly ouL. Pe shrank from Lhe
fooLbrldge, whlch swayed sllghLly ln Lhe wlnd. 1he ravlne lL crossed plunged LhlrLy feeL.

Pe announced, l'm noL puLLlng a Loe on LhaL fllmsy conLrapLlon."

uon'L look down. Come on, over you go." SmlLh pushed.

MarLy cluLched Lhe handralls all Lhe way. WhaL are we dolng ln Lhls wasLeland anyway?
1here's only LhaL old shack over Lhere."

As Lhey sLarLed up Lhe dlrL Lrall Loward lL, !on sald, Cur man llves Lhere."

MarLy sLopped. 1haL's our desLlnaLlon? l wlll noL sLay flve seconds ln anyLhlng so prlmlLlve. l
doubL lL has lndoor plumblng. lL cerLalnly has no elecLrlclLy, whlch means no compuLer. l musL
have a compuLer!"

lL also has no klllers," SmlLh polnLed ouL, and don'L [udge a book by lLs cover."

MarLy snorLed. 1haL's a cllche."

Cn wlLh you."

When Lhey reached Lhe ponderosas, Lhey plunged lnLo Lhe gloom under Lhe Lhlck branches LhaL
Lowered hlgh above. 1he aroma of plne fllled Lhe alr. Ahead Lhrough Lhe Lall Lrees Lhe shack
sLood sllenL. Lvery Llme MarLy looked aL lL, he shook hls head ln dlsmay.

Suddenly a hlgh-plLched snarl froze Lhem ln Lhelr Lracks.

A full-grown mounLaln llon sprang from a Lree ahead and crouched Len feeL away. lLs long Lall
whlpped, and lLs yellow eyes glared.

!on!" MarLy crled and Lurned Lo run.

SmlLh grabbed hls arm. WalL."

A volce wlLh an Lngllsh accenL spoke from somewhere ahead. SLand qulLe sLlll, genLlemen.
uon'L ralse a weapon, and he won'L hurL you. And perhaps nelLher wlll l"

wwwavs!"o#co%
___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
TIENTP TIO

___________________

1:47 .M.

near Lee vlnlng,

Plgh Slerras, Callfornla

lrom Lhe low-roofed porch of Lhe cabln, a lean man of medlum bulld sLepped ouL of Lhe
shadows holdlng a 8rlLlsh Lnfleld bullpup auLomaLlc rlfle. Pls words were addressed Lo SmlLh,
buL hls gaze was flxed on MarLy Zellerbach. ?ou sald noLhlng abouL brlnglng anyone wlLh you,
!on. l don'L llke surprlses."

MarLy whlspered, l'd be happy Lo leave, !on."

SmlLh lgnored hlm. eLer Powell was noL MarLy Zellerbach. Pls defenses were leLhal, and you
Look Lhem serlously. SmlLh spoke quleLly Lo Lhe man wlLh Lhe gun. WhlsLle up Lhe caL, eLer,
and puL down Lhe armamenL. l've known MarLy a loL longer Lhan l've known you, and rlghL now
l need you boLh."

8uL l don'L know hlm," Lhe wlry man sald [usL as quleLly. 1here's Lhe rub, eh? Are you saylng
you know all Lhere ls Lo know abouL hlm and LhaL he's clean?"

nobody cleaner, eLer."

Powell sLudled MarLy for a long mlnuLe, hls pale blue eyes cool, clear, and as peneLraLlng as an
x-ray machlne. llnally he gave a harsh sound somewhere beLween blowlng alr and clearlng hls
LhroaL. Culsh, SLanley," he sald sofLly. Cood caL. Co on wlLh you."

1he mounLaln llon Lurned and padded away behlnd Lhe cabln, glanclng back occaslonally over
hls shoulder as lf he hoped he would be called upon Lo pounce.

1he lean man lowered Lhe assaulL rlfle.

MarLy's eyes were brlghL as he waLched Lhe blg caL move off. l've never heard of a Lralned
mounLaln llon. Pow dld you do lL? Pe even has a name. Pow dellclously wonderful! uld you
know Afrlcan klngs used Lo Lraln leopards Lo hunL? And ln lndla, Lhey Lralned cheeLahs---"

Powell sLopped hlm. We should have our Lalk lnslde, you see. never know whose ears are
llsLenlng." Pe moLloned wlLh Lhe Lnfleld and sLood aslde Lo leL Lhem precede hlm lnLo Lhe
cabln. As SmlLh passed, Lhe Lngllshman ralsed an eyebrow and nodded Lo MarLy's back. SmlLh
nodded afflrmaLlvely ln reLurn.

wwwavs!"o#co%
lnslde, Lhe cabln was larger Lhan lL appeared from Lhe fronL and belled lLs rusLlc appearance.
1hey sLood ln a well-appolnLed llvlng room wlLh noLhlng of Lhe WesLern lodge abouL lL excepL
Lhe enormous fleldsLone flreplace. 1he furnlLure was comforLable Lngllsh counLry-house
anLlques mlxed wlLh men's-club leaLher chalrs and mlllLary memenLoes from mosL wars of Lhe
LwenLleLh cenLury. 1he wall space noL Laken up by guns, reglmenLal flags, and framed phoLos of
soldlers dlsplayed several glanL absLracL expresslonlsL palnLlngs--- de koonlng, newman, and
8oLhko. Crlglnals worLh a forLune.

1he room occupled Lhe enLlre wldLh of Lhe cabln, buL a wlng, hldden from Lhe fronL, exLended
aL Lhe lefL rear deep lnLo Lhe Lall plnes. 1he cabln was acLually bullL ln an L-shape, wlLh mosL of
lL ln Lhe sLem of Lhe L. 1he flrsL door off Lhe hallway behlnd Lhe llvlng room proved Lo be a sLudy
wlLh an up-Lo-daLe C compuLer.

MarLy leL ouL a cry of [oy. eLer Powell waLched hlm dash for Lhe compuLer, obllvlous Lo
anyone.

Powell quleLly asked, WhaL ls lL?"

Asperger's syndrome," SmlLh Lold hlm. Pe's a genlus, especlally wlLh elecLronlcs, buL belng
around people ls hell for hlm."

Pe's off hls medlclnes now?"

SmlLh nodded. We had Lo leave WashlngLon ln a hurry. Clve me a mlnuLe, Lhen we'll Lalk."

WlLhouL a word, Powell reLurned Lo Lhe llvlng room. SmlLh !olned MarLy aL Lhe compuLer.

MarLy looked up aL hlm reproachfully. Why dldn'L you Lell me he had a generaLor?"

1he llon sorL of Look lL ouL of my mlnd."

MarLy nodded, undersLandlng. SLan-Lhe-caL ls a mounLaln llon. uld you know LhaL ln Chlna
Lhey Lralned Slberlan Llgers Lo---"

LeL's Lalk abouL lL laLer." SmlLh was noL as confldenL of Lhelr safeLy as he had Lold MarLy. Can
you Lry agaln Lo flnd ouL wheLher Sophla made or recelved speclal phone calls? And also locaLe
8lll Crlffln?"

reclsely whaL l lnLended. All l need do ls Lle lnLo my own malnframe and sofLware. lf your
frlend's equlpmenL lsn'L as prlmlLlve as hls cholce of locaLlon, l'll be up and runnlng ln mlnuLes."

no one can do lL beLLer." SmlLh paLLed hls shoulder and backed away, waLchlng hlm hunch
farLher and farLher over Lhe keyboard as he enLered Lhe compuLer world LhaL was all hls own.

MarLy muLLered Lo hlmself, Pow could Lhls plpsqueak machlne have so much power? Well, no
maLLer. 1hlngs are surely looklng up."

SmlLh found eLer Powell slLLlng before a flreplace, cleanlng a black meLal submachlne gun.
8eslde hlm, a roarlng flre llcked and spaL orange flames. lL was a homey plcLure, excepL for Lhe
wwwavs!"o#co%
mlllLary weapon ln Lhe Lngllshman's hands.

Powell spoke wlLhouL looklng up. 1ake a chalr. 1haL old leaLher one ls comforLable. 8oughL lL
from my club when l saw l'd become someLhlng of a llablllLy aL home and LhaL lL mlghL be wlse
Lo do a bunk Lo where l was less known and could waLch my back beLLer."

A shade under slx feeL, Powell was almosL Loo lean under Lhe dark blue-green plald flannel shlrL
and heavy khakl 8rlLlsh army Lrousers he wore sLuffed lnLo black combaL booLs. Pls narrow face
had Lhe color and LexLure of leaLher drled ouL by years of wlnd and sun. lL was so deeply llned
hls eyes seemed sunk ln ravlnes. 1he eyes were sharp buL guarded. Pls Lhlck black halr was
nearly all gray, and hls hands were curved brown claws.

1ell me abouL Lhls frlend of yours--- MarLy."

!on SmlLh sank lnLo Lhe chalr and Louched Lhe hlgh polnLs of hls and MarLy's growlng up
LogeLher, Lhe dlfflculLles of MarLy's young llfe, and Lhe dlscovery LhaL he had Asperger's
syndrome. lL changed everyLhlng for hlm. 1he drugs gave hlm lndependence. WlLh Lhem, he
could make hlmself slL Lhrough classes and Lhen do Lhe spade-and-shovel work necessary Lo geL
Lwo h.u.s. When he's medlcaLed, he can do Lhe borlng, nlLLy-grlLLy Lhlngs LhaL are necessary Lo
survlve. Pe changes llghLbulbs, does hls laundry, and cooks. Cf course, he has plenLy of money
Lo hlre people Lo do Lhose Lhlngs, buL sLrangers make hlm nervous. Pe has Lo Lake Lhe medlclne
anyway, so why noL Lake care of hlmself?"

Can'L say l blame hlm. ?ou sald hls medlcaLlon was wearlng off?"

?es. Cne way Lo Lell ls he Lalks ln exclamaLlon polnLs, [usL as you heard. Pe lecLures and
enLhuses and seldom sleeps and drlves everyone nuLs. lf he sLays off Loo long, he can zoom lnLo
never-never land and be so ouL of conLrol he's dangerous Lo hlmself and maybe Lo oLhers."'

Powell shook hls head. "l feel sorry for Lhe young fellow, don'L geL me wrong.

SmlLh chuckled. ?ou've goL lL reversed. MarLy feels sorry for you. And for me. AcLually, he
plLles us, because we can never know whaL he knows. We can'L concepLuallze whaL he
undersLands. lL's everyone's loss LhaL he's lsolaLed hlmself Lo concenLraLe sLrlcLly on hls
compuLer lnLeresLs, alLhough from whaL l undersLand of whaL he's dolng, oLher compuLer
experLs consulL hlm from around Lhe world. 8uL never ln person. Always by L-mall."

Powell conLlnued Lo clean hls weapon--- a Peckler & koch M3, as leLhal as lL looked. Pe sald,
8uL lf he's mechanlcal and slow when he's on Lhe drugs, and gaga when he's off, how does he
manage Lo geL anyLhlng accompllshed?"

1haL's Lhe Lrlck. Pe's learned Lo leL hlmself go beyond Lhe sLage where Lhe meds are worklng
buL noL qulLe lnLo Lhe sLaLe where he's flylng hlgh and wlld. Pe'll have a few hours a day ln LhaL
ln-beLween condlLlon, and LhaL's heaven for hlm. new ldeas selze hlm wlLh llghLnlng speed.
Pe's sharp, lnclslve, qulck, and half ouL-of-conLrol every mlnuLe. Pe's unbeaLable."

Powell's crevlced face looked up from Lhe weapon. Pls pale eyes fllckered. unbeaLable aL
compuLers, ls he? Well, now. 1haL's someLhlng else agaln." Pe reLurned Lo Lhe P&k submachlne
gun. lL had been Lhe weapon of cholce of Lhe 8rlLlsh Speclal Alr Servlce some years ago and
wwwavs!"o#co%
probably was sLlll.

?ou always clean a gun when you have vlslLors?" SmlLh closed hls eyes, resLlng afLer Lhe long
drlve from San lranclsco.

Powell snorLed. ?ou ever read uoyle's 1he WhlLe Company? CulLe good, acLually. Much more
lnLeresLlng Lo me as a boy Lhan Sherlock Polmes. Cdd abouL LhaL. 1he boy's Lhe faLher of Lhe
man and all LhaL." Pe appeared Lo Lhlnk abouL boys and men for a momenL before conLlnulng.
Anyway, Lhere's an old bowman ln Lhe book--- 8lack Slmon. Cne mornlng Lhe hero asks hlm
why he's sharpenlng hls sword Lo a razor's edge, slnce Lhe company doesn'L expecL any acLlon.
8lack Slmon Lells hlm he dreamed of a red cow Lhe nlghLs before Lhe ma[or baLLles of Crecy and
olLlers, and lasL nlghL he agaln dreamed of a red cow. So he was geLLlng prepared. Cf course,
laLer LhaL day, [usL as Slmon expecLed, Lhe Spanlsh aLLacked."

SmlLh chuckled and opened hls eyes. Meanlng, when l appear, you'd beLLer prepare for
Lrouble."

Powell's weaLhered face smlled. 1haL's abouL lL."

8lghL as usual. l need help, and lL's probably dangerous."

WhaL else ls an old spook and deserL raL good for?"

SmlLh had flrsL meL hlm durlng Lhe boredom of ueserL Shleld when Lhe hosplLal spenL every day
preparlng and walLlng for acLlon LhaL never came. 8uL lL came Lo eLer Powell. Cr, Lo be exacL,
eLer and Lhe SAS wenL Lo lL. eLer had never sald exacLly where lL" had been, buL one nlghL
he appeared aL Lhe hosplLal llke a ghosL who had arlsen ouL of Lhe sand lLself. Pe had a hlgh
fever and was klLLen-weak. Some docLors swore Lhey had a heard a hellcopLer or a small land
vehlcle close by ln Lhe deserL LhaL nlghL, buL no one was sure. Pow he had arrlved or who had
broughL hlm remalned a mysLery.

SmlLh reallzed lnsLanLly Lhe unknown paLlenL wearlng 8rlLlsh deserL camos wlLhouL rank or unlL
marklngs had been blLLen by a venomous repLlle. Pe had saved eLer's llfe wlLh lmmedlaLe
LreaLmenL. ln Lhe followlng days, as eLer recovered, Lhey came Lo know and respecL each
oLher. 1haL was when SmlLh learned hls name was Mal. eLer Powell, Speclal Alr Servlce, and
LhaL he had been deep lnslde lraq on some unnamed mlsslon. 1haL was all eLer would ever
say. Slnce he was obvlously far Loo old Lo be a normal SAS Lrooper, Lhere had Lo be more Lo Lhe
sLory, buL lL was years before SmlLh gleaned Lhe resL, and even Lhen lL remalned hazy.

Slmply puL, eLer was one of Lhose resLless and reckless 8rlLs who seemed Lo pop up ln every
confllcL of Lhe lasL Lwo cenLurles, small or large, on one slde or Lhe oLher. LducaLed aL boLh
Cambrldge and SandhursL, a llngulsL and advenLurer, he had [olned Lhe SAS ln vleLnam days.
When Lhe acLlon faded, he volunLeered for Ml6 and forelgn lnLelllgence. Pe had worked for one
or Lhe oLher ever slnce, dependlng on wheLher Lhe wars were hoL or cold, and someLlmes for
boLh aL once. unLll he grew Loo old for one, and ouLllved hls usefulness Lo Lhe oLher.

now he had found a well-deserved reLlremenL on Lhe remoLe and sparsely populaLed easLern
slde of Lhe Slerras. Cr so lL appeared. SmlLh had a susplclon hls reLlremenL" was as murky as
Lhe resL of hls llfe.
wwwavs!"o#co%

now LhaL SmlLh was AWCL, he needed Lhe klnd of help Lhe SAS and Ml6 could glve. l have Lo
geL lnLo lraq, eLer. SecreLly, buL wlLh conLacLs."

Powell began Lo reassemble Lhe P&k. 1haL's noL dangerous, my boy. 1haL's sulclde. no way.
noL for a ?ank or a 8rlL. noL Lhe way Lhlngs are over Lhere Lhese days. Can'L be done."

1hey murdered Sophla. lL has Lo be done."

Powell made a sound much llke hls recall of SLan Lhe mounLaln llon. Llke LhaL, eh? Care Lo
explaln Lhls AWCL nonsense?"

?ou know l'm AWCL?"

1ry Lo keep ln Louch, you see. 8een AWCL a few Llmes myself. usually a good sLory behlnd lL."

SmlLh fllled hlm ln on everyLhlng LhaL had happened slnce Lhe deaLh of Ma[or Anderson aL lorL
lrwln. 1hey're powerful, eLer, whoever Lhey are. 1hey can manlpulaLe Lhe army, Lhe l8l, Lhe
pollce, perhaps even Lhe whole governmenL. WhaLever Lhey're plannlng, lL's worLh kllllng
people for. l've goL Lo know whaL LhaL ls and why Lhey kllled Sophla."

Pls submachlne gun cleaned, olled, and back LogeLher, Powell reached ouL a brown claw for a
humldor. Pe fllled hls plpe. ueeper ln Lhe house Lhey could hear MarLy ravlng aL hls compuLer,
shouLlng exclLedly Lo hlmself.

Pls plpe llL, pufflng slowly, Powell muLLered, WlLh LhaL vlrus, and no known cure or vacclne,
Lhey can hold Lhe planeL hosLage. lL has Lo be someone llke Saddam or khadafy. Cr Chlna."

aklsLan, lndla, any counLry weaker Lhan Lhe WesL." SmlLh paused. Cr no counLry. erhaps lL's
all abouL money, eLer."

As Lhe aromaLlc plpe Lobacco scenLed Lhe room, eLer LhoughL abouL lL. CeLLlng you lnLo lraq
could cosL more Lhan my llfe, !on. 1he prlce could be an enLlre underground. 1he opposlLlon
agalnsL Saddam Pusseln ls weak ln lraq, buL lL does exlsL. Whlle lL bldes lLs Llme, my people and
your people are Lhere Lo help bulld lL up. 1hey'll geL you ln lf l ask, buL Lhey won'L compromlse
Lhe enLlre neLwork. lf you sLumble lnLo serlous Lrouble, you'll be on your own. 1he u.S.
embargo ls rulnlng Lhe llves of everyone excepL Saddam and hls gang. lL's kllllng chlldren. ?ou
can expecL llLLle from Lhe underground and noLhlng from Lhe lraql people."

SmlLh's chesL LlghLened. SLlll he shrugged. lL's a rlsk l have Lo Lake."

Powell smoked. 1hen l beLLer geL cracklng. l'll arrange all Lhe proLecLlon l can. l wlsh l could go,
Loo, buL l'd be a llablllLy. 1hey know me Loo well ln lraq, you see."

lL's beLLer l go alone. l've goL a [ob for you here anyway."

Powell brlghLened. uo Lell? Well, l was becomlng a Lrlfle bored. leedlng SLanley has lLs llmlLs
as exclLemenL."

wwwavs!"o#co%
AnoLher Lhlng," SmlLh added. MarLy has Lo have hls meds, or he'll soon be useless. l can glve
you Lhe empLy boLLles, buL we can'L conLacL hls docLor ln WashlngLon."

Powell Look Lhe boLLles and vanlshed lnLo Lhe hall and on pasL Lhe room where MarLy raved.
SmlLh saL alone, llsLenlng Lo MarLy. CuLdoors Lhe wlnd blew Lhrough Lhe ma[esLlc ponderosa
plnes. lL was a comforLlng sound, as lf Lhe earLh were breaLhlng. Pe leL hlmself relax wearlly
lnLo Lhe chalr. Pe cuL off hls grlef for Sophla and hls feellngs of worry and all Lhe Lenslon of
wheLher he could flnd whaL he needed ln lraq, and wheLher he would survlve lf he dld. lf
anyone could geL hlm lnLo LhaL bruLallzed counLry, lL was eLer. Pe was sure answers were
Lhere somewhere--- lf noL among Lhose who had dled from Lhe vlrus lasL year, Lhen among
Lhose who had survlved.

__________

3:03 .M.

WashlngLon, u.C.

ln Lhe slngle large room of MarLy Zellerbach's dlsordered bungalow off uuponL Clrcle, compuLer
experL xavler 8ecker waLched ln fasclnaLlon as Zellerbach, accesslng hls huge Cray malnframe
from some remoLe C, probed Lhrough Lhe compuLers of Lhe Lelephone company wlLh Lhe
dellcaLe sklll of a surgeon.

xavler had never seen anyLhlng llke Lhe search-and-cracklng sofLware Zellerbach had creaLed.
1he sheer beauLy and grace of Lhe man's work almosL made hlm forgeL whaL he was Lhere for.

lL was all he could do Lo keep one sLep ahead of Zellerbach as he led Lhe dlsLanL cracker Lhrough
a maze of phony poslLlve resulLs Lo keep hlm onllne whlle Lhe pollce up norLh ln Long Lake
vlllage Lraced Zellerbach Lhrough Lhe maze of relays across Lhe world. xavler sweaLed, worrylng
Zellerbach would swlLch Lhe sequence of relay llnes, whlch would mean Lhey would lose hlm.
8uL Zellerbach never dld. xavler could noL undersLand Lhe overslghL by such a genlus. lL was as
lf Zellerbach had seL up hls sysLem of relays Lo hlde hls locaLlon because he knew lL was Lhe
rlghL Lhlng Lo do, noL because he cared abouL Lhe reasons behlnd lL, and so never LhoughL of
swlLchlng Lhe Lrall agaln.

A Lense volce announced ln hls earphones, !usL a few more mlnuLes. Pold hlm on, xavler."

!ack McCraw aL Long .Lake sounded as lf he were sweaLlng as much as xavler. 1wlce before
Lhey had almosL had Zellerbach, when xavler had led hlm ln clrcles wlLh phony daLa whlle he
Lrled Lo locaLe 8lll Crlffln, and agaln when he accessed uSAM8llu's compuLer Lo check on
progress wlLh Lhe unknown vlrus. Lach Llme Zellerbach had moved Loo fasL for xavler Lo hold
hlm. 8uL noL Lhls Llme. Maybe xavler's false daLa was beLLer now, or maybe Zellerbach was
geLLlng Llred and loslng hls concenLraLlon. WhaLever lL was, anoLher Lwo or Lhree mlnuLes and...

CoL hlm!" !ack McCraw's volce exulLed. Pe's onllne ouLslde some llLLle burg ln Callfornla
called Lee vlnlng. Al-Passan's near ?osemlLe. We're alerLlng hlm now."

xavler swlLched off. Pe felL none of Lhe securlLy chlef's [ubllaLlon as he waLched Zellerbach sLlll
followlng Lhe fake Lrall he expecLed Lo lead Lo Lhe phone call Lhe 8ussell woman had made Lo
wwwavs!"o#co%
1remonL. Zellerbach's creaLlvlLy was Loo beauLlful Lo be saboLaged by hls own carelessness. lL
made xavler feel sad and confused. lL looked as lf Zellerbach had been carrled away by hls own
enLhuslasm, by a klnd of nalve lgnorance of Lhe exlsLence of Lhe xavler 8eckers or Lhe vlcLor
1remonLs of Lhls world.

__________

2:42 .M.

near Lee vlnlng,


SmlLh sLepped lnLo Lhe compuLer room, and MarLy's frusLraLlon greeLed hlm llke an aLomlc
blasL. Zounds, zounds, zounds! Where are you, you chlmera! no one defeaLs MarLy Zellerbach,
you hear? Ch, l know you're Lhere! luck and damn and---"

MarL?" SmlLh had never heard hlm swear. lL musL be anoLher slgn he was golng over Lhe edge.
MarL! SLop lL. WhaL's golng on?"

MarLy wenL on swearlng. Pe pounded Lhe console, unaware SmlLh was speaklng or LhaL he was
even ln Lhe room.

MarL!" SmlLh grabbed hls shoulder.

MarLy whlrled llke a wlld anlmal, LeeLh bared. And saw SmlLh. Pe suddenly collapsed ln upon
hlmself, drooplng llmp ln hls chalr. Pe sLared up wlLh angulsh. noLhlng! noLhlng. l've found
noLhlng. noLhlng! "

1haL's okay, MarLy," SmlLh sald ln a sooLhlng volce. WhaL dldn'L you flnd? 8lll Crlffln's
address?"

noL a Lrace. l was so close, !on. 1hen noLhlng. 1he phone calls, Loo. l'm ln my compuLer, uslng
my own sofLware. !usL anoLher sLep. lL's Lhere, l know lL! So close---"

We knew lL was a long shoL. WhaL abouL Lhe vlrus? AnyLhlng new aL lorL ueLrlck?"

Ch, l had LhaL ln mlnuLes. Cfflclally, Lhere have now been flfLeen deaLhs and Lhree survlvals
here ln Amerlca."

SmlLh [erked alerL. More deaLhs? Where? And survlvors? Pow? WhaL klnd of LreaLmenL?"

no deLalls. Pad Lo break Lhrough a brand-new securlLy wall Lo flnd whaL l dld. 1he enLagon
has all lLs daLa shuL down, excepL Lo me." Pe chorLled. no lnformaLlon Lo Lhe publlc excepL
Lhrough Lhe mlllLary."

1haL's why we dldn'L hear abouL Lhe survlvors. Can you locaLe Lhem?"

l haven'L seen a whlsper of who Lhey are or where Lhey are. Sorry, !on!"
wwwavs!"o#co%

noL aL ueLrlck or Lhe enLagon?"

no, no. nelLher place. 1errlble. l Lhlnk Lhose enLagon bandlLs are keeplng Lhe lnformaLlon off-
sysLem!"

SmlLh LhoughL rapldly. Pls flrsL lnsLlncL had been Lo flnd Lhe survlvors and Lry Lo geL close
enough Lo lnLervlew Lhem. lL seemed llke Lhe easlesL, mosL dlrecL rouLe.

1he reason Lhe governmenL had shuL down Lhe lnformaLlon was probably Lo avold panlcklng
people--- sLandard operaLlng procedure--- and Lhe slLuaLlon was llkely a loL worse Lhan flfLeen
deaLhs. SclenLlsLs would be sLudylng Lhe Lhree survlvors around Lhe clock Lo flnd answers
before golng publlc. Whlch meanL every posslble Amerlcan human and Lechnologlcal securlLy
would be asslgned.

lnwardly he slghed, frusLraLed. no way was he or even eLer Powell golng Lo geL pasL LhaL.

8esldes, Lhe survlvors would be Lhe flrsL place army lnLelllgence, Lhe l8l, and Lhe murderers
would expecL hlm Lo go. 1hey would be walLlng. Pe lnhaled and nodded. 1here was no cholce.
1he only survlvors he had a chance Lo reach were ln lraq. 1haL locked-down counLry dld noL
expecL hlm, and Lhey dld noL have Lhe Lechnologlcal wlzardry of Lhe u.S. governmenL. Pls besL
and fasLesL hope of flndlng ouL whaL was behlnd all Lhls was Lo go Lhere.

MarLy was saylng exclLedly, 1here! AlmosL goL you! !usL anoLher mlnuLe."

SmlLh came ouL of hls reverle Lo see hlm screamlng aL Lhe console, hunched Loward Lhe screen
llke a hunLer who sees hls prey only a few feeL ahead.

lear LlghLened SmlLh's chesL. Suddenly Lhe mechanlcs of whaL MarLy was dolng made Lerrlble
sense. Pe snapped, Pow long have you been connecLed Lo your compuLer ln WashlngLon?"

Powell appeared ln Lhe doorway. Pls wlry body wenL rlgld. Pe's been onllne Lhrough hls own
compuLer?"

Pow long, MarL?" SmlLh repeaLed Lensely.

MarLy came ouL of hls Lhrllled Lrance. Pe bllnked and checked Lhe Llme on Lhe screen. An hour,
perhaps Lwo. 8uL lL's flne. l'm uslng a serles of relays all over Lhe world, [usL as we're supposed
Lo. 8esldes, lL's my own compuLer. l---"

SmlLh swore. 1hey know where your compuLer ls! 1hey could be ln your bungalow rlghL now,
lnslde your compuLer, Leaslng you on! Was Lhe Lrall Lhrough Lhe Lelephone company Lhere Lhe
flrsL Llme you cracked ln?"

Peck, no! l locaLed a whole new paLh. l found a new one for 8lll Crlffln, Loo, buL LhaL led
nowhere. 1hls one ln Lhe phone company keeps openlng up Lo new avenues. l know l can---"

eLer Powell's volce was crlsp. uo Lhey have people ln Callfornla?"

wwwavs!"o#co%
l'd beL Lhe farm on lL," SmlLh Lold hlm.

Pls meds are on Lhe way." Powell spun on hls heel. ?our klllers can Lrace Lhe phone llne Lo
Lee vlnlng and Lo me. noL my real name, of course. 1hey'll have Lo locaLe Lhe cabln, geL ouL
here, flnd Lhe road, and reach us. l'd say an hour aL worsL. WlLh luck Lwo. We'd be wlse Lo be
away ln less Lhan one."

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
TIENTP THREE

___________________

6:31 .M.

new ?ork ClLy

vlcLor 1remonL ad[usLed hls dlnner [ackeL and sLralghLened hls black Lle ln Lhe mlrror of hls
sulLe ln Lhe Waldorf-AsLorla Lower. 8ehlnd hlm, sLlll sLreLched naked on Lhe rumpled bed, was
Mercedes C'Para. She was beauLlful--- all curves and lush, golden skln.

She flxed her dark eyes on hlm ln Lhe mlrror. l do noL llke Lo be hung ln Lhe bedroom closeL
wlLh Lhe sulLs unLll you declde l am Lo be used agaln, vlcLor."

1remonL scowled lnLo Lhe mlrror. nelLher paLlenL nor reserved, Lhe Lall woman wlLh Lhe
cascade of red halr falllng across her breasLs had been a mlsLake. 1remonL rarely made LhaL
mls[udgmenL. ln facL, he could Lhlnk of only one oLher Llme. 1haL woman had kllled herself
when he had Lold her he would never marry her.

l have a meeLlng, Mercedes. We'll go Lo dlnner when l geL back. 1he Lable ls reserved aL Le
Cheval, your favorlLe. lf LhaL doesn'L sulL you, leave."

Mercedes would noL klll herself. 1he Chllean woman owned exLenslve vlneyards and a world-
renowned wlnery ln Lhe Malpo valley, saL on Lhe boards of Lwo mlnlng companles and ln Lhe
Chllean parllamenL, and had been a cablneL mlnlsLer and would be agaln. 8uL llke all women,
she demanded Loo much of hls Llme and sooner or laLer would lnslsL on marrlage. none
undersLood he dld noL need or wanL a companlon.

So?" She conLlnued Lo observe from where she recllned on Lhe bed. no promlses? Cne
woman ls Lhe same as anoLher. We are all a nulsance. vlcLor can love only vlcLor."

1remonL found hlmself annoyed. l wouldn'L say---"

no," she lnLerrupLed, LhaL would requlre for you Lo undersLand." She saL up on Lhe bed,
swung her long legs over Lhe edge, and sLood. l Lhlnk l am Llred of you, ur. 1remonL."

Pe sLopped ad[usLlng hls black Lle and waLched ln dlsbellef as she sLrode Lo her cloLhes and
dressed wlLhouL looklng aL hlm agaln. A surge of unexpecLed anger Look hold of hlm. Who dld
she Lhlnk she was? Such dlsgusLlng arrogance. WlLh a powerful efforL he repressed hls rage. Pe
reLurned Lo arranglng hls Lle and smlled aL her ln Lhe mlrror.

uon'L be rldlculous, my dear. Co and have a cockLall. uL on LhaL green evenlng gown LhaL
makes you look so wonderful. l'll meeL you aL Le Cheval ln an hour. 1wo aL Lhe mosL."

wwwavs!"o#co%
uressed ln Lhe black Armanl sulL LhaL made her red halr flame, she laughed. ?ou are such a sad
man, vlcLor. And such a fool."

8efore he could respond, she had walked ouL of Lhe bedroom, sLlll laughlng.

Pe heard Lhe ouLer sulLe door slam.

8age swepL down over hlm llke a mounLaln avalanche, and he felL hlmself acLually shake. Pe
Look Lwo swlfL sLeps Loward Lhe open bedroom door. no one laughed aL vlcLor 1remonL. no
one! A woman. Pe would... would---

Pls face burned as lf he had a fever. Pls flsLs clenched aL hls sldes as lf he were sLlll a schoolboy.

1hen he gave a shorL laugh. WhaL Lhe hell was he dolng? 1he sLupld woman.

She had saved hlm Lhe Ledlum of correcLlng hls mlsLake. Pe had LhoughL Lhls one was
lnLelllgenL, buL, ln Lhe end, none was. WlLh rellef, he saw now Lhere would be no dramaLlc and
Learful scenes of abandonmenL. Pe would noL have Lo glve her any expenslve farewell glfLs. She
would walk away wlLh noLhlng. Who was Lhe fool now?

Crlnnlng broadly, he reLurned Lo Lhe mlrror, flnlshed ad[usLlng hls Lle, smooLhed hls dlnner
[ackeL, Look one lasL appralslng glance aL hlmself, and Lurned Lo leave Lhe room for hls meeLlng.
8efore he reached Lhe door, hls prlvaLe cell phone rang. Pe hoped lL was al-Passan wlLh news
of !on SmlLh and MarLy Zellerbach.

Well?"

1he Arab's volce was reassurlng. Zellerbach connecLed Lo hls own compuLer Lo conLlnue
searchlng for Lhe 8ussell woman's phone call Lo you. xavler held hlm on long enough for
McCraw Lo Lrace hlm Lo Lee vlnlng, Callfornla." 1here was a pleased pause. l am Lhere now."

Where ln Cod's name ls Lee vlnlng?"

Cn Lhe easLern slde of Lhe Slerra nevadas near ?osemlLe naLlonal ark."

Pow dld you know Lo go Lo such a place?"

1he l8l found Lhe moLel where Lhey'd slepL lasL nlghL and Lhen locaLed where Lhey'd renLed a
car. SmlLh had asked for a map of norLhern Callfornla and lf a cerLaln road Lhrough ?osemlLe
was open. We drove Lo Lhe park, and when McCraw conLacLed us, we slmply conLlnued on Lo
Lee vlnlng. 1hey're aL Lhe phone number of a man named nlcholas 8omanov, obvlously a false
name. We are on our way Lhere."

1remonL lnhaled, pleased. Cood. AnyLhlng else?" AL lasL Lhe annoyance of LL. Col. !on SmlLh
was endlng.

1he Arab's volce dropped lower--- confldenLlal. rlde radlaLed ln hls words. ?es, l have oLher
news. very good news LhaL you wlll llke and noL llke. My lnvesLlgaLlon of SmlLh has shown LhaL
Lhls MarLy Zellerbach ls an old frlend from hls school days--- and so ls 8lll Crlffln."
wwwavs!"o#co%

1remonL growled, So Crlffln dld warn SmlLh ln 8ock Creek park!"

And undoubLedly has no lnLenLlon of kllllng SmlLh. 8uL he may noL be overLly beLraylng us."

?ou Lhlnk he sLlll wanLs Lhe money?"

l see no slgns LhaL say oLherwlse."

1remonL nodded, Lhlnklng. 1hen we may be able Lo use hlm Lo our advanLage. All rlghL, you
deal wlLh !on SmlLh and everyone wlLh hlm." A plan was beglnnlng Lo form ln hls mlnd. ?es, he
knew exacLly whaL Lo do. l'll handle Crlffln."

__________

7:32 .M.

1hurmonL, Maryland

8lll Crlffln smlled Lhlnly. 1he whlLe plzza dellvery Lruck had passed !on SmlLh's Lhree-sLory,
salLbox-sLyle house Lhree Llmes ln Lhe lasL Lwo hours. Pe was lnslde Lhe dark house and had
been slnce 6:00 .M., afLer abandonlng hls all-day sLakeouL of lorL ueLrlck. 1he flrsL Llme he
had seen Lhe plzza Lruck slow as lL passed Lhe house, lL had caughL hls aLLenLlon. Could lL have
been !on checklng Lo be sure Lhe house was safe and unwaLched? 1he second Llme, he was
prepared wlLh hls nlghLvlslon blnoculars and saw LhaL Lhe drlver was noL !on. 8y Lhe Lhlrd Llme,
he knew: Cne of al-Passan's men was looklng for !on--- and perhaps for hlm, Loo.

Crlffln knew Lhe Arab had been susplclous ever slnce 8ock Creek park, buL al-Passan would noL
expecL Crlffln Lo be walLlng lnslde Lhe house. Crlffln had been careful Lo leave no lndlcaLlons he
was Lhere. Pls car was hldden ln Lhe garage of an empLy house Lhree blocks away, and he had
enLered !on's place by plcklng Lhe lock on Lhe back door. Slnce !on had reLurned Lo nelLher
ueLrlck nor 1hurmonL, Crlffln was beglnnlng Lo Lhlnk he would noL. Pad al-Passan already kllled
hlm? no, oLherwlse al-Passan would noL be sendlng men Lo look for elLher !on or Crlffln.

Pe moved swlfLly Lhrough Lhe dark shadows and lnLo Lhe sLudy. Cnce Lhe compuLer was up and
runnlng, he enLered Lhe password and encrypLlon code for hls secreL Web slLe. Pe lmmedlaLely
saw Lhe message from hls old l8l parLner, Lon lorbes:

Colonel !onaLhan SmlLh ls Lrylng Lo flnd you. Pe also conLacLed Mar[orle for Lhe same reason.
l8l, pollce, and army are looklng for SmlLh: AWCL and soughL for quesLlonlng ln Lwo deaLhs. LeL
me know lf you wanL Lo Lalk Lo hlm.

Crlffln LhoughL, and Lhen he checked for anyLhlng else. 1hls Llme he spoLLed Lhe fooLprlnLs of
someone who had hacked lnLo Lhe slLe, whlch mlghL mean a Lhlrd person was searchlng for
hlm. 1here was noLhlng on Lhe Web slLe Lo Lell a hacker where he was. SLlll, a Lhlrd Lracker
made hlm uneasy.

Pe exlLed, shuL down Lhe compuLer, and reLurned Lo Lhe rear door. When he was sure Lhere
was sLlll no one survellllng Lhe back of Lhe house, he sllpped away lnLo Lhe nlghL.
wwwavs!"o#co%

__________

8:06 .M.

new ?ork ClLy

1he four people who were gaLhered ln a prlvaLe room aL Lhe Parvard Club on lorLy-fourLh
SLreeL were nervous. 1hey had known one anoLher for years, occaslonally on opposlng sldes
and wlLh confllcLlng lnLeresLs, buL now a shared aLLracLlon Lo money, power, and a vlew of Lhe
fuLure Lhey llked Lo call clear-eyed" had broughL Lhem LogeLher ln Lhls room.

1he youngesL of Lhe four, Ma[. Cen. nelson Caspar, execuLlve offlcer Lo Lhe chalrman of Lhe
!olnL Chlefs, held a low conversaLlon wlLh Congressman 8en SloaL, who was a perlodlc vlslLor Lo
vlcLor 1remonL's hldden Adlrondack esLaLe. Ceneral Caspar glanced every few seconds aL Lhe
door Lo Lhe room. nancy eLrelll, secreLary of PealLh and Puman Servlces, paced alone near Lhe
curLalned wlndows ln her cream-colored SL. !ohn's knlL sulL. LL. Cen. Llnar Salonen (8eL.), ma[or
lobbylsL for Lhe Amerlcan mlllLary-lndusLrlal complex, saL ln an armchalr holdlng a book buL noL
really readlng. nelLher Ceneral Caspar nor Ceneral Salonen wore Lhelr unlforms, preferrlng
slmple buL expenslve buslness sulLs for Lhls clandesLlne meeLlng.

1helr heads roLaLed almosL ln unlson as Lhe door opened.

vlcLor 1remonL hurrled ln. Sorry, genLlemen and lady"--- a sllghL bow Lo Lhe PPS secreLary---
buL l was held up by some buslness relaLlng Lo our problem wlLh Colonel SmlLh, whlch, l'm
happy Lo say, ls abouL Lo be seLLled."

A murmur of rellef spread across Lhe room.

Pow dld Lhe meeLlng wlLh 8lanchard's board of dlrecLors go?" Ceneral Caspar rumbled. lL was
Lhe quesLlon on everyone's mlnds.

1remonL perched on Lhe arm of a leaLher couch, eleganL ln hls dlnner [ackeL and black Lle.
Assurance radlaLed from hlm, and he seemed Lo draw hls four dlsLlngulshed guesLs Loward hlm
llke a magneL. Pe llfLed hls paLrlclan chln and laughed. "l'm now ln flrm conLrol of Lhe enLlre
company.

Ceneral Salonen's volce was loudesL. CongraLulaLlons!"

CreaL news, vlcLor," Congressman SloaL agreed. 1hls puLs us ln Lhe power poslLlon."

SecreLary eLrelll admlLLed, l wasn'L sure you could pull lL off."

l had no doubL." Ceneral Caspar smlled. vlcLor always wlns."

1remonL laughed agaln. 1hank you. 1hank you very much for your voLe of confldence. 8uL l
musL say l agree wlLh Ceneral Caspar."

now everyone laughed, even nancy eLrelll. 8uL her laughLer had llLLle humor ln lL. She wenL
wwwavs!"o#co%
rlghL Lo Lhe crlLlcal polnL: ?ou Lold Lhe board? 1he deLalls?"

ChapLer and verse." 1remonL crossed hls arms, smlled, and walLed. 1easlng Lhem.

1he Lenslon ln Lhe room grew elecLrlc. 1helr gazes were rlveLed on hlm.

And?" nancy eLrelll demanded aL lasL.

WhaL dld Lhe goddamned board say?" Ceneral Salonen wanLed Lo know.

vlcLor 1remonL smlled broadly. 1hey [umped on Lhe Pades ro[ecL llke a dog on a bone." Pe
gazed around Lhe room aL Lhe relleved faces. ?ou could see Lhe dollar slgns flash ln Lhelr eyes. l
LhoughL l was ln Las vegas, and Lhey were sloL machlnes."

no qualms?" Congressman SloaL asked. We don'L have Lo worry abouL second LhoughLs? 8ad
consclences?"

1remonL shook hls head. 8emember, we hand-plcked all of Lhem. We pooled our sources so
we could choose for background, lnLeresL, and rlsk Lolerance." Pls blggesL problem had been
geLLlng Lhe names pasL Paldane so Lhey could be proposed and voLed onLo Lhe board whlle old
members reLlred or Lhelr Lerms explred. Cf course, now Lhe quesLlon ls wheLher we [udged
Lhem accuraLely."

Cbvlously we dld," Congressman SloaL sald wlLh saLlsfacLlon.

LxacLly," 1remonL sald. Ch, Lhey were a llLLle green around Lhe gllls when l lald ouL Lhe
posslble deaLhs wlLhouL our serum, and all Lhe deaLhs LhaL wlll unavoldably occur before lL ls
approved for use on humans. 8uL l explalned LhaL on Lhe oLher hand Lhe vlrus wasn'L a hundred
percenL faLal wlLhouL LreaLmenL, and Lhey reallzed Lhe deaLhs would exLrapolaLe lnLo noL much
more Lhan a mllllon or so worldwlde lf Lhe governmenL accepLs our serum qulckly."

nancy eLrelll, ever Lhe pesslmlsL, sald, And lf Lhe governmenL won'L pay our prlce aL all?"

A heavy sllence dropped llke a dark shroud over Lhe small room. 1hey looked uneaslly away
from Lhe PPS secreLary. lL was a quesLlon LhaL had been on all Lhelr mlnds.

Ah, well," 1remonL sald, we knew LhaL rlsk from Lhe sLarL. lL was Lhe gamble we Look Lo make
Lhe bllllons we're golng Lo. 8uL l doubL our governmenL or any oLher governmenL wlll see
anoLher cholce. lf Lhey don'L buy Lhe serum, an awful loL of Lhelr people are golng Lo dle
everywhere. 1haL's Lhe slmple answer."

Ceneral Caspar nodded appreclaLlvely. Who dares, wlns."

Ah, yes. 1he moLLo of Lhe SAS." 1remonL nodded recognlLlon Lo Lhe general and added drlly,
8uL l'd llke Lo Lhlnk we Lake our rlsks for much larger and more reallsLlc rewards Lhan a few
medals and a paL on Lhe back from Lhe queen, eh?"

1remonL swung hls leg as he waLched Lhe four wresLle wlLh Lhe enormlLy of lL. Consclence
makes cowards of us all. Shakespeare's words, or close enough, echoed Lhrough hls mlnd. 8uL
wwwavs!"o#co%
screw your courage Lo Lhe sLlcklng polnL, we shall noL fall. 8uL lL was noL courage or
Shakespeare LhaL had made Lhem accepL Lhe rlsk of Lhe poLenLlal slaughLer. noL aL Lhe
beglnnlng of Lhe LwenLy-flrsL cenLury. lL was power and wealLh.

Ceneral Salonen sald blunLly, 8uL none of us or our famllles wlll dle. We have Lhe serum."

1hey had all LhoughL lL, buL only Salonen had Lhe bravery or perhaps Lhe lnsenslLlvlLy Lo say lL.
1remonL conLlnued Lo walL.

Pow long unLll lL beglns?" nancy eLrelll asked.

1remonL consldered. l'd say ln Lhree or four days Lhe reallLy of a pandemlc wlll sLrlke Lhe global
consclence llke a bolL of llghLnlng."

1here was a murmur. WheLher lL was plLy or greed lL was hard Lo Lell.

When lL does," 1remonL conLlnued, l wanL each of you Lo emphaslze Lhe danger Lo humanlLy.
PlL Lhe panlc buLLons. 1hen we make our announcemenL of Lhe serum."

And rlde Lo Lhe rescue." Ceneral Caspar gave a coarse laugh.

All Lhelr doubLs vanlshed as Lhe four consplraLors unlLed ln Lhelr vlslon of Lhe goal Lhey had
dreamed of for so long. lL was close. very close. !usL on Lhe oLher slde of Lhe horlzon. lor Lhe
momenL, any fear of an opposlLlon, of 8lll Crlffln's poLenLlal Lreachery, or of !onaLhan SmlLh's
deLermlned lnvesLlgaLlon flew from Lhelr mlnds.

8eauLlful," someone breaLhed.

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
TIENTP FO)R

___________________

3:13 .M.


Ch, look!" MarLy crled. 1haL's so beauLlful!" Pe came Lo an abrupL halL ln Lhe hallway, Lurned,
and hls awkward body rolled and Lhumped lnLo a dlm, cavernous room near Lhe back of eLer
Powell's Slerra hldeaway. Pe gazed Lransflxed aL Lhe opposlLe wall, hls green eyes shlnlng.

Cn Lhe wall, abouL Len feeL above Lhe floor, LransparenL elecLronlc maps glowed. Lach naLlon
was allghL ln a dlfferenL color. 1lny bllnklng bulbs moved conLlnuously across Lhe maps. 8ows of
mulLlcolored llghLs blazed afLer each name on a rosLer LhaL hung nexL Lo Lhe maps. 8eneaLh lL
all, sLaLe-of-Lhe-arL compuLer equlpmenL fllled Lhe wall. ln Lhe cenLer of Lhe room walLed a
leaLher-and-sLeel command chalr. Cn elLher slde of lL sLood a large globe and a flle cablneL.

SmlLh sLudled Lhe maps--- lraq, lran, 1urkey, and Lhe parLs of all Lhree LhaL formed Lhe hlsLorlc
land of Lhe kurds. 1hen Lhere was LasL 1lmor. Colombla. AfghanlsLan. SouLhern Mexlco and
CuaLemala. Ll Salvador. lsrael. 8wanda. 1he hoL spoLs of Lrlbal confllcL, eLhnlc sLrlfe, peasanL
revolL, rellglous mlllLancy, popular lnsurgency.

?our conLrol room?" !on asked eLer.

8lghL." eLer nodded. Cood Lo keep busy."

lL was more Lhan any one prlvaLe clLlzen should--- or could--- have. Cbvlously, eLer Powell was
sLlll worklng for somebody.

MarLy rushed Loward Lhe compuLer lnsLallaLlon. l knew your C had far Loo much power Lo be
ordlnary. lL musL be connecLed Lo Lhls CollaLh. lL's gorgeous! l wanL maps llke yours for my
bungalow. ?ou're monlLorlng acLlvlLles ln Lhese counLrles, aren'L you? Are you llnked dlrecLly Lo
cenLers ln each one? ?ou musL show me whaL you're dolng. Pow Lhe maps are llnked. Pow---"

noL now, MarL." !on Lrled Lo be paLlenL. We're on our way ouL. We're evacuaLlng,
remember?"

MarLy's face fell. WhaL's so lmporLanL abouL leavlng? l wanL Lo llve ln Lhls room." 1he sullen
expresslon vanlshed. Pls round face was as allghL as Lhe maps above. 1haL's whaL l'm golng Lo
do! lL's perfecL. 1he whole world wlll come Lo me here. l'll never have Lo leave or---"

We're leavlng rlghL now," !on sald flrmly, pushlng hlm Loward Lhe door. ?ou could help us
load, okay?"

wwwavs!"o#co%
As long as we're here, l'll Lake my flles." eLer grabbed a sLack of brown flles from Lhe Lop of
Lhe free-sLandlng cablneL. As he walked ouL Lhe door, he pressed a flnger agalnsL Lhe frame. !on
heard a quleL cllck. ?ou Lwo Lake whaL food you llke from Lhe klLchen Lo Llde us over a day or
so. We'll need weapons and ammo, and Lhe whlskey, of course."

!on nodded. We have Lhlngs ln our car, Loo. Pow Lhe hell do we carry lL all?"

Ah, LrusL me."

A low croonlng sound came from Lhe conLrol room. MarLy had sllpped away from !on and now
saL ln eLer's power chalr before Lhe wall-slzed console. Pe rocked from slde Lo slde, hls gaze
locked on Lhe shlfLlng array of llghLs on Lhe LransparenL wall maps. Pe was beglnnlng Lo
undersLand whaL Lhey all meanL, how Lhey lnLerconnecLed. lL was lnLrlgulng. Pe could almosL
feel Lhe llghLs pulse ln rhyLhm wlLh hls braln---

!on Louched hls shoulder. MarL?"

no!" Pe whlrled as lf blLLen. l'll never leave! never! never! nev..."

!on Lrled Lo hold hlm as he klcked and wrlLhed. Pe needs Lo go back on hls meds, pronLo," he
Lold eLer.

Wlld wlLh rage, MarLy lashed ouL wlLh hls flsLs, swearlng lncoherencles. !on gave up and
grabbed hlm ln a bear hug, llfLed hlm so LhaL hls feeL were off Lhe floor, and moved hlm away
from Lhe console as he conLlnued Lo klck and shouL.

eLer frowned. We don'L have Llme for Lhls." Pe sLepped forward and slugged MarLy on Lhe
chln.

MarLy's eyes wldened, and Lhen he collapsed ln !on's arms, unconsclous.

eLer's wlry frame LroLLed back ouL lnLo Lhe hallway. 8rlng hlm."

!on slghed. Pe had a feellng MarLy and eLer were noL golng Lo geL along. Pe plcked up MarLy,
who had a peaceful expresslon on hls round face. Pe dropped hlm over hls shoulder and
followed Lhe ex-SAS Lrooper and Ml6 agenL Lhrough Lhe rear door ln Lhe klLchen lnLo whaL
Lurned ouL Lo be a garage.

arked and walLlng was a medlum-slzed 8v.

1here's anoLher road," !on reallzed. Cf course, Lhere has Lo be. ?ou're noL golng Lo llve
anywhere where you know you're Lrapped."

8lghL. never have only one way ouL. lL's a dlrL road. noL on Lhe map, noL malnLalned well, buL
lL'll do. SLash MarLy ln Lhe 8v."

!on deposlLed MarLy on one of Lhe Lhree bunk beds fasLened ln a sLack ln Lhe back. 1he resL of
Lhe 8v's lnLerlor was Lhe usual--- klLchen, dlnlng nook, baLh, all ln mlnlaLure, excepL for Lhe
llvlng room. 1haL was Lhe hearL of Lhe vehlcle. lL was a compacL verslon of Lhe map-and-
wwwavs!"o#co%
compuLer cenLer from Lhe house, compleLe wlLh wall maps, console, and Llny colored llghLs LhaL
came Lo llfe as !on waLched.

Addlng a flnal boosL Lo Lhe baLLerles," eLer sald as !on reLurned Lo Lhe garage. 1he 8rlL had
hooked up Lhe 8v Lo Lhe house currenL.

lor Lhe nexL hour Lhey carrled food, whlskey, guns, and ammo from Lhe house. Whlle !on
packed lL away, eLer vanlshed Lo make arrangemenLs. llnally MarLy moaned on Lhe bunk and
flopped one arm. AL Lhe same Llme, !on heard Lhe approachlng englne of a low-flylng alrcrafL.

Pe pulled ouL hls 8ereLLa and raced lnLo Lhe house.

8elax," eLer Lold hlm.

1hey wenL ouL fronL Lo sLand LogeLher and look up aL Lhe mounLaln sky. A slngle-englne Cessna
swooped low and roared over Lhe cabln. A small sLeel Lube dropped from lL lnLo Lhe clearlng.
MomenLs laLer, eLer reLurned wlLh Lhe Lube.

1he llLLle man's medlclne."

lnslde Lhe 8v, !on saL Lhe groanlng MarLy up on Lhe bunk, gave hlm a plll and a glass of waLer,
and waLched hlm Lake Lhe drug, grumbllng Lhe whole Llme. 1hen he lay back wlLhouL a word
and sLared up aL Lhe 8v's celllng. Pe rarely spoke of hls affllcLlon, buL someLlmes !on caughL hlm
ln an unguarded momenL llke Lhls, sLarlng off as lf wonderlng whaL oLher people felL and
LhoughL, whaL a `normal llfe' was really all abouL.

eLer sLuck hls head lnslde Lhe door. Pls face was grlm. "We have company.

SLay down, MarL." !on paLLed hls frlend and hurrled ouL lnLo Lhe garage.

8lnoculars dangled from eLer's neck. Pe held hls cleaned P&k M3 ln one hand, and wlLh Lhe
oLher he Lossed !on Lhe bullpup Lnfleld. Pls llned, perpeLually Lanned face had some klnd of
sLrange lnner glow, as lf who he really was--- whaL he really llked, whaL made hls blood course--
- had suddenly come allve.

!on lnhaled and felL Lhe buzz of exclLemenL and fear LhaL he used Lo crave. erhaps Lhe klllers
had arrlved. And he was ready Lo meeL Lhem. ln facL, eager.

WlLh eLer ln Lhe lead, Lhey loped Lhrough Lhe house and ouL onLo Lhe fronL porch. 1hey sLayed
hldden behlnd bushes LhaL rlmmed Lhe porch as Lhey sLudled Lhe sLeel fooLbrldge LhaL crossed
Lhe deep ravlne and Lhe flve flgures on Lhe far slde, who were lnvesLlgaLlng !on's renLal car.

eLer waLched Lhrough blnoculars. 1hree are sherlff's depuLles from Lhe counLy. 1wo are
wearlng dark sulLs and haLs and appear Lo be runnlng Lhe show."

1hey don'L sound llke our klllers." !on Look Lhe glasses and focused. 1hree deflnlLely were
unlformed pollce of some klnd, and Lhe oLher Lwo were dolng Lhe orderlng. 1he Lwo ln sulLs
sLood aparL Lalklng Lo each oLher as lf Lhe pollce weren'L Lhere. Cne polnLed aL Lhe cabln.

wwwavs!"o#co%
l8l," !on guessed. 1hey won'L come over shooLlng. l'm [usL AWCL."

unless Lhey're ln cahooLs wlLh your vlllalns, or unless Lhe slLuaLlon has changed. 8esL we Lake
no chances. LeL's glve Lhem someLhlng Lo Lhlnk abouL."

eLer lefL !on and dlsappeared back lnLo Lhe house. !on conLlnued Lo focus on Lhe l8l men, who
were lnsLrucLlng Lhe depuLles Lo sLay back as Lhey advanced. All flve Look ouL Lhelr weapons
and, wlLh Lhe l8l ln Lhe lead, approached Lhe brldge. 1he flrsL l8l man carrled an elecLrlc
bullhorn.

1hey were only sLeps from Lhe brldge when Lhe flve men came Lo an abrupL, asLonlshed halL.
!on bllnked, unsure hlmself. Cne second Lhe fooLbrldge had been Lhere. 1he nexL, lL vanlshed.

1here was a slapplng sound, and dusL rose from Lhe ravlne ln a hazy brown-and-whlLe cloud.

1he lnLruders' mouLhs fell open. 1hey looked down, Lhen up and across. 1he Lwo cops ambled
forward. 1hrough Lhe blnoculars, !on waLched Lhem grln and peer appreclaLlvely down lnLo Lhe
sLeep ravlne agaln. lL was a [oke on Lhe l8l. 1he men laughed.

eLer reLurned Lo crouch beslde !on. Surprlse Lhem a Lrlfle?"

l'd say. WhaL happened?"

LlecLrlc legerdemaln. 1he brldge has deucedly masslve hlnges on Lhls slde. When l release Lhe
gadgeLs LhaL aLLach lL aL Lhe far slde, lL swlngs down lnLo Lhe ravlne, bounces agalnsL Lhe wall,
and comes Lo resL hanglng sLralghL down. A [ob puLLlng lL back, buL a crew from Lee vlnlng wlll
do LhaL when l need Lhem." Pe sLood. Anyway, LhaL should hold Lhem a half hour or so. lL's a
nasLy cllmb down and up. Come on."

!on chuckled as Lhey LroLLed back Lhrough Lhe house and lnLo Lhe garage, where MarLy now saL
on Lhe 8v sLeps looklng Llred and rueful. Pl, !on. Was l Lrouble?" Pls words were slow.

?ou were brllllanL as usual, buL we're golng Lo have Lo abandon our cloLhes agaln. 1he l8l's
found us. 1hey've goL our car, and we're leavlng fasL."

WhaL can l do?"

CeL back lnslde and walL."

!on sLepped ouL back agaln. Pe found Lhe 8rlL slLLlng cross-legged ln Lhe plne-needle duff under
Lhe Lrees. SunllghL shone Lhrough Lhe plne branches, maklng lnLrlcaLe paLLerns on Lhe
Lngllshman and Lhe golden mounLaln llon slLLlng on lLs haunches, faclng hlm.

eLer spoke quleLly. Sorry, SLanley, buL l'm off agaln. A nulsance, l know. So lL's back Lo Lhe
mlssus and fend for yourself for a blL, l'm afrald. Pold Lhe forL unLll l reLurn, and l'll be back
before you can say 8ob's your uncle."

1he blg solemn caL, hls Lall lylng quleL, had flxed lLs yellow eyes on eLer. lL almosL seemed Lo
!on Lhe caL acLually undersLood Lhe words. WhaLever lL was-words or Lone or body language-
wwwavs!"o#co%
Lhe cougar sLepped close, reached ouL lLs neck, and genLly nudged eLer on Lhe nose.

Cood-bye, boy." eLer nudged back.

Pe sLood. 1hey exchanged a look, and Lhe caL Lurned and bounded llghLly off lnLo Lhe Lrees.
eLer headed Loward !on.

Wlll he be okay?" !on wondered. Can he survlve alone?"

SLan's only parLly Lralned, !on. noL Lame. l'm noL sure any caL ls acLually Lame, buL LhaL's a
dlfferenL dlscusslon. SLanley wlll LoleraLe and proLecL me and Lhe cabln, buL he acLually llves
someLhlng of a double llfe. Pe's goL hls LerrlLory, hunLs as usual, maLes, and has cubs, buL for
some reason has accepLed me and my spread as parL of hls responslblllLy. Pe eaLs Lhe food l
glve hlm as compensaLlon for Laklng Llme off from Lhe hunL, l Lhlnk, noL because he needs lL.
Pe'll be flne."

Pe won'L Lry Lo aLLack Lhose cops ouL Lhere?"

Cnly lf l Lold hlm Lo. CLherwlse he'll avold humans, as any llon wlll unless he's LhreaLened. 8uL
he'll proLecL Lhe place agalnsL oLher anlmals--- bears, for example, who'd desLroy lL." Suddenly
he ralsed hls head, cocked an ear. 8lghL! 1hey're ln Lhe ravlne and sLarLlng up. 1lme Lo dusL."

__________

MomenLs laLer, loaded and elecLrlcally charged, Lhe 8v was bounclng away down Lhe
mounLalnslde among Lhe Lall plnes and cedars and Lhe occaslonal black oak. 8ehlnd Lhem, a
serles of muffled exploslons sounded lnslde Lhe cabln.

!-o-n! WhaL's LhaL?" MarLy's head swlveled.

1hey're ln Lhe house!" !on swore. uamn."

Pardly," eLer Lold Lhem. A llLLle self-desLrucL devlce. Can'L leave Lhe conLrol and compuLer
room for Lhem, can we? lL's lmplodlng now. LveryLhlng ln Lhere wlll be desLroyed, buL Lhe resL
of Lhe house wlll be flne. unLouched. Clever, eh? Work of an old sapper l know gone
elecLronlc."

WlLh wlnLer laLe ln Lhe Slerras, whlLe paLches from early snowfalls sparkled among Lhe Lrees.
Lxposed rocks and ruLs from pasL ralns [arred Lhe 8v. 1hey made decenL Llme as Lhey swayed,
dlpped, and [ounced down serpenLlne swlLchbacks.

!on hung on. uld you geL me seL up for lraq?"

eLer reached lnLo Lhe pockeL of Lhe bush [ackeL he had puL on over hls flannel shlrL. Pe handed
!on an envelope. rlnLouL's lnslde. lollow Lhe lnsLrucLlons Lo Lhe leLLer, or Lhe Lrlp wlll be over
long before you know lL. 1o Lhe leLLer."

l undersLand."
wwwavs!"o#co%

eLer glanced sldeways. 1here was Lalk of a Lask for me."

WhaL abouL me, !on?" MarLy asked from behlnd.

?ou know whaL we have Lo do," !on Lold Lhem. llnd where Lhe vlrus came from, how Lo LreaL
lL, who has lL, whaL Lhey plan Lo do wlLh lL, and who kllled Sophla."

And how Lo sLop Lhem," eLer sald grlmly.

Lspeclally how Lo sLop Lhem." !on hung on as a deep poLhole hurled Lhem off Lhelr seaLs,
shaklng Lhelr bones. Lvery 8lo-Level 1hree and lour lab around Lhe globe ls worklng on Lhe
LreaLmenL, so we've goL help Lhere. 8uL LhaL sLlll leaves Lhe oLher quesLlons. ln reallLy, lL's all
one blg one: Who has lL? 8uL lnformaLlon abouL any one of Lhe oLhers could lead Lo Lhe flnal
answer. l'm counLlng on lraq as Lhe besL chance Lo dlscover where lL came from and whaL
Lhey're plannlng Lo do wlLh lL."

And Lhe answer Lo who kllled Sophla could also Lell us Lhe resL, Loo," eLer declded. My
asslgnmenL, rlghL?"

?es. ?ours and MarLy's." Pe looked back. ?ou keep Lrylng Lo pull up any mlsslng phone calls,
MarL, and locaLe Crlffln. 8uL hlL and run Lhls Llme. uon'L sLay on Lhe same llne long. SwlLch
rouLes. 1hose are Lwo lmporLanL asslgnmenLs."

MarLy's face was gullLy. l'm sorry, !on."

l know." !on paused. We've goL Lo have some way Lo sLay ln Louch."

1he lnLerneL," MarLy sald prompLly. 8uL noL regular L-mall."

8lghL you are," eLer agreed. 8uL perhaps Lhere's somewhere we can leave a message."

!on smlled. l know--- rlghL under Lhelr noses, where Lhey'll never see lL. We can use Lhe
Asperger's syndrome Web slLe."

MarLy nodded enLhuslasLlcally. 1haL's greaL, !on. erfecL."

1hey conLlnued Lo dlscuss Lhe slLe's Web rlng and whaL klnd of coded messages Lo leave unLll
eLer suddenly shouLed: Pold fasL! 8ogles aL Len o'clock!"

1he 8v gave a wlld lurch Lo Lhe rlghL, swaylng so far over for a second lL rode on Lwo wheels. A
volley of shoLs exploded from Lhe foresL. Class flew and meLal rlpped aL Lhe back of Lhe 8v.
MarLy crled ouL.

MarL?" !on looked back.

MarLy saL huddled on Lhe floor of Lhe careenlng 8v, cluLchlng hls lefL leg and Lrylng noL Lo be
flung from slde Lo slde llke a sack of flour. A bloody sack of flour. !on could see a spreadlng pool
of red on MarLy's Lrouser leg, buL MarLy grlnned feebly and sald ln a shaky volce, l'm all rlghL,
wwwavs!"o#co%
!on."

CeL a Lowel," !on called back, fold lL and press lL hard agalnsL Lhe wound. lf Lhe bleedlng
doesn'L sLop soon, yell ouL."

Pe needed Lo sLay ln Lhe cab where he could use eLer's Lnfleld lf any of Lhe aLLackers cuL Lhem
off.

eLer was Loo busy Lo use a weapon as he Lurned Lhe wheel wlLh a vlse grlp, hls pale eyes cool.
1he unwleldy vehlcle bounced off Lhe road Lhrough Lhe Lrees and brush, mlraculously hlLLlng
noLhlng as eLer gulded lL wlLh Lhe preclslon of an asLronauL docklng aL a space sLaLlon. 1wlce
he plunged Lhe masslve vehlcle Lhrough sLreams, klcklng up sheeLs of waLer and LllLlng
dangerously on rocks hldden beneaLh Lhe surfaces.

Cn Lhe road, Lwo men ran wlLh rlfles Lrylng Lo geL a clear shoL aL Lhe 8v, buL Lhe bone-[arrlng,
unpredlcLable lurches and bounces of Lhe vehlcle frusLraLed Lhem. 1hey dodged branches and
leaped over rocks. 8ehlnd Lhem, a gray Suv baLLled Lo Lurn on Lhe narrow road so lL could [oln
Lhe pursulL.

As Lhe runners fell farLher behlnd, !on spoLLed a deep ravlne loomlng sLralghL ahead. eLer!
Careful!"

CoL lL!" eLer slammed Lhe brakes and plvoLed ln a half !-Lurn. 1he Lop-heavy vehlcle
LhreaLened Lo fllp over as lL skldded sldeways, sldeswlped Lwo glanL boulders, and flnally came
Lo a shudderlng sLop barely feeL from Lhe chasm.

Cn Lhe road, Lhe runners were far back buL closlng ln agaln. ln Lhe dlsLance, Lhe Suv had almosL
succeeded ln Lurnlng.

1enslon ln Lhe 8v was Lhlck. !on sLared down aL Lhe deep ravlne and wlped sweaL from hls face.

Pere we go." eLer gunned Lhe englne, and Lhe blg vehlcle leaped ahead parallel Lo Lhe ravlne
and sLralghL Loward Lhe road.

!on waLched Lhe Lwo pursulng aLLackers, who were Lrylng Lo shorLcuL Lhe road by sprlnLlng
among Lhe Lrees. 1hey're geLLlng close!"

eLer gave Lhe runnlng men a qulck glance. 1he ravlne made a sudden sharp Lurn away, and he
angled Lhe 8v ouL of Lhe Lrees and onLo Lhe road once more. WlLh a relleved grln, he [erked Lhe
clumsy vehlcle around and roared away down Lhe dlrL road, klcklng up clouds of dusL.

A flnal fuslllade rang ouL, and bulleLs slashed Lhrough Lhe Lrees around Lhe fleelng vehlcle. !on
forced hlmself Lo Lake a long breaLh and relax hls hands on hls weapon. Pe checked Lhe slde-
vlew mlrror: 1he Lwo men had been [olned by a Lhlrd, and Lhey sLood angry and frusLraLed,
Lhelr weapons dangllng aL Lhelr sldes, ln Lhe cenLer of Lhe dusLy road.

!on recognlzed Lhe shorL, burly man who had [olned Lhe flrsL Lwo.

lL's Lhem," he sald angrlly. 1he people who've been Lrylng Lo klll me." Pe looked aL eLer.
wwwavs!"o#co%
1here'll be more of Lhem somewhere."

Cf course." eLer sLudled Lhe rough road as Lhe vehlcle conLlnued Lo shake and bounce.
Lvaslve sLraLegy, l should say. knowledge of Lhe Lerraln. 1rusL Lhe enemy Lo overraLe Lhe
elemenL of surprlse."

!on cllmbed back Lo MarLy, hanglng on Lo anyLhlng he could hold. 8uL Lhls Llme MarLy was rlghL-
-- Lhe flesh wound ln hls lefL leg was superflclal. !on applled anLlbloLlc and a bandage. Cne of
Lhe 8v's wlndows had been shoL ouL and Lhe ouLer shell rlpped wlLh bulleL holes ln Lhree
places, buL noLhlng had peneLraLed, and noLhlng lmporLanL was damaged, especlally noL Lhe
compuLer LhaL was parL of eLer's sLandard equlpmenL.

Pe re[olned eLer up fronL, and flve mlnuLes laLer heard Lhe sound of Lrafflc.

WhaL do you Lhlnk?" Pe scruLlnlzed Lhe dlrL road ahead as lL wound down among Lhe Lrees.
Wlll Lhey be walLlng where we [oln Lhe hlghway?"

Cr sooner. LeL's dlsappolnL Lhem." eLer smlled hls almosL dreamy smlle.

Ahead was a Lrack LhaL led off from Lhe road Lo Lhe lefL. Lven narrower Lhan Lhe road Lhey
Lraveled, even more deeply ruLLed, lL was only lnches wlder Lhan Lhe 8v. 8uL lL was a road, noL
a Lrall.

eLer explalned, llre road. loresL's full of Lhem. unmarked on any maps buL Lhe foresLry
servlce's and Lhe flre dlsLrlcL's."

We're Laklng lL?" !on asked.

1he scenlc rouLe." WlLh a shorL smlle, eLer swung Lhe 8v onLo lL.

lne branches brushed and scraped agalnsL Lhe 8v's meLal sldes. 1he nolse was endless and
unnervlng, llke flngers on a chalkboard. llfLeen mlnuLes laLer, [usL as !on was beglnnlng Lo Lhlnk
he was golng Lo lose hls mlnd, he saw Lhe end of Lhe road.

1hls lL?" he asked eLer hopefully.

WhaL? SLop Lhls lovely [aunL?" eLer Lurned Lhe vehlcle onLo anoLher flre road. We're golng
downhlll now, noLlce? Won'L be long," he sald cheerfully. 8uck up, lad."

1hls flre road was an equally LlghL squeeze. Cverhanglng branches conLlnued Lo scraLch Lhe
sldes as eLer pressed Lhe 8v onward. !on closed hls eyes and slghed, Lrylng Lo keep hls skln
from crawllng. AL leasL MarLy was noL complalnlng from Lhe back. 8uL Lhen, MarLy was on hls
meds. 1hank Cod for aL leasL LhaL.

When Lhey flnally reached Lhe hlghway, !on saL up alerLly. eLer paused Lhe 8v among Lhe Lrees
aL Lhe blackLop's edge. 1he horrlble scraLchlng and groanlng sLopped, and only Lhe sound of Lhe
englne and Lhe Lrafflc marred Lhe quleL beauLy of Lhe foresL.

!on peered around. Any slgn of Lhem?" 1rafflc on Lhe wlde Lwo-lane road ln fronL of Lhem was
wwwavs!"o#co%
heavler Lhan he'd expecLed. 1hls lsn'L l20."

u.S. 393. 1he blg one on Lhls slde. Should do. See anyone lurklng?"

!on surveyed boLh dlrecLlons. no one."

Cood. nelLher do l. Whlch way?"

Whlch way geLs us Lo San lranclsco fasLer?"

1o Lhe rlghL, and back on l20 Lhrough ?osemlLe."

1o Lhe rlghL Lhen, and l20."

eLer's pale eyes Lwlnkled. Cheeky of you."

Colng back Lhe way we came should be Lhe lasL Lhlng Lhey'd expecL us Lo do, and all 8vs look
allke anyway."

unless Lhe ambushers read our plaLe."

1ake Lhe plaLes off."

uammlL, my boy. Should've LhoughL of LhaL." eLer pulled a screwdrlver and a seL of MonLana
llcense plaLes from Lhe glove comparLmenL and [umped ouL.

!on grabbed hls 8ereLLa and followed. Pe sLood waLch as eLer llfLed off Lhe old one and
screwed on a llcense from MonLana. ln Lhe Lranqull foresL, blrds sang and lnsecLs buzzed.

MlnuLes laLer, boLh men reLurned lnslde.

MarLy was slLLlng aL Lhe compuLer. Pe looked up. LveryLhlng okay?"

AbsoluLely," !on reassured hlm.

eLer puL Lhe 8v lnLo gear and sald enLhuslasLlcally, LeL's bell Lhe caL."

Pe rolled Lhe lumberlng vehlcle onLo Lhe hlghway headlng souLh. When Lhe l20 lnLersecLlon
appeared, he Lurned onLo lL, and Lhey cllmbed back uphlll. A quarLer of a mlle laLer Lhey passed
Lwo Suvs parked along Lhe dense foresL, one on each slde of Lhe dlrL road LhaL led from Lhe
back of eLer's properLy.

AL one of Lhe Suvs, a Lall, pockmarked man wlLh hooded dark eyes and wearlng a black sulL
spoke lnLo a walkle-Lalkle. Pe seemed aglLaLed, and he sLared up Lhe mounLalnslde ln
frusLraLlon. Pe hardly glanced aL Lhe baLLered 8v wlLh Lhe MonLana plaLes as lL cllmbed up Lhe
hlghway Loward ?osemlLe.

Arab," eLer sald. Looks dangerous."

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My concluslon, Loo." !on sLared aL Lhe hlghway Lrafflc. Pls volce was grave. LeL's hope l can
flnd some answers ln lraq, and LhaL you'll be able Lo Lrack 8lll Crlffln and flnd ouL more abouL
Sophla's deaLh. 1hose erased phone calls could be crlLlcal."

1hey drove on. eLer Lurned on Lhe radlo. lL droned news of an unknowlng world, whlle Lhe
approachlng darkness casL lLs long, omlnous shadows over Lhe whlLe peaks of Lhe hlgh Slerras
ahead.

___________________

wwwavs!"o#co%
wwwavs!"o#co%
&ART THREE

___________________

___________________

CPA1L8

1WLn1? llvL

___________________

8:00 .M., 1uesday, CcLober 21

1he WhlLe Pouse, WashlngLon, u.C.

Llke an accusaLlon, Lhe fronL page of 1he WashlngLon osL lay on Lhe blg CablneL 8oom oval
Lable where Lhe presldenL had lefL lL. AlLhough none of Lhe solemn cablneL chlefs who saL
around Lhe pollshed Lable and none of Lhelr asslsLanLs who packed Lhe walls looked aL Lhe
newspaper wlLh lLs banner headllne, everyone was palnfully aware of lL. 1hey had awakened Lo
flnd Lhelr own coples lylng on Lhelr doorsLeps, [usL as hundreds of mllllons of Amerlcans had
dlscovered slmllar Lerrlfylng headllnes awalLlng Lhem. All day long Lhe news had blared from
Lhelr radlos. Cn Lelevlslon, llLLle else was dlscussed.

lor days sclenLlsLs and Lhe mlllLary had kepL Lhe presldenL and hlgh offlclals lnformed, buL noL
unLll now, when Lhe so-called clvlllzed world seemed Lo erupL wlLh Lhe news, had Lhe full force
of Lhe growlng epldemlc hlL home.

uLAuL? AnuLMlC Cl unknCWn vl8uS SWLLS CLC8L

ln Lhe packed cablneL room, SecreLary of SLaLe norman knlghL pushed hls meLal-rlmmed
glasses up on hls long nose. Pls volce was sober. 1wenLy-seven naLlons have reporLed faLallLles
due Lo Lhe vlrus, a LoLal so far of more Lhan a half mllllon. All began wlLh sympLoms of a heavy
cold or mlld flu for some Lwo weeks, Lhen lL'd suddenly escalaLe lnLo acuLe resplraLory dlsLress
syndrome and deaLh wlLhln hours, someLlmes less." Pe slghed unhapplly. lorLy-Lwo naLlons
are reporLlng sudden cases of whaL appears Lo be a mlld flu. We don'L know yeL wheLher LhaL's
Lhe vlrus, Loo. We've barely sLarLed counLlng Lhose vlcLlms, buL Lhey're ln Lhe hlgh mllllons."

A shocked hush greeLed Lhe secreLary's flgures. 1he packed room seemed Lo grow rlgld.

resldenL Samuel Adams CasLllla's peneLraLlng gaze Lraveled slowly over Lhelr faces. Pe was
looklng for clues lnLo Lhe mlnds of hls cablneL chlefs. Pe had Lo know on whom he could counL
Lo remaln sLeady and brlng knowledge, wlsdom, and Lhe wlll Lo acL. Who would panlc? Who
would be shocked lnLo paralysls? knowledge wlLhouL Lhe wlll Lo acL was lmpoLenL. Wlll Lo acL
wlLhouL knowledge was bllnd and reckless. And anyone wlLh nelLher Lo offer needed Lo be
dlsmlssed.

wwwavs!"o#co%
llnally he spoke, keeplng hls volce composed. All rlghL, norm. Pow many ln Lhe unlLed
SLaLes?"

1he secreLary of sLaLe's long face was Lopped by an unruly shock of Lhlck whlLe halr. 8eyond
Lhe nlne cases early lasL week, Lhe CuC reporLs some flfLy more deaLhs and aL leasL a Lhousand
flullke cases LhaL Lhey're LesLlng for Lhe new vlrus rlghL now."

lL looks llke we're geLLlng off llghL," sald Admlral SLevens 8rose, chalrman of Lhe !olnL Chlefs.
Pls volce was cauLlously hopeful.

1oo cauLlous and Loo hopeful, resldenL CasLllla reflecLed. lL was sLrange, buL he had noLlced
LhaL mlllLary men were ofLen Lhe leasL wllllng Lo acL on Lhe lnsLanL. 8uL Lhen, Lhey had seen Lhe
deadly consequences of lll-consldered acLlon more Lhan mosL.

1haL's so far," nancy eLrelll, secreLary of PealLh and Puman Servlces, polnLed ouL omlnously.
Whlch doesn'L mean we won'L be devasLaLed Lomorrow."

no, l suppose lL doesn'L," Lhe presldenL agreed, a llLLle surprlsed by Lhe PPS secreLary's
negaLlve Lone. Pe had always found her Lo be Lhe opLlmlsLlc Lype. robably a measure of Lhe
Lerror Lhls vlrus was lnsLllllng ln people and governmenLs. 1haL alone emphaslzed Lhe need for
acLlon--- consldered and meanlngful acLlon, yes, buL some acLlon, Lo mlLlgaLe Lhe sense of
helpless panlc LhaL could freeze everyone ln lLs grlp.

Pe Lurned Lo Lhe surgeon general. AnyLhlng new on where Lhose slx orlglnal cases conLracLed
Lhe vlrus, !esse? A connecLlon among Lhem?"

Aslde from Lhe facL LhaL all were elLher ln ueserL SLorm or relaLed Lo someone who was,
nelLher Lhe CuC nor uSAM8llu has been able Lo flnd anyLhlng."

"Cverseas?

1he same," Surgeon Ceneral !esse Cxnard admlLLed. All Lhe sclenLlsLs agree Lhey're sLumped.
1hey can see lL ln Lhelr elecLron mlcroscopes, buL Lhe unA sequence lnformaLlon so far doesn'L
offer any useful clues. lL maLches no known vlrus exacLly, so Lhey can only guess how Lo deal
wlLh lL. 1hey have no ldea where lL came from and noLhlng LhaL'll cure or sLop lL. All Lhey can
suggesL are Lhe usual meLhods for LreaLlng any vlral fever and Lhen hope Lhe morLallLy raLe ls no
worse Lhan Lhe flfLy percenL we had ln Lhe flrsL slx cases."

AL leasL LhaL's someLhlng," Lhe presldenL declded. We can moblllze every medlcal resource ln
Lhe advanced lndusLrlallzed counLrles and send Lhem all over Lhe world. Medlclnes, Loo.
LveryLhlng anyone needs or Lhlnks Lhey need." 1he presldenL nodded Lo Anson McCoy,
secreLary of defense. ?ou puL Lhe whole armed forces aL !esse's dlsposal, Anse, everyLhlng---
LransporLs, Lroops, shlps, whaLever lL Lakes."

?esslr," Anson McCoy agreed.

WlLhln reason, slr," Admlral 8rose warned. 1here are some naLlons LhaL mlghL Lry Lo Lake
advanLage lf we puL Loo many resources lnLo Lhls. We could leave ourselves open Lo aLLack."

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1he way lL's golng, SLevens," Lhe presldenL sald dryly, Lhere mlghL noL be much lefL Lo aLLack
or defend anywhere. lL's a Llme for new Lhlnklng, people. 1he old answers aren'L worklng.
Llncoln sald someLhlng llke LhaL ln a crlsls a long Llme ago, and we may damn well be
approachlng Lhe same klnd of crlsls now. kenny and norman have been Lrylng Lo Lell us LhaL for
years. 8lghL, kenny?"

SecreLary of Lhe lnLerlor kenneLh uahlberg nodded. Clobal warmlng. LnvlronmenLal
degradaLlon. uesLrucLlon of Lhe raln foresLs. MlgraLlon from rural areas all across Lhe 1hlrd
World. CverpopulaLlon. lL's all leadlng Lo Lhe emergence of new dlseases everywhere. 1haL
means a loL of deaLhs. 1hls epldemlc may be only Lhe Llp of Lhe lceberg."

Whlch means we've goL Lo puL everyLhlng lnLo sLopplng lL," Lhe presldenL sald. As musL every
lndusLrlallzed counLry." CuL of Lhe corners of hls eyes he saw nancy eLrelll open her mouLh as
lf Lo ob[ecL. And don'L Lell me how much lL's golng Lo cosL, nancy. 1haL doesn'L maLLer aL Lhls
polnL."

l agree, slr. l was golng Lo offer an ldea."

Ckay." 1he presldenL Lrled Lo conLrol hls lmpaLlence. ln hls mlnd he was gearlng up for acLlon.
1ell us whaL's on your mlnd."

l dlsagree LhaL all sclenLlsLs have noLhlng Lo suggesL. My offlce had a call noL an hour ago from
a ur. vlcLor 1remonL, chalrman and CLC of 8lanchard harmaceuLlcals. Pe sald he couldn'L be
absoluLely cerLaln, havlng never LesLed lL agalnsL Lhe new vlrus, buL Lhe descrlpLlon he's heard
of Lhe vlrus and lLs sympLoms seems Lo closely maLch a monkey vlrus hls company's been
worklng wlLh for some years." She paused for effecL. 1hey have developed a serum LhaL cures
lL mosL of Lhe Llme."

1here was a sLunned momenL. LxclLemenL exploded ln a cacophony of confllcLlng volces. 1hey
bombarded Lhe PPS secreLary wlLh quesLlons. 1hey ob[ecLed Lo Lhe posslblllLy. 1hey Lhrllled aL
a cure.

llnally Lhe presldenL slammed hls flsL onLo Lhe Lable. Pold lL, dammlL! All of you, shuL up!"

1he cablneL room almosL vlbraLed wlLh Lhe abrupL sllence. 1he presldenL glared aL each of
Lhem, allowlng Llme for Lhe room Lo calm. 1enslon was palpable, and Lhe Llcklng of Lhe clock on
Lhe manLel seemed as loud as Lhunder.

llnally, resldenL CasLllla reLurned hls hard gaze Lo Lhe PPS secreLary. LeL's hear LhaL agaln
sLralghL ouL and ln fewer words, nancy. Someone Lhlnks Lhey have a cure for Lhls Lhlng?
Where? Pow?"

nancy eLrelll glanced wlLh conslderable anlmoslLy Loward her fellow cablneL members and Lhe
oLher advlsers who were ready Lo [ump on her agaln. As l sald, slr, hls name ls vlcLor 1remonL.
Pe's CLC and chalrman of 8lanchard harmaceuLlcals, a large lnLernaLlonal blomedlcal
company. Pe says a Leam aL 8lanchard has developed a cure agalnsL a vlrus found ln monkeys
from SouLh Amerlca. Anlmal LesLlng has been hlghly poslLlve, a veLerlnary use paLenL has been
granLed, and everyLhlng's under revlew by Lhe luA."

wwwavs!"o#co%
Surgeon Ceneral Cxnard frowned. lL hasn'L been approved by Lhe luA even for anlmals?"

Cr ever LesLed on humans?" SecreLary of uefense McCoy demanded.

no," Lhe PPS secreLary sald, Lhey had no lnLenLlon of uslng lL on humans. ur. 1remonL Lhlnks
Lhls unknown vlrus may be Lhe same monkey vlrus buL conLracLed now by humans, and l'd say--
- conslderlng Lhe clrcumsLances--- we'd be ldloLs noL Lo lnvesLlgaLe furLher."

Why would anyone develop a cure for a monkey vlrus?" Lhe secreLary of commerce wanLed Lo
know.

1o learn how Lo combaL vlruses ln general. 1o develop mass producLlon Lechnlques for Lhe
fuLure," nancy eLrelll Lold Lhem. ?ou've [usL heard ken and norman say emerglng vlruses are
an lncreaslng danger Lo Lhe world wlLh all Lhe access Lo whaL were once remoLe areas. 1oday's
monkey vlrus can be Lomorrow's human epldemlc. l'd say we can all appreclaLe LhaL now, can'L
we? Maybe we should conslder Lhe posslblllLy LhaL a monkey-vlrus cure [usL mlghL cure
humans, Loo."

1he hubbub erupLed agaln.

1oo damn dangerous."

l Lhlnk nancy's rlghL. We don'L have a cholce."

luA would never allow lL."

WhaL do we have Lo lose?"

A loL. lL could be worse Lhan Lhe dlsease."

And: uoes lL sound a llLLle funny Lo anyone else? l mean, a cure for an unknown dlsease [usL
appearlng ouL of nowhere?"

Come on, Sam, Lhey've obvlously been worklng on lL for years."

A loL of pure research doesn'L have a pracLlcal use aL flrsL, Lhen suddenly lL does."

unLll Lhe presldenL agaln banged Lhe Lable.

All rlghL! All rlghL! We'll dlscuss lL. l'll llsLen Lo any and all ob[ecLlons. 8uL rlghL now, l wanL
nancy and !esse Lo go Lo Lhls 8lanchard harmaceuLlcals and check lL ouL. We have a dlsasLer
on our hands, and we cerLalnly don'L wanL Lo make lL any worse. AL Lhe same Llme, we could
use a mlracle rlghL abouL now. LeL's all hope Lo hell Lhls 1remonL knows whaL he's Lalklng abouL.
LeL's do more. LeL's pray he's rlghL before half Lhe world ls wlped ouL." Pe sLood up. All rlghL,
LhaL's lL. We all know whaL we have Lo do. LeL's do lL."

Pe sLrode from Lhe room wlLh a far more poslLlve sLrlde and manner Lhan he felL. Pe had young
chlldren of hls own, and he was frlghLened.

wwwavs!"o#co%
__________

ln Lhe soundproof backseaL of her long black llmouslne, nancy eLrelll spoke lnLo her cell
phone. l walLed unLll Lhe slLuaLlon appeared Lo be as grlm as posslble, as you suggesLed,
vlcLor. When l saw LhaL everyone was ready Lo concede all we could do was puL on 8and-Alds
and hand ouL a loL of 1LC, l dropped our bombshell. 1here was a loL of gnashlng of LeeLh, buL ln
Lhe end l'd say Lhe presldenL's poslLlon ls, baslcally, he's ready Lo Lake any help he can geL."

Cood. lnLelllgenL." lar away ln Lhe Adlrondacks, 1remonL smlled ln hls offlce above Lhe placld
and peaceful lake. Pow ls CasLllla golng Lo handle lL?"

Pe's sendlng me and Lhe surgeon general up Lo Lalk Lo you and reporL back."

Lven beLLer. We'll puL on a sclence-and-humlllLy show for !esse Cxnard."

8e careful abouL lL, vlcLor. Cxnard and a few oLhers are susplclous. WlLh Lhe presldenL looklng
for anyLhlng poslLlve, Lhey won'L do more Lhan muLLer, buL glve Lhem any suggesLlon LhaL
someLhlng lsn'L rlghL and Lhey'll pounce."

1hey'll flnd noLhlng, nancy. 1rusL me."

WhaL abouL our colonel !on SmlLh? ls he ouL of Lhe plcLure?"

?ou can counL on lL."

l hope so, vlcLor. l really hope so."

She cllcked off and saL ln Lhe dark llmo, her manlcured flngers Lapplng rapldly agalnsL Lhe
armresL. She was exclLed and afrald. LxclLed LhaL everyLhlng appeared Lo be golng exacLly as
planned, and afrald LhaL someLhlng... some small chlnk Lhey had forgoLLen or lgnored or had
noL dealL wlLh... could go wrong.

ln hls offlce, vlcLor 1remonL looked ouL aL Lhe dlsLanL dark shadows of Lhe hlgh Adlrondacks. Pe
had reassured nancy eLrelll, buL he was havlng a harder Llme reassurlng hlmself. AfLer al-
Passan mlssed SmlLh and hls Lwo frlends ln Lhe Slerras, all Lhree had vanlshed. WhaL he hoped
was LhaL Lhey had gone lnLo hldlng and posed no furLher LhreaL LhaL Lhey were hunkered down,
afrald for Lhelr llves.

8uL 1remonL could Lake no chances. 8esldes, from every plece of lnformaLlon he had been able
Lo learn abouL SmlLh, lL seemed obvlous Lo hlm LhaL SmlLh was noL Lhe Lype Lo glve up. 1remonL
would conLlnue Lo keep everyone waLchlng for hlm. SmlLh's chances of dolng damage, or even
survlvlng, were noL good. 1remonL shook hls head. lor a momenL he felL a chlll. A noL-good
chance wlLh a man llke SmlLh was noL Lhe same as no chance aL all.

___________________

CPA1L8

1WLn1? Slx
wwwavs!"o#co%

___________________


8aghdad, lraq

Cnce consldered Lhe cradle of clvlllzaLlon, Lhe clLy of 8aghdad sprawled on a dry plaln beLween
Lhe 1lgrls and LuphraLes 8lvers. A meLropolls of conLrasLs, lL seemed Lo shudder ln Lhe mornlng
llghL. lrom Lurquolse-Llled domes and mlnareLs, muezzln walled across Lhe roofLops of Lhe
exoLlc clLy, calllng Lhe falLhful Lo prayer. Women dressed ln long abayas gllded llke black
pyramlds Lhrough Lhe narrow byways of Lhe old suq and Loward Lhe glassy, modern hlgh-rlses
of Lhe new clLy.

1hls anclenL clLy of myLh and legend had been lnvaded many Llmes across Lhe mlllennla--- by
PlLLlLes and Arabs, Mongols and Lhe 8rlLlsh--- and each Llme lL had survlved and Lrlumphed. 8uL
afLer a decade of u.S.-led sancLlons, LhaL long hlsLory seemed lrrelevanL. Llfe ln Saddam
Pusseln's shabby 8aghdad was a day-Lo-day sLruggle for Lhe baslcs--- food, clean waLer, and
medlclne. vehlcles lumbered along palm-llned boulevards. Smog sLank Lhe sweeL deserL alr.

!on SmlLh had been Lhlnklng abouL all Lhls as Lhe Laxlcab had rushed hlm Lhrough Lhe gray clLy
sLreeLs. now as he pald off Lhe drlver, he looked carefully around aL a once-expenslve
nelghborhood. no one appeared Loo curlous. 8uL Lhen, he was dressed as a u.n. worker wlLh
an offlclal u.n. armband and a plasLlc ldenLlflcaLlon badge snapped Lo hls [ackeL. Also, Laxls
were everywhere ln Lhls grlm, embaLLled clLy. urlvlng a cab was one of Lhe few occupaLlons
mosL mlddle-class lraqls were already prepared Lo do: 1hey sLlll had aL leasL one operaLlng
famlly car, and Saddam Pusseln kepL Lhe prlce of gas low, less Lhan Len u.S. cenLs a llLer.

As Lhe drlver sped away, SmlLh surveyed Lhe sLreeL agaln and warlly sLrode across Lo whaL had
once been Lhe Amerlcan embassy. 1he wlndows were shuLLered, and Lhe bulldlng and grounds
were ln dlsrepalr. 1here was a sense of abandonmenL abouL Lhe compound, buL !on pushed on
Lhrough. Pe rang Lhe bell.

1he unlLed SLaLes sLlll had a man ln 8aghdad, buL he was ollsh. ln 1991, aL Lhe end of Lhe Culf
War, oland assumed conLrol of Lhe lmposlng Amerlcan embassy on SLreeL norLhwesL. Slnce
Lhen, even when u.S. bombs and mlsslles fell, ollsh dlplomaLs held forLh from Lhe embassy,
represenLlng noL only Lhelr naLlon's lnLeresLs ln lraq, buL Amerlca's. lrom Lhe greaL shuLLered
embassy, Lhey handled passporL quesLlons, reporLed on local medla, and occaslonally passed
sub-rosa messages beLween WashlngLon and 8aghdad. As ln all wars, Lhere were Llmes when
even enemles needed Lo communlcaLe, whlch was Lhe only reason Saddam Pusseln LoleraLed
Lhe oles. AL any momenL, Lhe mercurlal Pusseln could change hls mlnd and lmprlson Lhem all.

1he embassy's fronL door swung open Lo show a blg man wlLh a snub nose, Lhlck gray halr, and
shaggy eyebrows LhaL were lowered over lnLelllgenL brown eyes.

Pe flL Lhe descrlpLlon eLer had glven !on. !erzy uomalewskl?"

wwwavs!"o#co%
1he same. ?ou musL be eLer's frlend." 1he door swung open wlder, and Lhe dlplomaL's gaze
Look ln Lhe Lall Amerlcan wlLh one savvy glance. ln hls mldforLles, he wore a brown sulL LhaL
sagged as lf lL had gone Loo long beLween cleanlngs. Pe spoke ln ollsh-accenLed Lngllsh.
Come ln. no polnL ln maklng ourselves lnLo blgger LargeLs Lhan we already are." Pe closed Lhe
door behlnd !on and led hlm across a marble foyer lnLo a large offlce. ?ou are sure no one
followed you?" Pe llked Lhe level look ln Lhe sLranger's dark blue eyes and Lhe sense of physlcal
power he radlaLed. Pe would need boLh aLLrlbuLes ln perllous 8aghdad.

lnsLanLly SmlLh caughL Lhe whlff of fear. Ml6 knows whaL lL's dolng. l won'L bore you wlLh Lhe
clrculLous rouLe Lhey used Lo geL me lnLo Lhe counLry."

Cood. uo noL Lell me." uomalewskl nodded as he closed Lhe offlce door. 1here are secreLs no
one should know. noL even me." Pe gave a small, wry smlle. 1ake a chalr. ?ou musL be weary.
1haL one wlLh Lhe arms ls comforLable. SLlll has lLs sprlngs." As !on saL, Lhe dlplomaL conLlnued
on Lo Lhe wlndow where he cracked open Lhe shuLLer and sLared ouLslde aL Lhe mornlng. We
musL be so careful."

!on crossed hls legs. uomalewskl was correcL: Pe was Llred. 8uL he also felL a poundlng need Lo
geL on wlLh hls lnvesLlgaLlon. Sophla's beauLlful face and Lhe agony of her deaLh haunLed hlm.

1hree days ago, he had arrlved aL London's PeaLhrow alrporL ln Lhe early hours of Lhe mornlng
dressed ln new clvlllan cloLhes he had boughL ln San lranclsco. lL was Lhe beglnnlng of a long,
gruellng [ourney. AL PeaLhrow, an Ml6 agenL sneaked hlm lnLo a mlllLary ambulance LhaL had
whlsked hlm Lo some 8Al base ln LasL Anglla. lrom Lhere he had been flown Lo a deserL alrsLrlp
ln Saudl Arabla and plcked up by a nameless and LaclLurn 8rlLlsh SAS corporal dressed ln long
8edouln robes who spoke perfecL Arablc.

uL Lhese on." Pe Lossed !on robes ldenLlcal Lo hls. We're golng Lo Lake advanLage of a llLLle-
known prewar agreemenL." lL Lurned ouL he was Lalklng abouL Lhe lraql-Saudl Arablan neuLral
Zone, whlch Lhe Lwo naLlons sLlll malnLalned so Lhelr nomadlc 8edoulns could conLlnue Lhelr
hlsLorlc Lrade rouLes.

ln Lhe swelLerlng robes, !on and Lhe corporal were handed from 8edouln camp Lo 8edouln
camp by Lhe lraql underground unLll on Lhe ouLsklrLs of 8aghdad Lhe corporal surprlsed hlm
wlLh fake ldenLlLy papers. lraql dlnars, WesLern cloLhlng, and a badge and armband for a u.n.
worker from 8ellze. !on's cover name was Mark 8onneL.

Pe had shaken hls head, amazed aL Ml6's Lhoroughness. ?ou've been holdlng ouL."

Pell, no," Lhe corporal sald lndlgnanLly. uldn'L know wheLher you'd make lL. no polnL wasLlng
good lu on a bloody corpse." Pe pumped !on's hand ln farewell. lf you ever see LhaL arse eLer
Powell agaln, Lell hlm he owes us all a whopper."

now !on saL ln Lhe former Amerlcan embassy, dressed llke a Lyplcal u.n. worker ln hls brown
coLLon slacks, shorL-sleeved shlrL, zlppered [ackeL, and Lhe all-lmporLanL u.n. armband and
badge. Pe had money and addlLlonal ldenLlflcaLlon ln hls pockeL.

uo noL Lake our concern personally," uomalewskl was saylng as he conLlnued Lo sLudy Lhe
sLreeL. ?ou cannoL blame us for noL belng especlally enLhuslasLlc abouL helplng you."
wwwavs!"o#co%

Cf course. 8uL be assured--- Lhls may be Lhe mosL cruclal rlsk you've ever Laken."

uomalewskl nodded hls shaggy head. 1haL was ln Lhe message from eLer. Pe also gave me a
llsL of docLors and hosplLals you wlshed Lo vlslL." 1he ole Lurned from Lhe wlndow, hls Lhlck
eyebrows ralsed. Agaln he consldered Lhe Amerlcan. Pls old frlend eLer Powell had sald Lhls
man was a medlcal docLor. 8uL could he handle hlmself lf vlolence sLruck? lL was Lrue LhaL from
hls hlgh-planed face Lo hls broad shoulders and Lrlm walsL, he looked more llke a snlper Lhan a
healer. uomalewskl consldered hlmself an apL [udge of people, and from everyLhlng he could
see abouL Lhls undercover Amerlcan, perhaps eLer had been rlghL.

!on asked, ?ou've arranged meeLlngs?"

Cf course. l wlll drlve myself Lo some. CLhers you musL handle yourself." 1he dlplomaL's volce
became a warnlng: 8uL remember your u.n. credenLlals wlll be useless lf you fall lnLo Lhe
governmenL's hands. 1hls ls a pollce sLaLe. Many clLlzens are armed, and anyone can be a spy.
Pusseln's prlvaLe pollce force--- Lhe 8epubllcan Cuard--- ls as bruLal and powerful as Lhe SS and
CesLapo comblned. 1hey're always snlfflng for enemles of Lhe sLaLe, dlssenLers, or slmply
someone whose looks Lhey do noL llke."

l undersLand Lhey can be random."

Ah, so you do know someLhlng abouL lraq."

A blL." SmlLh nodded grlmly.

uomalewskl cocked hls head, conLlnulng Lo appralse Lhe Amerlcan. Pe wenL behlnd hls desk
and pulled ouL a drawer. SomeLlmes Lhe greaLesL danger ls Lhe very arblLrarlness of lL all.
vlolence here erupLs ln a hearLbeaL, ofLen for no loglcal reason. eLer sald you should have
Lhls."

Pe saL ln an armchalr nexL Lo !on and held ouL anoLher u.S. Army 8ereLLa.

SmlLh Look lL eagerly. Pe Lhlnks of everyLhlng."

As my faLher and l boLh found ln our Llme."

1hen you've worked wlLh hlm before."

"More Lhan once. Whlch ls why l am dolng hlm Lhe favor of helplng you.

Pe had wondered why uomalewskl had agreed. 1hanks Lo boLh of you."

l hope you wlll sLlll Lhank us Lomorrow or Lhe nexL day. eLer says you are adequaLe wlLh Lhe
8ereLLa. uo noL heslLaLe Lo use lL lf you musL. Powever, remember any forelgner caughL wlLh a
gun wlll be arresLed."

l appreclaLe Lhe warnlng. l plan Lo avold LhaL."

wwwavs!"o#co%
Cood. Pave you heard abouL Lhe !usLlce ueLenLlon CenLer?"

Sorry, no."

uomalewskl's volce dropped, and horror lnfused hls words. 1he exlsLence of Lhe deLenLlon
cenLer was conflrmed [usL recenLly. lL ls slx sLorles deep lnLo Lhe ground. lmaglne LhaL--- no
wlndows for Lhe world Lo look ln, no exLerlor walls for Lhe crles of Lhe LormenLed Lo be heard
Lhrough, and no hope of escape. lraql mlllLary lnLelllgence bullL lL under Lhe hosplLal near Lhe al-
8ashld mlllLary camp souLh of here. 1hey say Cusal, Saddam's lnsane son, supervlsed Lhe deslgn
and consLrucLlon hlmself. MlllLary offlcers and personnel who dlsplease Saddam have an enLlre
floor of LorLure and execuLlon chambers reserved for Lhem. CLher prlsoners can be senL Lo a
level where Lhey offlclally do noL exlsL. 1hey cannoL be asked abouL. 1helr names cannoL even
be menLloned. 1hose sad creaLures are dlsappeared and losL forever. 8uL for me, Lhe worsL parL
of Lhe underground bulldlng... Lhe mosL grlsly and somehow savage... ls on Lhe boLLom floor.
1here Saddam has noL only dungeons buL an appalllng flfLy-Lwo gallows."

!on repressed a shudder. Cood Cod. llfLy-Lwo gallows? Mass execuLlons. Pe hangs flfLy-Lwo aL
a Llme? 1he whole place sounds llke a plece of hell. 1he man's an anlmal!"

LxacLly. 8emember, lL ls beLLer Lo use Lhe gun Lhan Lo be caughL wlLh lL. AL besL, Lhe confuslon
mlghL glve you a chance." Pe heslLaLed. Pe clasped hls hands and looked up aL !on, hls eyes
dark wlLh concern. ?ou are undercover, unofflclal, and unproLecLed. Ch, yes, Lhey would arresL
you, and, lf you were very lucky, Lhey would klll you qulckly."

l undersLand."

lf you sLlll wlsh Lo proceed, you have a loL of LerrlLory Lo cover Loday. We musL leave
lmmedlaLely."

lor a brlef halluclnogenlc momenL, ln hls mlnd SmlLh saw Sophla's LorLured face as she foughL
Lo llve. 1he gllsLenlng sweaL on her flushed cheeks... her sllky halr maLLed down... her qulverlng
flngers desperaLely reachlng for her LhroaL as she Lrled Lo breaLhe. Per paln had been
excruclaLlng.

As he sLudled Lhe grave face of uomalewskl, whaL he was really Lhlnklng abouL was Lhe only
woman he had ever loved and her Lerrlble, lnexpllcable, needless, crlmlnal deaLh. lor Sophla,
he could handle anyLhlng. Lven lraq and Saddam Pusseln.

Pe sLood up. LeL's go."

___________________

CPA1L8

1WLn1? SLvLn

___________________
wwwavs!"o#co%

10:03 A.M.

8aghdad

Alone ln Lhe backseaL of Lhe Amerlcan embassy's only operaLlng llmouslne, !on looked ouL on
Lhe busLllng clLy and noLed wlLh dlsgusL one conslsLenL feaLure--- Lhe phoLographs of Saddam
Pusseln. lrom Lowerlng blllboards Lo wall-slze posLers Lo framed plcLures ln dlngy sLorefronL
wlndows, Pusseln wlLh hls Lhlck black musLache and LooLhy smlle was everywhere. Cradllng a
chlld. Perolcally faclng off agalnsL Amerlca's new presldenL. Leadlng a famlly gaLherlng or a
buslnessmen's group. roudly saluLlng goose-sLepplng Lroops.

ln Lhls once-legendary land of learnlng and culLure, Pusseln's sLeel-flsLed rule was sLronger Lhan
ever. Pe had Lurned hls naLlon's sLaLe of war lnLo Lhe basls of hls power, and Lhe wreLchedness
of hls people lnLo paLrloLlc prlde. Whlle he blamed Lhe u.n.'s embargo--- al-hlssar"--- for
causlng a mllllon of hls people Lo dle of malnuLrlLlon, he and hls cronles had grown shamelessly
faL and rlch.

!onaLhan's dlsgusL only deepened when Lhey reached Lhe eleganL !adlrlya suburb, where many
of Pusseln's courLlers, sycophanLs, and war proflLeers had seLLled ln splendor. As !erzy
uomalewskl drove, Lhey crulsed pasL showy manslons, flne cafes, and gllLzy bouLlques. ollshed
Mercedeses, 8MWs, and lerrarls llned Lhe curbs. ServanLs ln llvery sLood guard ouLslde prlcey
resLauranLs. overLy had been banlshed, buL human greed was everywhere.

SmlLh shook hls head. 1hls ls crlmlnal."

uomalewskl was wearlng a chauffeur's cap and [ackeL. Conslderlng whaL Lhe resL of 8aghdad
looks llke, enLerlng !adlrlya ls akln Lo landlng on anoLher planeL. A very rlch planeL. Pow can
Lhese people sLand Lo llve wlLhln Lhelr selflsh sklns?"

lL's unconsclonable."

Agreed." 1he ollsh dlplomaL sLopped Lhe llmo ln fronL of an aLLracLlve sLucco bulldlng wlLh a
blue-Llle roof. 1hls ls lL." 1he englne ldllng, he glanced back over hls shoulder. Pls face was
solemn and anxlous. l wlll walL. unless, of course, you run ouL of Lhere wlLh Lhe 8epubllcan
Cuards on your backslde. l have only Lhe smallesL worry of Lhls, you undersLand. SLlll, lf such an
unforLunaLe evenL should occur, please do noL be lnsulLed lf all you see ls Lhe exhausL from Lhls
vehlcle's Lallplpe."

SmlLh gave a brlef smlle. l undersLand."

1he graceful bulldlng housed Lhe offlces of ur. Pusseln kamll, a promlnenL lnLernlsL. SmlLh
sLepped ouL lnLo Lhe warm sunshlne, looked warlly around, and sLrode Lhrough a llne of daLe
palms Loward Lhe carved wood door. lnslde, Lhe walLlng room was cool and empLy. SmlLh Look
ln Lhe rlch rugs, draperles, and upholsLered furnlLure. Pe sLudled Lhe closed doors, wonderlng
how safe he was and wheLher he would flnd answers here. uesplLe Lhe docLor's apparenL
affluence, he was noL dolng as well as he mlghL. lraq's economlc lsolaLlon showed ln small ways.
1he draperles were faded and Lhe furnlLure worn. 1he magazlnes on Lhe slde Lables were flve
and Len years old.
wwwavs!"o#co%

Cne of Lhe doors opened, and Lhe docLor appeared. Pe was a man of medlum helghL, ln hls
early flfLles, wlLh a swarLhy complexlon and nervous, darLlng eyes. Pe wore a whlLe medlcal
coaL over pressed gray Lrousers. And he was alone. no nurse. no recepLlonlsL. Cbvlously he had
Llmed SmlLh's appolnLmenL Lo make cerLaln no one would wlLness lL.

ur. kamll." !on lnLroduced hlmself by Lhe fake name on hls u.n. papers--- Mark 8onneL.

1he docLor lncllned hls head pollLely, buL hls volce was low and uneasy. ?ou have your bona
fldes?" Pe spoke Lngllsh wlLh a 8rlLlsh upper-class accenL.

!on handed over Lhe forged u.n. ldenLlflcaLlon. ur. kamll had been Lold !on was parL of a
worldwlde Leam lnvesLlgaLlng a new vlrus. 1he docLor led hlm lnLo an examlnaLlon room where
he sLudled Lhe credenLlals as carefully as he would evldence of cancer.

As he walLed, !on looked around--- whlLe walls, chromed equlpmenL, Lwo wood sLools, and a
Lable palnLed whlLe where Lhe shorL sLubs of penclls lay ln a poLLery bowl. 1he medlcal
equlpmenL showed Lhe effecLs of years of use wlLhouL replacemenL. LveryLhlng was clean and
shlny, buL Lhere were empLy sLands where LesL Lubes should be walLlng. 1he whlLe cloLh LhaL
covered Lhe examlnaLlon Lable was Lhln and eaLen wlLh Llny holes. Some of Lhe equlpmenL was
very ouL of daLe. 1haL would noL be Lhe only problem Lhls docLor--- all Lhe docLors of lraq---
faced. uomalewskl had sald many were graduaLes of Lhe world's flnesL medlcal schools and
conLlnued Lo provlde good dlagnoses, buL Lhelr paLlenLs had Lo flnd Lhelr own drugs. Medlclne
was avallable mosLly on Lhe black markeL and noL for dlnars. Cnly for u.S. dollars. Lven Lhe ellLe
had Lrouble, alLhough Lhey were wllllng Lo pay asLronomlcal sums.

llnally Lhe docLor reLurned Lhe paperwork. Pe dld noL lnvlLe !on Lo slL, and he dld noL slL
hlmself. 1hey sLood ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe sparLan, run-down room and conversed, Lwo
susplclous sLrangers.

1he docLor sald, WhaL exacLly ls lL you wlsh Lo know?"

?ou agreed Lo Lalk Lo me, uocLor. l assume you know whaL you wanLed Lo say."

1he docLor waved LhaL off. l cannoL be Loo careful. l am close Lo our greaL leader. Many
members of Lhe 8evoluLlonary Councll are my paLlenLs."

!on eyed hlm. Pe looked llke a man wlLh a secreL. 1he quesLlon was wheLher SmlLh could flnd
some way Lo convlnce hlm Lo reveal lL. SLlll, someLhlng's boLherlng you, ur. kamll. A medlcal
maLLer, l'd say. l'm sure lL has noLhlng Lo do wlLh Saddam or Lhe war, so lL should be no danger
Lo elLher of us Lo dlscuss lL a momenL. erhaps," he sald carefully, lL's Lhe deaLhs from an
unknown vlrus."

ur. kamll chewed on hls lower llp. Pls ebony eyes were Lroubled. Pe glanced almosL pleadlngly
around as lf he feared Lhe walls Lhemselves would beLray hlm. 8uL he was also an educaLed
man. So he slghed and admlLLed, A year ago l LreaLed a paLlenL who dled of sudden acuLe
resplraLory dlsLress syndrome wlLh hemorrhaglng from Lhe lungs. Pe had conLracLed whaL
appeared Lo be a heavy cold Lwo weeks before Lhe A8uS."

wwwavs!"o#co%
!on repressed exclLemenL. 1hey were Lhe same sympLoms as Lhe vlcLlms ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes.
Was he a veLeran of ueserL SLorm?"

1he docLor's eyes radlaLed fear. uo noL say LhaL!" he whlspered. Pe had Lhe honor of flghLlng
wlLh Lhe 8epubllcan Cuard durlng Lhe Clorlous War of unlflcaLlon!"

Any chance hls deaLh resulLed from blologlcal warfare agenLs? We know Saddam had Lhem."

1haL ls a lle! Cur greaL leader would never permlL such weapons. lf Lhere were any, Lhey were
broughL ln by Lhe enemy."

1hen could hls deaLh have been caused by Lhe enemy's blologlcal agenLs?"

no. noL aL all."

8uL your paLlenL was lnfecLed someLlme durlng Lhe war?"

1he docLor nodded. Pls swarLhy face was anxlous. Pe was an old famlly frlend, you see. l gave
hlm a compleLe physlcal every year of hls llfe. ?ou can never be Loo careful abouL healLh ln a
backward naLlon such as ours." 1he fearful eyes swepL Lhe room, he had lnsulLed hls counLry.
noL long afLer he reLurned Lo hls normal llfe he began Lo show many svlnpLoms of mlnor
lnfecLlons LhaL falled Lo respond Lo normal LreaLmenL buL dlsappeared anyway. Cver Lhe years,
he had lncreaslng fevers and brlef flullke eplsodes. 1hen he developed Lhe heavy cold and dled
abrupLly."

Were Lhere oLher deaLhs ln lraq from Lhe vlrus Lhen?"

?es. 1wo more here ln 8aghdad."

Also veLerans from Lhe war?"

So l have been Lold."

Was anyone cured?"

ur. kamll crossed hls arms and nodded mlserably. l have heard rumors." Pe dld noL look aL
!on. 8uL ln my oplnlon, Lhose paLlenLs slmply survlved Lhelr A8uS. CLher Lhan unLreaLed rables
vlrus, no vlrus kllls one hundred percenL. noL even Lbola."

Pow many survlved?"

1hree."

1hree and Lhree agaln. 1he evldence was plllng up, and !on foughL back boLh hls exclLemenL
and hls horror. Pe was uncoverlng lnformaLlon LhaL polnLed more and more Lo an experlmenL
uslng human gulnea plgs. Where are Lhe survlvors?"

AL LhaL, Lhe frlghLened docLor sLepped back. no more! l do noL wanL you golng elsewhere and
havlng survlvor daLa Lraced back Lo me." Pe yanked open Lhe door of Lhe examlnaLlon room
wwwavs!"o#co%
and polnLed aL anoLher door across Lhe hallway. Co. Leave!"

!on dld noL move. SomeLhlng made you wanL Lo Lell me, uocLor. And lL's noL Lhree dead men."

lor a momenL Lhe docLor looked as lf he could [ump ouL of hls skln. noL anoLher word!
noLhlng! Leave here! l do noL belleve you are from 8ellze or from Lhe u.n.!" Pls volce rose.
Cne phone call Lo Lhe auLhorlLles and---"

!on's Lenslon escalaLed. 1he Lerrlfled docLor looked as lf he mlghL explode, and !on could noL
Lake Lhe chance LhaL he would be Lrapped ln Lhe consequences. Pe sllpped ouL Lhe slde door
and along an alley. WlLh rellef, he saw Lhe embassy llmouslne sLlll walLed.

__________

ln hls offlce, ur. Pusseln kamll shook wlLh fear and anger. Pe was furlous Lo have puL hlmself ln
Lhls poslLlon, and he was afrald he would be caughL. AL Lhe same Llme, Lhls wreLched slLuaLlon
offered an opporLunlLy, lf he dared Lake lL.

Pe bowed hls head, crossed hls arms, and Lrled Lo quleL hls Lremors. Pe had a large famlly Lo
supporL, and hls counLry was dlslnLegraLlng as he waLched. Pe had Lhe fuLure Lo Lhlnk of. Pe
was Llred of belng poor ln a land where plenLy was Lo be had.

AL lasL he plcked up Lhe phone. 8uL lL was noL Lhe auLhorlLles he dlaled.

Pe lnhaled. ?es, ur. kamll here. ?ou conLacLed me abouL a cerLaln man." Pe sLeadled hls volce.
Pe has [usL lefL my offlce. Pe carrles Lhe credenLlals of a u.n. employee from 8ellze. 1he name
ls Mark 8onneL. Powever, l feel cerLaln he ls Lhe one you asked me Lo waLch for. ?es, Lhe vlrus
from Lhe Clorlous War of unlflcaLlon.... 1haL was whaL he asked abouL. no, he dld noL say
where he was golng. 8uL he was very lnLeresLed ln Lhe survlvors. Cf course. l am mosL graLeful. l
wlll expecL Lhe money and Lhe anLlbloLlcs Lomorrow."

Pe dropped Lhe recelver lnLo lLs cradle and fell lnLo hls chalr. Pe slghed and felL beLLer. So much
beLLer LhaL he allowed hlmself a falnL smlle. 1he rlsk was hlgh, buL Lhe payoff was, wlLh luck,
more Lhan worLh lL. 8y maklng Lhls one call, he was abouL Lo become a rarlLy ln 8aghdad: Pe
would have hls own prlvaLe supply of anLlbloLlcs.

Pe rubbed hls hands. CpLlmlsm coursed Lhrough hls velns.

1he rlch would crawl Lo hlm when Lhey or Lhelr chlldren fell lll. 1hey would Lhrow money aL
hlm. noL dlnars, whlch were useless ln Lhls benlghLed land ln whlch he had been lmprlsoned
slnce Lhe sLupld Amerlcans began Lhelr war and embargo. no, Lhe wealLhy slck would shower
hlm wlLh u.S. dollars. Soon he would have more Lhan enough Lo pay for hls famlly's escape and
a fresh llfe somewhere else. Anywhere else.

__________

7:01 .M.

8aghdad
wwwavs!"o#co%

nlghL fell slowly across exoLlc 8aghdad. A woman shrouded from head Lo Loe ln Lhe ublqulLous
abaya scuLLled llke a black splder beneaLh candlellL second sLorles and balconles on Lhe narrow,
cobbled sLreeL. ln 8aghdad's slzzllng summers, Lhese overhangs provlded shade Lo Lhe oldesL
secLlons of Lhe clLy. 8uL now lL was a cool CcLober nlghL, and a swaLh of sLars showed ln Lhe
narrow openlng above.

1he woman glanced up only once, so concenLraLed was she on her Lwo mlsslons LhaL lay ahead.
She appeared old. She was Lerrlbly benL over, probably noL only from age buL malnuLrlLlon---
and she carrled a frayed canvas gym bag. 8esldes Lhe body-cloaklng black abaya, she wore a
LradlLlonal whlLe pushl LhaL covered mosL of her face and revealed only her dark eyes, whlch
were nelLher properly downcasL nor ldle.

She hurrled pasL bay wlndows--- mashrablyah--- wlLh carved-wood screens LhaL allowed
vlewlng ouL onLo Lhe sLreeL buL noL ln. AL lasL she Lurned onLo a wlndlng Lhoroughfare llghLed
by waverlng anLlque sLreeL lamps and fllled wlLh Lhe babble of volces--- sLruggllng shopkeepers
desperaLe Lo sell Lhelr few wares, would-be consumers wlLh subslsLence dlnars, and barefooL
chlldren runnlng and shouLlng. no one gave her more Lhan a cursory glance. 1he place busLled
ln a flnal surge of energy as Lhe LradlLlonal closlng hour of 8:00 .M. approached.

1hen a Lrlo of Saddam Pusseln's feared 8epubllcan Cuards ln Lhelr dlsLlncLlve dark-green
faLlgues and webbed weapon belLs appeared.

She Lensed as Lhey approached. 1o her lefL, among Lhe row of open-alr sLands sLeamlng ln Lhe
cool nlghL alr, was a farmer hawklng fresh frulL from Lhe counLryslde. A crowd had gaLhered,
flghLlng over who could buy and aL whaL prlce. lnsLanLly she pulled dlnars from her volumlnous
abaya, slld lnLo Lhe Lhrong, and added her volce Lo Lhose calllng for Lhe farmer's merchandlse.

Per hearL pounded as she sLudled Lhe muscular guards from Lhe corners of her eyes.

1he Lhree men sLopped Lo waLch. Cne made a commenL, and anoLher responded, secure ln
Lhelr weapons and well-fed exlsLence. Soon Lhey were laughlng and sneerlng.

1he woman sweaLed as she conLlnued Lo beg Lhe farmer for frulL. Around her, oLher lraqls
glanced nervously over Lhelr shoulders. Whlle mosL resumed Lhelr clamor, some slunk furLlvely
away.

1haL was when Lhe guards chose Lhelr vlcLlm: A baker wlLh an armload of bread loaves plled
hlgh, hls face Lucked behlnd Lo hlde, had backed off and was sklrLlng Lhe crowd. 1he woman dld
noL recognlze hlm.

WlLh hard gazes, Lhe Lrlo surrounded Lhe baker, Lhelr plsLols drawn. Cne knocked away Lhe
loaves. AnoLher crashed hls gun across Lhe baker's panlcked face.

Pldden ln Lhe woman's canvas bag was a gun. Lvery flber of her wanLed Lo pull lL ouL and klll
Lhe bruLal guards. Pldden by her pushl, her face flushed wlLh rage. She blL her llp. She wanLed
desperaLely Lo acL.

8uL she had work Lo do. She musL noL be noLlced.
wwwavs!"o#co%

1here was an abrupL hush on Lhe busy sLreeL. As Lhe baker fell, people averLed Lhelr gazes and
moved away. 8ad Lhlngs happened Lo anyone who aLLracLed Lhe aLLenLlon of Lhe mercurlal
guards. 8lood poured from Lhe fallen man's face, and he screamed. Slckened, Lhe woman
waLched Lwo of Lhe guards grab hls arms and drag hlm off. Pe had been publlcly arresLed, or
perhaps he was slmply belng harassed. 1here was no way Lo know. Pls famlly would use
whaLever clouL Lhey had Lo Lry Lo free hlm.

A full mlnuLe passed. Llke Lhe lull before a sudden deserL sLorm, Lhe nlghL alr seemed heavy and
omlnous. 1here was llLLle rellef knowlng Lhe volaLlle guards had chosen someone else. nexL
Llme, lL could be you.

8uL llfe wenL on. Sound reLurned Lo Lhe wlndlng sLreeL. eople reappeared. 1he farmer Look Lhe
money from Lhe woman's palm and lefL an orange. WlLh a shlver, she dropped lL nexL Lo Lhe
gun ln her canvas gym bag and sped off, uneaslly scannlng all around whlle ln her mlnd she sLlll
saw Lhe Lerrlfled face of Lhe poor baker.

AL lasL she Lurned onLo Sadoun SLreeL, a commerclal Lhoroughfare wlLh hlgh-rlses Laller Lhan all
Lhe mlnareLs on Lhe far bank of Lhe 1lgrls. 8uL Lhls wlde boulevard now conLalned few upscale
goods and even fewer buyers who could afford Lhem. Cf course, no LourlsLs came Lo 8aghdad
anymore. Whlch was why when she flnally enLered Lhe modern klng Sargon PoLel, she found a
vasL empLlness. 1he once-magnlflcenL lobby wlLh lLs obsldlan and chrome had been deslgned by
WesLern archlLecLs Lo comblne Lhe culLure of Lhe anclenL klngdoms wlLh Lhe mosL up-Lo-daLe
convenlences of Lhe WesL. now, ln Lhe shadows of poor llghLlng, lL was noL only scruffy buL
deserLed.

1he Lall bellman wlLh large dark eyes and a Saddam Pusseln musLache was whlsperlng angrlly
Lo Lhe bored desk clerk. WhaL has Lhe greaL leader done for us, 8ashld? 1ell me how Lhe
genlus from 1lkrlL has desLroyed Lhe forelgn devlls and made us all rlch. ln facL, so rlch my h.u.
adorns Lhls worn-ouL bellman's sulL"--- he pounded hls chesL ln ouLrage--- ln a hoLel where
nobody comes, and my chlldren wlll be lucky Lo llve long enough Lo have no fuLure!"

1he clerk responded gloomlly, We wlll survlve, 8alshazar. We always have, and Saddam wlll
noL llve forever."

1hen Lhey noLlced Lhe benL-over old crone sLandlng quleLly before Lhem. She had arrlved sofLly,
llke a puff of smoke, and for a momenL Lhe desk clerk felL dlsorlenLed. Pow could he have
mlssed her? Pe sLared, caLchlng a brlef gllmpse of sharp black eyes over Lhe pushl. Culckly she
lowered her gaze ln Lhe presence of men noL her husband.

Pe frowned.

She made her volce humble and frlghLened, and she spoke ln perfecL Arablc: A Lhousand
pardons. l have been senL Lo be glven Lhe sewlng for Sundus."

WlLh Lhe sound of her fear, Lhe desk clerk recovered hls dlsdaln and [erked hls head Loward a
servlce door behlnd hlm. ?ou should noL be ln Lhe lobby, old woman. nexL Llme, go around Lo
housekeeplng. 1he back ls where you belong!"

wwwavs!"o#co%
Murmurlng words of apology, she dropped her head and brushed pasL Lhe h.u. bellman
named 8alshazar. As she dld, her unseen hand slld a folded paper lnLo Lhe pockeL of hls frayed
unlform.

1he bellman gave no lndlcaLlon of lL. lnsLead, he asked Lhe haughLy desk clerk, WhaL abouL Lhe
elecLrlclLy? WhaL ls Lhe schedule for lLs belng Lurned off Lomorrow?" unconsclously he lald a
proLecLlve hand over Lhe pockeL.

As Lhe woman dlsappeared Lhrough Lhe servlce door, she heard Lhe rlse and fall of Lhe men's
volces resume. lnwardly she slghed wlLh rellef: She had successfully compleLed her flrsL
mlsslon. 8uL Lhe danger was far from over. She had one more cruclal errand.

___________________

CPA1L8

1WLn1? LlCP1

___________________

7:44 .M.

8aghdad

A sharp wlnd off Lhe deserL blew Lhrough nlghLLlme 8aghdad, sendlng home shoppers on Shelk
Cmar SLreeL. 1he splcy scenLs of lncense and cardamom were ln Lhe brlsk alr. 1he sky was black,
and Lhe LemperaLure was dropplng. 1he benL old woman ln Lhe black abaya and face-hldlng
pushl who had carrled Lhe message Lo Lhe klng Sargon PoLel Lhreaded among pedesLrlans and
pasL plywood sLalls where used parLs and lraql lngenulLy for repalr flourlshed. 1hese days, many
of Lhe clLy's once comforLable mlddle-class manned Lhese lowly sLalls where everyLhlng from
herbs Lo hoL foods and used plumblng plpes were sold.

As Lhe woman approached her desLlnaLlon, she sLared, appalled. Per hearL Lhudded agalnsL her
rlbcage. She could noL belleve her eyes.

8ecause Lhe crowds had Lhlnned, he sLood ouL more Lhan he would have under ordlnary
clrcumsLances. 1all, Lrlm, and muscular, he was Lhe only norLhern Luropean on Lhe sLreeL. Pe
had Lhe same dark blue eyes, raven-black halr, and cool, hard face she remembered wlLh such
paln and anger. Pe was dressed casually ln a wlndbreaker and brown Lrousers. And desplLe Lhe
u.n. armband, she knew he was no u.n. worker.

She would have coverLly sLudled and analyzed hlm lf he had been any Luropean, an unusual
slghLlng ln Loday's lraq. 8uL Lhls man was noL [usL anyone, and for a spllL lnsLanL she sLood
paralyzed ln fronL of Lhe workshop. 1hen she qulckly conLlnued lnslde. Lven Lhe mosL
experlenced observer would have seen noLhlng ln her manner buL Lhe sllghLesL of heslLaLlons.
?eL her shock was profound.

wwwavs!"o#co%
WhaL was he dolng ln 8aghdad? Pe was Lhe lasL person she expecLed or wanLed Lo see: LL. Col.
!onaLhan SmlLh, M.u.

__________

Cn edge, !on surveyed Lhe sLreeL of plywood sLalls and narrow repalr shops. Pe had been
sllpplng lnLo medlcal offlces and Lhe sLorerooms of cllnlcs and hosplLals all day, Lalklng Lo
nervous docLors, nurses, and former medlcs from Lhe war. Many had conflrmed Lhere had been
slx A8uS vlcLlms lasL year wlLh Lhe sympLoms of Lhe deadly vlrus !on was lnvesLlgaLlng. 8uL
none could Lell hlm abouL Lhe Lhree survlvors.

As he sLrode along, he shrugged off a feellng he was belng waLched. Pe scruLlnlzed Lhe lamp-llL
sLreeL wlLh lLs faded bazaar shops and men ln long loose shlrLs--- gallablyyas--- who saL aL
scarred Lables drlnklng glasses of hoL Lea and smoklng waLer plpes. Pe kepL hls face casual. 8uL
Lhls secLlon of old 8aghdad seemed an odd place Lo meeL ur. 8adah Mahuk, Lhe world-famous
pedlaLrlc physlclan and surgeon.

SLlll, uomalewskl's lnsLrucLlons had been speclflc.

!on was geLLlng desperaLe. 1he famed pedlaLrlclan was hls lasL hope for Lhe day, and Lo sLay ln
8aghdad anoLher LwenLy-four hours would lncrease hls danger exponenLlally. Any of hls sources
could reporL hlm Lo Lhe 8epubllcan Cuard. Cn Lhe oLher hand, Lhe nexL lnformanL mlghL be Lhe
one Lo Lell hlm where Lhe vlrus had orlglnaLed and whaL basLard had lnfecLed Lhe lraqls and
Sophla.

Lvery nerve on edge, he paused ouLslde a workshop where bald Llres dangled from chalns on
elLher slde of a low, dark door. 1hls gloomy Llre-repalr shop was where uomalewskl had senL
hlm. Accordlng Lo Lhe dlplomaL, lL was owned by a formerly well-Lo-do 8aghdad buslnessman
who was blLLer because hls burgeonlng company had been rulned by Saddam Pusseln's
unnecessary wars.

1he sLore's seedy appearance dld noLhlng Lo relleve !on's susplclons. Pe glanced aL hls waLch.
Pe was on Llme. WlLh a lasL look around, he sLepped lnslde.

A shorL, baldlng man wlLh rough skln and Lhe usual Lhlck black musLache sLood behlnd a
baLLered counLer, readlng a plece of paper. Pls Lhlck flngers were sLalned wlLh Lar. nearby, a
woman wearlng Lhe usual fundamenLallsL black robes was shopplng Lhrough Llres.

Chassan?" !on asked Lhe man.

noL here." 1he lraql answered lndlfferenLly ln heavlly accenLed Lngllsh, buL Lhe gaze LhaL
swepL over !on was shrewd.

!on lowered hls volce and glanced back aL Lhe woman, who had moved closer, apparenLly Lo
examlne a dlfferenL group of Llres. l have Lo Lalk Lo hlm. larouk al-uubq Lold me he has a new
lrelll." lL was Lhe coded slgnal !erzy uomalewskl had relayed Lo !on. lL should acLlvaLe no
ouLslde lnLeresL because Chassan's boomlng company on 8ashld SLreeL had speclallzed ln Lhe
besL new Llres from around Lhe world, and everyone knew he was a connolsseur.

wwwavs!"o#co%
Chassan ralsed hls brows ln approval. Pe gave a brlef smlle, crumpled Lhe plece of paper
beLween hls work-worn hands, and sald hearLlly ln much beLLer Lngllsh, Ah, lrelll. An
excellenL cholce ln Llres. ln Lhe back. Come." 8uL as he Lurned Lo lead !on, he muLLered
someLhlng ln Arablc.

Suddenly, Lhe halrs on Lhe back of !on's neck sLood on end. Pe spun [usL ln Llme Lo see Lhe
woman ln Lhe long black abaya sllde llke a shadow ouL Lhe fronL door.

Pe frowned. Pls guL Lold hlm someLhlng was wrong. Who---?" he began.

8uL Chassan was speaklng urgenLly Lo hlm. lease hurry. 1hls way."

1hey ran from Lhe empLy fronL Lhrough a Lhlck-curLalned doorway and lnLo a cavernous sLorage
room wlLh so many plles of worn-ouL Llres LhaL Lhey nearly blocked Lhe rear enLrance. Cne
sLack reached Lhe celllng. Cn Lhe lowesL mound near Lhe room's cenLer saL a mlddle-aged lraql
woman cradllng a baby. llne wrlnkles crevlced her cheeks and hlgh forehead. Per charcoal eyes
focused on !on wlLh curloslLy. She wore a long prlnL dress, a black cardlgan sweaLer, and a
whlLe cowl wrapped over her head and around her neck. 8uL !on's gaze was on Lhe molsL,
feverlsh face of Lhe baby. As lL whlmpered, he hurrled Loward lL. Cbvlously Lhe lnfanL was slck,
and all !on's medlcal Lralnlng demanded he help, wheLher or noL Lhls was a Lrap.

Chassan spoke Lo Lhe woman ln rapld Arablc, and !on heard hls fake u.n. name menLloned. 1he
woman frowned and seemed Lo be asklng quesLlons. 8efore !on could reach Lhe chlld, a vlolenL
crash sounded from Lhe shop's fronL. Someone had klcked open Lhe door. Pe froze, Lense.
8ooLed feeL Lhundered, and a volce bellowed ln Arablc.

A bolL of adrenallne shoL Lhrough !on. 1hey had been beLrayed! Pe pulled ouL hls 8ereLLa and
whlrled.

AL Lhe same Llme, Chassan yanked ouL an old Ak-47 assaulL rlfle from Lhe cenLer of a plle of
Lhreadbare Coodyear Llres and snapped, 8epubllcan Cuards!" Pe handled Lhe Ak-47 wlLh a
famlllarlLy LhaL Lold !on Lhls was noL Lhe flrsL Llme he had used Lhe powerful assaulL rlfle Lo
defend hlmself or hls sLore.

!usL as !on sLarLed Loward Lhe nolse, Chassan ran ln fronL Lo block hlm. 8adlaLlng hoL rage,
Chassan [erked hls head back aL Lhe mlddleaged woman wlLh Lhe slck lnfanL. CeL Lhem ouL of
here. Leave Lhe resL Lo me. 1hls ls my buslness."

1he resoluLe lraql dld noL walL Lo see whaL !on would do. ueLermlned, he sprang Lo Lhe open
archway, shoved Lhe muzzle of hls Ak47 Lhrough Lhe curLaln, and opened flre wlLh a serles of
shorL bursLs.

1he sound was Lhunderous. 1he plywood walls rocked.

8ehlnd SmlLh, Lhe woman crled ouL. 1he baby screamed.

8ereLLa ln hand, !on raced back Lhrough Lhe sLacks of Llres Loward Lhem. 1he woman was
already up wlLh Lhe baby ln her arms, hurrylng Loward Lhe rear door. Suddenly a fuslllade of
auLomaLlc flre from Lhe fronL blasLed lnLo Lhe sLorage room. Chassan fell back and [umped
wwwavs!"o#co%
behlnd a plle of Llres. 8lood poured from a wound on hls upper arm. !on pulled Lhe woman and
baby down behlnd a dlfferenL sLack of Llres. 8ulleLs Lhudded lnLo Lhe sLorage room and landed
ln Lhe hard Llres wlLh radlaLlng Lhunks. 8ubber exploded lnLo Lhe alr.

8ehlnd hls sLack of Llres, Chassan was exclLedly muLLerlng hls prayers: Allah ls greaL. Allah ls
[usL. Allah ls merclful. Allah ls---"

AnoLher bursL of vlolenL auLomaLlc flre rlpped Lhe room. 1he woman ducked over Lhe chlld Lo
proLecL lL, and !on arched hlmself over boLh as wlld bulleLs exploded boLLles and [ars on Lhe
shelves. CllLLerlng shards of glass sprayed Lhe sLorage area. nuLs, bolLs, and screws LhaL had
been ln Lhe conLalners shoL ouL llke shrapnel. Somewhere an old LolleL flushed sponLaneously.

!on had seen Lhls before--- Lhe sLupld bellef of lll-Lralned soldlers LhaL bruLe flrepower would
subdue all opposlLlon. 1he LruLh was, lL would do llLLle damage Lo a LargeL enLrenched or under
cover. 1hrough lL all, Chassan's frenzled volce conLlnued Lo pray. As gunflre erupLed agaln, !on
saL back on hls heels and looked worrledly down aL Lhe woman, whose face was whlLe wlLh
fear. SmlLh paLLed her arm, unable Lo reassure her ln her own language. 1he baby crled,
dlsLracLlng Lhe woman. She cooed sooLhlngly down Lo lL.

AbrupLly, Lhere was sllence. lor some reason, Lhe 8epubllcan Cuards were holdlng Lhelr flre.
1hen !on knew why. 1helr booLed fooLsLeps hammered Loward Lhe curLalned archway. 1hey
were golng Lo rush Lhe sLorage room.

ralse Allah!" Chassan leaped exclLedly up from behlnd hls plle of Llres. Pe was grlnnlng
manlacally, and flre burned ln hls black eyes. 8efore !on could sLop hlm, he charged Lhrough Lhe
curLalned doorway, hls Ak-47 blazlng.

Screams and grunLs from beyond Lhe curLaln echoed Lhrough Lhe shop. 1he sound of
scrambllng and dlvlng for cover. 1hen a sudden sllence.

!on heslLaLed. Pe should geL Lhe woman ouL of here, buL maybe---

Crouched low, lnsLead he ran Loward Lhe curLalned archway.

AnoLher vlolenL fuslllade bursL ouL beyond Lhe curLaln.

!on hlL Lhe floor and crawled forward. As he reached Lhe curLaln, Lhe barrage sLopped. Pe held
hls breaLh and peered under Lhe boLLom of Lhe dangllng curLaln of beads. As he dld, a slngle
rlfle, llke a small volce ln Lhe wllderness, Lore ouL anoLher serles of deflanL bursLs. Chassan lay
behlnd a corner of Lhe shop counLer. Pe had Lhe 8epubllcan Cuards plnned down. SmlLh felL a
surge of admlraLlon.

1hen he saw Lhe Cuards crawllng Lhrough Lhe shop Lo geL behlnd where Chassan held ouL.
1here were Loo many of Lhem. 1he brave lraql could noL survlve much longer. !on wanLed
desperaLely Lo help hlm. Maybe Lhe Lwo of Lhem would be able Lo aL leasL galn Lhe Llme for
everyone Lo escape.

1hen he heard Lhe vehlcles ouLslde on Lhe narrow sLreeL.

wwwavs!"o#co%
1hey were brlnglng up relnforcemenLs. lL would be sulclde.

Pe looked back aL where Lhe woman waLched hlm. She held Lhe baby and seemed Lo be walLlng
Lo see whaL declslon he made. Chassan had Lold hlm Lo save her. Pe was sacrlflclng hls llfe noL
only Lo defend hls buslness buL Lo make cerLaln she and Lhe chlld escaped. lus, !on had a
mlsslon Lo compleLe, one LhaL could save mllllons of people from a horrlble deaLh. lnwardly he
slghed as he accepLed Lhe facL LhaL he could noL save Chassan.

Cnce he declded, he dld noL walL. As Lhe ear-spllLLlng sounds of gunshoLs conLlnued, !on
yanked open Lhe spllnLered rear door. 1he screams of Lhe ln[ured ln fronL echoed Lhrough Lhe
bulleL-rlddled shop. Pe gave Lhe woman a reassurlng smlle, Look her hand, and peered ouL lnLo
a dark alley so narrow and deep, even Lhe wlnd had llLLle room Lo blow. Pe Lugged, pulllng her
behlnd, and slld ouL lnLo Lhe passageway.

Cradllng Lhe lnfanL close ln one arm, she followed as Lhey ran Lwo doors Lo Lhe lefL. And froze.

MlllLary vehlcles screeched Lo a sLop aL boLh ends of Lhe alley. Soldlers [umped ouL and
pounded Loward Lhem. 1hey were caughL. 1rapped ln Lhe 8epubllcan Cuards' snare.

___________________

CPA1L8

1WLn1? nlnL

___________________


lrederlck, Maryland

SpeclallsL lour Adele Schwelk awoke wlLh an abrupL sLarL. nexL Lo her ear pulsed Lhe sharp,
unnervlng alarm from Lhe sensor she had planLed ln Lhe 8ussell woman's offlce a half-mlle away
aL uSAM8llu. lnsLanLly alerL, she Lurned off Lhe annoylng blasL, [umped from bed, and acLlvaLed
Lhe vldeo camera she had also lnsLalled ln Lhe dlsLanL offlce.

ln her dusky bedroom, she saL aL her desk and sLared aL Lhe monlLor unLll a flgure dressed ln
black appeared ln 8ussell's offlce. Apprehenslvely she sLudled Lhe lnLruder. Pe--- or she---
looked llke an allen lnvader, buL he moved wlLh Lhe fluldlLy of a caL, and a swlfL purpose LhaL
Lold Schwelk he had broken lnLo guarded bulldlngs before. 1he flgure wore an anLlflash hood
wlLh resplraLor and a black flak vesL. 1he vesL was sLaLe-of-Lhe-arL-lL would sLop cold Lhe bulleLs
of mosL plsLols and submachlne guns.

As sLlffly alerL ln her nlghLgown as she was ln her dayLlme unlform, she sLayed before Lhe
glowlng screen long enough Lo be cerLaln of Lhe lnLruder's lnLenLlon: Pe was conducLlng a
Lhorough search of Sophla 8ussell's offlce. ln a rush of adrenallne she yanked off her
nlghLgown, dressed ln her camos, and raced ouL Lo her car.
wwwavs!"o#co%

__________

ln a darkened 8v a block from Lhe enLrance Lo lorL ueLrlck, MarLy Zellerbach glared unhapplly
aL hls compuLer screen. Pls face was plnched wlLh worry, and hls sofL body slumped ln
exaggeraLed despalr. Pe had Laken hls Mlderal seven hours ago, and as lLs effecLs had faded he
had flnlshed a brllllanL program Lo auLomaLlcally swlLch relay rouLes randomly, assurlng no one
could Lrace hls elecLronlc fooLprlnLs ever agaln.

8uL LhaL achlevemenL had noL led Lo success ln elLher of hls Lwo maln ob[ecLlves: Sophla
8ussell's oLher phone calls, lf Lhey exlsLed, remalned sLubbornly erased, and 8lll Crlffln's Lracks
had been Loo well covered.

Pe needed Lo flnd a creaLlve soluLlon, whlch was a challenge he would welcome under dlfferenL
clrcumsLances. 8uL now he was anxlous. 1here was so llLLle Llme, and Lhe LruLh was... he had
been worklng on boLh problems all along, and he sLlll had no breakLhrough on elLher. lus Lhere
was Lhe facL LhaL he was frlghLened for !on, who had wllllngly vanlshed lnLo lraq. And--- as
much as he dlsLrusLed people ln general--- he had no deslre Lo see vasL quanLlLles of Lhem
erased, whlch was sure Lo be Lhelr faLe lf Lhe vlrus was allowed Lo conLlnue lLs rampage.

1hese were Lhe momenLs he had spenL hls llfe avoldlng: Pls well-honed self-lnLeresL had [usL
colllded wlLh hls deepesL, darkesL secreL.

no one knew he harbored a sLreak of alLrulsm. Pe never hlnLed aL lL and cerLalnly would never
admlL lL, buL he acLually LhoughL klndly of human bables, old people wlLh canLankerous
dlsposlLlons, and adulLs who quleLly dld charlLy work wlLhouL belng pald. Pe also gave away hls
enLlre yearly LrusL lncome Lo a varleLy of worLhy causes around Lhe world. Pe made plenLy Lo
cover hls llvlng expenses by solvlng cyber-problems for lndlvlduals, companles, and Lhe
governmenL, and he always had LhaL pleasanL savlngs accounL from whlch he had drawn flfLy
Lhousand dollars for !on.

Pe slghed. Pe could feel Lhe nervous edglness LhaL Lold hlm he was close Lo needlng anoLher
plll. 8uL hls mlnd ached Lo escape lnLo Lhe unknown where he could be hls llberaLed, exclLlng
self. As he LhoughL LhaL, brlghL colors flashed somewhere ahead on Lhe horlzon, and Lhe world
seemed Lo expand ln ever-larger waves of posslblllLles.

1hls was LhaL ferLlle Llme when he was close Lo loslng conLrol, and Lhere was every reason he
should. Pe had Lo flgure ouL how Lo check Sophla 8ussell's phone logs for accuracy, and he
desperaLely needed Lo flnd 8lll Crlffln.

now was Lhe Llme!

8elleved, he leaned back, shuL hls eyes, and happlly launched hlmself lnLo Lhe sLarry world of
hls vasL lmaglnaLlon.

1hen a cold, hard volce LhaL seemed Lo come from nowhere shocked hlm: Should l have been
Lhe enemy, you would be dead."

MarLy [umped. Pe yelled, eLer!" Pe Lurned. ?ou ldloL! ?ou could've glven me cardlac arresL
wwwavs!"o#co%
sneaklng up llke LhaL!"

SlLLlng duck," eLer Powell grumbled and shook hls head morosely. 1haL's whaL you are,
MarLy Zellerbach. MusL be more alerL." Pe was recllnlng ln a lounge chalr, sLlll dressed ln Lhe
all-black unlform of an SAS counLerLerrorlsL commando. Pls gray anLlflash hood lay ln hls lap.
Pe had reLurned from hls unevenLful mlsslon lnslde uSAM8llu and reenLered Lhe 8v wlLhouL
dlsLurblng Lhe alr.

MarLy was Loo angry Lo play Lhe old spy's game. Pe longed for all Lhls aggravaLlon Lo end so he
could reLurn Lo hls quleL bungalow where Lhe mosL annoylng evenL of Lhe day was Lhe arrlval of
Lhe mall.

Pls llp curled ln a sneer. 1he door was locked, you moron. ?ou're noLhlng buL a common
burglar!"

An uncommon burglar." eLer nodded sagely, lgnorlng MarLy's plLylng glare. lf l were Lhe
usual bumbllng second-sLory man, we wouldn'L be havlng Lhls chaL."

AfLer Lhey had lefL !on SmlLh aL San lranclsco lnLernaLlonal AlrporL, Lhey had Laken Lurns drlvlng
Lhe 8v cross-counLry, sleeplng and eaLlng ln lL so Lhey could make Lhe besL Llme. eLer had
shouldered Lhe vasL ma[orlLy of Lhe drlvlng and Lhe shopplng Lo lessen MarLy's complalnlng.
lus he had had Lo Leach MarLy Lo drlve agaln, whlch had Lrled hls paLlence. Lven now he
looked aL Lhe elecLronlcs genlus and was noL qulLe sure how Lhe sofL llLLle man could feel
superlor, slnce he appeared Lo be so handlcapped ln dally llfe. 8esldes, he was bloody lrksome.

MarLy groused, l hope Lo heaven you achleved beLLer resulLs Lhan l."

Alas, no." eLer's leaLhery face grlmaced. l found noLhlng of consequence." Cnce Lhey had
reached Maryland, he had declded Lhe wlsesL course was Lo sLarL aL Lhe beglnnlng wlLh Sophla's
lab and offlce, Lo be sure !on had mlssed noLhlng. So he had parked Lhe 8v where lL was now,
donned hls SAS commando gear, and sllpped lnLo lorL ueLrlck. Pe slghed. MarLy, my boy, l'm
afrald we're golng Lo need your unearLhly elecLronlc skllls Lo dlg lnLo Lhe poor lady's pasL. Can
you break lnLo her personnel flle here aL ueLrlck?"

MarLy brlghLened, ralsed hls hands above hls head, and snapped hls flngers as lf Lhey were
casLaneLs. ?ou have buL Lo ask!" Movlng wlLh greaL speed, he Lapped keys, waLched Lhe
monlLor, and mlnuLes laLer saL back, crossed hls arms, and shoL a Cheshlre-caL smlle aL eLer.
1adah! ersonnel flle for Sophla Llllan 8ussell, h.u. CoL lL!"

eLer had been waLchlng from Lhe shadows, worrylng as soon as MarLy began Lalklng ln
exclamaLlon polnLs. 1hln and wlry, he slld across Lhe 8v's llvlng room Lo lean over Lhe compuLer
monlLor.

Pe sald quleLly, !on Lhlnks Lhere was someLhlng ln Lhe deleLed reporL you recovered from Lhe
rlnce Leopold lnsLlLuLe LhaL Sophla consldered lmporLanL. 1haL's why Lhe reporL was erased
and Lhe page of her commenLs cuL from her logbook." Pe looked lnLo MarLy's shlnlng green
eyes. WhaL we need ls anyLhlng LhaL could Lle lnLo LhaL reporL."

MarLy bounced up and down on hls chalr. noL a problem! l'll prlnL ouL Lhe enLlre flle." LlecLrlc
wwwavs!"o#co%
energy seemed Lo shooL from hls pores, and a self-saLlsfled smlle wreaLhed hls face. CoL lL!
CoL lL!"

eLer clamped a hand on hls shoulder. 8eLLer Lake your Mlderal plll, Loo. Sorry. know you
don'L llke 'em. 8uck up, Lhough. WhaL we're abouL Lo do ls a Lask for Lhe borlng parL of boLh of
our bralns. AL leasL you can medlcaLe yours."

__________

WlLh Sophla's flle ln fronL of Lhem, eLer read Lhe rlnce Leopold reporL aloud as MarLy
checked lL agalnsL Lhe personnel flle. MarLy moved llne by llne, hls mlnd worklng meLhodlcally,
whlle eLer read and reread Lhe reporL. 1he Mlderal was a wonder drug, and lLs qulck-acLlng
effecL had slowed MarLy's speech and enabled hlm Lo slL quleLly Lhrough Lhe onerous Lask. Pe
was acLlng llke a courLly buL gloomy genLleman.

As dawn approached, Lhey had sLlll found no llnk beLween Sophla's pasL acLlvlLles and currenL
conLacLs aL uSAM8llu.

8lghL," eLer acknowledged. 1ake a sLep back. Where dld she do her posLdoc work?"

MarLy peered aL Lhe flle. unlverslLy of Callfornla."

Whlch one?"

lf MarLy had been off hls meds, he would have Lhrown up hls hands ln despalr aL how poorly
eLer was lnformed. lnsLead he slmply gave a shake of hls head. 8erkeley, of course."

Ah, yes. And Lhey say we 8rlLs are snobs. Can you crack LhaL augusL lnsLlLuLlon, or do we have
Lo drlve all Lhe way back Lo Lhe WesL CoasL?"

MarLy ralsed hls brows aL eLer's ldea of levlLy. Pe sald ln a measured, lrrlLaLlngly slow volce,
1ell me, eLer, do we dlsllke each oLher as much when l'm off my meds?"

?es, my boy. We cerLalnly do."

WlLh dlgnlLy, MarLy lncllned hls head. 1houghL so." Pe saL aL hls compuLer, and Len mlnuLes
laLer Sophla's LranscrlpL aL 8erkeley was ln hls hands.

eLer read aloud Lhe rlnce Leopold reporL agaln.

MarLy checked Lhe LranscrlpL. no names LhaL maLch. no fleldwork. Per enLlre program was ln
human geneLlcs, noL vlrology." Pe saL back, and Lhe LranscrlpL slld off hls knee. lL's hopeless."

nonsense. As we 8rlLs say, `We've noL yeL begun Lo flghL.' "

MarLy frowned. 1haL was !ohn aul !ones agalnsL Lhe 8rlLlsh."

Ah, buL Lechnlcally he was sLlll a 8rlL when he sald lL."

wwwavs!"o#co%
MarLy gave a glmleL smlle. ?ou're sLlll Lrylng Lo hold on Lo Lhe colonles?"

Always dld haLe Lo glve up a good lnvesLmenL. very well, where dld she do her docLoral
sLudles?"

rlnceLon."

Crack away."

8uL Lhe LranscrlpL of her docLoral sLudles showed her work Lo be far Loo exLenslve and lacklng
ln deLall Lo help. Per dlsserLaLlon had no connecLlon Lo vlruses. lnsLead, she had researched Lhe
gene clusLer LhaL held Lhe geneLlc muLaLlon responslble for Lhe mlsslng Lalls of Manx caLs.

MarLy polnLed ouL, She Look exLenslve fleld Lrlps. 1haL could be useful."

Agreed. ls a graduaLe advlser llsLed?"

ur. 8en[amln Llu. LmerlLus. Pe sLlll Leaches an occaslonal course, and he llves ln rlnceLon."

8lghL," eLer sald. l'll crank up Lhls heap. We're off."

__________

8:14 A.M.

rlnceLon, new !ersey

Sunrlse lllumlnaLed Lhe auLumn colors of Lrees and bushes as eLer and MarLy drove norLh.
1hey Lraded off drlvlng Lo sleep and crossed Lhe uelaware Memorlal 8rldge souLh of
WllmlngLon and sped up Lhe !ersey 1urnplke pasL Lhe busLllng meLropollses of hlladelphla and
1renLon. When Lhey enLered rlnceLon, Lhe sun was brlghL, and Lhe Lree leaves were vlbranL
shades of red, gold, and Langerlne.

lL was an old Lown, rlnceLon, a scene of baLLle durlng Lhe 8evoluLlonary War when Lhe 8rlLlsh
headquarLered here. lL sLlll reLalned Lhe Lree-llned sLreeLs and grassy meadows, Lhe old houses
and classlc unlverslLy bulldlngs, and Lhe eleganL and peaceful aLmosphere ln whlch hlgh
learnlng and Lranqull llfesLyles were mosL comforLably pursued. 1he famed unlverslLy and Lhe
hlsLorlc Lown were symblonLs, nelLher succeedlng fully wlLhouL Lhe oLher.

ur. 8en[amln Llu llved on a slde sLreeL heavlly planLed ln maple Lrees whose leaves burned
flame red, as lf on flre. 1he sedaLe, Lhree-sLory frame sLrucLure was shlngled ln LhaL easLern
seaboard wood color LhaL ls nelLher dark brown nor dark gray buL somewhere ln beLween,
earned by years of bravely faclng Lhe elemenLs.

ur. Llu hlmself had a well-weaLhered face. lar from Lhe cllche of an lnscruLable Chlnese
courLler, he was Lall and muscular, wlLh Lhe eyes and whlLe drooplng musLache of an asceLlc
Mandarln buL Lhe [uLLlng chln, full cheeks, and ruddy complexlon of a new Lngland whallng
capLaln. Pe was a flne blend of Chlnese and Caucaslan, and Lhe walls of hls sLudy helped Lo
show why. Panglng Lhere were Lwo porLralLs LhaL appeared Lo be hls parenLs. Cne was a Lall,
wwwavs!"o#co%
aLhleLlc, blond woman wearlng a yachLlng cap and carrylng a flshlng rod, whlle Lhe oLher
showed a dlsLlngulshed genLleman ln Lhe LradlLlonal robes of a Mandarln Chlnese elder seaLed
on Lhe bow of a shlp. Cn one slde of Lhe phoLographs hung mounLed game flsh, whlle on Lhe
oLher were dlsplayed hlsLorlc Chlnese courL badges of rank.

ur. Llu had [usL flnlshed hls breakfasL. Pe waved Lhem Lo seaLs ln Lhe sLudy. So how can l help
you? ?ou spoke on Lhe phone of Sophla 8ussell. l remember her well. A greaL sLudenL. noL Lo
menLlon a hell of a looker. She was Lhe only Llme l was LempLed Lo dare Lhe faLes wlLh a
Leacher-sLudenL affalr." Pe sank lnLo a wlng-back chalr. Pow ls she, anyway?"

Cn hls meds, MarLy began one of hls slow, meLhodlcal answers. Well, Sophla 8ussell ls---"

eLer gave ln Lo lmpaLlence. 8lghL, MarLy. My [ob here." Pe focused on Lhe reLlred professor.
She's dead, uocLor Llu. Sorry Lo be so blunL, buL we're hoplng you can help. She dled from Lhe
new vlrus."

uead?" ur. Llu was shocked. When? l mean, ls lL posslble?" Pe looked from eLer Lo MarLy
and back Lo eLer. Pe shook hls head, slowly aL flrsL, Lhen vlgorously. 8uL she was so... young."
Pe heslLaLed as lf seelng Sophla's vlLallLy. 1hen Lhe resL of whaL eLer had sald peneLraLed. 1he
new vlrus? lL's a global dlsasLer! l have grandchlldren, and l'm frlghLened Lo deaLh. lL could wlpe
ouL half Lhe specles. WhaL are we dolng Lo sLop lL? Can anyone Lell me?"

eLer's volce was reassurlng. Lveryone's worklng around Lhe clock, rofessor. lL's whaL ur.
8ussell was researchlng."

8esearchlng? So LhaL's how she goL Lhe vlrus?"

erhaps. lL's one of Lhe Lhlngs we're Lrylng Lo ascerLaln."

1he professor's face was seL ln grlm llnes. l can'L lmaglne l can be of any help, buL l'll Lry. 1ell
me whaL you wanL."

eLer handed Lhe one-page reporL Lo Lhe professor. 1hls ls from Lhe rlnce Leopold lnsLlLuLe of
1roplcal ulseases. lease read lL and Lell us lf anyLhlng ln Lhere Lles ln wlLh ur. 8ussell's sLudles
aL rlnceLon. Classes, fleld Lrlps, research, frlends, any bloody Lhlng LhaL occurs Lo you."

rofessor Llu nodded. Pe Look hls Llme readlng. Pe sLopped ofLen Lo Lhlnk and remember. An
old clock on Lhe manLel of Lhe sLudy Llcked loudly. Pe read Lhe reporL agaln. And agaln.

llnally, he shook hls head. l see noLhlng here LhaL sLrlkes me as relaLlng Lo Sophla's work or
sLudles. She concenLraLed on geneLlcs and, as far as l know, never Look a fleld Lrlp Lo anywhere
ln SouLh Amerlca. Clscours dldn'L sLudy aL rlnceLon, and Sophla dldn'L sLudy ln Lurope. l see no
way Lhey could've meL." Pe pursed hls llps and glanced down aL Lhe reporL agaln. Pe ralsed hls
head. 8uL you know, l do recall... yes, a Lrlp. ln her undergraduaLe years. noL vlruses, Lhough."
Pe heslLaLed. uamn, lL's only someLhlng she menLloned ln passlng aL an lnformal gaLherlng."
Pe slghed. l'm noL golng Lo be able Lo Lell you more Lhan LhaL."

MarLy had been llsLenlng closely. Lven when he was on hls medlcaLlon and hls brllllanL mlnd
was LeLhered, he sLlll LesLed smarLer Lhan nlneLy-elghL percenL of Lhe human populace. Whlch
wwwavs!"o#co%
lncreased hls annoyance wlLh eLer Powell. So [usL Lo prove he could, he forced hlmself Lo ask
qulckly: Where was she an undergraduaLe?"

1he professor looked aL hlm. Syracuse. 8uL she wasn'L sLudylng blology Lhen. So l don'L see
how LhaL Lrlp could posslbly relaLe Lo Clscours and hls reporL."

eLer opened hls mouLh Lo speak, buL MarLy [umped ln: SomeLhlng had beLLer." Pe felL a
sudden chlll and looked aL eLer.

eLer gave a grlmace of undersLandlng. lL's our lasL chance."

__________

SpeclallsL lour Adele Schwelk saL ln her small Ponda waLchlng Lhe house. 1he heavy man,
Maddux, saL ln Lhe passenger seaL beslde her. She had spoLLed Lhe black-cloLhed lnLruder leave
lorL ueLrlck and geL lnLo Lhe 8v parked on Lhe sLreeL, and Lhen she had followed Lhem Lo
rlnceLon. now she needed Lo geL back Lo her posL aL uSAM8llu.

She Lold Maddux, 1haL's hls 8v over Lhere. Pe looks and acLs dangerous. 8e careful. Pe's wlLh
anoLher man who should glve you no Lrouble. ?ou can plck Lhem up when Lhey come ouL."

?ou reporLed Lo Mr. al-Passan?"

1here wasn'L Llme."

Maddux nodded. Ckay, go. We'll Lake over."

Pe sLepped ouL of Lhe car and hurrled Lo hls van. Schwelk drove away wlLhouL anoLher glance
aL hlm or Lhe 8v.

___________________

CPA1L8

1Pl81?

___________________

9:14 A.M.

Long Lake vlllage, new ?ork

1he Adlrondack mounLaln alr was sweeL and fresh, and Lhe sun LhaL mornlng casL long, damp
shadows from Lhe Lall plnes onLo 8lanchard harmaceuLlcals' sprawllng complex. lnslde Lhe
brlck headquarLers, Surgeon Ceneral !esse Cxnard was lmpressed. Pe and PPS secreLary nancy
eLrelll had flnlshed a Lour of 8lanchard's labs and producLlon faclllLles, conducLed personally
by vlcLor 1remonL hlmself. 1he surgeon general had known of Lhe company, of course, buL lL
wwwavs!"o#co%
had always malnLalned a quleL proflle, and he had had no ldea of lLs greaL slze or worldwlde
presence.

1he Lwo governmenL offlclals meL wlLh senlor sLaff over coffee and Lhen re[olned 1remonL ln hls
grand, half-Llmbered offlce. A wall of wlndows overlooked Lhe foresLed lake LhaL gave Lhe Lown
lLs name. 1hey seLLled lnLo chalrs beslde 1remonL's flreplace where wood burned ln a
comforLlng glow, and Lhey llsLened aLLenLlvely as 1remonL enLhuslasLlcally descrlbed Lhe orlgln
of Lhe promlslng experlmenLal serum.

...our mlcroblology people came Lo me wlLh Lhe proposal more Lhan a decade ago, because aL
Lhe Llme l was ln charge of 8&u. 1hey predlcLed more and more dlseases would emerge as
1hlrd World naLlons became more accesslble and Lhelr populaLlons burgeoned. ln oLher words,
fewer locaLlons would be remoLe enough Lo conflne deadly ouLbreaks. 1he lndusLrlal world
would have no defenses agalnsL Lhese plagues, whlch could be even more devasLaLlng Lhan
Plv-AluS. My people hoped by worklng wlLh some of Lhe more obscure ones we'd learn noL
only valuable sclence buL develop serums for hlLherLo lncurable dlseases. Cne of Lhe vlruses
Lhey concenLraLed on was faLal Lo a cerLaln specles of monkey LhaL was an especlally close
geneLlc relaLlve Lo humans. We developed a recomblnanL anLlserum cockLall agalnsL LhaL vlrus,
and developed Lhe bloLechnology Lo produce Lhe anLlbodles ln bulk as a feaslblllLy sLudy on
mass producLlon Lechnlques for Lhe fuLure." Pe gazed earnesLly aL Lhe palr. lL's Lhe sLudy l
phoned you abouL, SecreLary eLrelll. now maybe LhaL efforL may help Lhe world. AL leasL, l
cerLalnly hope so."

!esse Cxnard was noL sure. Pe was a blg, robusL man wlLh heavy [owls and a Lhlck musLache. Pe
frowned. 8uL Lhls developmenL... Lhls serum... ls sLlll essenLlally ln Lhe research sLage. lsn'L LhaL
so?"

An undersLandlng smlle spread across 1remonL's Lanned, arlsLocraLlc face. 1he flrellghL
reflecLed ln hls lron-gray halr as he shook hls head. We're pasL boLh Lhe anlmal-LesLlng and Lhe
prlmaLe-LesLlng sLages. ln facL, we've shown Lhe serum cures Lhe vlrus ln affecLed monkeys.
And, as l sald, purely as a sclenLlflc sLudy, we developed Lhe faclllLles and Lechnlques Lo produce
lL ln bulk. ln facL we have mllllons of doses already on hand. 1haL's whaL prompLed us Lo geL Lhe
paLenL and apply for luA approval for veLerlnary use."

nancy eLrelll waLched Lhe effecL all Lhls was havlng on Lhe surgeon general, whlle aL Lhe same
Llme she marveled aL vlcLor 1remonL's smooLh Lelllng of Lhe concocLed sLory. She almosL
belleved lL herself. Whlch remlnded her Lo cover her back when deallng wlLh vlcLor. She never
leL herself Lhlnk he was her frlend. AL flrsL he had needed her lnlLlal lnvesLmenL, and laLer he
wanLed her lnfluence as a congresswoman and Lhen as secreLary of PPS. 1haL was as warm and
fuzzy as lL goL wlLh vlcLor.

nancy was a reallsL. She wore her sllver halr shorL and efflclenL. She dressed ln femlnlne buL
buslnessllke SL. !ohn's knlLs. And she never gambled unless she flgured Lhe odds were greaLly ln
her favor. She was backlng vlcLor 1remonL and hls hlgh-class, hlgh-powered con game because
she belleved he would pull lL off. She was also well aware hls crlmes would be compounded by
mass murder lf he was caughL, so she had declded Lo dlsLance herself from any hlnL LhaL she
mlghL have known whaL he was acLually dolng. AL Lhe same Llme, she fully expecLed hlm Lo
Lrlumph and make her rlch.

wwwavs!"o#co%
As much for her own beneflL as Cxnard's, she sald, Monkeys aren'L people, ur. 1remonL."

vlcLor glanced qulzzlcally aL her and agreed: 1rue. 8uL ln Lhls case, Lhey are very close
geneLlcally and physlologlcally."

LeL me make cerLaln l undersLand Lhls." Surgeon Ceneral Cxnard sLroked hls musLache. ?ou
can'L be sure Lhe serum wlll cure people."

1remonL answered solemnly, Cf course noL. We won'L know unLll lL's acLually LesLed on
humans. 8uL conslderlng Lhe slLuaLlon, l Lhlnk we need Lo Lry."

1he surgeon general frowned. 1haL's a huge obsLacle. ln facL, lL's enLlrely posslble we may
dlscover Lhe serum may cause harm."

1remonL knlL hls flngers LogeLher and sLared down aL hls hands. When he looked up, he sald
earnesLly, Well, one Lhlng seems almosL cerLaln--- mllllons wlll dle lf we don'L flnd a cure for
Lhls horrlble vlrus." Pe shook hls head as lf ln an agony of lndeclslon. uon'L you Lhlnk l've
wresLled wlLh Lhls exacL problem? lL's why l heslLaLed for Lwo days Lo come forward. l had Lo be
comforLable ln my own mlnd l was dolng Lhe rlghL Lhlng. So Lhe answer ls yes, l'm convlnced
Lhere's a very good chance our serum wlll cure Lhls Lerrlble epldemlc. 8uL how can l guaranLee
lL won'L creaLe a greaLer sufferlng unLll lL's LesLed?"

All Lhree sllenLly conLemplaLed Lhe dllemma. !esse Cxnard knew he could noL posslbly
recommend 1remonL's serum for use wlLhouL Lhorough LesLlng, buL aL Lhe same Llme he
recognlzed he would look bold and declslve lf lL saved mllllons around Lhe globe from cerLaln
deaLh.

nancy eLrelll conLlnued Lo concern herself wlLh herself. She knew Lhe serum would work, buL
she had learned Lhe hard way Lo never go ouL on Lhe end of a pollLlcal llmb. She would poslLlon
herself solldly on Lhe slde of cauLlon and [oln Lhe mlnorlLy LhaL would, ln Lhe end, she was sure,
be overruled ln vlcLor's favor.

Meanwhlle vlcLor 1remonL was worrylng abouL !on SmlLh and hls Lwo frlends. Pe had heard no
news abouL Lhem from al-Passan slnce Lhe flasco ln Lhe Slerras. As he LhoughL LhaL, he broughL
hlmself back Lo Lhe presenL. Pe had a brave gesLure ln mlnd LhaL he hoped would convlnce Lhe
surgeon general and, Lhrough hlm, resldenL CasLllla. 8uL he had Lo Llme lL [usL so.

As he looked up aL eLrelll and Cxnard and Lhelr clouded faces deep ln LhoughL, he knew Lhe
Llme had come.

Pe musL break Lhe lmpasse. lf he could noL convlnce Surgeon Ceneral Cxnard, lL was posslble
everyLhlng he had sLrlven for over Lhe pasL dozen years would be losL.

lnwardly he nodded grlmly. Pe would noL lose. Pe could noL. 1he only way Lo be sure ls Lo LesL
lL on a human." Pe leaned Loward Lhem, hls volce commandlng and grave. We have lsolaLed
small quanLlLles of Lhe leLhal monkey vlrus. lL's unsLable, buL lL can be preserved for a week or
so." Pe heslLaLed as lf wresLllng wlLh a greaL moral quesLlon. 1here's only one way Lo proceed.
And please don'L Lry Lo sLop me--- Lhere's Loo much aL sLake. We musL Lhlnk of Lhe greaLer
good, noL [usL whaL we as lndlvlduals rlsk." Pe paused agaln and lnhaled. l'll ln[ecL myself wlLh
wwwavs!"o#co%
Lhe monkey vlrus---"

Surgeon Ceneral Cxnard fllnched. ?ou know LhaL's lmposslble."

1remonL ralsed a hand. no, no. lease leL me flnlsh. l'll ln[ecL myself wlLh Lhe vlrus, and Lhen
l'll Lake Lhe serum. 1he monkey vlrus may noL be exacLly Lhe same as Lhe one LhaL's spreadlng,
buL l belleve lL's close enough LhaL we'd see any adverse slde effecLs when l self-admlnlsLer Lhe
serum. 1hen we'll know."

1haL's absurd!" nancy eLrelll exclalmed, playlng Lhe devll's advocaLe. ?ou know we can'L
posslbly allow you Lo do LhaL."

!esse Cxnard heslLaLed. ?ou'd acLually do LhaL?"

AbsoluLely." 1remonL nodded vlgorously. lf lL's Lhe only way Lo convlnce everyone LhaL our
serum can sLop whaL ls rapldly becomlng a horrlble pandemlc."

8uL---" nancy eLrelll began, playlng ouL her opposlLlon.

1he surgeon general shook hls head. lL's noL for us Lo declde, nancy. 1remonL ls maklng a
magnlflcenL humanlLarlan offer. 1he leasL we can do ls respecL LhaL and puL hls suggesLlon
before Lhe presldenL."

eLrelll frowned. 8uL, dammlL, !esse, we have no assurance Lhe Lwo vlruses and Lhe serum wlll
lnLeracL Lhe same way ln Lhe human body." She saw 1remonL agaln frown aL her curlously, as lf
he doubLed he had heard her accuraLely. lf ur. 1remonL ls golng Lo offer hlmself as our gulnea
plg, he should be lnfecLed wlLh Lhe real vlrus. Cr, aL leasL, we should LesL Lhe Lwo vlruses Lo see
lf, perhaps, Lhey are ldenLlcal."

lnslde, 1remonL seeLhed wlLh rage. WhaL Lhe hell was she dolng? She knew damned well Lhe
serum wasn'L 100 percenL effecLlve--- no serum or vacclne was. Pe had Lhls conLlngency
covered, yes, buL she dldn'L know LhaL. CuLwardly he conLlnued Lo nod. She's rlghL, of course.
1haL'd be besL. 8uL Laklng Lhe Llme Lo compare vlruses would be an unnecessary delay. l assure
you l'm qulLe wllllng Lo be lnfecLed wlLh Lhe real vlrus. Cur serum wlll cure lL. l'm cerLaln."

no." 1he surgeon general slapped hls knees ln dlsagreemenL. 1here's no way we can leL you
do LhaL. 8uL Lhe famllles of Lhe vlcLlms are already clamorlng Lo be helped, so lL makes more
sense Lo ask Lhem lf Lhey'd be wllllng Lo leL Lhelr slck relaLlves Lry lL. 1haL way we'll flnd ouL
whaL we need Lo know and maybe save a doomed llfe, Loo. Meanwhlle, l'll have ueLrlck and Lhe
CuC compare Lhe vlruses."

eLrelll ob[ecLed, 1he luA wlll never approve."

Cxnard counLered, 1hey wlll lf Lhe presldenL Lells Lhem Lo."

1he dlrecLor would probably reslgn flrsL."

1haL's posslble. 8uL lf Lhe presldenL wanLs Lhe serum LesLed, lL wlll be."

wwwavs!"o#co%
nancy eLrelll appeared Lo Lhlnk abouL Lhls. l'm sLlll agalnsL uslng Lhe serum wlLhouL Lhe usual
serles of Lhorough LesLs. Powever, lf we're golng Lo go ahead, Lhen lL does make more sense Lo
Lry Lo save someone who's already slck."

1he surgeon general sLood up. We'll call Lhe presldenL and presenL boLh suggesLlons. 1he
sooner we sLarL, Lhe more llves we'll have a chance Lo save." Pe Lurned Lo vlcLor 1remonL.
Where can we phone ln prlvaLe?"

l have a llne ln Lhe conference room. 1hrough LhaL door." 1remonL nodded Lo a door ln Lhe
rlghL wall of hls offlce.

nancy?" !esse Cxnard asked.

?ou make Lhe call. no need for boLh of us. 1ell hlm l concur ln everyLhlng."

As Lhe surgeon general hurrled ouL and closed Lhe door, vlcLor 1remonL swlveled ln hls chalr Lo
besLow a cold smlle on Lhe PealLh and Puman Servlces secreLary. Coverlng your ass aL my
expense, nancy?"

Clvlng !esse Lhe negaLlve Lo work agalnsL," nancy eLrelll shoL back. We agreed l'd do Lhe
nay-saylng, so he focuses on Lhe poslLlve, Lhe advanLages."

1remonL's Lones gave no lndlcaLlon of hls anger. And a really good [ob lL was, Loo. 8uL, l Lhlnk,
more Lhan a llLLle self-proLecLlon, Loo."

eLrelll bowed Lo hlm. l learned from a masLer."

1hank you. 8uL lL does show a shocklng lack of falLh ln me."

She allowed herself a curL smlle. no, only ln Lhe vagarles of chance, vlcLor. no one has ever
found a way Lo ouLwlL chance."

WlLh LhaL LhoughL, 1remonL nodded. 1rue. We do our besL, don'L we? Cover all posslble
conLlngencles. lor example, l would lnslsL we conducL Lhe LesLs, and l assure you Lhe vlrus
would be harmless before lL reached me. 8uL Lhere's always LhaL llLLle resldue of chance lefL,
lsn'L Lhere. A rlsk for me."

1here's rlsk for all of us ln Lhls pro[ecL, vlcLor."

Where Lhe dlscusslon would have Laken Lhem, nancy eLrelll never found ouL. AL LhaL momenL
Lhe door from Lhe conference room opened, and Surgeon Ceneral Cxnard reenLered Lhe room,
a greaL bear of a man wlLh a relleved smlle.

Pe sald, 1he presldenL says he'll Lalk Lo luA, buL meanwhlle we're Lo sLarL looklng for
volunLeers among Lhe vlcLlms. 1he presldenL ls opLlmlsLlc. Cne way or Lhe oLher, we're golng Lo
LesL Lhls serum and beaL back Lhls godawful vlrus."

__________

wwwavs!"o#co%
vlcLor 1remonL laughed long and loud. ?es! Pe had done lL. 1hey were all golng Lo be rlch, and
lL was only Lhe beglnnlng. AL hls desk, he smoked hls Cuban clgar, drank hls slngle-malL scoLch,
and rocked wlLh laughLer ln prlvaLe celebraLlon. unLll hls cell phone rang ln Lhe boLLom drawer.

Pe yanked open Lhe drawer and snaLched up Lhe phone. nadal?"

1here was a brlef delay of wlreless phonlng from a long dlsLance. 1hen Lhere was Lhe self-
saLlsfled volce: We have locaLed !on SmlLh."

1hls was provlng Lo be hls day. Where?"

lraq."

MomenLary doubL assaulLed 1remonL. Pow dld he ever geL lnslde lraq?"

erhaps Lhe Lngllshman from Lhe Slerras. l have found lL lmposslble Lo learn anyLhlng abouL
hlm. 1here ls no cerLalnLy Powell ls hls correcL name any more Lhan 8omanov. 1haL leads me Lo
belleve he has much he wlshes Lo be unknown."

1remonL nodded angrlly. robably Ml6. Pow dld you locaLe SmlLh?"

Cne of my conLacLs--- a ur. kamll. l assumed SmlLh would be Lrylng Lo flnd our LesL cases, so l
alerLed all Lhe docLors l knew. noL LhaL many are pracLlclng now ln 8aghdad. kamll reporLed
SmlLh wanLs Lo know abouL Lhe survlvors as well."

uamn! Pe can'L be allowed Lo flnd LhaL."

lf he does, lL wlll noL maLLer. Pe wlll never leave lraq."

Pe goL ln."

Pe dld noL Lhen have Saddam's pollce and Lhe 8epubllcan Cuards looklng for hlm. Cnce Lhey
know Lhe Amerlcan lnLruder ls Lhere, Lhey wlll seal Lhelr borders and hunL hlm down. lf Lhey do
noL klll hlm, we shall."

uammlL, nadal, make sure you do Lhls Llme!" 1remonL snarled, and remembered Lhelr oLher
problem. WhaL abouL 8lll Crlffln? Where ls he?"

Already humbled by 1remonL's anger, al-Passan's face grew sLonler. We are waLchlng
everywhere !on SmlLh has been, buL Crlffln appears Lo have vanlshed from Lhe earLh."

1haL's [usL perfecL!" ln a rage he punched Lhe cell phone's off buLLon and glared unseelng
across Lhe offlce.

1hen Lhe day's Lrlumphs reLurned Lo make hlm smlle. no maLLer whaL !on SmlLh found ln lraq,
and desplLe Crlffln, Lhe Pades ro[ecL was golng forward accordlng Lo plan. Pe slpped hls
whlskey and hls smlle broadened. Lven Lhe presldenL was on board now.

__________
wwwavs!"o#co%

10:02 A.M., lorL lrwln,

8arsLow, Callfornla

1he man had followed 8lll Crlffln's renLed 1oyoLa plckup from lorL lrwln. Pe sLayed aL a safe
dlsLance, never Loo close or Loo far back, on Lhe Lwo-lane road and Lhen on lnLersLaLe 13. Pe
was walLlng for hlm Lo land somewhere relaLlvely permanenL. A place where Crlffln would
reLurn and where he would sleep. Crlffln knew Lhe man would have followed hlm all Lhe way Lo
Los Angeles lf necessary unLll he was cerLaln Crlffln would remaln ln one place long enough for
backup Lo arrlve.

now from behlnd Lhe curLalns of Lhe 8arsLow moLel room, Crlffln saw Lhe man geL ouL of hls
Land 8over and head Loward Lhe moLel offlce. An ordlnary man ln a nondescrlpL brown sulL and
open-necked shlrL. Crlffln had never seen hlm before. Pe would have been surprlsed lf he had.
SLlll, he recognlzed Lhe almosL lmpercepLlble bulge of a plsLol under Lhe man's sulL coaL. 1he
man would check wheLher Crlffln--- or whaLever name Lhe cusLomer ln unlL 107 was uslng---
was reglsLered for Lhe nlghL. 1hen he would make hls phone call.

Crlffln grabbed one of Lhe moLel's baLh Lowels. Pe ralsed Lhe rear wlndow, cllmbed ouL, and
clrcled behlnd Lhe unlLs Lo where he could see lnLo Lhe offlce. Pls sLalker was showlng a fake
badge or offlclal lu Lo Lhe moLel clerk. 1he clerk sLudled Lhe reglsLer, nodded, and Lurned Lhe
reglsLer so hls quesLloner could vlew lL.

Crlffln LroLLed Lo Lhe man's Land 8over and sllpped lnLo Lhe backseaL of Lhe hlgh vehlcle,
crouched down, and walLed. Culck fooLsLeps hurrled Lo Lhe 8over, and Lhe fronL door [erked
open.

As lL slammed shuL, Crlffln ralsed up, a sllenced WalLher k 6.33mm ln hls rlghL hand, Lhe baLh
Lowel ln Lhe oLher.

1he man was dlallng hls car phone.

ln a slngle moLlon, Crlffln dropped Lhe Lowel around Lhe man's head and flred once. 1he man's
head snapped back. WlLh Lhe Lowel Crlffln caughL mosL of Lhe blood and braln maLLer. Pe
quleLly lowered Lhe slumped body. SweaLlng, he goL ouL, pushed Lhe body lnLo Lhe passenger
seaL, and cllmbed behlnd Lhe wheel.

lar ouL ln Lhe deserL, he burled hls sLalker. 1hen he drove back lnLo 8arsLow and lefL Lhe car
locked on a slde sLreeL. 1lred and angry, he walked Lo hls moLel, checked ouL, and drove Loward
lnLersLaLe 13. AL lorL lrwln he had learned LhaL !on SmlLh had been lnLeresLed ln 1remonL's
governmenL sclenLlsLs" and Ma[or Anderson's servlce ln lraq durlng ueserL SLorm. When he
reached lnLersLaLe 13, he Lurned Lhe plckup Loward Los Angeles and lLs lnLernaLlonal alrporL. Pe
had declslons Lo make, and Lhe besL place Lo do LhaL was on Lhe LasL CoasL.

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
THIRTP ONE

___________________

8:02 .M.

8aghdad

1he benL woman ln Lhe black abaya was a block away from Lhe used-Llre shop when she heard
Lhe flrsL fuslllade. She paused nexL Lo an old man who saL cross-legged on Lhe sLreeL, hls palm
ouLsLreLched as he begged. She gazed down aL hlm wlLh empLy eyes, whlle her braln assured
her she was noL requlred Lo reLurn Lo Lhe shop Lo flnd ouL whaL Lhe shooLlng meanL.

8uL Lhen she heard Lhe exploslve blasLs of gunflre agaln.

When she had lefL Lhe shop, her mlsslon was over. She had made cerLaln Lhe undercover
Amerlcan docLor had made conLacL. AL LhaL polnL, she lefL, as she was supposed Lo. An armed
aLLack had noL been parL of Lhe plan. nor had Lhe man who had Lurned ouL Lo be Lhe
undercover docLor. She Lensed. She mlghL be many Lhlngs, buL one Lhlng she was noL was
cavaller wlLh her orders. She Look Lremendous prlde ln her work. She was Lhorough,
responslble, and uLLerly rellable.

She looked down aL Lhe lraql beggar once more. She dropped dlnars onLo hls palm. Per long
abaya flapplng around her legs, she moved as swlfLly as her benL shape allowed back Loward
Lhe Llre shop.

__________

ln Lhe 8aghdad alley, Lhe dark shadows were Lhe only proLecLlon for SmlLh, Lhe woman, and Lhe
baby. Pe pulled Lhem close agalnsL Lhe shack, whlch prevenLed Lhem from belng seen easlly.
1he gunflre lnslde drowned ouL normal clLy sounds, buL sLlll !on llsLened and waLched. 1hrough
Lhe gloom, he sLudled boLh ends of Lhe alley. Pe could [usL make ouL whaL appeared Lo be a
dozen 8epubllcan Cuards. 1hey were approachlng carefully, Lhelr weapons flrsL. 1hey moved
wlLh cerLalnLy and sLealLh, Saddam Pusseln's prlzed klllers.

SLlll, he gave Lhe woman a reassurlng smlle as she gazed anxlously up aL hlm ln Lhe moonllghL.
8e rlghL back," he whlspered. Pe knew she would noL undersLand, buL perhaps Lhe sound of a
human volce would help her Lo malnLaln her equlllbrlum as she cradled Lhe baby proLecLlvely Lo
her chesL.

Pls pulse Lhrobblng aL hls Lemples, !on rolled Lo Lhe lefL and pulled on Lhe flrsL door laLch.
Locked. 1hen Lhe second. Locked agaln.

1he 8epubllcan Cuards drew closer.
wwwavs!"o#co%

Pe reversed course and slld pasL Lhe woman. Pe Lrled a Lhlrd door. Also locked.

lrusLraLed and worrled, he drew her away from Lhe Llre shop Lo Lhe bulldlng nexL door and
Lugged on her arm unLll she crouched beslde hlm, low agalnsL Lhe wall where lL meL Lhe old
sLones of Lhe alley. Pe wanLed Lhem Lo be small LargeLs. Pe could see noLhlng else he could do--
- he was golng Lo have Lo flghL Lhelr way ouL.

Pls chesL LlghL, he grlpped hls 8ereLLa and conLlnued Lo waLch Lhe sLealLhy shadows draw
closer. SweaL gaLhered under hls cloLhes desplLe Lhe cool nlghL alr. 1he gunflre lnslde Lhe Llre
shop had sLopped. lor a momenL he LhoughL abouL Chassan and hoped he had survlved, Lhen
he wlped away all LhoughLs of anyLhlng buL Lhe danger ln Lhe alley.

Pe concenLraLed. 1he only sound was Lhe rhyLhmlc pad of Lhe soldlers' feeL as Lhey
approached. Pe breaLhed deeply, keeplng hlmself calm. Pe remembered !erzy uomalewskl's
warnlng LhaL lL was beLLer Lo shooL and rlsk deaLh Lhan be caughL allve wlLh Lhe gun. Pe had Lo
make every shoL counL, because lL was noL only hls llfe aL rlsk buL Lhe woman and chlld's, Loo.
Pe would open flre as soon as Lhe klllers were close enough Lo make lL lmposslble Lo mlss. Pe
needed Lo hlL as many as posslble, as qulckly as posslble.

Pe wlshed fervenLly he had more Lhan hls plsLol as Lhey closed ln. Pe ralsed Lhe 8ereLLa. AL [usL
LhaL momenL, Lhe baby leL ouL a wall, lnsLanLly followed by a serles of plerclng crles. 1he sounds
reverberaLed along Lhe alley as Lhe woman Lrled valnly Lo quleL Lhe chlld.

now Lhe Cuardsmen knew where Lhey were. SmlLh's chesL LlghLened lnLo a knoL. lnsLanLly
bulleLs blL lnLo Lhe wall. Wood spllnLers shoL ouL, sharp as needles. 1he woman llfLed her head,
her eyes whlLe wlLh fear. As Lhe baby screamed, SmlLh slld ln fronL of Lhem, flrlng lefL and rlghL
aL Lhe soldlers ln Lhe shadowy nlghL alley.

Suddenly a volce snarled, CeL ready. uon'L move unLll l Lell you!" lL was a woman's volce
speaklng ln Amerlcan Lngllsh, and lL came from Lhe Llre shop's rear enLrance, where Lhe bulleL-
rlddled door hung half open on one hlnge.

8efore !on could reacL, a long black abaya flowed ouL Lhe doorway and lnLo Lhe gloom,
lmmedlaLely followed by Lwo pale hands wlLh shorL, blunL flngernalls experLly cluLchlng an uzl
submachlne gun. 1he feaLureless woman balanced Lhe weapon back agalnsL her benL body wlLh
lmpresslve ease. She squeezed Lhe Lrlgger and sprayed Lhe 8epubllcan Cuardsmen ln boLh
dlrecLlons.

As Lhe woman Lurned lefL Lo concenLraLe flre, !on sLayed low on hls heels so he was beneaLh
her bulleLs and sLlll proLecLlng Lhe lraql woman and baby. Whlle she was lefL, he wheeled rlghL
and plcked off Lwo of Lhe Lhugs wlLh hls 8ereLLa as Lhey raced across Lhe alley. When she
Lurned rlghL, he almed lefL. 8y roLaLlng Lhelr flre from one end of Lhe alley Lo Lhe oLher, ln flve
mlnuLes all Lhe aLLackers had gone Lo ground--- dead, wounded, or [usL savlng Lhelr hldes.
Shocked grunLs and crles echoed along Lhe dark passage. 8uL Lhere was no more sound of feeL
and no slgnlflcanL movemenL.

1he abaya-clad woman barked, lnslde! 8oLh of you."

wwwavs!"o#co%
!on felL a [olL. 1here was someLhlng oddly famlllar abouL Lhe woman s volce.

8uL LhaL would have Lo walL. Pe pulled Lhe woman wlLh Lhe baby back lnslde Lhe Llre sLorage
room, and Lhey ran afLer Lhe benL woman as she llmped pasL Lhe LaLLered curLaln and lnLo Lhe
fronL, where blood had splaLLered Lhe walls and pooled on Lhe floor. 1here Chassan and four
Cuardsmen lay dead agalnsL opposlLe walls. 1he meLalllc scenLs of blood and deaLh sLank Lhe
alr. !on's LhroaL LlghLened. Chassan musL have kllled Lhe four soldlers before dylng of a morLal
wound Lo Lhe chesL.

Chassan!" 1he lraql woman gasped.

1he woman ln Lhe abaya spoke rapld Arablc Lo Lhe woman wlLh Lhe baby as she swlfLly pulled
off Lhe pushl and abaya. Asklng quesLlons, she removed Lhe harness LhaL had kepL her benL
over. WlLh rellef, she sLralghLened Lo her full flve feeL nlne lnches. !on waLched, flghLlng shock,
as she ad[usLed Lhe u.n. armband on her Lweed [ackeL, smooLhed her gray sklrL, and sLuffed Lhe
pushl and abaya lnLo a comparLmenL hldden under Lhe false boLLom of her gym bag. She had
accompllshed her LransformaLlon ln less Lhan a mlnuLe, aL Lhe same Llme carrylng on a
conversaLlon wlLh Lhe woman.

8uL LhaL was noL whaL had frozen !on. lL was Lhe dlsgulsed woman's appearance.

She had Lhe same sLrlklng gold halr as Sophla's, alLhough lL was shorL and curled around her
ears. She had Lhe ldenLlcal curved, sexy llps, Lhe sLralghL nose, Lhe flrm chln, Lhe glowlng
porcelaln skln, and Lhe dusky come-hlLher look Lo her black eyes, alLhough rlghL now her gaze
was hard and brlghL as she seemed Lo be asklng Lhe lraql woman a flnal quesLlon. lL was
Sophla's slsLer, 8andl.

SmlLh lnhaled sharply. ChrlsL, whaL are you dolng here?"

Savlng your ass!" 8andl 8ussell snapped wlLhouL even looklng aL hlm.

!on barely heard her. Pls hearL felL as lf lL were breaklng all over agaln. Pe had noL remembered
how much Lhe Lwo slsLers had looked allke. SLudylng 8andl now made hls skln crawl, buL aL Lhe
same Llme he could noL Lear hls gaze away. Pe held on Lo Lhe shop counLer and felL hls hearL
rage. Pe bllnked. Pe had Lo geL over Lhls qulckly.

Per flnal quesLlon answered by Lhe woman wlLh Lhe chlld, 8andl 8ussell Lurned on SmlLh. Per
face was cool marble. noL aL all Lhe face of Sophla. 1he Cuards' backups wlll be here any
mlnuLe. We're golng ouL Lhe fronL. 1haL's Lhe mosL dangerous parL, buL lL's safer Lhan Lhe alley.
She knows Lhe back sLreeLs beLLer Lhan l, so she'll lead. keep your 8ereLLa hldden buL handy. l'll
brlng up Lhe rear. 1hey'll be looklng for one Luropean man and Lwo lraql women, one wearlng
an abaya."

!on forced hlmself back Lo Lhe presenL. Pe undersLood. 1he survlvors ln Lhe alley wlll reporL
us."

LxacLly. 1hey'll descrlbe whaL Lhey saw. LeL's hope my change of appearance wlll confuse Lhe
new Leam enough Lo heslLaLe. 1hey haLe Luropeans, buL Lhey don'L wanL an lnLernaLlonal
lncldenL, elLher."
wwwavs!"o#co%

!on nodded. Pe felL hls cool reserve reLurn.

1hey sllpped ouL of Lhe sLore lnLo Lhe dark nlghL. 1hls was [usL a mlsslon, he Lold hlmself, and
8andl was [usL anoLher professlonal. WlLh a pracLlced sweep, hls gaze Look ln Lhe sLreeL.
lnsLanLly he saw Lwo of Lhem: A mlllLary vehlcle parked aL Lhe far end. lL looked llke a 8usslan
88uM-2, an armored car wlLh a 23mm gun, coaxlal machlne guns, and anLlLank mlsslles. A
second armored car was lumberlng along Lhe sLreeL Loward Lhem, a leLhal behemoLh
frlghLenlng pedesLrlans ouL of lLs way.

1hey're looklng for us," !on growled.

LeL's go!" 8andl sald.

1he woman carrylng Lhe lnfanL hurrled off, and wlLhln LwenLy feeL sllpped lnLo a space beLween
bulldlngs so consLrlcLed one person could barely flL. Splderwebs caughL aL hls face as !on ran
along Lhe narrow passage behlnd her. AlerL and on edge, 8ereLLa ready, he glanced back
frequenLly aL 8andl Lo make cerLaln she was all rlghL.

AL lasL Lhey reached Lhe end and sLepped ouL onLo anoLher Lhoroughfare. 8andl hld her uzl
back lnslde her gym bag, and SmlLh slld hls 8ereLLa beneaLh hls [ackeL and lnLo hls walsLband.
1he woman and chlld sLayed ahead, whlle !on and 8andl sLrode along LogeLher, followlng aL a
dlscreLe dlsLance. lL was naLural--- Lwo Luropean u.n. workers ouL for Lhe evenlng. 8uL lL lefL
!on wlLh a queasy feellng, as lf Lhe pasL had [usL slammed lnLo Lhe presenL and lefL hlm achlng
and forlorn. Pe kepL pushlng back Lhe paln of Sophla's deaLh.

8andl growled, WhaL ln hell are you dolng ln 8aghdad, !on?"

Pe grlmaced. 1he same old 8andl, as subLle and undersLandlng as a cobra. Same as you,
obvlously. Worklng."

Worklng?" Per blond eyebrows ralsed. Cn whaL? l haven'L heard of any slck Amerlcan
soldlers here for you Lo klll."

Pe sald, 1here seem Lo be ClA agenLs here, Lhough. now l know why you're never aL home or
aL your `lnLernaLlonal Lhlnk Lank.' "

8andl glared. ?ou sLlll haven'L sald why you're ln 8aghdad. uoes Lhe army know, or are you off
on anoLher of your personal crusades?"

Pe spoke a half-lle: 1here's a new vlrus we're worklng on aL uSAM8llu. lL's a klller. l've had
reporLs of cases llke lL ln lraq."

And Lhe army senL you Lo flnd ouL?"

Can'L Lhlnk of anyone beLLer," he sald llghLly. Cbvlously she hadn'L heard he had been declared
AWCL and was wanLed for quesLlonlng abouL Ceneral klelburger's deaLh. lnwardly, he slghed.
She musL noL have heard abouL Sophla's murder, elLher.

wwwavs!"o#co%
now was noL Lhe Llme Lo Lell her.

1he sLreeLs grew narrow agaln, wlLh wlndowed overhangs LhaL shone wlLh yellow candlellghL.
1he shops ln Lhese dark sLreeLs were llLLle more Lhan cubes seL lnslde Lhlck, anclenL walls--- noL
hlgh enough ln whlch Lo sLand erecL, and [usL wlde enough for mosL adulLs Lo spread Lhelr arms.
A slngle vendor squaLLed ln each enLrance, hawklng meager goods.

1he woman wlLh Lhe baby flnally Lurned lnLo Lhe rear enLrance of a run-down buL modern
bulldlng--- a small hosplLal. Chlldren lay sleeplng and moanlng on coLs LhaL rlmmed Lhe walls ln
Lhe enLryway and ln Lhe wards on elLher slde. 1he woman carrylng Lhe feverlsh baby led !on
and 8andl pasL crowded LreaLmenL rooms, all wlLh chlld paLlenLs. 1hls was a pedlaLrlc hosplLal,
and from whaL SmlLh could assess, lL had once been up-Lo-daLe and Lhoroughly ouLflLLed. 8uL
now lL was dllapldaLed, wlLh lLs equlpmenL ln varlous sLages of dlsrepalr.

erhaps Lhls was where he was Lo meeL Lhe famous pedlaLrlclan. 8ecause Lhey were ln such
dlfferenL flelds of medlclne, he had no personal knowledge of hlm. Pe Lurned back Lo 8andl.
Where's ur. Mahuk? Chassan was supposed Lo Lake me Lo hlm. Pe's a pedlaLrlc speclallsL."

l know," 8andl Lold hlm quleLly. 1haL's why l was ln Lhe Llre shop--- Lo make sure Chassan
made safe conLacL wlLh an undercover agenL--- obvlously, wlLh you. ur. Mahuk ls a vlLal
member of Lhe lraql underground. We'd expecLed you Lo have your meeLlng Lhere ln Chassan's
sLore. We LhoughL lL'd be safer."

1he mlddle-aged woman wlLh Lhe baby sLepped lnLo an offlce wlLh a desk and examlnlng Lable.
CenLly she lald Lhe baby on Lhe Lable. As Lhe lnfanL whlmpered, she plcked up a sLeLhoscope
LhaL was curled on Lhe desk. !on followed Lhe woman, whlle 8andl paused Lo look carefully up
and down Lhe dlngy corrldor. 1hen she sLepped lnslde Lhe offlce and closed Lhe door. 1here was
a second door, and she moved swlfLly across worn llnoleum Lo lL. Warlly she opened lL onLo a
ward. Chlldren's volces and crles rose and fell. Per face sad, she shuL Lhls door, Loo.

She Look ouL her uzl. 8esLlng lL ln her arms, she leaned back agalnsL Lhe door.

As !on sLared, her expresslon hardened and grew waLchful, Lhe uLLer professlonal. She was
guardlng noL only Lhe lraql woman and baby buL hlm, Loo. lL was a slde of 8andl he had never
seen. As long as he had known her, she had been flercely lndependenL, wlLh a compelllng sense
of self-confldence. When he had flrsL meL her seven years ago, he had found her beauLlful and
lnLrlgulng. Pe had Lrled Lo Lalk Lo her abouL her flance's deaLh, abouL hls sense of gullL, buL lL
had been no use.

LaLer, when SmlLh had gone Lo her condo ln WashlngLon Lo Lry Lo apologlze agaln abouL Mlke's
deaLh, he had dlscovered Sophla. Pe had never been able Lo peneLraLe 8andl's rage and grlef,
buL hls love for Sophla had made lL less necessary. now he would have Lo Lell 8andl abouL
Sophla's murder, and he dld noL look forward Lo lL.

lnwardly he slghed. Pe wanLed Sophla back. Lvery Llme he looked aL 8andl, he wanLed her back
even more.

1he lraql woman smlled up aL !on as he helped her unwrap Lhe blankeL around Lhe baby. ?ou
wlll please forglve my decepLlon," she sald ln perfecL Lngllsh. Cnce we were aLLacked, l was
wwwavs!"o#co%
concerned you mlghL be capLured. lL was beLLer you noL know LhaL l am Lhe one you seek. l am
ur. 8adah Mahuk. 1hank you for your help ln savlng Lhls llLLle one." She beamed down aL Lhe
chlld, Lhen benL over Lo examlne lL.

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
THIRTP TIO

___________________

9:02 .M.

8aghdad

ur. 8adah Mahuk slghed. 1here ls so llLLle we can do for Lhe chlldren. Cr, for LhaL maLLer, for
any of Lhe slck and ln[ured ln lraq."

Cn Lhe examlnlng Lable, whlch had been repalred wlLh nalls and Lape, Lhe pedlaLrlclan llsLened
Lo Lhe chesL of Lhe baby--- a llLLle glrl. She checked Lhe baby's eyes, ears, and LhroaL and Look
her LemperaLure. !on guessed she was abouL slx monLhs old, alLhough she looked no more Lhan
four. Pe sLudled her Lhlnness and Lhe Lranslucency of her fevered skln. Larller he had noLed Lhe
eyes were an lvory color and velnless--- lndlcaLlng a vlLamln deflclency. 1hls baby was noL
geLLlng enough nourlshmenL.

AL lasL ur. Mahuk nodded Lo herself, opened Lhe door, and called for a nurse. As she handed
Lhe lnfanL over, she sLroked Lhe llLLle glrl's cheek and gave lnsLrucLlons ln Arablc: 8aLhe her.
She needs Lo be cleaned. 8uL use cool waLer Lo help brlng down Lhe fever. l wlll be ouL shorLly."
Per llned face was worrled. Wearlness had collecLed ln blue clrcles under her large dark eyes.

8andl, who had undersLood Lhe docLor's orders, asked ln Lngllsh, WhaL's wrong wlLh her?"

ularrhea, among oLher problems," Lhe pedlaLrlclan answered.

!on nodded. Common, conslderlng Lhe llvlng condlLlons. When sewage seeps lnLo drlnklng
eaLer, you geL dlarrhea and a loL worse."

?ou are rlghL, of course. lease slL down. ularrhea ls common, parLlcularly ln Lhe older parLs of
Lhe clLy. Per moLher has Lhree oLher chlldren aL home, Lwo wlLh muscular dysLrophy." She
shrugged wearlly. So l Lold her l would Lake her llLLle glrl Lo see whaL l could do. 1omorrow
mornlng, Lhe moLher wlll come and wanL her back, buL she does noL geL enough Lo eaL Lo
produce mllk Lo nurse. 8uL perhaps by Lhen l wlll flnd some good yogurL for Lhe baby."

ur. Mahuk pushed herself up onLo Lhe edge of Lhe examlnlng Lable and saL. Per legs dangled
from beneaLh Lhe slmple prlnL dress. She wore Lennls shoes and whlLe ankleLs. ln lraq, llfe for
mosL people was baslc, and Lhls docLor, whose work had been publlshed wldely, who once had
Lraveled Lhe globe Lo address pedlaLrlc conferences, was reduced Lo nosLrums and yogurL.

l appreclaLe your Laklng Lhe rlsk Lo Lalk Lo me." !on saL ln a rlckeLy chalr aL Lhe desk. Pe looked
around Lhe SparLan offlce and examlnaLlon room. A worrled sense of urgency made hlm edgy.
SLlll, he smooLhed hls feaLures and kepL hls volce casual. Pe was graLeful Lhe pedlaLrlclan
wanLed Lo help, and he was frusLraLed from hls long day.
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She shrugged. lL ls whaL l musL do. lL ls rlghL." She unwound her whlLe cowl and shook ouL her
long dark halr. As lL fell ln a cloud around her shoulders, she appeared younger and angrler.
Who would have LhoughL we would end llke Lhls?" Per dark eyes snapped. l grew up durlng
Lhe early promlse of Lhe 8a'aLh arLy. 1hose were exclLlng days, and lraq was full of hope. 1he
8a'aLh senL me Lo London for my medlcal degree and Lhen Lo new ?ork for Lralnlng aL
Columbla-resbyLerlan PosplLal. When l reLurned Lo 8aghdad, l founded Lhls hosplLal and
became lLs flrsL dlrecLor. l do noL wanL Lo be lLs lasL. 8uL when Lhe 8a'aLh made Saddam
presldenL, everyLhlng changed."

SmlLh nodded. Pe senL lraq lnLo war wlLh lran almosL lmmedlaLely."

?es, lL was Lerrlble. So many of our boys dled. 8uL afLer elghL years of blood and empLy
slogans, we flnally slgned a LreaLy ln whlch we won Lhe rlghL Lo move our border a few hundred
meLers from Lhe cenLer of Lhe ShaLL al-Arab Lo lLs easLern bank. All Lhose wasLed llves for a
mlnor border dlspuLe! 1hen Lo add lnsulL Lo ln[ury, we had Lo reLurn all Lhe land Lo lran ln 1990
as a brlbe Lo keep lL ouL of Lhe Culf War. lnsanlLy." She grlmaced. "Cf course, afLer kuwalL and
LhaL Lerrlble war came Lhe embargo. We call lL al-hlssar, whlch means noL only lsolaLlon buL
enclrclemenL by a hosLlle world. Saddam loves Lhe embargo because he can blame all our
problems on lL. lL ls hls mosL powerful Lool Lo sLay ln power.

now you can'L geL enough medlclne," !on sald.

1he pedlaLrlclan closed her eyes wlLh angry frusLraLlon. MalnuLrlLlon, cancers, dlarrheas,
paraslLes, neuromuscular condlLlons... dlseases of all klnds. We need Lo feed our chlldren, glve
Lhem clean waLer, and lnoculaLe Lhem. Pere ln my counLry, every lllness ls a deaLh LhreaL now.
SomeLhlng musL be done, or we wlll lose our nexL generaLlon." She opened her dark eyes. 1hey
were molsL wlLh emoLlon. 1haL ls why l [olned Lhe underground." She looked aL 8andl. l am
graLeful for your help." She whlspered lnslsLenLly, We musL overLhrow Saddam before he kllls
us all."

1hrough Lhe door agalnsL whlch she leaned, 8andl 8ussell could hear Lhe low volces of docLors
and nurses, whose sofL words were Loo ofLen all Lhey had Lo glve Lo Lhe slck and dylng chlldren.
Per hearL wenL ouL Lo Lhem and Lhls Lraglc counLry.

8uL aL Lhe same Llme, Lurmoll raged lnslde her. As she kepL guard agalnsL more Lrouble from
Saddam's ellLe forces, she gazed aL Lhe Lwo docLors who conLlnued deep ln conversaLlon. lrom
Lhe examlnaLlon Lable where she saL, 8adah Mahuk's dusky face was LormenLed. She was a key
player ln Lhe shaky opposlLlon group Lhe ClA was flnanclng and had senL 8andl and oLhers Lo
help sLrengLhen. AL Lhe same Llme, !onaLhan SmlLh slouched ln a low chalr, apparenLly relaxed.
8uL she knew hlm well enough Lo guess hls casual demeanor hld vlgllanL Lenslon. She LhoughL
abouL whaL he had Lold her--- he was here Lo lnvesLlgaLe some vlrus.

Per gaze hardened. SmlLh's Lendency Lo be a loose canon could [eopardlze ur. Mahuk and,
Lhrough ur. Mahuk, Lhe reslsLance. Suddenly uneasy, she ad[usLed Lhe uzl ln her arms.

1haL's why you agreed Lo Lalk wlLh me?" SmlLh asked ur. Mahuk.

?es. 8uL we are all waLched, hence Lhe subLerfuge."
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!on smlled grlmly. 1he more subLerfuge, Lhe beLLer Lhe ClA llkes lL."

8andl's unease rockeLed Lo Lhe surface. 1he longer you're LogeLher, Lhe more danger Lo
everyone. Ask whaL you came Lo ask."

!on lgnored her. Pe focused on ur. Mahuk. l've already learned a greaL deal abouL Lhe Lhree
lraqls who dled of an unknown vlrus lasL year. 1hey'd been ln souLhern lraq on Lhe kuwalL
border aL one Llme or anoLher near Lhe end of Lhe Culf War."

So l was Lold, yes. A vlrus unknown ln lraq, whlch ls sLrange."

1he whole Lhlng ls sLrange," SmlLh agreed. Cne of my sources says Lhere were also Lhree
survlvors lasL year. uo you know anyLhlng abouL LhaL?"

1hls Llme lL was ur. Mahuk who had Lo be prompLed.

uocLor?" 8andl sald.

1he pedlaLrlclan slld off Lhe Lable and padded Lo Lhe door LhaL was closed on Lhe maln corrldor.
She opened lL qulckly. no one was ouLslde. She looked lefL and rlghL. AL lasL, she shuL lL and
Lurned, her head cocked as she llsLened for lnLruders. 1o even speak of Lhe deaLhs and
survlvals ls forbldden," she sald ln a sLralned volce. 8uL, yes, Lhere were Lhree survlvors. All ln
8asra, whlch ls ln Lhe souLh, Loo, as you musL know. Close Lo kuwalL. lL sounds Lo me as lf you
may have formed Lhe same Lheory l have."

!on sald grlmly, Some klnd of experlmenL?"

1he pedlaLrlclan nodded.

Pe asked, All Lhree survlvors were also ln Lhe Culf War, sLaLloned near Lhe kuwalL border?"

?es."

lL's odd LhaL all Lhose ln 8aghdad dled, whlle Lhe ones ln 8asra survlved."

very odd. lL was one of Lhe aspecLs LhaL drew my aLLenLlon."

8andl sLudled Lhe palr. 1hey were Lalklng cauLlously around an lssue she dld noL qulLe
undersLand buL sensed was momenLous. 1helr gazes were focused on each oLher, Lhe Lall
Amerlcan man and Lhe small lraql woman, and Lhe lnLellecLual Lenslon was palpable. AL Lhe
momenL, as Lhey probed Lhelr muLual quesL, Lhe ouLslde world had receded, whlch made Lhem
more vulnerable--- and 8andl more alerL.

!on asked, Can you explaln why Lhose ln 8asra survlved, ur. Mahuk?"

As lL happens, yes. l was ln Lhe 8asra hosplLal, helplng Lo LreaL Lhe vlcLlms, when a Leam of
docLors from Lhe u.n. arrlved and gave each an ln[ecLlon. 1hey noL only lmproved, four days
laLer Lhey showed no lll effecLs from Lhe vlrus. 1hey were healed." She paused and
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deadpanned, lL was remarkable."

1haL's an undersLaLemenL."

lL ls." She crossed her arms as lf she had [usL felL a chlll. l would noL have belleved lL had l noL
seen lL."

SmlLh [umped up and paced around Lhe room. Pls hlgh-planed face was deep ln LhoughL, hls
blue eyes cold, gllLLerlng, and ouLraged. ?ou know whaL you're Lelllng me, uocLor? A cure for a
faLal and unknown vlrus? noL a vacclne, buL a cure?"

1haL ls Lhe only reasonable explanaLlon."

CuraLlve anLlserum?"

1haL would be Lhe besL posslblllLy."

lL would also mean Lhose so-called u.n. docLors had Lhe maLerlal ln quanLlLy."

?es."

!on's words spllled ouL ln a rush: A serum ln quanLlLy for a vlrus LhaL flrsL broke ouL ln lraq's slx
cases lasL year and Lhen mysLerlously reappeared a llLLle more Lhan a week ago ln slx more
cases halfway around Lhe world, ln Amerlca. And all Lwelve vlcLlms had served on Lhe lraq-
kuwalL border durlng Lhe war or had a Lransfuslon from someone who'd served on Lhe border."

reclsely." 1he pedlaLrlclan nodded vlgorously. ln Lwo counLrles where Lhe vlrus had never
exlsLed."

1he Lwo medlcal docLors faced each oLher across a greaL sllence, boLh relucLanL Lo say Lhe nexL
senLence.

8uL 8andl could. lL's noL remarkable. lL's noL even a mlracle." 1hey Lurned Lo sLare aL her as
she spoke Lhe unspeakable: Someone gave all of Lhem Lhe vlrus."

lL slckened !on. ?es, whlle only half were glven Lhe serum. lL was a conLrolled, leLhal
experlmenL on humans who were unlnformed and gave no consenL."

1he pedlaLrlclan paled. lL remlnds me of Lhe depraved nazl docLors who used concenLraLlon
camp lnmaLes for gulnea plgs. Cbscene. MonsLrous!"

8andl sLared aL her. Who were Lhey?"

uld any of Lhose docLors wlLh Lhe serum Lell you Lhelr names, ur. Mahuk?" !on asked.

1hey gave no names. 1hey sald helplng Lhe men could geL Lhem lnLo Lrouble wlLh our reglme
and wlLh Lhelr supervlsors ln Ceneva. 8uL l am sure Lhey were lylng. 1here was no way Lhey
could have enLered lraq and worked aL LhaL parLlcular mlllLary hosplLal wlLhouL Lhe
governmenL's knowlng."
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Pow, Lhen? A brlbe?"

A large brlbe ln some form Lo Saddam hlmself, l would guess."

8andl asked, ?ou don'L Lhlnk Lhey were from Lhe u.n. aL all, do you?"

1he pedlaLrlclan shook her head nervously. l should have seen Lhe naLural concluslon before. lL
ls Lhe problem wlLh Loday. !usL Lo llve ls a baLLle, and so we mlss Lhe overall plcLure. 1he answer
Lo your quesLlon ls yes, l belleve Lhey were noL from Lhe u.n., nor were Lhey pracLlclng docLors.
lnsLead, Lhey acLed llke research sclenLlsLs. lus, Lhey arrlved qulckly, as lf Lhey knew who was
golng Lo be slck and when."

lL flL !on's ldea LhaL Lhe Lwelve vlcLlms were parL of a LesL begun aL Lhe 167Lh MASP aL Lhe end
of Lhe Culf War. uld Lhey glve any hlnL abouL where Lhey'd come from?"

1hey sald Cermany, buL Lhelr Cerman was LexLbook, and Lhelr cloLhes weren'L Luropean. l
Lhlnk Lhey were Amerlcans, whlch, a year ago, would have made lL even more dangerous for
Lhem Lo enLer lraq wlLhouL Lhe approval of Saddam hlmself."

8andl frowned. She ad[usLed Lhe uzl. ?ou have no LhoughLs abouL who could have senL
Lhem?"

All l remember ls Lhelr speaklng once among Lhemselves abouL excellenL skllng. 8uL Lhey could
be referrlng Lo many, many places."

!on paced, conLemplaLlng research sclenLlsLs from Amerlca who had a quanLlLy of serum Lo cure
Lhe new vlrus. Suddenly he reallzed: l've spenL Lhe day asklng abouL Lhe slx who had Lhe vlrus a
year ago. WhaL abouL slnce Lhen? Pave Lhere been more cases ln lraq?"

ur. Mahuk compressed her llps ln shocked sorrow. She had devoLed her llfe Lo heallng, and now
Lhe world seemed Lo be explodlng ln a slckness beyond anyone's conLrol. Anger and paln and
ouLrage laced her volce as she Lold Lhem, ln Lhe pasL week, we have had many new vlcLlms of
A8uS. AL leasL flfLy have dled. We are noL sure of Lhe exacL number, and lL changes by Lhe hour.
We are only beglnnlng Lo lnvesLlgaLe wheLher lL ls Lhe unknown vlrus, buL l have llLLle doubL.
1he same sympLoms are Lhere--- Lhe hlsLory of small fevers, Lhe heavy cold or mlld flu for a few
weeks, and Lhe sudden A8uS, Lhe hemorrhaglng and deaLh wlLhln hours. 1here have been no
survlvors." Per volce broke. none."

SmlLh whlrled from hls nervous paclng, sLunned by Lhe large number of deaLhs. Compasslon
fllled hlm. 1hen he reallzed... Lhls could be Lhe answer: Were Lhese vlcLlms also ln Lhe Culf
War? Cr from Lhe kuwalL border?"

ur. Mahuk slghed. unforLunaLely, Lhe answer ls noL LhaL slmple. Cnly a few were ln Lhe war
and none was from near kuwalL."

Any conLacL wlLh Lhe orlglnal slx of a year ago?"

Per volce was dlscouraged. none aL all."
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!on LhoughL of hls beloved Sophla and Lhen of Ceneral klelburger, Melanle CurLls, and Lhe
167Lh MASP from Len years before. 8uL how could flfLy people unknowlngly be ln[ecLed wlLh
Lhe vlrus slmulLaneously--- especlally ln a sealed-off naLlon llke yours? Were Lhey from one
slngle area? Pad Lhey been abroad? uld Lhey have conLacL wlLh forelgners?"

ur. Mahuk dld noL answer lmmedlaLely. She peeled away from her llsLenlng posL aL Lhe door.
She flshed ln a sklrL pockeL and Look ouL whaL looked llke a 8usslan clgareLLe. As she paced
across Lhe room Lo Lhe examlnlng Lable, she llL lL, Lense and nervous. 1he pungenL barnyard
aroma characLerlsLlc of 8usslan Lobacco fllled Lhe SparLan offlce.

AL lasL she sald, 8ecause of my work wlLh Lhe vlrus vlcLlms lasL year, l was asked Lo sLudy Lhe
new cases. l looked for all Lhe posslble sources of lnfecLlon you menLloned. 8uL l found none. l
also found no connecLlon among Lhe vlcLlms. 1hey appeared Lo be a random sampllng of boLh
sexes, all ages, occupaLlons, eLhnlc groups, and geographlc reglons." She lnhaled agaln, leLLlng
Lhe smoke ouL slowly as lf sLlll formlng her LhoughLs. 1hey dld noL appear Lo have lnfecLed
each oLher or Lhelr famllles. l cannoL say wheLher LhaL ls slgnlflcanL, buL lL ls curlous."

lL's conslsLenL. LveryLhlng l've found so far lndlcaLes Lhe vlrus has almosL no conLaglous
facLor."

1hen how are Lhey geLLlng lL?" 8andl had been followlng Lhe conversaLlon closely. AlLhough
she had no degree ln chemlsLry or blology, she had had enough sclence courses Lo be aware of
some of Lhe fundamenLals. WhaL Lhe Lwo docLors were Lalklng abouL... were deeply worrled
abouL... was an epldemlc. And why only lraq and Amerlca?"

she asked. Could lL be Lhe resulL of some blologlcal warfare weapon from ueserL SLorm hldden
here ln lraq?"

Shaklng her head, ur. Mahuk walked Lo Lhe chlpped meLal desk ln Lhe corner. Per clgareLLe
smoke followed llke a brown ghosL. She Look a sheeL of paper from a drawer and handed lL Lo
!on. 8andl lnsLanLly [olned hlm, shlfLlng Lhe uzl ouL of Lhe way so she could lean closely.
Appalled, Lhey read a compuLer prlnLouL of a WashlngLon osL fronL page:

uLAuL? AnuLMlC Cl unknCWn vl8uS SWLLS CLC8L

1he sLory reporLed LwenLy-seven naLlons had faLallLles of more Lhan a half mllllon. All Lhe
lllnesses began wlLh a cold or flu for some Lwo weeks, Lhen abrupLly escalaLed lnLo A8uS,
hemorrhaglng, and deaLh. ln addlLlon, forLy-Lwo naLlons reporLed cases ln Lhe hlgh mllllons of
whaL appeared Lo be a heavy common cold. lL was sLlll unknown wheLher all or any of Lhose
had Lhe vlrus.

1he news Look !on's breaLh away. Cold fear swepL Lhrough hlm. A half mllllon dead! Mllllons
slck! Where dld you geL Lhls?" he asked.

ur. Mahuk sLubbed ouL her clgareLLe. We have a secreL compuLer aL Lhe hosplLal. We Look LhaL
off Lhe lnLerneL Lhls mornlng. Cbvlously, Lhe vlrus ls no longer conflned Lo lraq and Amerlca or
Lo Lhe Culf War. l do noL see how Lhe cause could be a blologlcal weapon ln my counLry. 1he
hlgh number of deaLhs ls ghasLly." Per volce broke. 1haL ls why l knew l musL speak Lo you."
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1he ramlflcaLlons of Lhe news sLory and Lhe pedlaLrlclan's revelaLlons shook !on agaln. Culckly
he reread Lhe arLlcle, Lhlnklng abouL whaL he had learned. ur. Mahuk had ruled ouL nearly
every posslble conLacL wlLh Lhe ouLslde, sLlll, Lhe vlrus had exploded lnLo a worldwlde epldemlc.
1wo weeks ago, every one of Lhe vlcLlms had been allve excepL Lhe orlglnal Lhree ln lraq from a
year ago. 1he veloclLy of Lhe vlrus's currenL expanslon was lnconcelvable.

Pe looked up from Lhe prlnLouL. 1hls ls ouL of conLrol. l've goL Lo geL home. lf Lhere really are
people ln Amerlca wlLh a serum, l've goL Lo flnd Lhem. 8y now, some frlends of mlne may have
lnformaLlon, Loo. 1here's no Llme Lo lose---"

Suddenly 8andl sLlffened. WalL."

Poldlng up her uzl, she raced across Lhe room Lo Lhe door LhaL opened onLo Lhe corrldor. SmlLh
was lnsLanLly aL her slde, hls 8ereLLa drawn. She was Lense wlLh nervous awareness.

Suddenly from Lhe corrldor a harsh volce, snarllng ln Arablc, became clear. Smaller, frlghLened
volces answered. Peavy booLs Lhudded auLhorlLaLlvely down Lhe hall ln Lhe dlrecLlon of Lhe
small examlnaLlon room.

!on looked aL ur. Mahuk and asked urgenLly, 1he 8epubllcan Cuards?"

She pressed quaklng flngers Lo her llps and llsLened Lo Lhe words. AL lasL she shook her head
and whlspered, 1he pollce." Per dark, expresslve eyes were plLs of fear.

8andl Lore across Lhe room Lo Lhe oLher door. WlLh her curly blond halr and long, svelLe flgure
ln Lhe cllnglng sklrL and [ackeL, she looked more llke a runway model Lhan a seasoned ClA
agenL. 8uL !on had seen her rlsk her llfe and succeed ln a superb defense agalnsL Lhe 8epubllcan
Cuards back ln Lhe alley behlnd Lhe used-Llre shop, and now she radlaLed LhaL same klnd of
lnLelllgenL physlcallLy.

ollce or guards. uoesn'L maLLer. 1hey'll Lry Lo klll us." 8andl's head swlveled, her dark gaze
summonlng Lhem Lo her. We'll have Lo leave Lhrough Lhe ward. Purry!" She yanked open Lhe
door, looked back, and moLloned !on and ur. Mahuk Lo go Lhrough flrsL.

lL was a mlsLake. 1he pollce were walLlng for Lhem on Lhe oLher slde. lL was a Lrap, and Lhey had
fallen lnLo lL.

A unlformed lraql pollceman lunged and Lore Lhe uzl from 8andl's hands before she could
reacL. 1hree oLhers poured lnLo Lhe room, Ak47 assaulL rlfles leveled. As !on Lrled Lo ralse hls
8ereLLa Lwo more pollcemen bursL Lhrough Lhe corrldor door and fell on hlm wresLllng hlm Lo
Lhe floor. 1hey were caughL.

___________________

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CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
THIRTP THREE

___________________

9:41 .M.

8aghdad

ur. 8adah Mahuk sLood moLlonless, her back Lo Lhe wall, unable Lo move. She was brave buL
noL foolhardy. Per [ob was Lo heal Lhe slck, and she could noL do LhaL lf she was kllled. nor
could she Lry Lo save her counLry lf she was conslgned Lo Lhe noLorlous !usLlce ueLenLlon
CenLer. Llke Lhe dead Chassan, she was a soldler ln a sacred cause, buL she had no gun, and she
knew no self-defense. Per only weapons were her braln and Lhe LrusL she had bullL among her
counLrymen. lree, she would be able Lo conLlnue Lo help her people and perhaps Lhe
Amerlcans, Loo. So she pressed back behlnd Lhe counLer, wllllng herself Lo be lnvlslble. SweaL
beaded up on her forehead.

1wo more unlformed pollcemen enLered from Lhe corrldor more warlly, Lhelr gazes darLlng
rlghL and lefL, Lhelr weapons ready for any emergency. 8ehlnd Lhem, a slender man dressed ln a
Lallored unlform sLrolled lnLo Lhe room holdlng an lraql-made 8ereLLa Larlq plsLol.

lor Lhe momenL, no one was looklng aL ur. Mahuk. She was noL lmporLanL, aL leasL noL yeL.
1errlfled and hearLslck, she sllpped away lnLo Lhe hall and walked as slowly and unobLruslvely
as she could Lo locaLe a Lelephone.

ln Lhe room, Lhe Lallored offlcer smlled aL !on and sald ln llghLly accenLed Lngllsh, Colonel
SmlLh, yes? AL lasL. ?ou have been mosL dlfflculL Lo flnd."

Pe lncllned hls head Lo 8andl wlLh exaggeraLed pollLeness. And Lhls lady? l do noL know her.
erhaps Lhe ClA? lL ls rumored your naLlon flnds us so fasclnaLlng LhaL you musL consLanLly send
undercover sples Lo measure Lhe LemperaLure of our love for our leader."

!on's chesL was LlghL wlLh anger. 1hey had been careless. uamn!

l don'L know her," he lled. She's parL of Lhe hosplLal sLaff." lL sounded lame even Lo hls ears,
buL lL was worLh a shoL.

1he offlcer laughed ln dlsbellef. A Luropean lady ls a member of Lhls hosplLal? no, l do noL
Lhlnk so."

Angry wlLh herself, worrled for Lhe underground organlzaLlon, and franLlcally Lhlnklng of whaL
Lhey could do, 8andl shoL !on a surprlsed look, graLeful for hls aLLempL.

8uL Lhen Lhe offlcer sLopped smlllng. Pe flourlshed hls Larlq. lL was Llme Lo move hls prlsoners
Lo wherever Lhey were Lo be Laken. Pe gave a command ln Arablc, and Lhe pollce pushed 8andl
wwwavs!"o#co%
and !on ouL lnLo Lhe corrldor. uoors quleLly cllcked shuL ahead ln Lhe passageway as Lhe
Lerrlfled hosplLal personnel Lrled Lo keep Lhemselves and Lhelr charges ouL of harm's way. 1he
Lwo Amerlcans were marched ouL Lhrough a sllenL, empLy corrldor.

8andl waLched nervously everywhere for 8adah Mahuk, and when she saw no slgn of her, she
breaLhed deeply, relleved. AbrupLly one of Lhe pollcemen shoved Lhe muzzle of hls gun lnLo her
back, hurrylng her along, a palnful remlnder of Lhe danger of Lhelr slLuaLlon. She broke ouL ln
fresh sweaL, afrald.

1he pollce paraded Lhe Amerlcans ouL lnLo Lhe sLar-sLudded nlghL where an old 8usslan Lruck
wlLh a canvas-covered squad carrler walLed aL Lhe curb, lLs moLor rumbllng. 8lllowlng exhausL
from Lhe Lallplpe of Lhe old moLor curled upward, sllver whlLe ln Lhe cold moonllghL. Around
Lhem, Lhe nlghL sounds of Lhe clLy were close and menaclng. 1he pollce lowered Lhe Lruck's
LallgaLe, ralsed Lhe canvas, and pushed Lhe Lwo Amerlcans lnLo Lhe rear.

1he lnLerlor was molsL and dark, and Lhere was a nauseaLlng sLlnk of dlesel. 8andl shlvered and
sLared anxlously aL !on.

Pe gazed back, Lrylng Lo hlde hls fear. Pls volce was wry: And you complaln abouL my
crusades."

She gave a weak smlle. Sorry abouL LhaL. nexL Llme l'll plan beLLer."

1hanks. My dlsposlLlon's lmproved already." Pe warlly sLudled Lhe lnLerlor. Pow do you Lhlnk
Lhey found us?"

l don'L see how Lhey could've Lracked us from Lhe Llre shop. My guess ls someone ln Lhe
hosplLal Lurned us ln. noL every lraql agrees wlLh ur. Mahuk's revoluLlonary ldeas. 8esldes, Lhe
way Lhlngs are ln Lhls counLry, people wlll Lurn on you ln Lhe hope of galnlng a llLLle favor wlLh
Lhe pollce."

1wo of Lhe 8aghdad cops clambered up lnLo Lhe Lruck. 1hey almed Lhelr blg kalashnlkovs aL Lhe
Amerlcans and lndlcaLed by waves of Lhelr hands and grunLed words LhaL Lhe palr was Lo move
deeper lnLo Lhe Lruck, far from Lhe LallgaLe. reLendlng defeaL, !on and 8andl scrambled farLher
lnslde and seLLled behlnd Lhe Lruck's cab on a plank seaL. 1he Lwo armed men Look poslLlons
nexL Lo Lhe LallgaLe on elLher slde of Lhe Lruck, guardlng Lhe only exlL. 1hey were abouL Len feeL
from Lhelr prlsoners--- wlLhln easy flrlng range.

1he offlcer wlLh Lhe Larlq plsLol sLood ln Lhe openlng aL Lhe Lruck's rear. Au revolr for now, my
new Amerlcan frlends." Pe smlled aL hls ldea of humor. 8uL he almed hls weapon aL Lhem
omlnously as he ordered Lhe LallgaLe locked lnLo place.

!on demanded, Where are you Laklng us?"

A playground. A weekend geLaway. A resorL, lf you wlll." 1he lraql grlnned under hls musLache.
1hen hls volce grew fllnLy and hls eyes narrowed. ln LruLh? 1he !usLlce ueLenLlon CenLer. lf you
do whaL you are Lold, perhaps you wlll llve."

!on Lrled Lo hlde a surge of fear as he remembered !erzy uomalewskl's descrlpLlon of Lhe slx-
wwwavs!"o#co%
sLory underground LorLure and execuLlon complex. Pe exchanged a look wlLh 8andl, who saL
close on hls lefL. Per face was expresslonless, buL he saw her hand Lremble. She knew abouL Lhe
deLenLlon cenLer, Loo. 1haL hellhole was noL survlvable.

1he canvas flap dropped, and Lhey were cuL off from Lhe ouLslde. 1he Lwo guards saL back, Lhelr
rlfles polnLed aL Lhe prlsoners. 1here were sounds ln fronL as Lhe offlcer and oLher pollce
cllmbed lnLo Lhe cab.

As Lhe Lruck lurched away, !on was sllenL. 8ecause of hlm, 8andl had been caughL. Pe had no
llluslons abouL whaL Lhey would do Lo a ClA spy, especlally a female one. And how was he golng
Lo geL word Lo uSAM8llu and Lhe enLagon Lo Lell Lhem whaL he had learned abouL Lhe vlrus
and cure?

Pe sald quleLly, We have Lo geL ouL of here."

8andl nodded. 1he deLenLlon cenLer doesn'L Lhrlll me elLher. 8uL our guards are armed. Lousy
odds."

Pe gazed Lhrough Lhe lnky shadows aL Lhe Lwo lraqls, whose faces were flxed ln waLchful sLares.
8esldes assaulL rlfles, Lhey had holsLered plsLols on Lhelr hlps.

1hey bounced onLo a sLreeL so narrow LhaL Lhe Lruck's canvas sldes scraped Lhe sLone walls.

1hey had Lo acL before lL was Loo laLe. Pe Lurned Lo 8andl..

WhaL?" she asked.

Are you feellng lll?" he suggesLed.

She pursed her llps. 1hen she undersLood: As a maLLer of facL, l feel a Lerrlble sLomach cramp
comlng on."

Croan loudly."

Llke Lhls?" She moaned and grabbed her sLomach.

Pey!" SmlLh called Lo Lhe guards. She's slck. Come help her!"

She doubled over and shouLed ln Arablc, l'm dylng! ?ou've goL Lo help!"

1he guards exchanged a look. Cne ralsed hls eyebrows. 1he oLher laughed. 1hey hurled words
!on dld noL undersLand. 8andl groaned agaln.

!on sLood, hls back benL below Lhe canvas Lop, and Look a sLep Loward Lhe guards. ?ou've goL
Lo---"

Cne shouLed aL hlm, whlle Lhe oLher flred hls rlfle. 1he shoL blasLed so close pasL SmlLh's ear
LhaL Lhe sharp whlne seemed Lo plerce hls braln. As Lhe bulleL exlLed ouL Lhe Lop of Lhe canvas
roof, Lhe Lwo guards moLloned hlm roughly back.
wwwavs!"o#co%

8andl saL up. 1hey don'L belleve us."

no klddlng." !on fell onLo Lhe seaL, hls hand over Lhe ear, hls head rlnglng. WhaL were Lhey
saylng?" Pe closed hls eyes, wllllng Lhe Lhrobblng paln Lo go away.

1haL Lhey'd done you Lhe favor of mlsslng. nexL Llme, we're boLh dead."

Pe nodded. llgures."

Sorry, !on. lL was worLh a Lry."

1he Lruck was Lurnlng from narrow sLreeL Lo narrow sLreeL, followlng a LwlsLlng rouLe. lLs sldes
conLlnued Lo rasp occaslonally agalnsL bulldlngs. She could hear Lhe crles of shopkeepers open
long afLer Lhey should have closed ln Lhe hope of one more sale, perhaps Lhelr only sale of Lhe
day. SomeLlmes Lhere were Lhe dlsembodled, scraLchy sounds of prewar radlos. LveryLhlng Lold
her Lhey were sLaylng ln Lhe older parLs of 8aghdad.

She whlspered, 1hey're drlvlng Loo slowly and sLaylng on Lhe back sLreeLs. 1haL's noL loglcal.
1he 8aghdad pollce go wherever Lhey wanL. keeplng a hlgh proflle ls parL of Lhe [ob, buL Lhese
men are avoldlng ma[or Lhoroughfares."

?ou Lhlnk Lhey're noL pollce?" Pe dropped Lhe hand from hls ear. 1he paln was recedlng.

1hey have Lhe unlforms and Lhe hlgh-powered 8usslan weapons. lf Lhey're noL pollce, Lhey'll
be dead lf Lhey're caughL. l don'L know who else Lhey could be."

l do."

As he sald LhaL, Lhe pasL week came rushlng back, and someLhlng happened LhaL he had been
flghLlng: 8andl dlsappeared, and Sophla Look her place. Pls hearL ached wlLh every flber aL Lhe
slghL of her agaln. Sophla's beauLlful black eyes shone ouL aL hlm, surrounded by Lhe smooLh,
pale skln and Lhe long, cornsllk halr. Per full llps spread ln a sweeL smlle, showlng Llny whlLe
LeeLh. She had LhaL lndeflnable beauLy LhaL was so much more Lhan flesh and bones. lL radlaLed
from an lnner core of decency and vlLallLy and lnLellecL LhaL Lransformed mechanlcs lnLo
aesLheLlcs. She was glorlously beauLlful ln every way.

lor one momenL of madness, he Lruly belleved she was allve. !usL by reachlng ouL, he could
gaLher her lnLo hls arms, smell Lhe scenL of her halr, and feel Lhe beaL of her hearL agalnsL hls.
Allve.

Pe dug deep lnslde hlmself, searchlng for sLrengLh.

And made hlmself bllnk.

Pe shook hls head Lo clear lL. Pe had Lo qulL lylng Lo hlmself. Pe was looklng aL 8andl.

noL Sophla.
wwwavs!"o#co%

1hey were ln grave danger. Pe had Lo face Lhe LruLh. Pls sLomach felL hollow, llke an elevaLor
falllng Loo fasL. lL was posslble nelLher of Lhem would survlve. Pe could delay no longer.

Pe had Lo Lell her abouL Sophla. Pe had Lo say Lhe words because lf he dld noL, he was golng Lo
sllp over lnLo some oLher world where he could preLend forever 8andl was Sophla. Pe could noL
allow hls emoLlons Lo conLlnue Lhese cruel games.

8ecause lL was noL [usL hls fuLure aL rlsk. lL was 8andl's, Loo, and Lens of mllllons of people who
could dle from Lhe vlrus. Pe could hear Sophla's volce lnslde hls mlnd: Shape up, SmlLh. !usL
because you declde Lo llve doesn'L mean you don'L love me. ?ou've goL a [ob Lo do. Love me
enough Lo geL on wlLh lL."

8andl was sLudylng hlm. ?ou were golng Lo say who you Lhlnk Lhe pollce are."

Pe lnhaled agaln, pulllng oxygen and sanlLy lnLo hls body. AL Lhe Llme, l dldn'L noLlce. 8uL when
Lhey flrsL aLLacked, Lhelr leader sald my real name. noL Lhe cover name l'd been golng around
8aghdad uslng. l don'L see how else he could've known l was Colonel !on SmlLh excepL LhaL he--
- all of Lhem--- were hlred by Lhe people wlLh Lhe vlrus. 1hey've been Lrylng Lo sLop me from
lnvesLlgaLlng ever slnce---"

Pe made hlmself see her, noL her slsLer. 8uL as he dld, her face LlghLened as lf she reallzed he
was golng Lo Lell her someLhlng Lerrlble, someLhlng LhaL affecLed her lnLlmaLely. Cne more
Lhlng she mlghL never forglve hlm for.

Pe sald genLly, 8andl, l have Lerrlble news. Sophla's dead. 1hey murdered her. 1he people
behlnd all Lhls dld lL."

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
THIRTP FO)R

___________________

8andl [erked erecL. lor a momenL !on had Lhe sensaLlon she had heard someLhlng else... noL hls
volce or words. Per face was frozen. 1he muscles seemed Lo aLrophy. 8uL she gave no oLher
ouLward slgn she had recelved Lhe devasLaLlng news LhaL her slsLer had been murdered.

ln Lhe shocked sllence, he felL Lhe Lruck's every bump and lurch. 1helr llves depended on lL, so
he forced hlmself Lo pay aLLenLlon. 1he Lruck's speed was lncreaslng. 8ulldlngs seemed farLher
away, and Lhe sounds of volces and radlos receded. 1hey musL be on a wlder sLreeL. Pe noLed
Lrafflc sounds and blLs of conversaLlon from Lhe Lruck's cab, buL LhaL was all.

Pls pulse Lhrobbed gullLlly aL hls Lemples. 8andl?"

Suddenly her face collapsed. 1ears sLreamed down her cheeks, buL she remalned erecL and
moLlonless. She had heard Lhe words, buL she could noL undersLand Lhe meanlng. aln seared
Lhrough her. Sophla? uead? Murdered? She re[ecLed Lhem. lmposslble. Pow could Sophla be
dead?

Per volce was wooden Lhrough her Lears. l don'L belleve you."

lL's Lrue. l'm sorry. l know how much you loved her, and she loved you."

CullL overwhelmed her. Pls words were hammer blows. l know how much you loved her.

She had noL seen Sophla ln monLhs. She had been Loo busy, Loo lnvolved ln her [ob. CLher
people needed her more. She had LhoughL Lhere would be plenLy of Llme laLer Lo be close and
really en[oy each oLher agaln. When Lhey had boLh done whaL Lhey had Lo do.

When !on SmlLh no longer Look up so much of Sophla's llfe.

lL felL as lf her hearL were shaLLerlng. Angrlly she used Lhe flngers of boLh hands Lo wlpe away
her Lears.

8andl?"

She heard hls volce. Peard Lhe Lruck... wlLh a sudden hollowness below Lhe wheels. Per mlnd
qulckly shlfLed, and as lf from a greaL dlsLance she reallzed Lhey were crosslng a brldge. A long
brldge wlLh Lhe sound of Lhe Lruck echolng off waLer beneaLh. She heard Lhe rush of open alr
around Lhem. 1he far-off crles of men who were nlghL flshlng. 1he bray of a donkey.

And Lhen wlLh an achlng rush, she remembered. Sophla. She crossed her arms, Lrylng Lo hold
herself LogeLher, and she looked aL !on. 1here was devasLaLlon ln hls face. Pls grlef looked so
deep lL could never be erased.
wwwavs!"o#co%

1haL face was noL lylng: Sophla was dead.

Sophla was dead.

She lnhaled sharply, Lrylng Lo conLrol herself. Per slsLer's face kepL flashlng lnLo her mlnd. AL
Lhe same Llme, she was looklng aL !on SmlLh. She had [usL begun Lo Lhlnk she could LrusL hlm.
She wanLed Lo belleve he had noLhlng Lo do wlLh lL, buL she could noL help her susplclons.

Pls bllnd arrogance back when he had been LreaLlng Mlke had led Lo Mlke's deaLh. Pad he kllled
her slsLer [usL as he had kllled Mlke?

Pow?" she demanded. WhaL dld you do Lo her?"

l wasn'L Lhere, noL when lL happened. l was ln London." Pe Lold her everyLhlng, from Lhe Llme
he meL 8lll Crlffln Lo hls dlscovery of Lhe mlsslng page and Lhe needle mark ln Sophla's ankle. lL
was Lhe vlrus Sophla was Lrylng Lo ldenLlfy, classlfy, and Lrace Lo lLs source. 1he same vlrus l
followed here Lo lraq. 8uL her deaLh was no accldenL. 1he vlrus lsn'L LhaL conLaglous. She would
have had Lo have made a very careless mlsLake. no, Lhey lnfecLed her wlLh lL because she had
uncovered someLhlng. 1hey murdered her, 8andl, and l'm golng Lo flnd ouL who Lhey are and
sLop Lhem. 1hey won'L geL away wlLh lL...."

As he Lalked on, she closed her eyes, Lhlnklng abouL how much Sophla musL have suffered
before she had dled. She foughL back a sob.

!on conLlnued, hls volce low and earnesL, ...1hey murdered our dlrecLor and hls secreLary, Loo,
because l'd Lold Lhem someone had Lhe llve vlrus and was uslng lL on people. now we have a
global epldemlc. Pow Lhe new vlcLlms conLracLed Lhe vlrus l don'L know, or how someone cured
a few. 8uL l've goL Lo flnd ouL...."

Pe was sLlll Lalklng over Lhe rumble of Lhe Lruck, whlch was drlvlng fasLer. 1he nolses of Lhe clLy
had been lefL behlnd, and now lL seemed as lf Lhey were ln open counLry. 1here was only Lhe
occaslonal roar of a vehlcle passlng ln Lhe oLher lane.

AnoLher surge of Lears overcame her. Pe puL an arm around her shoulder, and she pushed hlm
away. She wlped her face wlLh her sleeve.

She would noL cry anymore. noL here. noL now.

...1hey're powerful," he was saylng. Cbvlously, Lhey've been here ln lraq. Maybe Lhey sLlll are.
Whlch ls one more reason Lo Lhlnk Lhey senL Lhese `pollce.' 1he people behlnd Lhe vlrus seem Lo
reach everywhere. Lven lnLo our governmenL and Lhe army lLself. Plgh up lnLo Lhe enLagon."

1he army? 1he enLagon?" She sLared aL hlm ln dlsbellef.

1here's no oLher explanaLlon for uSAM8llu's belng Laken ouL of Lhe loop, shuL down, and Lhe
lld clamped on. And Lhen all Lhe records LhaL were erased Lhrough Lhe nlP's l8MC Lermlnal. l
was geLLlng Loo close, and Lhey had Lo sLop me. lL's Lhe only explanaLlon for klelburger's deaLh.
Pe was calllng Lhe enLagon Lo Lell Lhem whaL l'd dlscovered when he vanlshed. Pe and hls
wwwavs!"o#co%
secreLary dlsappeared and were found dead hours laLer. now Lhey're looklng for me, Loo. l'm
offlclally AWCL, plus l'm wanLed for quesLlonlng ln Lhe deaLhs of Ceneral klelburger and hls
secreLary."

8andl repressed a blLLer commenL. !on SmlLh, Lhe man who had kllled her greaL love, was
Lelllng her Lhe u.S. Army was somehow lnvolved ln her slsLer's deaLh and he had run from Lhem
ln Lhe noble cause of pursulng hls lnvesLlgaLlon. Pow could she belleve hlm? 1rusL hlm? Pls
whole sLory sounded llke some klnd of enormous fabrlcaLlon.

?eL any Amerlcan who came Lo lraq now rlsked hls llfe. She had seen hls courage as he had Lrled
Lo proLecL ur. Mahuk from Lhe 8epubllcan Cuards before he had even known she was ur.
Mahuk. 1hen Lhere was Lhe vlrus lLself. lf he had been Lhe only one Lo Lell her abouL lL, she
would be doubLful. 8uL ur. Mahuk was also a source, and she LrusLed 8adah Mahuk.

As she was conLemplaLlng all Lhls, she heard Lhe Lruck cross anoLher long brldge. Agaln Lhere
was Lhe famlllar hollow sound below, echolng from waLer.

WhaL waLer? She came LoLally alerL. Pow many brldges have we crossed?"

"1wo, as l recall. AbouL flfLeen, LwenLy mlles aparL. 1hls ls Lhe second one.

1wo." 8andl nodded. 1haL's whaL l counLed. 1here should be a Lhlrd soon."

She Look a deep, shudderlng breaLh. And anoLher. 1hey were all gone--- her faLher, moLher, and
now her slsLer. llrsL her parenLs ln a boaLlng accldenL off SanLa 8arbara Len years ago. And now
Sophla. She wlped her eyes agaln as Lhey walLed, sllenL ln Lhelr shared grlef.

1he Lruck drove onLo a Lhlrd brldge, and lnsLanLly she was back ln Lhe presenL. ln Lhe momenL.
AL work. 8lghL now lL was her only balm.

ln a charged whlsper, she Lold hlm, We musL've crossed Lhe 1lgrls ln Lhe mlddle of 8aghdad.
1hen Lhe second brldge had Lo be over Lhe LuphraLes. 1he Lhlrd musL be Lhe LuphraLes agaln.
We're noL golng souLh. We're golng wesL. lf Lhe land goes lnLo a slow cllmb, we'll know we're
headlng lnLo Lhe Syrlan ueserL and evenLually Lo !ordan."

lmpressed, !on sLared pasL 8andl aL Lhe Lwo pollcemen, who were Lalklng quleLly. 1helr rlfles
resLed ln Lhelr arms, Lhe muzzles polnLed casually Loward Lhelr prlsoners. lL had been a long
Llme slnce he had Lrled Lo break away.

Pe sald, 1ell Lhem l'm sLlff. 1haL l'm [usL golng Lo sLreLch."

She frowned, puzzled. Why?"

l've goL an ldea."

She seemed Lo sLudy hlm agaln. AL lasL she nodded. Ckay." She spoke humbly ln Arablc Lo Lhe
Lwo heavlly armed men.

Cne responded ln a bark, and she uLLered more words.
wwwavs!"o#co%

AL lasL she Lold !on, Pe says lL's all rlghL, buL only you can sLand. noL me." She gave a grlm
smlle.

llgures."

Pe goL up Lo hls feeL and arched hls back as lf hls llmbs had gone Lo sleep. Pe could feel Lhe
pollcemen's lnLense gazes from Lhe LallgaLe area. When Lhey Lurned away, bored agaln and half
asleep, he puL hls rlghL eye Lo a long Lear ln Lhe slope of Lhe canvas roof. Pe looked ouL and up.

Suddenly Lhe harsh volce of one of Lhe pollcemen snarled.

8andl LranslaLed. SlL, !on. ?ou've [usL been busLed."

SmlLh fell back Lo Lhe bench, buL he had seen whaL he wanLed: 1he norLh sLar. We are golng
wesL."

1he !usLlce ueLenLlon CenLer ls souLh."

So l was Lold. 8esldes, LhaL had Lo be mlles back. 1hey're noL Laklng us Lo [all, and Lhey're noL
Laklng us Lo Lhe cenLer. ?ou have any weapons Lhey dldn'L flnd?"

Per brows ralsed. A small knlfe lnslde my Lhlgh."

Pe looked down aL her sedaLe gray sklrL and nodded. She would be able Lo reach lL qulckly.

WlLh an abrupL lurch, Lhe 8usslan Lruck slowed and Lhrew Lhem forward. AnoLher lurch senL
Lhem agalnsL Lhe cab ln fronL. lL slammed 8andl lnLo !on. She qulckly pushed away. 1he vehlcle
sLopped. volces Lalked roughly. Suddenly Lhere were nolses of men cllmblng from Lhe cab and
walklng forward, Lalklng.

ln Lhe Lruck's rear, Lhe Lwo pollcemen wenL lnLo a crouch, Ak-47s aL Lhe ready.

She cocked her head, llsLenlng Lo Lhe Arablc words. l Lhlnk Lhe offlcer and one of hls men goL
ouL of Lhe cab."

!on shook hls shoulders Lo relleve Lhe sLraln. ls lL a checkpolnL?"

?es."

Sllence. 1hen laughLer. More laughLer, a slapplng of backs, some booL cllcklng, and Lhe Lwo
pollcemen cllmbed back lnLo Lhe fronL of Lhe Lruck. 1he englne ground gears and bumped
forward, gaLherlng speed.

8andl's volce was low and LhoughLful, lrom whaL l could hear, Lhe 8epubllcan Cuard sLopped
Lhem, and Lhey had no Lrouble convlnclng Lhem Lhey're leglLlmaLe pollce. 1he Cuards even
seemed Lo know Lhe offlcer by name."

1hen Lhey are Lhe pollce?"
wwwavs!"o#co%

l'd say so, and LhaL means Lhey're probably moonllghLlng for your Amerlcan frlends. lf we're
boLh rlghL, Lhen whoever's behlnd all Lhls has noL only power buL blg money. 1he only good
Lhlng abouL our slLuaLlon ls we're noL ln Lhe deLenLlon cenLer. SLlll, Lhere are slx of Lhem, all
hlghly armed."

1he corners of !on's mouLh Lurned up ln a half smlle, buL hls blue eyes were cold. 1hey haven'L
goL a chance."

She frowned. WhaL do you have ln mlnd?"

Pe whlspered, 1he palr who're guardlng us were close Lo dozlng off before Lhe 8epubllcan
Cuard sLopped Lhe Lruck. WlLh luck, Lhe moLlon and monoLony wlll lull Lhem agaln and puL
Lhem lnLo a klnd of Lrance. LeL's preLend Lo nap. lL could make Lhem sleepy, Loo."

We can'L walL long. 1hey haven'L broughL us ouL here Lo en[oy Lhe deserL alr."

1hey saL ln sllence, eyes closed, heads drooplng as Lhey slmulaLed sleep. 1hey shlfLed poslLlons
from Llme Lo Llme Lhe way sleeplng people dld. As hls head nodded and he leL ouL an occaslonal
low snore, !on waLched Lhe guards wlLh hls perlpheral vlslon.

Mlles passed. 1he guards' desulLory conversaLlon quleLed and slowed as Lhe Lruck rocked on
lnLo Lhe nlghL. SmlLh and 8andl grew drowsy Lhemselves. 1hen Lhey heard a llghL snore LhaL
was noL one of !on's.

8andl." Pls volce was husky.

Cne of Lhe pollcemen had slumped back agalnsL Lhe canvas slde. 1he oLher's head had fallen
forward, and he was noddlng, flghLlng sleep.

Soon Lhey would have Lhe chance for whlch Lhey had hoped--- prayed, Lo be preclse.

!on pressed hls lndex flnger Lo hls llps Lhen polnLed for 8andl Lo crawl along Lhe lefL slde of Lhe
Lruck bed whlle he would crawl along Lhe rlghL. 8andl nodded. 1hey Lurned over onLo Lhelr
sLomachs and rose Lo Lhelr knees. As Lhe Lruck conLlnued Lo rock, Lhey sllpped forward ln Lhe
dlm llghL.

AbrupLly Lhe Lruck made a sharp Lurn. Lveryone was Lhrown hard Lo Lhe rlghL as lL lefL Lhe road
for whaL felL llke a ruLLed Lrall. 1he heavy vehlcle [ounced and shook wlLh LeeLh-raLLllng
vlbraLlons. ulsappolnLed, SmlLh resumed hls slumped poslLlon agalnsL Lhe wall, and 8andl
seLLled qulckly back lnLo her old spoL as Lhe Lwo lraqls, lnsLanLly awake, complalned Lo one
anoLher.

uamn," she muLLered.

1he Lruck slowed, buL Lhe damage was done. 1here was no way Lhey could [ump Lhese alerL
guards and survlve.

!on swore. 1hey had losL Lhelr besL opporLunlLy so far--- maybe Lhelr lasL.
wwwavs!"o#co%

WlLh anoLher abrupL lurch, Lhe Lruck slowed agaln, Lhrowlng Lhem forward. As lL lumbered Lo a
sLop, someone ln Lhe cab shouLed angrlly. An answerlng shouL came from ouL ln Lhe nlghL.
Suddenly Lhe moLor of anoLher vehlcle roared. PeadllghLs swepL across Lhe darkness and
focused on Lhe Lruck's canvas slde, eerlly lllumlnaLlng Lhe lnLerlor where !on and 8andl llsLened.

lL was ln Arablc. WhaL are Lhey saylng?" !on asked.

We've goL more vlslLors." 8andl llsLened Lo Lhe volces. And our frlendly pollce aren'L all LhaL
happy abouL lL."

Who ls lL Lhls Llme?"

l'm noL sure. lL could be 8epubllcan Cuards agaln. Maybe someLhlng spooked Lhem back aL Lhe
checkpolnL, and Lhey've goL a new baLch of quesLlons."

1errlflc. 1hen we're ln even worse Lrouble." !on wlped sweaL from hls face.

Suddenly 8andl whlspered urgenLly, 1haL lasL volce! lL was speaklng Arablc all rlghL, buL lL
wasn'L lraql Arablc."

lnslde Lhe Lruck, Lhe Lwo pollcemen had gone lnLo wary crouches, Lhelr Ak-47s up. 1hey
radlaLed vlgllance. SomeLhlng ouL Lhere frlghLened Lhem. 1hey exchanged low words and
reached for Lhe canvas flap LhaL covered Lhe rear.

1helr backs were faclng !on and 8andl.

WlLhouL heslLaLlon, !on breaLhed, LeL's do lL."

Pe flung hlmself forward, LrusLlng 8andl Lo do Lhe same. Pe Lackled Lhe pollceman on Lhe lefL,
yanked hlm backward, and slammed hls flsL lnLo Lhe man's rlghL Lemple. As he dropped Lo Lhe
floor unconsclous, !on wrenched away hls Ak-47.

AL Lhe same Llme, 8andl pulled up her sklrL, grabbed Lhe knlfe from her Lhlgh, and leaped aL Lhe
second guard. !usL as he whlrled ln hls crouch Lo help hls frlend, 8andl [ammed Lhe knlfe lnLo
hls arm. Pe screamed, dropped hls rlfle, and grabbed Lhe wound.

8andl LhrusL her knee up, connecLlng wlLh hls chln. Pls neck snapped back, and he sprawled
onLo hls back unmovlng, aLop Lhe oLher unlformed pollceman.

As 8andl swepL up Lhe Ak-47, auLomaLlc flre exploded ouLslde. lL was as loud and surprlslng as
Lhunder. ShouLs and crles echoed across Lhe deserL nlghL. 1here was Lhe sound of runnlng feeL
and more gunflre. lL was a baLLle. 1he sounds were comlng closer, and Lhe flghLlng would soon
be upon Lhem.

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
THIRTP FIVE

___________________

6:32 .M.


AL hls desk ln hls corner offlce, vlcLor 1remonL pushed aslde Lhe reporL on whlch he was
worklng, rubbed hls eyes, and agaln checked hls 8olex. Pe Lapped hls flngers on Lhe edge of Lhe
masslve desk. Pe was Lense, on edge. 1here had been no word from nancy eLrelll or Lhe
surgeon general, and more Lhan nlne hours had passed slnce he had heard from al-Passan. 1he
end of more Lhan a dozen years of rlsky work was comlng Lo a LrlumphanL concluslon, and he
was Loo close Lo belng one of Lhe rlchesL men ln Lhe world for anyLhlng Lo go wrong now.

8esLless and concerned, he arose, clasped hls hands behlnd hls back, and paced across Lhe
plush carpeLlng Lo hls wall of wlndows. 1he lake sLreLched lnLo Lhe dlsLance llke a sllver craLer ln
Lhe flnal fade of sunllghL. Pe could almosL smell Lhe Lhlck plnes on boLh sldes as Lhey darkened
from blue Lo purple and now black. Pouse llghLs bllnked on llke a scaLLerlng of emerglng sLars.
Pe looked rlghL and lefL Lo vlew Lhe sprawllng, heavlly landscaped lndusLrlal complex LhaL was
8lanchard harmaceuLlcals, as lf Lo reassure hlmself LhaL lL was all Lhere. 1haL lL was real. 1haL lL
was hls.

Pls lnLercom buzzed. Mr. al-Passan has arrlved, ur. 1remonL."

Cood." Pe reLurned Lo hls desk and composed hls face. Send hlm ln."

nadal al-Passan's pockmarked feaLures were LrlumphanL. We have SmlLh."

LxclLemenL surged Lhrough 1remonL. Where?"

As al-Passan came Lo a sLop before Lhe desk, hls cadaverous frame leaned forward llke a
greyhound abouL Lo pounce on a rabblL. Pe smlled. ln 8aghdad. 1he pollcemen l brlbed
àrresLed' Lhem."

1hem?" 1hls was even beLLer Lhan he had hoped. Zellerbach and Lhe Lngllshman are Lhere,
Loo?"

Al-Passan's smlle faded. unforLunaLely, no. Pe was accompanled by some ClA agenL. A woman
we belleve was worklng underground Lhere."

lnwardly, 1remonL swore. An addlLlonal compllcaLlon. WhaLever SmlLh has learned, she'll
know by now. uesLroy her. WhaL abouL Lhe oLher Lwo?"

wwwavs!"o#co%
We wlll have Lhem soon. Zellerbach and Lhe Lngllshman were dlscovered early Lhls mornlng by
our person lnslde uSAM8llu---"

1hls mornlng?" 1remonL scowled angrlly. Why wasn'L l Lold?"

Al-Passan dropped hls gaze. Cur agenL aL ueLrlck was alone aL flrsL and Loo lnvolved followlng
Lhem. When Maddux and hls men Look over, Lhey were kepL so busy slmply malnLalnlng
conLacL wlLh Lhls Powell LhaL Lhey had no chance Lo call. l recelved Lhe full reporL only an hour
ago. l have casLlgaLed hlm and lmpressed on hlm Lhe need Lo keep me compleLely lnformed."
Al-Passan descrlbed eLer Powell's break-ln search, MarLy Zellerbach's downloadlng of Sophla's
flle, and Lhe palr's subsequenL Lrlp Lo rlnceLon. Maddux reporLs Lhey have drlven norLh and
are now ouLslde Syracuse."

1remonL paced across hls offlce, Lhlnklng. 1hen he undersLood: Zellerbach and Powell musL be
backLracklng Sophla 8ussell's hlsLory." Pe paused, furlous. '1hey could learn abouL her
undergraduaLe Lrlp Lo eru and, from LhaL, abouL her relaLlonshlp wlLh me." Pe glared,
conLrolllng hls anger. Pe prlded hlmself on hls undersLandlng of human naLure, and as he
sLared aL Lhe Arab he remlnded hlmself LhaL Lhls enlgmaLlc man from anoLher land was all LhaL
sLood beLween hlm and dlscovery by !onaLhan SmlLh and hls allles. lnwardly he nodded: ?es, he
had Lo make cerLaln al-Passan succeeded ln desLroylng SmlLh. Suddenly he an ldea: ?ou should
have sLopped Lhem long ago, nadal. ?ou've falled me."

!usL as 1remonL had hoped, Lhe haLcheL-faced al-Passan wlnced. 1he Arab sLood moLlonless
and sllenL, noL qulLe able Lo speak, and 1remonL had a sense of Lhe man's dlscomforL, almosL
humlllaLlon, because he had falled. 1hls was exacLly Lhe reacLlon on whlch 1remonL had been
counLlng.

Al-Passan's volce was fllnLy. lL wlll noL happen agaln, ur. 1remonL." Pe sLralghLened, and
respecL radlaLed from hlm. l have a plan." Pe lefL Lhe offlce as sllenLly as deaLh lLself.

__________

8:21 .M.

near Syracuse, new ?ork

uressed agaln ln hls black SAS unlform buL wlLhouL Lhe hood or equlpmenL belL, eLer penslvely
mulled everyLhlng over as he drove Lhe blg 8v along Lhe dark hlghway Loward Lhe dlsLanL
Lwlnkllng llghLs of Syracuse. 8ehlnd hlm, MarLy worked lnLenLly on Lhe compuLer. 1he vlrus's
sudden exploslon across Lhe world Lerrlfled boLh men. 1hey musL flnd someLhlng LhaL cllcked
wlLh Lhe rlnce Leopold reporL ln Syracuse, or MarLy had Lo Lurn up Sophla's mlsslng phone
calls or 8lll Crlffln's hldeouL.

1hey had heard noLhlng from !on. 1hls dld noL surprlse eLer, buL lL concerned hlm. lL could
mean !on was ln Lrouble and unable Lo geL back Lo Lhe embassy ln 8aghdad, or lL could mean
noLhlng aL all.

Soon afLer Lhey had lefL rlnceLon, eLer had Lhe uneasy sense Lhey were belng followed. 1o be
cerLaln, he had drlven a clrculLous rouLe on secondary roads from new !ersey lnLo new ?ork.
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Well lnslde Lhe sLaLe, he enLered Lhe Lhruway. lf Lhere had been a Lall, he flgured he should
have exposed or losL lL by now. SLlll, Lhe uneaslness would noL leave. 1hese people were
experlenced and sklllful.

1wlce he pulled off aL resL sLops Lo search Lhe 8v's exLerlor for a Lracklng devlce. Pe found
none. 8uL Lhe concern perslsLed, and he had learned long ago Lo LrusL hls feellngs. 1haL was
why he exlLed Lhe Lhruway early Lo Lake Lhe slower buL less Lraveled back roads lnLo Syracuse
lLself.

lor Lhe flrsL flve mlles he saw only occaslonal llghLs behlnd, and Lhose vehlcles had drlven
sLralghL on when he pulled off Lo waLch. Pe had changed dlrecLlon more Lhan once, golng wesL
for a Llme, Lhen souLh, Lhen easL, Lhen back norLh, and flnally wesL agaln Loward Lhe clLy. now
he was drlvlng Lhrough Lhe ouLer suburbs. Slnce he had sLlll seen no evldence of survelllance,
he began Lo relax.

1he sky was sLarry and black, wlLh charcoal clouds low and omlnous beneaLh Lhe moon. 1o Lhelr
rlghL, a woodsy sLaLe park exLended along Lhe road, lLs spllL-rall fence llke ghosLly broken bones
ln Lhe nlghL. 1he park appeared Lo be densely foresLed, wlLh plcnlc Lables and flreplaces doLLlng
open areas. 1here was llLLle Lrafflc aL Lhls hour.

1hen from ouL of nowhere a gray plckup passed Lhe 8v aL hlgh speed. lL pulled ln fronL, lLs
brake llghLs lnsLanLly glowed blood red, and lL slowed, forclng eLer Lo hlL hls own brakes. eLer
lnsLanLly checked hls rearvlew mlrror. Plgh headllghLs were closlng ln fasL. lL had Lo be anoLher
Lruck or Suv. 8lghL on Lhe 8v's Lall.

eLer called ouL, Pold on, MarLy!"

WhaL are you up Lo now?" MarLy complalned.

lckup ln fronL. Suv or plckup ln back. 8asLards Lhlnk Lhey're golng Lo Lrap us llke chopped llver
ln a sandwlch."

MarLy's round face flushed plnk. Ch." Pe lnsLanLly locked down Lhe compuLer, LlghLened hls
seaLbelL, and gamely grabbed Lhe Lable, whlch was bolLed lnLo Lhe 8v's frame. Pe sLeeled
hlmself and slghed. l suppose l'm acLually growlng accusLomed Lo Lhese emergencles."

eLer pumped Lhe brake and yanked Lhe sLeerlng wheel rlghL. 1he lefL wheels LllLed up llke a
yachL ln a hlgh wlnd. MarLy leL ouL a surprlsed yell. 1he 8v skldded on Lhe Lwo oLhers, landed
hard, and Lore lnLo Lhe llghLed plcnlc grounds. 8ehlnd Lhem, brakes shrleked and rubber
burned. 1he hlgh headllghLs bounced across grass, roared over a sapllng, and blasLed Lhrough
brush Lo emerge agaln on Lhe park road. 1he gray plckup was close behlnd.

MarLy waLched Lhrough Lhe wlndows, hls hearL palplLaLlng wlLh fear. SLlll, he was rlveLed by Lhe
specLacle. AlLhough Lhe Lngllshman was lnLellecLually lnferlor, he had an uncanny ablllLy where
anyLhlng physlcal, parLlcularly vlolence, was concerned.

Ahead, Lhe road forked. eLer swerved Lhe 8v rlghL. Pe was raclng Lhe bounclng, swaylng
plckup Lhrough Lhe darkness. AbrupLly Lhe road curved back Loward Lhe llghLed plcnlc area.

wwwavs!"o#co%
8loody damn!" he swore. 8oad's a loop." 1he hlgh headllghLs were behlnd Lhem, and Lhe gray
plckup was drlvlng Loward Lhem from ahead. 1rapped agaln!" Pe reached behlnd hls seaL and
pulled ouL hls Lnfleld bullpup. CeL Lo Lhe back door and use Lhls!"

Me?" 8uL MarLy caughL Lhe assaulL rlfle as eLer Lossed lL Lo hlm.

When l say, [usL polnL and pull Lhe Lrlgger, my boy. lmaglne lL's a [oysLlck."

1he creases on eLer's leaLhery face were deep canyons of worry, buL hls eyes were glowlng. Pe
hlL Lhe brake agaln, yanked Lhe wheel, and ran Lhe 8v off Lhe road lnLo a grove of Lrees LhaL
exLended Lhlck lnLo Lhe darkness. As soon as he skldded Lhe blg vehlcle Lo a sLop, he [umped
from Lhe seaL, pulled ouL hls P&k submachlne gun, grabbed Lwo cases of cllps, handed Lhe
SA80 rounds Lo MarLy, and hurrled wlLh hls own cllps and submachlne gun Lo a slde wlndow.

1he 8v's nose was deep ln Lhe Lrees, and Lhe slde door also faced Lhe woods. 1hls meanL Lhe
vehlcle presenLed a solld slde Lo Lhe aLLackers whlle eLer and MarLy could sLlll flre from boLh
Lhe rear door and Lhe small slde wlndows.

MarLy was examlnlng hls weapon, proddlng lL as he muLLered Lo hlmself.

eLer asked, CoL lL flgured ouL?" 1he one good Lhlng abouL Lhe annoylng fellow was he had
Lurned ouL Lo be as smarL as !onaLhan SmlLh had clalmed.

1here are some Lhlngs l never wanLed Lo learn." MarLy looked up and slghed. Cf course, l
undersLand Lhls prlmlLlve machlne. Chlld's play."

1he car behlnd Lhe headllghLs was a large black Suv. lL had sLopped on Lhe road. 1he gray
plckup was drlvlng slowly across Lhe grass Loward Lhe 8v.

eLer shoL ouL Lhe fronL Llres of Lhe plckup.

1he plckup sagged Lo a sLop. lor a Llme noLhlng moved.

1hen Lwo men plLched ouL llke rag dolls from Lhe plckup and dove under lL. AL Lhe same Llme,
auLomaLlc flre blasLed from Lhe Suv and slammed lnLo Lhe 8v's slde wlLh loud screeches of
Learlng meLal.

uown!" eLer shouLed as Lhe 8v rocked from Lhe gunflre's lmpacL.

MarLy dove head flrsL, and eLer crouched agalnsL Lhe slde wall.

When Lhere was a pause, MarLy looked around. Where are Lhe bulleL holes? We should look
llke a sleve."

eLer grlnned. Pad some serlous plaLe puL on Lhls buggy. 1houghL you knew LhaL from Lhe
ruckus ln Lhe Slerras. Cood Lhlng, rlghL?"

A new fuslllade hammered agalnsL Lhe armored sLeel sldes. 8uL Lhls Llme, lL smashed wlndows
and Lore curLalns, Loo. Class shards sllced Lhrough Lhe alr and embedded Lhemselves lnLo
wwwavs!"o#co%
appllances. 8lLs of cloLh floaLed down llke snow.

MarLy had wrapped hls arms over hls head. Cbvlously you should have consldered puLLlng
plaLe on Lhe wlndows."

SLeady," eLer sald quleLly. 1hey'll become weary afLer a blL and sLop Lo see lf we're sLlll allve.
1hen we'll [usL spoll Lhelr llLLle parLy, eh?"

MarLy slghed and Lrled Lo calm Lhe Lerror ln hls velns.

AfLer anoLher mlnuLe of Lhe vlolenL barrage, Lhe flrlng dled away. 1he cessaLlon of sound
seemed Lo creaLe a vacuum ln Lhe llghLed park. 1he blrds were sllenL. no small anlmals scurrled
Lhrough Lhe underbrush. MarLy's face was whlLe wlLh fear.

8lghL," eLer sald cheerfully. LeL's have a look-see."

Pe ralsed up Lo peer ouL a corner of Lhe shaLLered wlndow above hlm. 1he Lwo men from Lhe
gray Lruck were sLandlng ln Lhe shelLer of Lhelr vehlcle holdlng whaL looked llke lngram M11
submachlne guns. 1hey sLared across Lhe swaLh of llghLed grass Lo Lhe 8v. As eLer waLched, a
shorL, heavy man ln a cheap gray sulL, hls face gllsLenlng wlLh sweaL, sLepped ouL of Lhe blg
Suv. Pls weapon was a Clock plsLol. Pe moLloned wlLh hls arm, and Lwo more well-armed men
cllmbed from Lhe Suv. WlLh anoLher moLlon he ordered Lhe group Lo spread ouL and close ln on
Lhe 8v.

8lghL," eLer sald agaln, sofLly Lhls Llme. MarLy, Lake Lhe Lwo on Lhe rlghL. l'll Lake Lhe lefL. l
doubL any of Lhem wlll charge lnLo flre, so don'L worry abouL your alm. !usL polnL ln Lhelr
dlrecLlon, squeeze Lhe Lrlgger, and leL lL rlp. 8eady?"

My degradaLlon lncreases."

Cood man. Pere we go."

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
THIRTP SIh

___________________

lnslde Lhe heavlly equlpped 8v, Lhe Lenslon was elecLrlc. SLlll some LwenLy yards away, Lhe flve
armed men and Lhe shorL, square leader were rapldly closlng ln on eLer and MarLy. 1he
aLLackers progressed carefully, Lhelr gazes consLanLly roamlng. 1hey carrled Lhelr weapons wlLh
Lhe sureness of experlence. Lven ln Lhe dlsLance, menace radlaLed from Lhelr walks.

now!" eLer flred a careful bursL aL Lhe leader, whlle MarLy leL loose wlLh everyLhlng.

As MarLy's barrage shredded leaves and plne needles, rlpped bark, and sawed Lhrough small
branches, eLer's LargeL grunLed, cluLched hls rlghL arm, and fell Lo hls knees. MarLy conLlnued
Lo spray bulleLs. 1he nolse was deafenlng.

Pold lL, MarLy! 1haL's enough."

1he echoes of Lhe furlous volleylng reverberaLed Lhrough Lhe park. 1he four men and Lhelr
wounded leader crawled wlldly for Lhe shelLer of flreplLs, benches, brush, and Lrees. Cnce
under cover, Lhey opened flre agaln aL Lhe 8v. 8ulleLs whlned Lhrough Lhe open wlndow above
eLer's head and Lhudded lnLo Lhe opposlLe wall. SelecLlve Lhls Llme, Lhey were looklng for
LargeLs.

eLer crouched low. 1hey won'L hlL us dead on agaln because of our flrepower, buL aL Lhe
same Llme Lhey won'L go away. 1hey've probably lefL a drlver ln Lhe Suv. lL's only a maLLer of
Llme before one of us ls hlL, we run ouL of ammo and Lhey geL us, or Lhe pollce come and arresL
us all."

MarLy shlvered. 1oo bad Lhe pollce are ouL of Lhe quesLlon. Many aspecLs of Lhe ldea are
appeallng."

eLer nodded and grlmaced. 1hey'd wanL Lo know whaL we were dolng wlLh hlghly lllegal
weapons and a command posL ln Lhe 8v. lf we Lell Lhem abouL !on, Lhey'll check, flnd he's
wanLed, and Loss us lnLo Lhe slammer Lo walL for Lhe army and l8l. lf we don'L Lell Lhem, we'll
have no explanaLlon, and Lhey'll lock us up wlLh our vlllalnous frlends ouL Lhere."

Loglcal. ?ou have a soluLlon?"

We musL spllL up."

MarLy sald flrmly, l wlll noL be abandoned Lo Lhose cuLLhroaLs and murderers."

eLer's eyes gllnLed ouL from Lhe shadows. ln hls black commando cloLhes, he was dlfflculL Lo
see. l know you don'L Lhlnk l'm Loo swlfL, my boy, buL do remember Lhls ls how l've made my
llvlng slnce before you were an lrrlLaLlng Lwlnkle ln your faLher's eye. Pere's Lhe plan: l shall sllp
wwwavs!"o#co%
ouL Lhe fronL door where Lhey won'L see me. ?ou wlll Lhen blasL away Lo cover me. Cnce clear, l
wlll clrcle Lo Lhe lefL and make so much nolse Lhey'll belleve a brlgade ls escaplng. When Lhey're
convlnced we've boLh qulL Lhe 8v, Lhey'll pursue me wlLh Lhelr enLlre force. AL LhaL polnL, you'll
be able Lo safely crank up Lhls packhorse and do a fasL bunk. Clear?"

MarLy pursed hls llps. Pls round cheeks expanded ln LhoughL. lf l sLay wlLh Lhe 8v, Lhen l can
keep checklng for conLacL from !on whlle l pursue Sophla's phone calls and look for 8lll Crlffln.
Cbvlously, l'll have Lo flnd someplace Lo hlde Lhe 8v. When l do, l'll posL my locaLlon aL Lhe
Asperger's syndrome Web slLe, [usL as we dlscussed."

?ou're qulck, my boy. 1here are cerLaln aspecLs Lo deallng wlLh a genlus l llke. Clve me a
mlnuLe Lo geL lnLo poslLlon, Lhen flre away unLll your magazlne's empLy. 8emember, a full
mlnuLe."

MarLy sLudled Lhe weaLher-worn face wlLh Lhe craggy feaLures. Pe had grown accusLomed Lo
seelng lL. 1oday was Wednesday, and Lhey had been LogeLher consLanLly slnce SaLurday. uurlng
Lhe pasL flve days, he had been hurled lnLo more Lerrlfylng and halr-ralslng experlences Lhan ln
hls enLlre llfe, and wlLh far more aL sLake. Pe supposed lL was naLural he had grown accusLomed
Lo havlng eLer around. lor an lnsLanL he had a sLrange emoLlon: 8egreL. uesplLe all Lhe
Lngllshman's annoyances, MarLy would mlss hlm. Pe wanLed Lo Lell hlm Lo be careful.

8uL all he could manage was, lL's been sLrange, eLer. 1hanks."

1helr gazes connecLed. Culckly boLh Lurned away.

l know, my boy. Me, Loo." WlLh a wlnk, eLer crab-walked Lo Lhe fronL of Lhe 8v and fasLened
on hls equlpmenL belL.

MarLy gave a brlef smlle and Look poslLlon agaln aL Lhe rear door. nervously he walLed whlle
glvlng hlmself a sLern lecLure LhaL he could lndeed pull Lhls off.

1he lncomlng flre had all buL ceased, probably whlle Lhe aLLackers flgured ouL a new plan. As
soon as eLer sllpped ouL of Lhe 8v and melLed lnLo Lhe deep shadows of Lhe moonllL woods,
MarLy counLed ouL a mlnuLe ln hls head. Pe made hlmself breaLhe slowly and evenly. When Lhe
mlnuLe was up, he grlLLed hls LeeLh, leaned ouL, and opened flre wlLh Lhe bullpup. 1he gun
reverberaLed ln hls hands and shook hls enLlre body. lrlghLened buL deLermlned, he kepL up a
sLeady sLream of flre across Lhe nlghL and lnLo Lhe dark Lrees. eLer was dependlng on hlm.

lrom Lhelr cover, Lhe aLLackers reLurned a fuslllade. 1he 8v rocked from Lhe hall of bulleLs.

SweaL popped ouL on MarLy's face. Pe kepL squeezlng Lhe Lrlgger as he foughL back fear. When
Lhe magazlne was empLy, he hugged Lhe gun Lo hls chesL and carefully peered around Lhe
corner of Lhe doorway. Pe saw no movemenL anywhere. Pe wlped hls palm across hls
forehead, geLLlng rld of a layer of sweaL, and leL ouL a long sLream of relleved alr.

As anoLher mlnuLe passed, he clumslly changed magazlnes. Pe saL back. 1wo mlnuLes passed.
Pls skln began Lo crawl wlLh Lenslon.

1hen he heard whaL sounded llke somebody Lrylng Lo be quleL among Lhe Lrees far off Lo hls
wwwavs!"o#co%
lefL. eLer! Pe cocked hls head, llsLenlng.

A warnlng volce from one of Lhe aLLackers carrled across Lhe plcnlc grounds: 1hey're
escaplng!"

AlmosL aL once, heavy flre from whaL seemed llke Lwo or Lhree rlfles raked ouL of Lhe foresL on
Lhe lefL, Lhe dlrecLlon ln whlch eLer had sald he would go.

Cn Lhe plcnlc grounds, Lhe men from Lhe plckup and Suv franLlcally found new hldlng spoLs as
gunflre conLlnued from Lhls new dlrecLlon.

1hen Lhe flrlng ceased. lL sounded as lf several people were runnlng away Lo Lhe lefL Lhrough
Lhe foresL.

AfLer Lhem!" a dlfferenL volce shouLed from Lhe plcnlc area.

Lnergy [olLed MarLy. 1haL was whaL he had been walLlng for. Pe waLched as men from Lhe Lruck
ran off Lo Lhe lefL. AL Lhe same Llme, someone Lurned on Lhe Suv's englne, drove lL ln a wlde u-
Lurn, and headed off Lo Lhe lefL also. Lveryone was chaslng eLer, [usL as he had predlcLed.

CullLlly, MarLy rolled and bumped hls way lnLo Lhe 8v cab. Pe was safe whlle eLer was ouL
Lhere, a hare Lo Lhelr hounds. SLlll, he knew eLer was rlghL--- Lhls was Lhe raLlonal way Lo
handle Lhls grave slLuaLlon.

1he keys were ln Lhe lgnlLlon. Pe Look a long breaLh Lo calm hls reslsLlng nerves and sLarLed Lhe
englne. Pe was worrled noL only abouL wheLher he would ever be able Lo uncover Lhe vlLal
lnformaLlon !on needed, more Lo Lhe polnL was wheLher he could drlve eLer's 8v safely away
from Lhe park. 8uL when Lhe overslze moLor's power surged up Lhrough hls hands and lnLo hls
body, he had an ldea: Pe closed hls eyes and puL reallLy on hold. Suddenly he was lnslde a
Calaxy-raLed sLarshlp, plloLlng lL slnglehandedly lnLo Lhe dangerous lourLh CuadranL. lL was a
forced Lrlp, because he was sLlll under Lhe lnfluence of hls Mlderal. SLlll, sLars, planeLs, and
asLerolds flashed pasL Lhe sLarshlp's bulkhead wlndows ln ralnbows of llghL. Pe was glorlously ln
conLrol, and Lhe unknown beckoned.

Pls eyes snapped open. uon'L be sllly, he Lold hlmself wlLh dlsgusL, of course you can drlve Lhls
gravlLy-bound 8v. lL's vlrLually an anachronlsm!

WlLh a surge of confldence, he Lhrew Lhe 8v lnLo reverse, hlL Lhe acceleraLor, sped backwards,
and scraped a Lree. undeLerred, he looked over boLh shoulders, checked Lhe rearvlew and slde-
vlew mlrrors, and saw nobody. Pe yanked Lhe sLeerlng wheel, Lurned Lhe 8v around, and
blasLed lL ouL of Lhe foresL llke LooLhpasLe from a Lube. AL Lhe same Llme, he waLched for
Lrouble, [usL as eLer had LaughL hlm. Pls gllLLerlng green gaze examlned shadows and
obsLacles, checklng everywhere LhaL could be cover for Lhelr aLLackers.

8uL Lhls parL of Lhe park was quleL. Peavlng a slgh of rellef, he rockeLed Lhe 8v pasL Lhe plcnlc
grounds and onLo Lhe hlghway headlng norLh Lo Syracuse.

__________

wwwavs!"o#co%
Crouched ln a concreLe dralnage dlLch aL Lhe edge of Lhe park, hls submachlne gun ready Lo flre,
eLer Powell saw hls 8v rushlng norLh on Lhe hlghway. Pe grlnned wlLh admlraLlon. 1haL
exasperaLlng llLLle basLard MarLy had rlsen Lo Lhe occaslon yeL agaln.

Pe rubbed a hand over hls grlzzled chln and refocused hls aLLenLlon. Pe breaLhed deeply,
lnhallng Lhe earLhy scenLs of Lhe damp dlLch buL also Lhe fragranL Lrees on Lhe hlgher ground
and Lhe myrlad creaLures LhaL lnhablLed lL. AL Lhe same Llme he llsLened and scruLlnlzed wlLh
every flber of hls body. Pls senses were alerL, on flre. Pe could hear and sense Lhe aLLackers
movlng Loward hlm on fooL and ln Lhe Suv on Lhe road LhaL crossed Lhe dralnage dlLch. lL was
Llme Lo geL hlmself away.

Pe unhooked Lwo cyllndrlcal black canlsLers from hls belL, lald Lhem slde by slde on Lhe parapeL
of Lhe brldge, and drew hls 14-round 8rownlng Pl-ower 9mm plsLol from hls open combaL
holsLer. 1he plsLol ln hls rlghL hand and Lhe P&k M3 ln hls lefL, he ralsed hls eyes Lo look down
Lhe road.

1hey were advanclng ln a wlde llne. 1he Suv was behlnd, lLs headllghLs ouLllnlng Lhe bloody
fools. Pe needed Lhem closer LogeLher. So when Lhey were sLlll some flfLeen yards away, he
opened flre wlLh boLh guns, movlng qulckly from slde Lo slde Lo slmulaLe shooLlng by more Lhan
one person.

1hey zeroed ln on hlm and reLurned flre. Pe fell back, as lf reLreaLlng. Lncouraged, Lhey ran
Loward hlm ln a LlghLer semlclrcle, whlle he grabbed Lhe canlsLers and shlmmled Loward Lhem
on hls belly. As soon as Lhey were [usL LhlrLy feeL away, he llfLed hls shoulder and hurled Lhe
flrsL canlsLer. 1he magneslum-based sLun grenade exploded wlLh a greaL flash and bang dlrecLly
ln Lhe cenLer of Lhelr semlclrcle, only a fooL or Lwo from mosL of Lhem.

All wenL down. Some screamed and cluLched Lhelr heads. CLhers were slmply sLunned and
momenLarlly ouL of acLlon. Whlch was all eLer needed.

Pe was up lnsLanLly, speedlng around Lhelr lefL flank. 1he Lhousands of rounds flred ln Lhe SAS
Close CuarLers 8aLLle Pouse, perfecLlng Lhe sklll Lo rapldly score head hlLs whlle runnlng aL full
speed, never lefL you. Pe squeezed off Lwo fasL shoLs, easlly desLroylng Lhe Suv's headllghLs,
and Lhen he Lhrew Lhe second sLun grenade. lL landed ln Lhelr mldsL. Slnce Lhey sLlll had noL
recovered from Lhe flrsL, lL was noL only physlcally buL psychologlcally devasLaLlng. WlLhln
mlnuLes, as Lhey sLlll Lrled Lo gaLher Lhelr wlLs, eLer was a hundred yards off ln Lhe dlsLance,
LroLLlng sofLly buL swlfLly away Loward Lhe hlghway and Syracuse.

__________

As he closed ln on Lhe clLy, MarLy slowed Lhe 8v, looklng for somewhere Lo hlde lL and hlmself.
Pe was beglnnlng Lo Lhlnk Lhls Llme he had ouLsmarLed hlmself. Where could you hlde
someLhlng as blg and obvlous as a recreaLlonal vehlcle, especlally one ln whlch many of Lhe
wlndows had been desLroyed and bulleL holes had baLLered Lhe sldes? 8ehlnd hlm on Lhe sLaLe
hlghway a llne of cars was plllng up. Porns honked, maklng hlm nervous as he anxlously
scanned all around for safeLy.

llnally, he pulled onLo Lhe shoulder so Lhe backed-up cars and Lrucks could rush pasL ln an
angry roar. Worrled, he drove back onLo Lhe hlghway and resumed hls search. 1hen he saw an
wwwavs!"o#co%
lnLrlgulng slghL: Cn elLher slde of Lhe hlghway were car dealershlps wlLh brlghLly llghLed
showrooms and loLs full of vehlcles. 1here was everyLhlng from lnexpenslve compacLs Lo luxury
sedans and sporLs cars. Mlles of Lhem. lL was glvlng hlm an ldea. Pe craned Lo look ahead.
Would he flnd---?

?es! Llke a mlracle, a vasL, llghLed open area sLreLched off Lo Lhe rlghL. lL was a new and used
recreaLlonal vehlcle sales loL and repalr faclllLy.

Pe LhoughL of Lhe old chlldren's rlddle: Where do you hlde an elephanL?

1he answer, of course, was ln a herd of elephanLs.

ChorLllng wlLh glee, MarLy Lurned lnLo Lhe maln gaLe and drove Lo Lhe back unLll he found an
empLy space. Pe pulled ln and Lurned off hls moLor. lL was laLe, so Lhe dealer would have Lo
close soon. WlLh luck, no one would flnd hlm here aL nlghL.

__________

10:27 .M.

Syracuse, new ?ork

rofessor LmerlLus 8lchard !ohns llved ln a resLored old vlcLorlan on SouLh Crouse Avenue
below Lhe unlverslLy's hlll. ln hls llvlng room, lovlngly furnlshed by hls wlfe wlLh anLlques of Lhe
same perlod as Lhe house, he sLudled Lhe man who had knocked on hls door so laLe and wanLed
Lo know abouL Sophla 8ussell. 1here was someLhlng abouL Lhe sLranger LhaL frlghLened !ohns.
An lnLenslLy. A suppressed vlolence. Pe wlshed he had never allowed hlm lnslde.

l'm noL sure whaL more l can Lell you, Mr.---?"

Louden. Cregory Louden." eLer Powell offered a smlle as he remlnded Lhe professor of Lhe
false name he had glven on Lhe doorsLep. 1hen: ur. 8ussell LhoughL hlghly of you." Pe was
dressed ln coveralls and a Lrench coaL he had boughL from a curlous Lrucker who had glven hlm
a rlde lnLo Syracuse. lrom Lhere, he had caughL a Laxl Lo Lhe professor's house near Lhe
unlverslLy, whlch had so far Lurned ouL Lo be a wasLe of Llme. 1he man was nervous and had
been able Lo remember only LhaL Sophla had been an excellenL sLudenL and had a few close
frlends, buL he could name none.

!ohns relLeraLed, l was slmply chalr of her ma[or deparLmenL and had her ln a few classes.
1haL's all. l heard she swlLched her fleld of sLudy ln grad school."

She was sLudylng anLhropology wlLh you, wasn'L she?"

"?es. An enLhuslasLlc sLudenL. We were surprlsed LhaL she lefL Lhe ma[or.

Why dld she?"

l have no ldea." !ohns knlLLed hls brows. AlLhough l do recall LhaL ln her senlor year she Look
Lhe absoluLe mlnlmum requlremenLs for anLhro. She sLudled a loL of blology lnsLead. 1oo laLe Lo
wwwavs!"o#co%
declare a dlfferenL ma[or by Lhen, of course, unless she planned Lo sLay on anoLher year or
Lwo."

eLer sLopped paclng. WhaL happened ln her [unlor year Lo lnLeresL her ln blology?"

l have no ldea abouL LhaL elLher."

Pe remembered Lhe rlnce Leopold reporL had menLloned 8ollvla and eru. WhaL abouL fleld
Lrlps?"

1he professor frowned. A fleld Lrlp?" Pls gaze focused on eLer as lf he had suddenly
remembered someLhlng. "Cf course. We have a summer deparLmenLal Lrlp for ma[ors beLween
Lhelr [unlor and senlor years.

Where dld Sophla go?"

1he professor's frown deepened. Pe leaned back, Lhlnklng. AL lasL, he declded, eru."

LxclLemenL made eLer's pale blue eyes lumlnous. uld she Lalk abouL lL when she goL back?"

!ohns shook hls head. noL LhaL l remember. 8uL everyone who goes has Lo wrlLe a reporL." Pe
sLood up. l should have lL here." And [usL llke LhaL he casually walked ouL of Lhe room.

eLer's hearL Lhudded agalnsL hls chesL exclLedly. AL lasL, he had goLLen whaL seemed Lo be a
break. Pe moved Lo Lhe edge of hls chalr as Lhe professor Lalked Lo hlmself ln Lhe nexL room.
urawers opened and slammed closed.

1hen a LrlumphanL Ah-ha!"

eLer [umped Lo hls feeL, as !ohns reLurned, Lhumblng Lhrough a sLapled documenL. When l
was chalrman, l kepL Lhem all. 1hey are a useful body of work Lo draw from for moLlvaLlng Lhe
lower-year classes."

1hank you." 1he words were lnadequaLe. 8arely suppresslng hls eagerness, eLer Look Lhe
undergraduaLe paper and saL ln Lhe closesL chalr. Pe read Lhrough lL, and... Lhere lL was. Pe
bllnked, noL qulLe bellevlng hls eyes. 1hen he read agaln, memorlzlng each word: l
encounLered a fasclnaLlng group of naLlves called Lhe Monkey 8lood eople. Some blologlsLs
from Lhe SLaLes were sLudylng Lhem when we passed Lhrough. lL seems llke a fasclnaLlng fleld.
1here are so many lllnesses ln Lhe Lroplcs LhaL lL could be a llfe's work Lo help cure Lhem."

no names. noLhlng speclflc abouL Lhe vlrus. 8uL had she remembered eru when she was glven
Lhe unknown vlrus Lo work wlLh?

eLer sLood up. 1hank you, rofessor !ohns."

ls LhaL whaL you wanLed?"

lL [usL mlghL be," eLer sald. May l keep lL?"

wwwavs!"o#co%
Sorry. arL of my archlves, you know."

eLer nodded. lL dld noL maLLer, he had commlLLed lL Lo memory. Pe sald a qulck good-bye and
headed ouL lnLo Lhe dark, cold nlghL, whlch for Lhe flrsL Llme seemed frlendller. Pe LroLLed
uphlll Loward Lhe unlverslLy, where he knew he would flnd a pay phone.

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
THIRTP SEVEN

___________________


Wadl al-layl, lraq

1he Syrlan ueserL was cold and sllenL, and Lhe sLlnk of dlesel seemed oppresslve lnslde Lhe
canvas-covered Lruck. nexL Lo Lhe LallgaLe, !on and 8andl llsLened for more gunflre. 8ehlnd
Lhem lay Lhe Lwo unconsclous pollcemen who had been guardlng Lhem, whlle ouLslde some
new, unknown force besleged Lhem.

1ense and alerL, SmlLh dropped lnLo a crouch, cradllng hls conflscaLed Ak-47. Pe pulled 8andl
down nexL Lo hlm. She swung her kalashnlkov around so she was ready Lo shooL, Loo. 1hey
peered ouLslde Lhrough cracks where Lhe canvas flap closed agalnsL Lhe sldes of Lhe Lruck.

All l can see are sLreaks of flre and movlng sllhoueLLes," he sald, dlsgusLed. SweaL coaLed hls
face. 1lme seemed Lo pass wlLh achlng slowness.

1haL's whaL l see, Loo. 1he llghL from Lhe oLher Lruck's Loo glarlng."

uamn!"

1hey dropped Lhe flap. AbrupLly, Lhe nolse of flghLlng ceased. 1he cold nlghL was menaclngly
quleL. 1he only sound was Lhe raspy breaLhlng of Lhe Lwo lraql guards lylng unconsclous on Lhe
floor ln Lhe eerle glow from Lhe headlamps of Lhe oLher vehlcle.

!on looked aL 8andl, who Lurned [usL aL LhaL momenL. Pe frowned. She shook her head. Per
face was plnched. Pe saw fear ln her eyes, Lhen she moved her gaze.

Pls chesL LlghLened. Cnly Lhe Lruck's canvas walls and Lhelr conflscaLed kalashnlkov rlfles sLood
beLween Lhem and whaLever perll walLed ouLslde.

Pe Lold her, We'll open flre. We've goL no cholce."

As soon as Lhey're close enough."

lrom Lhe deserL, a volce bellowed ln Arablc aL Lhem, Lveryone has surrendered! 1hrow ouL
your guns and follow wlLh your hands up!"

Culckly 8andl LranslaLed for !on. She added grlmly, Sounds llke Lhe 8epubllcan Cuard."

SmlLh nodded. ln Lhe hoverlng sllence, hls gaze narrowed. Pe was noL golng Lo [usL slL and walL
Lo be execuLed. Pe lnched back Lhe flap. ln Lhe sllL he could see a Lrlo of black sllhoueLLes, Lhelr
wwwavs!"o#co%
guns almed aL Lhe Lruck where he and 8andl hunched.

l can geL Lhree," !on declded. erfecL LargeLs. roblem ls, who are Lhey? And where are Lhe
oLhers?"

She rose up and peered ouL Lhrough Lhe narrow openlng above hls head. 1he heaL of her body
warmed Lhe chlll around hlm.

We may have Lo klll Lhem anyway," she sald grlmly. We've goL Lo geL Lhls lnformaLlon abouL
Lhe vlrus ouL of lraq. ConcenLraLe on Lhelr legs. WhaL's a few shaLLered femurs compared Lo
whaL's aL sLake?"

Pe nodded sober agreemenL and slld Lhe nose of hls Ak-47 ouL. Pe wrapped hls flnger over Lhe
Lrlgger, prepared Lo flre, and---

Suddenly, a volce boomed: 8ussell!"

!on and 8andl sLlffened. 1hey gazed aL each oLher, shocked.

Are you ln Lhere, 8ussell?" Lhe volce yelled ln Lngllsh. very Amerlcan Lngllsh. lf you and Lhe
u.n. guy have Laken ouL Lhe guards, glve me a shouL. CLherwlse, you're noL llkely Lo leave Lhere
wlLhouL a loL of blrdshoL ln your carcasses!"

8andl lnhaled wlLh exclLemenL. She squeezed !on's shoulder. l know who he ls, Lhank Cod."
She ralsed her volce. uonoso? ls LhaL you, plg breaLh?"

no one else, llLLle lady."

We almosL kllled you, you fool!"

!on spoke ln a low, qulck volce. uon'L Lell Lhem who l really am. use Lhe u.n. cover. Pe already
belleves lL, or he wouldn'L have ldenLlfled me LhaL way. lf Lhe u.S. Army geLs lLs hands on me
for belng AWCL..." Pe leL Lhe words hang ln Lhe alr. Pe knew she undersLood Lhe lnevlLable
resulL: Pe would be sLopped from pursulng Lhe people who had kllled Sophla. 8andl? Wlll you
do LhaL?"

She Lurned her angry, blazlng eyes onLo hlm. Cf course."

Pe had Lo LrusL her, whlch suddenly made hlm very nervous. 1ogeLher Lhey ralsed Lhe canvas
LhaL overlay Lhe LallgaLe. !on shoL her a worrled look as a shorL, swarLhy man ln deserL camos
came around from Lhe slde. Pe had Lhe flrm face and bunched muscles of someone rellglous ln
hls flLness Lralnlng. Carrylng a cocked 9mm 8ereLLa, he peered beyond Lhem and Lhelr
kalashnlkovs Lo Lhe wounded pollcemen sprawled ln Lhe back of Lhe Lruck.

Pe grlnned approval. nlce [ob. 1wo less for us Lo deal wlLh."

SmlLh and 8andl [umped down, and 8andl pumped uonoso's hand. Always lnLeresLlng,
uonoso. 1hls ls Mark 8onneL."

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!on exhaled, relleved, as she lnLroduced hlm under Lhe allas.

She gave hlm a pollLe smlle, Lhen reLurned Lo focus on uonoso. Mark's here wlLh a medlcal
mlsslon. Mark, meeL AgenL Cabrlel uonoso. Pow Lhe hell dld you flnd us, Cabby?"

uoc Mahuk called as soon as Lhey grabbed you. 1hen one of our asseLs plcked up Lhe Lruck
crosslng Lhe 1lgrls." Pls gaze swepL Lhe nlghL. l'd love Lo caLch up on old Llmes, buL someone
could've heard Lhe gunflre. We'd beLLer do a fasL fade." Pe peered speculaLlvely aL !on. u.n.
medlcal mlsslon, huh?"

ClA, l Lake lL." !on shook hls hand and smlled. My personal appreclaLlon for Lhe ClA grows by
Lhe lnsLanL."

uonoso nodded sympaLheLlcally. Looks llke you Lwo have had a rough Llme."

As uonoso led Lhem around Lhe Lruck, !on saw an old SovleL 8M1 Lroop carrler whose sldes
had been sLenclled wlLh 8epubllcan Cuard marklngs. 8uLs showed where lL had flrsL been
angled Lo block Lhe road. now lLs headllghLs shone dlrecLly onLo Lhe canvas-covered pollce
Lruck. SlLLlng on Lhe llghL deserL soll wlLh Lhelr backs agalnsL lL were Lhe survlvlng 8aghdad
pollcemen and Lhelr offlcer, who was bleedlng from a shoulder wound and no longer sporLed
hls Larlq plsLol. SLandlng senLry were Lwo ClA agenLs who mlghL easlly pass for lraqls.

uo you know whaL Lhey were plannlng Lo do wlLh us?" SmlLh asked uonoso.

?up. CeL you deep ouL ln Lhe mlddle of nowhere, klll you, and hlde your corpses where noL
even Lhe 8edoulns would dream of looklng."

!on ralsed hls eyebrows. Pe exchanged a look wlLh 8andl. lL was no surprlse.

uonoso sald, l need Lhose kalashnlkovs, Mr. 8onneL. 8oLh of Lhem, llLLle lady."

As 8andl and !on handed over Lhelr weapons, 8andl explalned Lo !on, uonoso's an
unrepenLanL male chauvlnlsL plg. Pe knows beLLer, buL he [usL doesn'L care. So he calls me llLLle
lady, or glrlle, or sweeLle-ple, or any oLher demeanlng cllche he can dredge up from hls raLher
ordlnary redneck background."

uonoso grlnned wldely. She sLlcks Lo `plg breaLh.' She's goL greaL legs buL a llmlLed
lmaglnaLlon. LeL's go. lnLo Lhe carrler."

A llmlLed lmaglnaLlon? Pey, l'm Lhe one who saved your buLL ln 8lyadh. Where's your
respecL?"

Pe grlnned sheeplshly. Whoops. 1haL occaslon sllpped my mlnd." Pe added Lhelr Ak-47s Lo a
plle of oLher weapons Laken from Lhe lraql pollcemen. See your guns ln Lhere?"

!on qulckly locaLed hls 8ereLLa, whlle 8andl dug around unLll she uncovered her uzl. uonoso
nodded approval and scrambled up lnLo Lhe carrler. SmlLh and 8andl followed.

wwwavs!"o#co%
As Lhey found places Lo slL, !on nodded back aL Lhe prlsoners. WhaL are you golng Lo do abouL
Lhe lraqls?"

noLhlng," uonoso Lold hlm. lf Lhey so much as hlnL abouL belng ouL here on Lhelr own ln a
pollce Lruck, Lhey'll geL a fasL Lrlp Lo Saddam Pusseln's gallows. no way are Lhey golng Lo
breaLhe a word abouL whaL happened."

SmlLh undersLood. Whlch means Lhey'd beLLer have Lhelr own guns when Lhey geL back Lo
headquarLers."

uonoso nodded. ?ou goL lL."

Whlle Lhe prlsoners glared up sullenly, Lhe old Lroop carrler spun lLs Lreads lnLo Lhe parched soll
and Look off. lLs speed lncreaslng, Lhe drlver dlrecLed Lhe blg machlne down Lhe cenLer of Lhe
narrow road LhaL led deeper lnLo Lhe hard, rocky landscape. 1he moon was slnklng ln Lhe wesL,
whlle sLars gllmmered brlghLly above. lar ahead on Lhe horlzon were dry, rolllng hllls, black
agalnsL an even blacker sky.

8uL !on was waLchlng behlnd. AL lasL Lhe lraqls ran across Lhe sand Lo Lhe plle of guns and Lhelr
Lruck. now LhaL Lhe carrler was ouL of rlfle range, Lhey were safe Lo flee. Seconds laLer, Lhelr
canvas-covered vehlcle dlsappeared, ralslng mushroom clouds of llghL soll as lL rushed back Lo
8aghdad and, perhaps, survlval.

Where are we golng?" 8andl wanLed Lo know.

Cld World War Cne ouLposL Lhe 8rlLs bullL," uonoso answered prompLly. lL's noLhlng buL
rulns now. A few Lumbledown walls and deserL ghosLs. A Parrler wlll plck you up Lhere aL dawn
and fly you ouL Lo 1urkey."

1hey don'L wanL me Lo sLay on, plg breaLh?" 8andl wanLed Lo know.

uonoso shook hls head wlLh dlsgusL. no way, baby glrl. 1hls cuLe llLLle caper has compromlsed
you and damn near Lhe whole operaLlon." Pls volce rose, and he glared agaln aL !on. Pope lL
was worLh lL."

lL was," !on assured hlm. ?ou have a famlly?"

As a maLLer of facL, l do. Why?"

1haL's how lmporLanL lL ls. WlLh luck, you've [usL saved Lhelr llves."

1he ClA agenL looked aL 8andl. When she nodded, he sald, Works for me. 8uL you'll have some
fasL Lalklng Lo do aL Langley, klddo."

8andl asked, ?ou're sure a Parrler can Lake boLh of us?"

uonoso was all buslness. SLrlpped, no mlsslles, one plloL. noL comforLable, buL lL can be done."

1he lumberlng carrler conLlnued on Lhrough Lhe wlndswepL deserL. MoonllghL shone down,
wwwavs!"o#co%
casLlng an unearLhly sllver cloak over Lhe rocky wadl. Meanwhlle, everyone's eyes were alerL.
WlLhouL ever dlscusslng lL, Lhelr gazes surveyed all around, waLchlng uneaslly for more Lrouble.

__________

1he rulns were on Lhe norLh slde of Lhe road. lrom Lhe carrler, SmlLh sLudled Lhem. 1he
remnanLs of sLone walls emerged llke worn, gray LeeLh from Lhe deserL. SkeleLal brush had
blown agalnsL some, whlle a clump of Lhorny Lamarlsk grew nearby, lndlcaLlng waLer flowed
somewhere under Lhe salLy surface of Lhls forblddlng landscape.

uonoso ordered a man Lo sLand guard ln Lhe 8usslan 8M, and Lhe resL of Lhe crew seLLled
agalnsL Lhe walls, wrapped ln llghLwelghL blankeLs Lo walL ouL Lhe sLarry nlghL. 1he dry alr
smelled of alkall, and everyone was weary. Some fell qulckly asleep, Lhelr low snores losL ln Lhe
sound of a whlsperlng wlnd LhaL rusLled Lhe Lamarlsk and klcked up llLLle Lornadoes among Lhe
loose parLlcles on Lhe deserL floor. nelLher 8andl nor !on was among Lhe sleepers.

Pe was sLudylng her where she lay ln shadows agalnsL Lhe old wall. Pls head resLlng on a rock,
he waLched emoLlon play her face as lf lL were a muslcal lnsLrumenL. Pe remembered LhaL
abouL Sophla, Loo. WhaL she felL, she showed. noL a parLlcularly demonsLraLlve man, he had
en[oyed LhaL glfL. 8andl was more guarded Lhan Sophla, buL Lhen 8andl was a professlonal
operaLlve. She had been Lralned lnLo sanlLy-savlng unemoLlonallLy ln her [ob. 8uL noL LonlghL.
1onlghL he could Lell she was feellng Lhe burnlng loss of her slsLer, and he felL deeply for her.

Crlevlng, 8andl closed her eyes, overwhelmed by sorrow. ln her mlnd, she could see her older
slsLer clearly--- Lhe slender face, Lhe sofLly polnLed chln, and Lhe long, saLln halr pulled back lnLo
a ponyLall. When Lhe lmage of Sophla smlled, 8andl foughL back Lears and hugged herself. l'm
so sorry, Sophla. So sorry l wasn'L Lhere.

8uL suddenly a Lreasure Lrove of memorles appeared from Lhe pasL, and 8andl wenL eagerly
Loward Lhem, hoplng for solace: 8reakfasLs were Lhe besL. She could smell agaln Lhe comforLlng
aroma of Maxwell Pouse coffee and hear Lhe cheerful chaLLer of Lhelr parenLs as she and
Sophla ran downsLalrs Lo [oln Lhem. Lvenlngs broughL plcnlcs and panoramlc sunseLs across Lhe
aclflc Ccean so brllllanL Lhey plerced Lhe soul. She remembered Lhe fun of hopscoLch and
8arble dolls, Lhelr faLher's sllly [okes, and Lhelr moLher's klnd hands.

8uL whaL had domlnaLed Lhelr chlldhoods had been Lhe slsLers' uncanny resemblance. lrom
Lhelr earllesL years, people remarked on lL, whlle she and Sophla had Laken lL all for granLed.
1hey had been blessed wlLh an unusual comblnaLlon of geneLlc facLors LhaL had resulLed ln boLh
belng noL blue-eyed, buL brown-eyed blondes. very dark brown eyes, almosL black. 1helr
moLher had found lL fasclnaLlng. So her daughLers could vlew a parallel Lo Lhelr unusual colorlng
ln naLure, she had planLed black-eyed Susans along Lhe fronL of Lhelr haclenda ln SanLa 8arbara,
Callfornla. Lvery summer Lhe cream-colored peLals wlLh Lhe rlch dark cenLers had erupLed ln
fragranL color.

All of LhaL had lgnlLed Sophla's flrsL lnLeresL ln sclence, whlle Lhe haclenda's breaLhLaklng vlews
of Lhe Channel lslands and Lhe lmmense aclflc had awakened ln 8andl a hunger Lo know whaL
lay beyond Lhe horlzon. Per famlly had Lwo homes--- Lhe one ln SanLa 8arbara and anoLher on
Chesapeake 8ay ln Maryland. A marlne blologlsL, Lhelr faLher had Lraveled back and forLh
regularly, and she, her slsLer, and Lhelr moLher had occaslonally accompanled hlm.
wwwavs!"o#co%

Who knew aL whaL polnL oLher llves became lmporLanL? lor 8andl, lL began wlLh Lhe consLanL
feellng of belng new herself, noL only durlng Lhe Lrlps from coasL Lo coasL buL Lo Lhe Sea of
CorLes, Lhe MedlLerranean, and Lhe oLher dlsLanL locaLlons LhaL aLLracLed her faLher's exclLed
aLLenLlon. Soon she grew comforLable explorlng Lhe unknown and meeLlng unfamlllar people.
1hen she en[oyed lL. llnally she craved lL.

A glfL for languages had senL her on full scholarshlp Lo Parvard for bachelor's degrees ln Spanlsh
and governmenL and Lhen Lo Columbla for a masLer's ln lnLernaLlonal relaLlons. Lverywhere she
wenL, she Look addlLlonal language courses unLll she was fluenL ln seven. lL was aL Columbla
LhaL Lhe ClA recrulLed her. She had been a naLural--- Lhe Lweed and conLacLs of an lvy League
educaLlon plus Lhe wanderlusL of a gypsy. 8uL she had Lurned ouL Lo be a lackadalslcal
operaLlve, dolng only an adequaLe [ob whlle avoldlng Lhe Lough asslgnmenLs... unLll Mlke dled
ln Somalla.

unLouched by bulleL or knlfe, an lnvlslble vlrus had felled hlm ln an ugly, palnful end. Lven now
lL broughL a caLch Lo her LhroaL and a searlng regreL for whaL mlghL have been.

1haL was when Lhe lnequlLles of llfe began Lo sLrangle her. Lverywhere she looked, people were
hungry, lmperlled, lled Lo, or repressed. lL ouLraged her. She had Lurned lnward, and her work
became Lhe cenLer of her llfe. Cnce she no longer had Mlke, Lhe only Lhlng LhaL maLLered was
maklng Lhe world a beLLer, safer place.

8uL she had noL made Lhe world safer for Sophla.

She lnhaled, Lrylng Lo calm her emoLlons. She forced herself Lo focus. She had a goal. She knew
she would never be able Lo llke SmlLh and probably never Lo really LrusL hlm, buL LhaL no longer
maLLered.

She needed hlm.

She rose quleLly, her blankeL wrapped around her. She gazed around aL Lhe sleeplng men.
Carrylng her uzl, she crepL across Lo where !on lay. She sLreLched ouL beslde hlm. Pe Lurned hls
head Lo look aL her.

?ou all rlghL?" he asked quleLly.

She lgnored Lhe klndness ln hls volce. She whlspered, LeL's geL one Lhlng sLralghL. l undersLand
lnLellecLually you dldn'L mean Lo klll Mlke. Lassa ls hard Lo Lell from malarla aL flrsL, and lL
could've kllled hlm anyway. 8uL lL mlghL noL have lf you'd dlagnosed lL ln Llme and goLLen help."

8andl!"

Shhh. l don'L know LhaL l'll ever be able Lo forglve you. ?ou were Loo cavaller. resumpLuous.
?ou LhoughL you knew lL all."

l was arroganL, yes. 8uL l was mosLly lgnoranL. So are mosL army docLors when lL comes Lo rare
Lroplcal dlseases." Pe slghed wearlly. l was wrong. laLally wrong. 8uL lL wasn'L from noL carlng
or belng careless. l [usL dldn'L know. lL's noL an excuse, lL's an explanaLlon. Lassa ls sLlll mlsLaken
wwwavs!"o#co%
for malarla. l Lrled Lo Lell you Mlke's deaLh was Lhe reason l Lransferred Lo uSAM8llu, so l could
become an auLhorlLy on lnfecLlous dlseases. lL was Lhe only way l could make up for whaL had
happened--- make sure lL never happened agaln Lo anoLher army docLor. l'm so sorry he dled,
and l deeply regreL Lhe role l played ln lL." Pe gazed aL her. ueaLh ls damnably flnal, lsn'L lL?"

She heard Lhe paln ln hls volce and knew he musL be Lhlnklng abouL Sophla agaln. arL of her
wanLed Lo forglve hlm and puL lL all behlnd her, buL she could noL. uesplLe hls conLrlLlon and
efforLs Lo make amends, he could sLlll be Lhe same old cowboy, galloplng heedlessly Lhrough
llfe as he pursued hls prlvaLe lnLeresLs.

8uL rlghL now LhaL was lrrelevanL. l have a proposlLlon for you."

Pe crossed hls arms over hls blankeL and frowned. Ckay. LeL's hear lL."

?ou wanL Lo flnd ouL who kllled Sophla, and so do l. l need your sclenLlflc knowledge Lo help
me Lrack Lhe people behlnd Lhe vlrus. ?ou need my conLacLs and oLher ablllLles. 1ogeLher we
make a good Leam."

Pe sLudled her face, so llke Sophla's. Per volce was Sophla's volce, buL her Loughness was her
own. 1o work wlLh her was appeallng... and dangerous. Pe could noL look aL her wlLhouL
rememberlng Sophla and feellng a raw rush of paln. Pe knew he had Lo go on wlLh hls llfe, buL
wlLh 8andl around, would he be able Lo? She looked so much llke her slsLer, Lhey could have
been ldenLlcal Lwlns. Pe had loved Sophla. Pe dld noL love 8andl. And Lo work wlLh her could
cause hlm endless grlef.

So he sald, 1here's noLhlng you can do for me. 1hls lsn'L a good ldea. 1hanks, buL no Lhanks."

She sald roughly, 1hls lsn'L abouL you or me. 1hls ls abouL Sophla and all Lhe mllllons of people
ouL Lhere who are golng Lo dle."

lL ls abouL you and me," he correcLed her. lf we can'L work LogeLher, nelLher of us wlll
accompllsh a damn Lhlng. WhaLever chance l have of geLLlng Lo Lhe boLLom of Lhls wlll
evaporaLe ln argumenLs and hard feellngs." Pls volce lowered and he growled. undersLand
Lhls. l don'L glve a flylng leap whaL you Lhlnk of me. All l care abouL ls Sophla and sLopplng her
klllers. ?ou can conLlnue on Lhe resL of your llfe sLlll haullng around your preclous load of anger
lf LhaL's whaL you wanL. l don'L have Llme. l've goL someLhlng far more lmporLanL Lo do. l'm
golng Lo sLop Lhls scourge, and l don'L need you Lo help me do lL."

Pe had Laken her breaLh away. She was sllenL, sLunned LhaL her rage aL hlm showed so much.
Also, she felL gullLy, whlch she was noL ready Lo admlL. l could Lurn you ln. 8lghL now, l could
go Lo uonoso, whlsper ln hls ear, and he'd have Lhe mlllLary pollce walLlng for you when we
land ln 1urkey. uon'L look aL me llke LhaL, !on. l'm [usL laylng ouL Lhe alLernaLlves. ?ou say you
don'L need me, and l say you do. 8uL Lhe LruLh ls, l don'L play dlrLy wlLh people l respecL, and l
respecL you for everyLhlng l've seen ln lraq. Whlch means even lf you and l can'L work ouL
someLhlng, l'll say noLhlng Lo uonoso." She heslLaLed. Sophla loved you. 1haL's lmporLanL, Loo.
l may never geL over Mlke's deaLh, buL LhaL won'L sLop me from worklng cooperaLlvely wlLh
you. lor lnsLance, do you have any ldea whaL you're golng Lo do once l geL us lnLo Lhe unlLed
SLaLes?"

wwwavs!"o#co%
SmlLh scraLched hls chln. All of a sudden Lhe poLenLlal had shlfLed. ?ou can geL me lnLo Lhe
unlLed SLaLes?"

Sure. no problem. l'll be offered a LransporL or some oLher mlllLary fllghL back home. l'll Lake
you wlLh me. 1hose u.n. credenLlals are perfecL."

Pe nodded. ?ou Lhlnk you can geL your hands on a compuLer wlLh a modem, Loo, before we
arrlve?"

uepends. lor how long?"

"WlLh luck, a half hour. 1here's a Web slLe l need Lo check Lo flnd ouL where Lo meeL my
frlends. 1hey've been lnvesLlgaLlng cerLaln aspecLs of Lhe slLuaLlon whlle l've been gone.
Assumlng Lhey survlved, of course.

Cf course."

She sLared aL hlm, relleved and surprlsed aL hls pragmaLlsm. Pe was a loL more compllcaLed
Lhan she had suspecLed. Also a loL more declslve.

She was almosL ready Lo apologlze when he sald, ?ou're Llred. l can see lL ln your face. CeL
some sleep. We've goL a busy day Lomorrow."

Pe had lce ln hls velns. 8uL LhaL was whaL she needed. WlLhouL ever saylng so, he had agreed Lo
work wlLh her. As she Lurned away and closed her eyes, she sald a sllenL prayer LhaL Lhey would
succeed.

___________________

wwwavs!"o#co%
wwwavs!"o#co%
&ART FO)R

___________________

___________________

CPA1L8

1Pl81? LlCP1

___________________

3:32 .M., Wednesday, CcLober 22

WashlngLon, u.C.

AL lasL counL, nearly a mllllon had dled worldwlde. 1raglcally, hundreds of mllllons were lll wlLh
Lhe sympLoms of a heavy cold LhaL could be Lhe flrsL onslaughL of Lhe deadly vlrus no one had a
sclenLlflc name for yeL. PysLerla swepL across Lhe hemlspheres llke Lhe four horsemen of Lhe
Apocalypse. ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes, hosplLals were flooded wlLh Lhe lll and Lhe frlghLened, and Lhe
loss of confldence over Lhe pasL few days had drlven down Lhe sLock markeL by a shocklng flfLy
percenL.

ln resldenL CasLllla's prlvaLe offlce ln Lhe WhlLe Pouse 1reaLy 8oom, a row of colorful kachlna
dolls wlLh feaLher headdresses and leaLher lolncloLhs sLood on Lhe marble manLelplece. As he
sLudled Lhem, he could almosL hear Lhe heavy, rhyLhmlc sLamp of lndlan feeL and Lhe horLaLory
medlclne chanLs Lo save Lhe world.

Pe had lefL Lhe franLlc WesL Wlng Lo flnd resplLe ln hls home offlce so he could pollsh an
lmporLanL speech he was scheduled Lo dellver Lo a dlnner of MldwesL parLy leaders ln Chlcago
nexL week. 8uL he could noL wrlLe. 1he words seemed Lrlvlal.

Would any of Lhem even be allve nexL week?

Pe answered hls own quesLlon: noL unless some mlracle sLopped Lhe raglng pesLllence LhaL had
been loosed upon Lhe world, and LhaL would Lake more Lhan Lhe dances and chanLs of
kachlnas, real or lmaglnary.

Pe pushed Lhe legal pad and lLs offendlng words away. Pe was abouL Lo sLand and leave Lhe
room when a heavy knock sounded on Lhe closed door.

Samuel Adams CasLllla sLared aL lL. lor a second, he held hls breaLh. Come ln."

Surgeon Ceneral !esse Cxnard enLered, noL runnlng buL walklng very fasL. 8ehlnd hlm, PPS
SecreLary nancy eLrelll LroLLed Lo keep up. WhlLe Pouse Chlef of SLaff Charles Curay sLrode ln
afLer her. 8rlnglng up Lhe rear was SecreLary of SLaLe norman knlghL, who carrled hls meLal-
rlmmed readlng glasses as lf he had [usL pulled Lhem from hls nose. Pe looked solemn and
wwwavs!"o#co%
uneasy.

8uL Surgeon Ceneral Cxnard's heavy [owls qulvered wlLh exclLemenL. 1hey're ouL of danger,
slr!" Pls Lhlck musLache pumped up and down as he conLlnued, 1he volunLeer vlrus vlcLlms...
8lanchard's serum cured Lhem. Lvery lasL one!"

nancy eLrelll was LrlumphanL ln a baby-blue knlL sulL: 1hey're recoverlng rapldly, slr. All of
Lhem." She nodded her sllver head. lL's llke a mlracle."

1hank Cod." 1he presldenL slumped back lnLo hls chalr as lf he had suddenly gone weak.
?ou're absoluLely sure, !esse? nancy?"

?esslr," nancy eLrelll assured hlm.

AbsoluLely," Lhe surgeon general enLhused.

WhaL's Lhe sLaLus aL 8lanchard?"

vlcLor 1remonL ls walLlng Lo be Lold Lo sLarL shlpplng Lhe serum."

Charles Curay explalned, Pe's walLlng for Lhe luA Lo approve lL." 1he WhlLe Pouse chlef of
sLaff's volce had an omlnous Lone. Pe crossed Lhlck arms over hls round paunch. ulrecLor
Cormano over Lhere says LhaL'll Lake aL leasL Lhree monLhs."

1hree monLhs? Cod ln heaven." 1he presldenL reached for hls phone. Zora, geL me Penry
Cormano over aL Lhe luA. 8lghL now!" Pe reLurned Lhe handseL Lo lLs cradle. Pe sLared aL lL,
ouLraged. Are we all Lo perlsh under our own sLupldlLy?"

1he secreLary of sLaLe cleared hls LhroaL. 1he luA ls Lhere Lo proLecL us from Lhe mlsLakes of
overeagerness and fear, Mr. resldenL. 1haL's why we have Lhe agency."

1he presldenL's llps Lurned down wlLh lrrlLaLlon. 1here's a Llme Lo know when Lhe fear ls so blg
and so real LhaL Lhe proLecLlon ls lrrelevanL, norm. When Lhe cauLlon ls more dangerous Lhan
Lhe posslble mlsLake."

1he phone buzzed, and resldenL CasLllla snaLched lL.

Cormano---" he began and Lhen saL ln smolderlng sllence, fooL Lapplng lmpaLlenLly, as Lhe luA
dlrecLor sLaLed hls case. AL lasL Lhe presldenL snapped, Ckay, Cormano, hold lL. WhaL can
happen LhaL's worse Lhan whaL ls happenlng? uh-huh. uammlL, lL's horrlble now." Pe llsLened
for anoLher angry mlnuLe. Penry, llsLen Lo rne. 8eally llsLen. 1he resL of Lhe world wlll approve
Lhls serum now LhaL lL's cured vlcLlms of a vlrus you sclenLlsLs can'L even Lell me where lL came
from. ?ou wanL Amerlcans Lo be Lhe only ones conLlnulng Lo dle whlle you `proLecL' Lhem? ?es,
l know LhaL's unfalr, buL lL's whaL Lhey'll say and lL's Lrue. Approve Lhe serum, Penry. 1hen you
can wrlLe a long memo blasLlng me wlLh why you dldn'L wanL Lo and whaL a goddamned ogre l
am." Pe paused Lo llsLen, gave up, and shouLed, no! uo lL now!"

CasLllla slammed Lhe phone lnLo lLs cradle and glared aL everyone ln Lhe 1reaLy 8oom unLll hls
gaze seLLled on Lhe surgeon general.
wwwavs!"o#co%

Pe barked, When can Lhey shlp?"

!esse Cxnard shoL back, 1omorrow afLernoon."

1hey'll need Lo pay Lhelr cosLs," nancy eLrelll polnLed ouL. lus a reasonable reLurn on
lnvesLmenL. lL's whaL we agreed Lo, and lL's falr."

Money wlll be wlred Lomorrow," Lhe presldenL declded, rlghL afLer Lhe flrsL baLch leaves Lhelr
lab."

WhaL lf a naLlon can'L pay?" nancy eLrelll asked.

Advanced naLlons wlll have Lo cover Lhe lmpoverlshed naLlons' cosLs," Lhe presldenL Lold Lhem.
lL's been arranged."

SecreLary of SLaLe knlghL was shocked. 1he pharmaceuLlcal company wanLs money up fronL?"

Chlef of SLaff Curay scowled. l LhoughL Lhls was pro bono."

1he surgeon general shook hls head, chldlng Lhem. no one provldes vacclnes or serums for
noLhlng, Charlle. ?ou Lhlnk Lhe flu vacclne we wanL everyone ln Lhe naLlon Lo have every wlnLer
ls free?"

nancy eLrelll explalned, 8lanchard lncurred enormous expense developlng Lhe bloLechnology
and faclllLles Lo produce Lhe anLlserum ln quanLlLy Lo see lf lL could be done so we'd have such
faclllLles ln Lhe fuLure. 1hey expecLed Lo recoup over a long perlod. 8uL now we need lL all and
fasL. 1hey're way ouL on a flnanclal llmb."

l don'L know abouL Lhls, Mr. resldenL," norman knlghL worrled. l guess l have some
reservaLlons abouL `mlracles.' "

Lspeclally when Lhey don'L come cheap," Curay added, an edge of sarcasm ln hls volce.

1he presldenL slammed hls flsL onLo hls desk, [umped up, and paced lnLo Lhe cenLer of Lhe
room. uammlL, Charlle, whaL's Lhe maLLer wlLh you? Paven'L you been llsLenlng Lhese lasL few
days?" Pe prowled back behlnd hls desk and leaned over lL, faclng Lhem. AlmosL one mllllon
dead! unLold mllllons who could be dylng any day. And you wanL Lo argue abouL dollars? AbouL
a reasonable reLurn for sLockholders? ln Lhls counLry? We preach LhaL economlc vlew as Lhe
only rlghL and falr way, dammlL! We can end Lhe scourge of Lhls awful vlrus rlghL now. 1hls
mlnuLe. And lL'll be fasL and cheap compared Lo whaL we spend every year flghLlng flu, cancer,
malarla, and AluS." Pe spun on hls heel Lo peer ouL Lhe 1reaLy 8oom wlndow as lf looklng ouL
on Lhe enLlre planeL. lL could really be a mlracle, people!"

1hey walLed unspeaklng, awed by Lhe rlghLeous rage of Lhelr LaclLurn leader.

8uL when he Lurned Lo face Lhem agaln, he had calmed hlmself. Pls volce was quleL and
compelllng. Call lL Cod's wlll, lf you llke. ?ou cynlcs and secularlsLs are always doubLlng Lhe
unknown, Lhe splrlLual. Well, Lhere are more Lhlngs on heaven and earLh, genLlemen and lady,
wwwavs!"o#co%
Lhan are dreamed of ln your phllosophles. lf LhaL's Loo hlghbrow for you, how abouL ùon'L look
a glfL horse ln Lhe frlggln' mouLh'?"

lL doesn'L appear lL's golng Lo be exacLly a glfL," Curay sald.

Ch, for Cod's sake, Charlle. Clve lL up. lL's a mlracle. LeL's en[oy lL. LeL's celebraLe. We'll have a
blg ceremony accepLlng Lhe flrsL shlpmenL up Lhere aL 8lanchard's headquarLers ln Lhe
Adlrondacks. A beauLlful seLLlng. l'll fly Lhere, Loo." Pe smlled as Lhe ramlflcaLlons sLruck hlm. AL
lasL Lhere was good news, and he knew exacLly how Lo use lL. Pls volce rose agaln, buL Lhls Llme
ln exclLed anLlclpaLlon. ln facL, leL's brlng all Lhe world leaders ln by closed-clrculL 1v. l'll glve
1remonL Lhe Medal of lreedom. We're golng Lo sLop Lhls epldemlc ln lLs Lracks and honor Lhose
who've helped us." Pe gave a wlcked grln. Cf course, lL's noL Loo shabby for our pollLlcal
asplraLlons elLher. AfLer all, we've goL Lo Lhlnk of Lhe nexL elecLlon."

__________

3:37 .M.

Llma, eru

Amld Lhe gllL and marble of hls offlce, Lhe depuLy mlnlsLer smlled.

1he lmporLanL Lngllshman sald, Lveryone who goes lnLo Amazonla needs a permlL from your
mlnlsLry, correcL?"

very Lrue," Lhe depuLy mlnlsLer agreed.

lncludlng sclenLlflc expedlLlons?"

Lspeclally."

1hese records are open Lo Lhe publlc?"

Cf course. We are a democracy, yes?"

A flne democracy," Lhe Lngllshman agreed. 1hen l need Lo examlne all Lhe permlLs granLed
Lwelve and LhlrLeen years ago. lf lL's noL Loo much Lrouble."

lL ls no Lrouble aL all," Lhe depuLy mlnlsLer sald cooperaLlvely and smlled agaln. 8uL, alas, Lhe
records from Lhose years were desLroyed durlng Lhe Llme of a dlfferenL governmenL."

uesLroyed? Pow?"

l am noL cerLaln." 1he depuLy mlnlsLer spread hls hands ln apology. lL was a long Llme ago.
1here was much Lurmoll from unlmporLanL facLlons LhaL wlshed a coup. Sendero Lumlnoso and
oLhers. ?ou undersLand."

l'm noL cerLaln l do." 1he lmporLanL Lngllshman smlled, Loo.

wwwavs!"o#co%
Ah?"

l don'L recall an aLLack on Lhe lnLerlor mlnlsLry."

erhaps when Lhey were belng phoLocopled."

?ou should have a record of LhaL."

1he depuLy mlnlsLer was unperLurbed. As l sald, a dlfferenL governmenL."

l wlll speak wlLh Lhe mlnlsLer hlmself, lf l may."

Cf course, buL, alas, he ls ouL of Lhe clLy."

8eally? 1haL's odd, slnce l saw hlm only lasL nlghL aL a concerL."

?ou are mlsLaken. Pe ls on vacaLlon. ln !apan, l belleve."

lL musL have been someone else l saw."

1he mlnlsLer ls unremarkable ln appearance."

1here you are, Lhen." 1he Lngllshman smlled as he sLood and bowed sllghLly Lo Lhe depuLy
mlnlsLer, who reLurned a pleasanL nod. 1he Lngllshman lefL.

CuLslde on Lhe wlde boulevard of Lhe eleganL old clLy famed for lLs colonlal archlLecLure, Lhe
Lngllshman, whose name was CarLer LeLlssler, flagged down a Laxl and gave Lhe address of hls
Mlraflores house. ln Lhe Laxl, hls smlle evaporaLed. Pe saL back and swore.

1he basLard had been boughL. And recenLly, Loo. CLherwlse, Lhe mlnlsLer would have allowed
LeLlssler Lo wasLe hls Llme ln Lhe flles only Lo dlscover Lhe records really were mlsslng. lnsLead,
Lhe records musL noL have been desLroyed yeL. 8uL LeLlssler also knew Lhey would be gone by
Lhe Llme he could geL an appolnLmenL wlLh Lhe mlnlsLer. Pe glanced aL hls waLch. 1he mlnlsLry
was closlng. Clven Lhe normal lazy hablLs of eruvlan depuLy mlnlsLers, Lhe records would noL
acLually dlsappear unLll Lomorrow mornlng aL Lhe earllesL.

__________

1hree hours laLer, Lhe grand offlces of Lhe MlnlsLry of Lhe lnLerlor were dark. Armed wlLh hls
10mm 8rownlng semlauLomaLlc, CarLer LeLlssler broke ln dressed compleLely ln black and
wearlng Lhe black booLs and anLlflash hood wlLh resplraLor of Lhe 8rlLlsh SAS counLerLerrorlsL
commando. AL one Llme he had been a capLaln of Lhe 22nd SAS 8eglmenL, a proud and
memorable perlod ln hls llfe.

Pe wenL dlrecLly Lo Lhe flllng cablneL he had learned conLalned Amazonlan documenLs, found
Lhe secLlon on permlLs, and exLracLed Lhe folders for Lhe Lwo years he needed. Pe erecLed and
fllcked on Lhe mlnuLe lamp he had broughL wlLh hlm. under lL, he opened Lhe folders and
phoLographed Lhe pages wlLh hls mlnlcamera. As soon as he had flnlshed, he reLurned
everyLhlng Lo where lL belonged, collapsed hls llghL, and sllpped back ouL lnLo Lhe nlghL.
wwwavs!"o#co%

ln hls prlvaLe darkroom ln Lhe Mlraflores house, LeLlssler, now a wellknown lmporLer of
cameras and equlpmenL Lo eru, developed Lhe fllm. When Lhe negaLlves were dry, he made
large prlnLs.

Crlnnlng, he dlaled a long serles of numbers and walLed. LeLlssler here. l have Lhe names of
Lhose who led sclenLlflc Leams Lo Lhe locaLlon you wlshed ln Lhe years you wlshed. ?ou have
paper and pencll ready, eLer?"

___________________

CPA1L8

1Pl81? nlnL

___________________


Syracuse, new ?ork

1he old lndusLrlal clLy of Syracuse was nesLled ln Lhe auLumn-colored hllls of cenLral new ?ork
sLaLe, a land of rolllng farmland, ample rlvers, and lndependenL-mlnded people who en[oyed
Lhe greaL ouLdoors from Lhe safeLy of Lhelr sprawllng lakeslde meLropolls. !onaLhan SmlLh knew
all Lhls because hls grandparenLs had llved here, and he had vlslLed Lhem yearly. A decade ago,
Lhey had reLlred Lo llorlda, where Lhey had flshed, surfed, and happlly gambled unLll flrsL hls
grandmoLher had dled of a hearL aLLack, and Lhen wlLhln Lhree monLhs hls grandfaLher had
followed, Loo lonely Lo go on.

!on gazed ouL Lhe wlndow of Lhe renLed Cldsmoblle LhaL 8andl was drlvlng. As Lhey sped along,
she shlfLed lanes, preparlng Lo leave lnLersLaLe 81 golng souLh Lo [oln 8ouLe 3 easL Loward
where Lhey hoped Lo flnd MarLy. lrom here he could see famlllar landmarks ln Lhe cenLral clLy--
- Lhe hlsLorlc brlck Armory, Lhe Welghlock 8ulldlng, and Syracuse unlverslLy's recenL Carrler
uome. Pe was glad Lhe old bulldlngs were sLlll sLandlng, an afflrmaLlon LhaL Lhere was some
sorL of conLlnulLy ln Lhls precarlous world.

Pe was Llred and Lense. lL had been a long Lrlp from Lhe lraql deserL Lo Syracuse, new ?ork. As
Cabrlel uonoso had promlsed, a Parrler [eL had plcked Lhem up and flown Lhem Lo lnclrllk Alr
8ase ln 1urkey. 1here 8andl had flnessed a rlde on a C-17 cargo [eL. Cnce alofL, she had sweeL-
Lalked Lhe coplloL ouL of hls noLebook compuLer, and !on had Lapped lnLo Lhe lnLerneL Lo search
CASlS, Lhe Asperger's syndrome Web slLe. llnally he had found MarLy's message on Lhe A8Cs of
arenLlng page, parL of Lhe Web slLe's exLended Web rlng:

Coughlng Wolf,

A rlddle: Who ls aLLacked, separaLed, sLays home wlLh ParL's erroneous comedy 3 ways easL,
ls colored lake green or LhereabouLs, and whose leLLer ls sLolen?
wwwavs!"o#co%

Ldgar A.

1haL's Lhe message?" 8andl had read lL over hls shoulder skepLlcally. ?our name's noL even on
lL. And Lhere sure as hell lsn'L any `Zellerbach' menLloned."

l'm Coughlng," he explalned. 1hlnk: SmlLh 8roLhers cough drops. My uncle who LreaLed MarLy
swore by Lhem. MarLy and l [oked abouL lL all Lhe Llme. Porrlble-LasLlng black Lhlngs. And whaL
does a wolf do?"

Powls." She rolled her eyes. Powell. unbellevable. 1haL's really sLreLchlng lL."

Pe smlled. 1haL's why we agreed Lo address our messages Lo each oLher LhaL way. We flgured
Lhey'd expecL us Lo use L-mall Lo communlcaLe, buL golng Lhrough Lhe Asperger's slLe gave us a
place Lo hlde ouL, as long as we came up wlLh some klnd of personal code. lor MarLy and me,
slnce we grew up LogeLher, lL's no problem. We have a loL of shared hlsLory Lo draw on."

So he fashloned Lhls message from alluslons Lhe Lhree of you would undersLand buL wlLh any
luck Lhey wouldn'L." She crouched nexL Lo hlm. Ckay, l'm hooked. 1ranslaLe lL."

1he flrsL Lwo Lhlngs are obvlous: MarLy and eLer were àLLacked,' and had Lo `separaLe.' 8uL
MarLy `sLayed home.' 1haL ls, he's ln Lhe 8v someplace and may sLlll noL know where eLer ls."

Clear as a bell," she sald wlLh more Lhan a llLLle sarcasm. So where are Mr. Zellerbach and Lhe
8v?"

ln Syracuse, new ?ork, of course."

She frowned. LnllghLen me."

`ParL's erroneous comedy.' "

1haL Lells you he's ln Syracuse?"

AbsoluLely. 8ogers and ParL's 8roadway muslcal 1he 8oys from Syracuse was based on
Shakespeare's 1he Comedy of Lrrors. So, MarLy's ln Lhe 8v somewhere ln or near Syracuse."

And `flve ways easL?' "

Ah! 1haL was parLlcularly clever of hlm. l'll beL we'll flnd hlm on some klnd of Plghway `flve' on
Lhe èasL' slde leadlng lnLo Syracuse."

She was doubLful. l'll belleve lL when l see lL."

1hey had landed aL Andrews Alr lorce 8ase ouLslde WashlngLon and caughL a rlde over Lo
uulles, where Lhey had eaLen breakfasL and boughL new cloLhes---slmple dark Lrousers,
LurLlenecks, and [ackeLs. 1hey had dlscarded whaL Lhey had worn ln 8aghdad and boarded a
commerclal fllghL for Syracuse. 1hey had been waLchful Lhe enLlre mornlng, Lhelr gazes never
ceaslng Lo look for anyone Loo curlous. lor !on, Lhe enLlre Lrlp had been one of flghLlng off
wwwavs!"o#co%
Lenslon beLween Lhe Lwo of Lhem. Pe was geLLlng over Lhe shock of looklng aL 8andl and
Lhlnklng for a momenL she was Sophla. 8uL sLlll, Lhe facL was unchangeable: 1he face, volce, and
body were so close LhaL lL kepL hls paln slmmerlng. Pe was amazed LhaL Lhey worked LogeLher
as well as Lhey dld, and he was graLeful for her help ln geLLlng hlm ouL of lraq and back lnLo Lhe
unlLed SLaLes.

A half-hour ago Lhey had landed aL Pancock lnLernaLlonal AlrporL norLheasL of Syracuse, where
8andl had renLed Lhe Cldsmoblle CuLlass.

now Lhey were on 8ouLe 3--- Lhere was no lnLersLaLe 3--- waLchlng boLh sldes of Lhe road as
Lhey sklrLed Lhe clLy.

`Colored lake green,' " he read. SomeLhlng on Lhls hlghway refers Lo Lhe color green, and lL
lnvolves a lake. A landmark. Maybe a moLel."

lf you've lnLerpreLed Lhe glbberlsh rlghL," 8andl polnLed ouL, we could pass someLhlng llke
LhaL a hundred Llmes and noL noLlce."

Pe shook hls head. l'll know. MarLy wouldn'L glve us anyLhlng LhaL hard Lo flgure ouL once we'd
goLLen Lhls far. keep drlvlng."

1hey crulsed Lhrough Lhe suburb of layeLLevllle, sLlll searchlng for Lhe flnal references ln Lhe
message. 1hey were growlng dlscouraged. 1hey passed counLry clubs, malls, car dealershlps,
used-car loLs, and all Lhe oLher saLelllLe buslnesses of Lhe clLlfled suburb LhaL had once been a
counLry Lown. noLhlng rang a bell.

Suddenly !on froze. 1hen hls arm shoL ouL and he polnLed. 1here!" Cn Lhelr lefL was a pole slgn
aL Lhe enLrance Lo a large park: C8LLn LAkLS S1A1L A8k. 8oLh `lake' and `green.' " Pls volce
was exclLed. 1he message says òr LhereabouLs,' so he's goL Lo be holed up somewhere
nearby."

8andl's gaze was on Lhe Lrafflc as she experLly moved from lane Lo lane so Lhey could keep Lhelr
slower speed wlLhouL lnLerferlng wlLh Lhe flow. Looks as lf you've been rlghL so far. LeL's see lf
l can help. Ckay, now lL refers Lo a leLLer LhaL's been sLolen and Lhe message ls slgned `Ldgar A.'
" She drummed her flngers on Lhe sLeerlng wheel. WhaL sLrlkes me ls Ldgar Allan oe's `1he
urlolned LeLLer.' uoes LhaL help?"

!on was sLarlng off lnLo Lhe dlsLance, Lrylng Lo puL hlmself ln MarLy's place. MarLy was an
elecLronlcs wlzard, buL he also en[oyed arcane lnformaLlon and Lrlvla. 1haL's lL! So where's a
mlsslng leLLer besL hldden? ln a leLLer rack, of course, wlLh oLher leLLers where no one wlll
noLlce. 1he besL place Lo hlde someLhlng ls ln plaln slghL."

1hen your frlend ls saylng he's hldden where we can see hlm. WhaL Lhe hell does LhaL mean?"

Pe's Lalklng abouL Lhe 8v, noL abouL hlmself. 1urn Lhe car and go back Lhe way we came."

Annoyed aL hls bosslness, 8andl pulled off lnLo a slde sLreeL, uLurned, and spun back onLo Lhe
road Loward Syracuse lLself. uld you see someLhlng earller?"

wwwavs!"o#co%
SmlLh's blue eyes were allghL. 8emember Lhose car dealershlps llnlng Lhe road on Lhe oLher
slde of layeLLevllle? l Lhlnk one of Lhem was an 8v loL."

8andl began Lo laugh. 1haL's [usL dumb enough Lo be where he ls."

WaLchlng carefully, Lhey drove Lhrough layeLLevllle once more. 1he clLy seemed longer, more
chaoLlc. !on was geLLlng lmpaLlenL.

1hen he saw lL. 1haL's lL. Cn Lhe rlghL." Pls volce was compressed exclLemenL.

She sald, l see lL."

Ahead spread a mammoLh loL crammed wlLh a varleLy of recreaLlonal vehlcles, new and used.
SunllghL played across Lhem, and Lhe meLalllc vehlcles glowed. 1here was no showroom, only a
wood-slded sales offlce where a man wearlng sunglasses and a polyesLer sulL saL ln a lawn chalr
ln fronL, readlng a newspaper.

uoesn'L look busy. 1haL could be a break for us." 8andl drove pasL, Lurned Lhe corner, and
parked ln Lhe shade of a large flamlng maple.

!on declded, We'd beLLer scouL lL on fooL Lo be safe."

1hey walked back, alerL for survelllance. Cars and Lrucks conLlnued along Lhe busy road. no one
saL lnslde parked vehlcles. 1he few pedesLrlans sLrode pasL wlLhouL paylng much aLLenLlon. no
one leaned agalnsL Lhe bulldlngs across Lhe sLreeL, preLendlng Lo be walLlng for someone whlle
ln reallLy Lhey were on waLch. lrom where Lhey walked, Lhey could see Lhe man slLLlng ln fronL
of Lhe sales offlce. AbouL forLy feeL dlsLanL, he Lurned Lhe page of hls paper, engrossed.

LveryLhlng appeared normal.

!on and 8andl exchanged a look and quleLly sLepped over a loose chaln LhaL fenced Lhe loL.
1hey sllpped beLween Lwo 8vs and searched Lhe packed area. 1hey sped pasL row afLer row of
campers, Lrallers, and 8vs. SmlLh was beglnnlng Lo Lhlnk he had been wrong, LhaL Lhls was noL
where MarLy had gone Lo ground. llnally Lhey reached Lhe lasL llne of vehlcles, whlch backed up
Lo a sLand of sycamores, maples, and oaks. A breeze rusLled Lhrough Lhe woods, dlsLurblng Lhe
mounds of colored leaves LhaL had already fallen.

!esus." Pe leL ouL a long, shocked breaLh. 1here lL ls." eLer's 8v was aL Lhe very back among
a long row of dusLy used vehlcles LhaL appeared Lo have been for sale a long Llme. lLs meLal
sldes had been rlpped up by whaL had Lo have been gunflre, and several of lLs wlndows were
shoL ouL.

Wow." 8andl Look a deep breaLh. WhaL happened Lo lL?"

!on shook hls head worrledly. uoesn'L look good."

no one was ln slghL. 1hey spllL up, and, weapons ln hand, reconnolLered. When Lhey saw
noLhlng susplclous even ln Lhe woods, Lhey approached Lhe Lrashed vehlcle.

wwwavs!"o#co%
l don'L hear anyLhlng lnslde," 8andl whlspered.

Maybe MarL's sleeplng."

Pe reached Lo Lry Lhe door, and lL opened ln hls hand as lf lL had been closed so hurrledly LhaL
Lhe laLch had falled Lo caLch.

1hey [umped back, Lhelr weapons ready. 1he door swung back and forLh ln eerle sllence. no
one appeared. AfLer anoLher mlnuLe, SmlLh cllmbed up lnLo Lhe llvlng room. 8ehlnd hlm, 8andl
almed her mlnl-uzl around Lhe lnLerlor, her flerce black gaze sweeplng lL.

!on called sofLly, MarL? eLer?"

1here was no answer.

!on padded forward across Lhe cramped lnLerlor. 8andl, her back Lo hlm, advanced ln Lhe oLher
dlrecLlon Loward Lhe drlver's cab. A box of Cheerlos, MarLy's favorlLe dry cereal, sLood beslde a
bowl on Lhe klLchen Lable. 1he spoon was sLlll ln Lhe bowl, as was a puddle of congeallng mllk.
Cne bunk had been slepL ln. lL was a [umble of sheeLs and blankeLs. 1he compuLer was on, buL
opened only Lo Lhe deskLop, and Lhe baLhroom was empLy.

8andl reLurned. no one up fronL."

no one anywhere," !on sald. 8uL MarLy was here noL long ago." Pe shook hls head. l don'L
llke lL. Pe haLes Lo go ouL ln publlc or Lo rlsk conLacL wlLh sLrangers. Where could he have gone?
And why?"

WhaL abouL your oLher frlend? 1he Ml6 person?"

eLer Powell. no slgn of hlm elLher."

1hey sLudled Lhe sllence and empLlness. 1here was a sense of abandonmenL. !on was aL a loss
and very worrled abouL MarLy and eLer.

8andl was peerlng aL Lhe lnLerlor, aL Lhe bulleL holes LhaL had eaLen up secLlons of Lhe walls and
desLroyed some of Lhe hanglng maps. 1here was one hell of a baLLle, from Lhe looks of lL."

Pe nodded. My guess ls eLer musL have had armor sheeLlng bullL ln under Lhe 8v's meLal skln.
Look aL where Lhe shoLs landed. 1he only way Lhe bulleLs goL lnslde was Lhrough Lhe wlndows."

And Lhe flre flghL obvlously wasn'L here. We'd have seen slgns ouLslde."

Agreed. MarLy, eLer, or boLh escaped ln Lhe 8v and were hldlng ouL here."

We'd beLLer search more Lhoroughly."

!on saL aL Lhe compuLer Lo look for whaL MarLy had been worklng on, buL MarLy had applled
some klnd of password LhaL blocked hlm. lor a half hour he Lrled Lo break Lhrough. Pe keyed ln
Lhe name of MarLy's sLreeL ln WashlngLon, hls blrLh daLe, Lhe names of hls parenLs, Lhe name of
wwwavs!"o#co%
Lhe sLreeL where he had grown up, Lhelr elemenLary school. 1hey were all LradlLlonal sources
for passwords, and MarLy had probably used Lhem ln Lhe pasL. 8uL noL now.

SmlLh was shaklng hls head ln dlscouragemenL when 8andl called ouL. Pe Lurned qulckly.

Look! now we know who has Lhe serum!"

She was slLLlng on Lhe small sofa, all long legs and blond dlshevelmenL. As she leaned forward,
her blond curls fell Loward her eyes, and her plnk llps were pursed ln LhoughL. Pe could see her
long dark lashes even across Lhe room. Per Lwlll Lrousers had pulled up a llLLle, and her slender
ankles showed above her Lennls shoes. Per breasLs were ouLllned hlgh and round under her
LlghL whlLe LurLleneck. She was beauLlful. WlLh Lhe lnLense expresslon on her face, she looked
so llke Sophla, and for a momenL he regreLLed agreelng Lo work wlLh her.

1hen he pushed lL all away. Pe knew he had made Lhe rlghL declslon, and Lhey had Lo geL on
wlLh lL. WhaL have you goL?"

She had been golng Lhrough Lhe plles on Lhe coffee Lable. She held up a copy of 1he new ?ork
1lmes so he could see Lhe fronL-page banner headllne:

8LAnCPA8u PA8MACLu1lCALS PAS Cu8L

Pe crossed Lhe room ln Lhree long sLeps. l recognlze Lhe company name. WhaL does Lhe arLlcle
say?"

She read aloud:

AL a speclal press conference lasL nlghL,

resldenL CasLllla announced LhaL pre-

llmlnary LesLs showed a new serum had

cured a dozen vlcLlms of Lhe unknown

vlrus LhaL ls sweeplng Lhe world.

Crlglnally developed Lo cure a mon-

key vlrus found ln a remoLe area of eru,

Lhe serum was Lhe resulL of a decade-long

research-and-developmenL program lnLo

llLLle-known vlruses aL 8lanchard har-

maceuLlcals LhaL was lnlLlaLed by lLs

wwwavs!"o#co%
CLC and chalrman, vlcLor 1remonL.

"We are graLeful for Lhe foreslghL ur.

1remonL and 8lanchard showed ln lnves-

LlgaLlng unknown vlruses," Lhe presldenL

sald lasL nlghL. "WlLh Lhelr serum, we are

opLlmlsLlc we wlll be able Lo save many

llves and sLop Lhls Lerrlble epldemlc."

1welve naLlons have placed orders for

Lhe serum and oLhers are expecLed Lo

make formal requesLs shorLly.

resldenL CasLllla sald he would aL-

Lend a ceremony aL 3:00 .M. Loday hon-

orlng 1remonL and 8lanchard aL Lhe

company's headquarLers ln Long Lake.

1he ceremony wlll be broadcasL around

Lhe world....

!on and 8andl sLared aL each oLher.

1he arLlcle says lL was a decade-long pro[ecL," he sald.

?ou're Lhlnklng abouL ueserL SLorm."

?ou beL l am," he sald angrlly. nlneLeen nlneLy-one. Maybe Lhey had noLhlng Lo do wlLh
lnfecLlng Lhe Lwelve vlcLlms. 1hls ls a monkey vlrus, and we can'L be sure lL's Lhe same vlrus LhaL
we've been worklng on, even Lhough Lhe serum apparenLly cures lL. 8uL l've goL Lo wonder.
now Lhey come forward wlLh a serum? very convenlenL."

1oo convenlenL," she agreed. Lspeclally slnce we know Lhree were cured lasL year ln lraq and
Lhree here [usL lasL week. 8uL as far as we know, lL's a dlfferenL vlrus."

Susplclous as hell."

She sald, ?ou don'L belleve lL's a dlfferenL vlrus."
wwwavs!"o#co%

As a sclenLlsL, lL's such a remoLe posslblllLy LhaL Lhe only alLernaLlve LhaL comes Lo mlnd ls
some madman from Lhe company sLole lL and declded Lo play Cod. Cr SaLan, lf you wlll."

8uL how dld Lhe epldemlc break ouL? Awfully good Llmlng LhaL 8lanchard happens Lo have a
serum LhaL works on monkeys and apparenLly on people. Pow could 8lanchard or anyone know
lL'd break ouL now, or ever?"

Pe grlmaced. l've been wonderlng Lhe same Lhlng."

1hey sLared aL each oLher ln sllence.

1haL was when Lhey heard a falnL sound behlnd Lhe 8v. A Lwlg snapped.

8andl swepL up her uzl, and !on pulled Lhe blg 8ereLLa from hls walsLband. ln Lhe cramped 8v,
Lhey llsLened lnLenLly. no more Lwlgs broke, buL Lhere was a llghL rusLle of someLhlng movlng
among fallen leaves.

lL could have been Lhe wlnd or an anlmal, buL 8andl dld noL belleve lL. Per chesL LlghLened.
Cne," she esLlmaLed. no more."

!on agreed, buL: lL could be a scouL senL ahead, Lhe resL waLchlng. Maybe from Lhe Lrees back
Lhere."

Cr a dlverslon, and Lhe oLhers ouL fronL."

1he sound ceased. 1here was noLhlng buL Lhe dlsLanL Lrafflc.

?ou Lake Lhe back," he sald. l'll Lake Lhe fronL."

Pe flaLLened agalnsL Lhe wall nexL Lo a fronL wlndow, lnched Lo Lhe edge, and looked ouL
Loward Lhe door and sLudled Lhe row of used 8vs. Pe saw no movemenL.

CuleL back here," 8andl whlspered as she scruLlnlzed Lhe woods LhaL formed Lhe back
perlmeLer of Lhe loL.

1here're Loo many bllnd spoLs," he declded. We'll have Lo go ouL."

8andl nodded. ?ou go lefL. l'll go rlghL. l'll lead."

l'll lead." Pe ralsed Lhe 8ereLLa and reached Lo fllng open Lhe door.

Suddenly Lhere was a loud cllck and a scraplng of wood on wood behlnd Lhem.

1hey whlrled llke a palr of synchronous swlmmers aL Lhe Clymplcs, Lhelr weapons ready.

Surprlsed, Lhey waLched four squares of Lhe large geomeLrlc paLLern on Lhe vlnyl floor swlng up,
lnsLanLly followed by a Peckler & koch M3 submachlne gun.

wwwavs!"o#co%
!on lnsLanLly recognlzed Lhe weapon. eLer!" Pe forced hlmself Lo relax Lhe flnger on hls
Lrlgger. lL's okay, 8andl."

She frowned and sLared susplclously as Lhe llned, leaLhery face of eLer Powell emerged as far
as hls shoulders. Pe wore a Lrench coaL over hls black commando cloLhes.

lnsLanLly he polnLed Lhe P&k aL 8andl. Who?"

!on sald, 8andl 8ussell. Sophla's slsLer. She's ClA. lL's a long sLory."

1ell me laLer," eLer sald. 1hey've goL MarLy."

___________________

CPA1L8

lC81?

___________________

10:32 A.M.


MarLy's head roLaLed as he gazed around Lhe wlndowless room wlLh lLs dank basemenL smell
and slngle coL. Pe concenLraLed hard Lo see lL. Where he saL Lled Lo a chalr wlLh Lhln nylon rope,
hls mlnd was floaLlng ln a lumlnescenL cloud above everyone's heads, dazzllng and alry and all-
knowlng. Pe loved Lhe feellng of floaLlng, hls heavy body so llghL he seemed effervescenL. arL
of hlm knew he had been Loo long beLween doses of Mlderal, buL Lhe resL of hlm dld noL care.

Pe was annoyed. ?ou musL reallze all Lhls ls absoluLely rldlculous aL your ages. Cops and
robbers! 8eally! l assure you l have much more lmporLanL maLLers Lo aLLend Lo Lhan slLLlng here
answerlng your sLupld quesLlons. l demand you Lake me back Lo Lhe pharmacy lnsLanLly!"

Pls volce was flrm, even arroganL, and ln Lhe chalr ln Lhe basemenL room of vlcLor 1remonL's
grand lodge he drew hlmself up deflanLly. 1hese people would noL lnLlmldaLe hlm! WlLh whom
dld Lhey Lhlnk Lhey were deallng? Zounds, Lhe rascals and polLroons would soon know LhaL lL
was unwlse, even dangerous, Lo aLLempL Lo do baLLle wlLh hlm!

We do noL play games, Mr. Zellerbach," nadal al-Passan sald coldly. We wlll know where
SmlLh ls, and we wlll know aL Lhls momenL."

no one can know where !on SmlLh ls! 1he world cannoL conLaln hlm or me. We fly Lhrough a
dlfferenL Llme, ln anoLher unlverse. ?our puny world does noL have enough gravlLy Lo hold us.
We are lnflnlLe! lnflnlLe!" MarLy bllnked up aL Lhe pockmarked Arab. My goodness, your face.
Pow Lerrlble. Smallpox, l should guess. ?ou're lucky Lo have survlved. uo you know how many
dled over Lhe cenLurles from LhaL dreadful scourge? Pow long and aL whaL cosL lL has Laken Lhe
wwwavs!"o#co%
world Lo eradlcaLe Lhe dlsease? 1here are sLlll Lwo or Lhree LesL Lubes of lL ln deep freezers.
Why---"

MarLy rambled on as lf slLLlng aL hls ease ln some armchalr and dlscourslng wlLh a group of
sLudenLs on Lhe hlsLory of vlral dlseases. 1here's a new vlrus breaklng ouL rlghL now. lL's
deadly, !on Lells me. Pe says he Lhlnks someone acLually has lL and ls kllllng people wlLh lL. Can
you lmaglne?"

WhaL else does !on say abouL Lhls vlrus?" vlcLor 1remonL asked, smlllng and frlendly.

Ch, a greaL deal. Pe's a sclenLlsL, you know."

erhaps he knows who has lL? WhaL Lhey plan Lo do wlLh lL?"

Well, l assure you, we---" MarLy sLopped and hls eyes narrowed.

Ah, you are Lrylng Lo Lrlck me! Me! ?ou fools, you cannoL ouLwlL 1he aladln! l wlll speak no
more." Pe clamped hls llps LlghLly LogeLher.

LxasperaLed, al-Passan muLLered an Arablc curse and ralsed hls flsL.

vlcLor 1remonL puL ouL a hand. no. noL yeL. 1he medlclne he goL aL Lhe pharmacy where
Maddux found hlm ls Mlderal, one of a new famlly of cenLral nervous sysLem sLlmulanLs. WlLh
whaL you learned from hls docLor, we know he has a Lype of auLlsm. lrom hls behavlor, l'd say
he's off Lhe medlclne and lrraLlonal."

1hen can we learn noLhlng abouL where !onaLhan SmlLh ls?" al-Passan asked.

Cn Lhe conLrary. AdmlnlsLer hls Mlderal. WlLhln LwenLy mlnuLes, he wlll calm and come
crashlng back Lo reallLy. lf hls condlLlon ls Asperger's syndrome, he may be excepLlonally
lnLelllgenL. 8uL Lhe Mlderal wlll slow hlm down and make hlm a llLLle dull. AL Lhe same Llme,
he'll be able Lo recognlze he's ln danger. We should be able Lo geL whaL we need from hlm
Lhen."

MarLy sang loudly. Pe barely noLlced when al-Passan unLled one of hls hands and gave hlm a
plll and a glass of waLer. Pe sLopped Lo swallow Lhe plll Lhen resumed slnglng as al-Passan Lled
hlm agaln.

vlcLor 1remonL and Lhe Arab waLched as hls vocallzlng slowly faded, hls arroganL pose slumped
agalnsL Lhe ropes, and hls feverlshly brlghL eyes Lurned quleL.

l Lhlnk you can quesLlon hlm now," 1remonL sald.

Al-Passan smlled hls wolf smlle and walked around Lo face MarLy. So, leL us begln agaln, Mr.
Zellerbach, eh?"

MarLy looked up aL Lhe lean, dour Arab. Pe cowered on Lhe chalr. 1he man was Loo close, and
he looked evll. 1he oLher man--- Lhe Lall one--- sLood on MarLy's oLher slde. Pe was Loo close as
well, and Loo menaclng. MarLy could smell Lhem. SLrangers. Pe could barely breaLhe. Pe
wwwavs!"o#co%
wanLed Lo make Lhem go away. Leave hlm alone.

Where ls your frlend !on SmlLh?"

MarLy quavered ln Lhe chalr. lr-lraq."

Cood. Pe was ln lraq. 8uL he ls now back ln Amerlca. Where wlll he go now?"

MarLy bllnked up aL Lhem as Lhey leaned closer, eager. Pe remembered posLlng Lhe message Lo
!on on Lhe Web slLe. Maybe !on had already found lL and was headlng Loward Lhe 8v. Pe
fervenLly hoped so.

Pe felL hls LeeLh grlnd. no! no, he would noL Lell Lhem. l--- l don'L know."

1he Arab muLLered anoLher curse and swung hls flsL. MarLy screamed wlLh fear.

aln exploded ln hls head, and a greaL wave of black rolled over hlm.

uamn." vlcLor 1remonL knoLLed hls flsLs. Pe's unconsclous."

8uL l dld noL sLrlke hlm wlLh LhaL much force," al-Passan proLesLed.

1remonL scowled wlLh dlsgusL. We'll have Lo walL unLll he comes Lo and Lry someLhlng less
physlcal."

1here are ways."

8uL wlLh hlm, lL wlll be Lrlcky noL Lo klll hlm. ?ou saw how exclLable he ls."

1hey sLared ln frusLraLlon aL Lhe sllenL MarLy, whose head hung llmply forward, hls body lashed
Lo Lhe chalr.

Cr," vlcLor 1remonL began Lo smlle. Pe paused as hls shrewd mlnd worked on an ldea. l have
a much beLLer way Lo flnd whaL we need Lo know." Pe nodded. ?es, a much beLLer ldea."

__________

10:33 A.M.

Syracuse, new ?ork

eLer Powell peeled off hls Lrench coaL Lo reveal hls black commando sulL. Pls pale gaze
surveyed Lhe bulleL-spaLLered lnLerlor of hls hlgh-Lech 8v. 8rlef sadness showed on hls llned
face, and Lhen lL was gone, overLaken by compleLe concenLraLlon as he walked rapldly Lhrough
lL, checklng.

WhaL happened Lo MarLy?" !on sLared aL Lhe Lngllshman's back as he Lurned from Lhe drlver's
seaL. uo you know where Lhey've Laken hlm?"

wwwavs!"o#co%
SpoLLed hlm aL a chemlsL's a few blocks from here. harmacy Lo you ?anks. 1here were Lhree."
eLer's wlry body brlsLled wlLh energy as he sLrode Loward Lhem. 1he leader was LhaL shorL,
heavy fellow we saw back aL Lhe ambush on Lhe dlrL road ln Lhe Slerras."

8andl sald, 1haL means Lhe people wlLh Lhe vlrus have hlm?"

!on grlmaced. 1haL's whaL lL means. oor MarL."

Wlll he Lalk?" 8andl asked.

lf he had, l'd Lhlnk Lhey'd be here by now," eLer sald.

8uL he wlll?"

Pe's noL sLrong," SmlLh admlLLed. Pe descrlbed Asperger's syndrome.

1haL llLLle fellow ls a loL Lougher and shrewder Lhan one would lmaglne, !on," eLer declded.
Pe'll flnd a way noL Lo crack."

noL forever. noL many can. We've goL Lo geL hlm ouL of Lhere."

uo we know where he ls?" 8andl asked eLer.

eLer shook hls head. unforLunaLely, l was on fooL and unable Lo follow Lhe car Lhey Look hlm
away ln."

Pow dld you flgure ouL where Lo flnd hlm?" !on asked.

LocaLed Lhe 8v from hls message abouL an hour ago." eLer reporLed how he had found Lhe
8v empLy, [usL as Lhey had. 8uL he had also found drafLs of a fake docLor's prescrlpLlon prlnLed
ouL from Lhe compuLer. MarLy musL've forged a prescrlpLlon for hls Mlderal. Pe was almosL
ouL of hls pllls lasL nlghL when we separaLed." Pe descrlbed Lhe gunflghL ln Lhe park.

!on shook hls head. Pow do you Lhlnk Lhey found you?"

l flgure Lhey musL've been Lalllng us all Lhe way from ueLrlck [usL looklng for Lhe mosL
agreeable momenL Lo aLLack. l LhoughL l'd shaken any posslble pursulL, buL lL would seem
Lhey're qulLe good." Pls gaze seLLled on bulleL holes LhaL had pocked a map of 1hlrd World
counLrles and shook hls head. l wenL looklng for Lhe closesL chemlsL's shops. l goL Lo Lhe Lhlrd
one [usL as MarLy came ouL and Lhose Lhree selzed hlm."

no lndlcaLlon on Lhe car who Lhey were?"

none, l'm afrald."

1hen Lhe only way we're golng Lo flnd hlm ls Lo flnd Lhem."

8lghL. A serlous problem. l may have a soluLlon, buL flrsL flll me ln qulckly abouL lraq."

wwwavs!"o#co%
SmlLh hlL Lhe hlgh polnLs of hls lnvesLlgaLlon ln 8aghdad unLll Lhe 8epubllcan Cuards' aLLack ln
Lhe Llre shop.

1he Lngllshman's wrlnkles expanded ln a wlde grln aL 8andl. Pls gaze swepL over her ln
appreclaLlon. 1he ClA ls lmprovlng Lhe quallLy of lLs agenLs, mlss. ?ou're a welcome change
over Lhe usual sobersldes ln Lhelr Lhree-plece sulLs. !usL a garrulous old man's oplnlon, mlnd
you."

1hanks. ?ou're noL so bad yourself." 8andl smlled back. l'll be sure Lo pass on your
recommendaLlon Lo Lhe dlrecLor."

?ou do LhaL." eLer Lurned Lo !on. WhaL happened nexL?" Pls face wenL qulckly sober agaln
as he llsLened Lo whaL Lhey had learned from ur. Mahuk ln Lhe pedlaLrlc hosplLal, and how Lhey
had been capLured by Lhe 8aghdad pollce who had apparenLly been ln Lhe pay of whoever was
behlnd Lhe vlrus.

So Lhree vlcLlms were cured ln lraq, Loo?" 1he Lngllshman swore. A dlabollcal experlmenL.
uon'L llke Lo Lhlnk abouL Lhe money and power LhaL can acLually accompllsh anyLhlng ln LhaL
closed-off counLry. Cf course your Lrlp conflrmed Lhe vlrus's rooLs ln Lhe Culf War." Pe paused.
My Lurn. CoL a llLLle plece of news LhaL blows Lhe lld off Lhls whole nasLy buslness. l belleve l
know whaL Sophla dlscovered LhaL was so lmporLanL ln Clscours's reporL from Lhe rlnce
Leopold lnsLlLuLe."

!on lnhaled, exclLed. WhaL?"

eru. lL was eru all along." Pe descrlbed Sophla's fleld Lrlp Lhere Lwelve years before as an
anLhropology sLudenL from Syracuse. WlLh LhaL small plece of lnformaLlon, he had conLacLed a
former assoclaLe ln Llma, who had secured a llsL of sclenLlsLs who had Lrekked lnLo Lhe eruvlan
Amazonla LhaL same year.

SmlLh asked lnsLanLly, ?ou have Lhe llsL?"

A grln of saLlsfacLlon spread across eLer's brown, leaLhery face. uoes a fox flnd Lhe heaLher?
Come, chlldren."

As he sLalked Lo Lhe klLchen Lable, he pulled ouL Lwo folded sheeLs of paper from somewhere
lnslde hls black commando ouLflL. Pe lay Lhem ouL, fllcked on Lhe overhead llghL, and Lhe Lhree
of Lhem benL over, qulckly readlng Lhe names.

eLer explalned, 1here were a loL more ln Amazonla LhaL year, buL noL aL Lhe same Llmes as
Sophla."

1he fourLeenLh leaped ouL aL boLh !on and 8andl.

1haL's lL!" 8andl sald. vlcLor 1remonL."

SmlLh nodded grlmly. CLC and chalrman of 8lanchard harmaceuLlcal. 1he presldenL's golng Lo
glve hlm a medal Loday for savlng Lhe world wlLh hls serum. 1he greaL humanlLarlan, worklng
hls company around Lhe clock Lo produce lL whlle he sells lL only aL cosL."
wwwavs!"o#co%

8loody hell." eLer shook hls head. 8elleve LhaL, and you'll belleve we 8rlLs acqulred our
emplre Lo brlng clvlllzaLlon Lo Lhe naLlves."

We already knew 8lanchard had Lhe serum," 8andl sald, Lhlnklng abouL Lhe newspaper sLory.
now lL seems 1remonL hlmself broughL Lhe vlrus from eru."

!on nodded. And because he's a sclenLlsL, he could've recognlzed Lhe poLenLlal of a serum for
such a deadly vlrus and somehow managed Lo lnfecL a few people durlng ueserL SLorm. Pe
musL've known lL wasn'L very conLaglous and LhaL lL was slow-acLlng, lylng ln Lhe body for years
llke Plv."

Cood Cod," eLer breaLhed. So he sLarLed hls secreL LesLlng on humans ln lraq Len years ago,
when he had no guaranLee he'd ever develop a serum Lo cure Lhem when Lhe vlrus wenL lnLo
lLs lasL faLal sLages? Pe's a monsLer!"

Maybe lL's worse Lhan LhaL. lL's very convenlenL for Lhe vlrus Lo break ouL now." !on's eyes
were lcy blue. Somehow he made Lhe pandemlc sLarL so he could cure lL and make a forLune ln
Lhe process."

Shocked sllence fllled Lhe 8v. SmlLh had spoken Lhe words Lhey had noL wanLed Lo hear. 8uL lL
was Lhe LruLh, and Lhe lmpllcaLlons hung ln Lhe alr llke a sharp ax walLlng Lo fall.

8andl flnally sald, Pow?"

l don'L know," !on admlLLed. We've goL Lo check 8lanchard's records. uamn, l wlsh MarLy
were here."

erhaps l can subsLlLuLe," eLer sald. l'm preLLy falr wlLh a compuLer, and l've been waLchlng
hlm use hls own speclal programs for days."

l Lrled, buL he was uslng a password."

eLer gave a grlm smlle. 1haL l know, Loo. 1yplcal of MarLy's odd sense of humor. 1he
password ls SLanley Lhe CaL."

__________

10:38 A.M.


ln Lhe deep recesses of whaLever honesLy and lnLegrlLy he had lefL, Mercer Paldane had
suspecLed whaL vlcLor 1remonL had never admlLLed: Somehow vlcLor had caused Lhe pandemlc
LhaL was sweeplng Lhe world. now, as he looked down Lhrough hls offlce wlndow aL Lhe
plaLform and glanL 1v screen LhaL were belng assembled for Lhls afLernoon's ceremony, he
could keep sllenL no more. Cod ln heaven, Lhe presldenL hlmself was comlng Lo send off Lhe
flrsL offlclal baLch of serum as lf 8lanchard and vlcLor were MoLher 1eresa, Candhl, and LlnsLeln
rolled up lnLo one.
wwwavs!"o#co%

lor days Lhe moral baLLle had raged lnslde hlm.

Cnce he had been an honorable man and had Laken greaL prlde ln hls lnLegrlLy. 8uL somewhere
along Lhe llne of bulldlng 8lanchard lnLo a world-class pharmaceuLlcal glanL, he reallzed now he
had losL hls way. 1he resulL was LhaL vlcLor 1remonL was Lo recelve Amerlca's revered Medal of
lreedom for whaL could be Lhe mosL desplcable acL Lhe globe had ever seen.

Mercer Paldane could noL LoleraLe LhaL. no maLLer whaL would happen Lo hlm... even Lhough
he would probably have Lo Lake Lhe blame... so be lL. Pe had Lo sLop Lhls Lraglc farce. Some
Lhlngs were more lmporLanL Lhan money or success.

Pe reached for hls phone. Mrs. endragon? lease geL Lhe surgeon general's offlce ln
WashlngLon. l belleve you have Lhe number."

Cf course, slr. l'll puL Lhe call Lhrough lmmedlaLely."

Mercer Paldane leaned back ln hls execuLlve desk chalr Lo walL. Pe resLed hls neck agalnsL Lhe
cool leaLher and puL hls hands over hls eyes.

8uL anoLher wave of doubL assaulLed hlm. WlLh a shock, he remembered agaln he could go Lo
prlson.

Lose hls famlly, hls poslLlon, hls forLune. Pe grlmaced.

Cn Lhe oLher hand, lf he sald noLhlng, vlcLor would make a greaL deal of money for all of Lhem.
Pe knew LhaL.

Pe shook hls whlLe head. Pe was belng a fool. Worse, a senLlmenLal old fool. WhaL dld all Lhose
faceless mllllons really maLLer? 1hey would dle one way or anoLher anyway, and Lhe way llfe
was, mosL would noL explre from naLural causes buL from dlsease, hunger, war, revoluLlon,
earLhquake, Lyphoon, accldenL, or an angry lover. 1here were Loo many people anyway,
especlally ln Lhe 1hlrd World, and Lhe overpopulaLlon lncreased geomeLrlcally every year.

1he resulL was naLure would sLrlke back anyway, as lL always dld, wlLh famlnes, plagues, wars,
and cosmlc dlsasLers.

WhaL dld lL maLLer lf he and vlcLor and Lhe company grew wealLhy on Lhe deaLhs of mllllons?

Pe slghed, because Lhe LruLh was . . . lL maLLered Lo hlm.

A person conLrolled hls faLe. Pe remembered whaL Lhe russlans sald: A man's worLh began
only when he was wllllng Lo dle for hls prlnclples.

Mercer Paldane had been Lralned on prlnclples. AL one Llme, he had cherlshed Lhem. lf he sLlll
had a soul Lo save, Lhe only way he could do lL was Lo sLop vlcLor 1remonL.

lnwardly he conLlnued hls war, hls eyes closed, hls neck agalnsL Lhe chalr plllow. As Lhe confllcL
raged on, he felL ever more weak and mlserable. 8uL ln Lhe end, he knew he was golng Lo Lell
wwwavs!"o#co%
Lhe surgeon general everyLhlng. Pe had Lo. Pe would pay any cosL Lo know he had done Lhe
rlghL Lhlng.

When he heard Lhe door open, he uncovered hls eyes and swung around ln Lhe chalr. ls
someLhlng wrong wlLh Lhe connecLlon, Mrs. endragon?"

LosL your nerve, Mercer?"

vlcLor 1remonL sLood ln Lhe offlce. Pe was a Lowerlng flgure ln hls expenslve buslness sulL and
pollshed kld shoes. Pls Lhlck, lron-gray halr glowed ln Lhe overhead llghLs, and hls dlsLlncLlve
face wlLh lLs aqulllne feaLures and falnLly haughLy expresslon glowered down on Paldane. Pe
radlaLed Lhe klnd of self-assurance LhaL commanded boardrooms wlLh Lhe ease of a greaL
maesLro before a world-class orchesLra.

Paldane llfLed hls old eyes Lo gaze aL hls former proLege. Pe sald evenly, lound my consclence,
vlcLor. lL's noL Loo laLe for you Lo redlscover yours. LeL my call Lo Lhe surgeon general go
Lhrough."

1remonL laughed. l belleve lL was Shakespeare who wroLe a consclence was a luxury LhaL
made cowards of us all. 8uL he was wrong. lL makes us vlcLlms, Mercer. Losers. And l have no
lnLenLlon of belng elLher." Pe paused and scowled. A man ls elLher Lhe wolf or Lhe deer, and l
plan Lo do Lhe eaLlng."

Paldane ralsed hls hands, palms up. lor Cod's sake, vlcLor, we help people. Cur goal ls Lo
relleve sufferlng. `llrsL, do no harm.' We're ln Lhe heallng buslness."

1he hell we are," 1remonL sald harshly. We're ln Lhe money buslness. roflLs. 1haL's whaL
counLs."

Paldane could conLaln hlmself no longer. ?ou're an egoLlsLlcal freak, vlcLor!" he exploded. A
flend! l'll Lell Lhe surgeon general everyLhlng.... l'll---"

?ou'll do noLhlng," 1remonL snapped. 1haL call's never golng Lo go Lhrough. Mrs. endragon
knows a wlnner when she sees one." Pe slld hls hand lnslde hls [ackeL and wlLhdrew a dark,
leLhal Clock 9mm plsLol. nadal!"

Mercer Paldane's old hearL pounded. SweaL suddenly baLhed hlm as a Lall, pockmarked Arab
enLered Lhe room. Pe, Loo, carrled a large plsLol.

aralyzed wlLh fear, Mercer sLared from one Lo Lhe oLher, speechless.

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
FORTP ONE

___________________

11:02 A.M.


1he ChrlsLmasllke odor of plne needles permeaLed Lhe spaclous llvlng room of vlcLor 1remonL's
lodge. 1hrough Lhe wlndows, Lhe lake reflecLed crysLalllne blue surrounded by Lhe Lhlck green
foresL. near Lhe glanL flreplace where flames llcked hlgh, 8lll Crlffln saL ln a leaLher club chalr.
Pls sLocky body gave every appearance of belng relaxed. As usual, hls brown halr hung llmp and
unruly Lo hls [ackeL collar. Pe crossed hls legs and llghLed a clgareLLe.

Pe smlled a slow smlle aL vlcLor 1remonL and nadal al-Passan and explalned calmly, 1he
Lrouble was, all of us were worklng aL cross-purposes. Lver slnce you gave me Lhe order Lo
ellmlnaLe !on SmlLh, l've been waLchlng Lhree places aL once--- hls house ln 1hurmonL, Lhe
8ussell woman's condo ln lrederlck, and lorL ueLrlck. no wonder you had a hard Llme
conLacLlng me."

lL was all a lle. Pe had been hldlng ln a walk-up aparLmenL ln Creenwlch vlllage LhaL belonged
Lo a woman frlend from Lhe old days ln new ?ork. 8uL when he had seen Lhe news sLory abouL
Lhe presldenL's honorlng 8lanchard harmaceuLlcals and Lhe orders LhaL were rolllng ln for Lhe
serum, he had known he had Lo reLurn Lo make cerLaln he recelved hls falr share.

And Lhere was sLlll Lhe lssue of SmlLh. l'd expecLed Lo Lake ouL SmlLh when he lefL ueLrlck," he
explalned, buL l couldn'L geL a decenL opporLunlLy, and afLer LhaL nlghL he never showed up
agaln aL any of Lhe oLher places. Pe vanlshed lnLo Lhln alr. Maybe he gave up or Look leave. Cr
wenL somewhere Lo grleve for Lhe woman." Pe hoped LhaL was Lrue, buL knowlng !on, he
doubLed lL.

vlcLor 1remonL sLood looklng ouL Lhe plcLure wlndow aL Lhe Lrees as Lhe sun reflecLed scaLLered
bursLs of llghL on Lhe lake's surface. Pls volce was LhoughLful. no. Pe hasn'L Laken leave Lo
mourn."

nadal al-Passan saL one hlp of hls emaclaLed frame onLo Lhe arm of Lhe hlgh sofa LhaL faced Lhe
flreplace. ln any case, lL ls lrrelevanL now. We know where he ls, and he wlll soon be no more
problem."

Crlffln's cheeks wldened ln anoLher smlle. Pell, LhaL's a rellef." Pe added almosL as an
afLerLhoughL, Maddux on hlm?"

1remonL lefL Lhe wlndow and benL Lo hls humldor Lo exLracL a clgar. Pe offered Lhe humldor Lo
Crlffln, who llfLed hls clgareLLe and shook hls head. nadal al-Passan, as a sLrlcL Musllm, dld noL
smoke.
wwwavs!"o#co%

As 1remonL llghLed Lhe clgar, he spoke over hls hands and Lhe rlslng smoke and aroma:
AcLually, Maddux has capLured one of SmlLh's frlends. A compuLer geek named MarLln
Zellerbach. We'll soon make Zellerbach dlvulge where SmlLh ls hldlng ln Syracuse."

SmlLh ls ln Syracuse?" Crlffln seemed alarmed. Pe gazed accuslngly aL al-Passan. 1haL close Lo
us? Pow Lhe hell dld he geL so near?"

Al-Passan's volce was mlld. 8y checklng back Lhrough 8ussell's llfe and educaLlon. She dld her
undergraduaLe work aL Syracuse."

Where she was sLudylng when she wenL on Lhe Lrlp Lo eru?"

l'm afrald so."

1hen he knows abouL us!"

l don'L Lhlnk so. AL leasL, noL yeL."

Crlffln's volce rose. 8uL, dammlL, he wlll. l'll sLop hlm. 1hls Llme, l'll---"

1remonL lnLerrupLed, ?ou needn'L worry abouL SmlLh. l have anoLher [ob for you. !ack McCraw
ls up Lo hls nosLrlls preparlng securlLy for Lhe presldenL. 1he ceremony Lhls afLernoon ls, of
course, a greaL honor, buL lL was a lasL-mlnuLe declslon. Lveryone's scrambllng. lus Lhere are
all Lhe medla people Lo deal wlLh. We don'L wanL any lnLerlopers crashlng Lhe parLy. ?ou have
l8l experlence, so you should be Lhe one Lo coordlnaLe wlLh Lhe SecreL Servlce."

Crlffln was puzzled. Cf course. ?ou're Lhe boss. 8uL lf you're sLlll worrled abouL SmlLh, Lhen l
Lhlnk---"

1haL won'L be necessary." Al-Passan's volce was deflnlLe. We have lL Laken care of."

Pow? Who?" Crlffln glanced doubLfully aL Lhe Arab whlle lnwardly he worrled.

Ceneral Caspar has managed Lo planL a ClA agenL wlLh Colonel SmlLh. She ls 8ussell's slsLer,
and she has a sLrong personal haLred for hlm from some old lnsulL. She has been Lold SmlLh ls a
grave danger Lo Lhe counLry. She wlll have no qualms abouL ellmlnaLlng hlm." AlPassan sLudled
Crlffln. l Lhlnk we should conslder Lhe Lask compleLed. lor us, SmlLh ls dead."

8lll Crlffln's face remalned unchanged. Pe Look a long drag on hls clgareLLe.

1hen he nodded, felgnlng saLlsfacLlon Llnged wlLh doubL Lo be conslsLenL wlLh Lhe sLance he
had Laken slnce he had dlscovered SmlLh was a LargeL. 1hey had suspecLed hlm slnce Lhe nlghL
he had warned !on. Pls fallure Lo klll hlm had deepened Lhelr dlsLrusL. now Lhey had capLured
Zellerbach, whom he remembered from hlgh school as a genlus, buL also as weak and easlly
frlghLened. Sooner or laLer, MarLy would break and beLray !on. lus Lhey had planLed Sophla
8ussell's slsLer, 8andl. 1haL was especlally bad. Pe had heard !on speak abouL how much Lhe
woman haLed hlm. She would be capable of kllllng. Any ClA fleld agenL had Lo be.

wwwavs!"o#co%
WlLh MarLy's capLure and Lhe lnfllLraLlon of 8andl 8ussell, 1remonL and al-Passan had Lhelr
problems under conLrol. Cr so Lhey LhoughL.

Crlffln sLood up, a sLocky man wlLh a bland face. Sounds llke Lhe perfecL asslgnmenL for me. l'll
geL rlghL on lL."

Cood." 1remonL gave hlm a dlsmlsslve nod of Lhe head. use Lhe Cherokee. nadal and l'll Lake
Lhe Land 8over afLer we flnlsh our buslness here. 1hanks for comlng ln, 8lll. We were worrled
abouL you. Always a pleasure Lo see you."

8uL as Crlffln exlLed, 1remonL's expresslon changed. Pls gaze cold, he waLched Lhe LralLor
dlsappear ouL Lhe door.

__________

8lll Crlffln drove Lhe !eep Cherokee off Lhe road and parked ln a dense sLand of oaks and blrch
Lrees. As he pulled brush around Lhe Cherokee Lo camouflage lL from Lhe road, hls mlnd was a
maelsLrom of confllcL. Somehow he musL reach !on and warn hlm abouL 8andl and MarLy. 8uL
aL Lhe same Llme, he dld noL wanL Lo lose everyLhlng he had worked for slnce he had meL vlcLor
1remonL and [olned Lhe Pades ro[ecL Lwo years ago. Pe was enLlLled Lo hls share of Lhe good
Lhlngs along wlLh all Lhe oLher Lhlevlng basLards who ran Lhls world. More Lhan enLlLled afLer hls
years of servlce Lo Lhe goddamn ungraLeful cheaLs and llars who ran Lhe 8ureau and Lhe
counLry.

8uL he would noL leL Lhem klll !on. 1haL far he would noL go.

Pe walLed among Lhe Lrees, waLchlng Lhe rusLlc lodge and Lhe maLchlng ouLbulldlngs. lnsecLs
buzzed. 1he aroma of sun-warmed foresL duff scenLed Lhe alr. Pls pulse began Lo race.

AfLer flfLeen mlnuLes, he heard Lhe Land 8over. WlLh rellef, he waLched lL pass where he hld
and dlsappear souLheasL among Lhe Lrees. 1remonL and al-Passan would reach Lhe maln
counLry road afLer a few more mlles and drlve on lnLo Long Lake vlllage Lo prepare for Lhe
ceremony. 1haL dld noL glve hlm much Llme.

urgency swepL Lhrough hlm as he drove back Lo Lhe lodge, parked behlnd Lhe sLaff wlng, and
hurrled Lo a cyclone-fenced enclosure aL Lhe edge of Lhe woods, ouL of slghL of Lhe lodge. Pe
unlocked Lhe gaLe and whlsLled sofLly. 1he large uoberman appeared sllenLly from lnslde a
wood doghouse. Pls brown coaL shone ln Lhe mounLaln llghL. Pls sharply polnLed ears
perlscoped forward as hls lnLelllgenL eyes never sLrayed from Crlffln.

Crlffln sLroked Lhe dog behlnd hls ears and spoke quleLly. 8eady, boy? 1lme Lo go Lo work."

Pe headed ouL of Lhe enclosure, Lhe blg dog LroLLlng sofLly behlnd. Pe relocked Lhe gaLe, and
Lhey moved swlfLly Loward Lhe lodge. Pe waLched everywhere. 1he Lhree-man ouLslde securlLy
Leam should be no problem, slnce Lhey knew hlm. SLlll, he would raLher noL Lake Lhe chance. AL
a slde door of Lhe lodge, he breaLhed deeply and gazed around one more Llme. 1hen he opened
Lhe door, and he and Lhe uoberman enLered. 1he house was eerlly quleL, a masslve wood
coffln. AlmosL everyone had lefL for Lhe celebraLlon aL 8lanchard headquarLers ln Long Lake
vlllage, wlLh Lhe excepLlon of a few Lechnlclans ln Lhe blg lab on Lhe second floor. 1remonL
wwwavs!"o#co%
would noL sLash a prlsoner on Lhe lab floor.

1he resL of Lhe lodge should be empLy, excepL for MarLy and perhaps an armed guard Lo waLch
hlm. Pe benL Lo Lhe uoberman. Sweep Lhe area, boy."

1he uoberman vanlshed among Lhe corrldors, as sllenL as fog rolllng across a moor. Crlffln
walLed, llsLenlng Lo Lhe relaxed chaLLer of Lwo of Lhe securlLy men who had paused ouLslde a
wlndow as Lhey made Lhelr lndlvldual rounds.

1wo mlnuLes passed, and Lhen Lhe uoberman was back, clrcllng and eager Lo lead Crlffln Lo
whaL he had found. Crlffln followed Lhe paclng anlmal along a hallway llned wlLh doors Lo guesL
rooms LhaL had once been Lhe reLreaLs of Lhe nlneLeenLh-cenLury wealLhy, who had played
here aL reLurnlng Lo naLure. 8uL Lhe dog sLopped aL none. lnsLead, he conLlnued on pasL Lhe
gleamlng klLchen, sLrangely sllenL and empLy because Lhe cooks and scullery sLaff had been
glven Lhe afLernoon off Lo aLLend Lhe fesLlvlLles ln Long Lake vlllage.

AL lasL Lhe dog sLopped before a closed door. Crlffln Lrled Lhe knob. lL was locked.

Pls skln prlckled wlLh nerves. 1he enormous empLy house was enough Lo make anyone edgy,
buL now Crlffln was abouL Lo open a door he had never seen beyond. Clanclng rlghL and lefL, he
drew a small case from hls [ackeL pockeL and exLracLed a seL of narrow plcklocks. Pe worked
sklllfully Lhrough Lhree of Lhem. llnally Lhe fourLh opened Lhe lock wlLh a quleL cllck.

Crlffln pulled ouL hls plsLol and Lurned Lhe knob. 1he door swung open sllenLly, lLs hlnges well
olled. lnslde was a falnL smell of mold. Pe felL around Lhe wall unLll he found a llghL swlLch. Pe
fllcked lL on, and an overhead lamp lllumlnaLed sLalrs LhaL dlsappeared down lnLo a cellar.
Crlffln gave a hand slgnal and closed Lhe door. 1he uoberman raced down Lo conLlnue lLs
mlsslon, nalls Lapplng on Lhe wood sLalrs.

As Crlffln walLed, he sLared uneaslly down lnLo Lhe darkness. 1he dog was back ln seconds,
lndlcaLlng for Crlffln Lo follow.

Crlffln found anoLher llghL swlLch mldway down. 1hls Lurned on a serles of overhead llghLs LhaL
lllumlnaLed a large cellar wlLh open sLorage rooms fllled wlLh cardboard banker's boxes. Lach
box was neaLly labeled wlLh Lhe names of flles, sources, daLes--- Lhe hlsLory of a sclenLlsL and
buslnessman. 8uL Lhe dog's lnLeresL was aL Lhe only closed door. Pe clrcled warlly ln fronL of lL.

Pls gun ready, Crlffln pressed hls ear agalnsL Lhe door. When he heard noLhlng, he looked down
aL Lhe dog. A mysLery, eh, boy?"

1he dog llfLed hls muzzle as lf ln agreemenL. 8lghL now Lhe anlmal was merely waLchful and
alerL, buL lf Crlffln should need hlm, he would lnsLanLly Lurn lnLo a klller.

uslng hls Lools agaln, Crlffln unlocked Lhe door, buL he dld noL open lL. 1he basemenL area
seemed llke a sepulchre. lL lncreased hls dlsquleL. Pls velns rushed wlLh an urgency LhaL he acL,
buL prudence had LaughL hlm long ago Lo never expecL Lhe expecLed. Pe dld noL know whaL
walLed on Lhe oLher slde of Lhe door--- wheLher lL was an armed squad, a madman, or slmply
noLhlng. WhaLever lL was, he would damn well be prepared.

wwwavs!"o#co%
Agaln he llsLened. llnally he puL Lhe plcklocks away, grlpped hls weapon flrmly, and pressed
open Lhe door.

1he room was a dark, shadowy cell wlLh no wlndows. A recLangle of llghL spllled ln from Lhe
hallway. Ahead, a mounded flgure lay on Lhe only plece of furnlLure--- a narrow coL shoved
agalnsL Lhe far wall. 1here was an open poL on Lhe floor, and Lhe unpleasanL odor of urlne rose
from lL. 1he whole place gave off an alr of danger and sadness. Crlffln qulckly slgnaled Lhe
uoberman Lo guard Lhe doorway and sped sofLly Lo Lhe bed. A small, roLund man was sleeplng
under a wool blankeL.

Pe whlspered, Zellerbach?"

MarLy opened hls eyes. WhaL? Who?" Pls speech was slow, hls movemenLs sLlff.

Are you all rlghL? Are you ln[ured?" Crlffln supporLed hls shoulders unLll MarLy was slLLlng
uprlghL. lor a momenL, he LhoughL MarLy had been hurL and Lhen LhaL he was dlsorlenLed by
sleep. 8uL as Lhe fellow shook hls head and rubbed hls eyes, Crlffln remembered Lhe MarLy
Zellerbach he had known ln hlgh school. Pe was !on's oLher close frlend--- Lhe crazy,
superclllous basLard who was always geLLlng !on lnLo flghLs and argumenLs. noL crazy or
arroganL, Lhey found ouL laLer, buL slck. Some klnd of auLlsm.

Pe swore sllenLly. Could Lhe guy Lell hlm whaL he needed Lo know?

Pe Lrled, 8lll Crlffln, MarLy. 8emember me?"

MarLy sLlffened ln Lhe shadows. 1he coL creaked. Crlffln? Where have you been? l've been
searchlng for you everywhere. !on wanLs Lo speak Lo you."

And l wanL Lo speak wlLh hlm. Pow long have you been here?"

l don'L know. lL seems llke a long Llme."

WhaL dld you Lell Lhem?"

1ell?" MarLy remembered all Lhe quesLlons. 1he blow Lo hls head and Lhe blackness. lL was
Lerrlble. 1hose men are devlanLs. 1hey en[oy oLher people's paln. l was... unconsclous." Pls
hearL Lhundered as he LhoughL back Lo Lhe wreLched experlence. lL seemed Lo have happened
only mlnuLes before, as fresh ln hls mlnd as an open wound. 8uL Lhe evenLs were muddy, Loo.
Confused. Pe shook hls head, Lrylng Lo clear lL. Pe knew a loL of Lhe problem was he had been
on hls meds. l don'L Lhlnk l Lold Lhem anyLhlng."

Crlffln nodded. l don'L Lhlnk you dld elLher." lf he had, Lhey would have capLured or kllled !on
by now. 8uL Lhen, Lhe 8ussell woman could have kllled !on already, Loo. l'm golng Lo geL you
ouL of here, MarLy. 1hen you can Lake me Lo !on."

MarLy's round face was angulshed as he admlLLed, l'm noL sure where he ls."

Crlffln swore. WalL. Ckay, Lhlnk. Where could he be? ?ou musL've arranged somewhere Lo
meeL. ?ou're some klnd of genlus. Cenluses always Lhlnk of Lhlngs llke LhaL."
wwwavs!"o#co%

MarLy was suddenly susplclous. Pow dld you flnd me?" Pe had never llked 8lll Crlffln. 8lll had
been a loudmouLh and know-lL-all back when Lhey had been ln school LogeLher, even Lhough---
aL leasL ln MarLy's oplnlon--- 8lll was really [usL above average. lus, 8lll had vled wlLh MarLy for
!on's aLLenLlon. MarLy crlnged back agalnsL Lhe wall. ?ou could be one of Lhem!"

l am one of Lhem. 8y now, !on knows lL, Loo. 8uL he's ln a loL more danger Lhan he Lhlnks, and l
don'L wanL hlm kllled. l've goL Lo help hlm."

MarLy wanLed Lo help !on, Loo, whlch made hlm wanL Lo LrusL Crlffln. 8uL could he? Pow could
he be sure?

Crlffln sLudled MarLy. Look, l'm golng Lo geL you ouL of here safely. Wlll you belleve me Lhen
and Lell me where you were supposed Lo meeL !on? We'll go Lhere LogeLher."

MarLy cocked hls head. Pls gaze grew sharp and analyLlcal. All rlghL." lL was a slmple maLLer,
he Lold hlmself. lf he declded he dld noL LrusL Crlffln, he would slmply lle.

Cood. Come on."

Can'L. 1hey chalned me Lo Lhe wall." lorlornly, MarLy held up hls hands and shook hls rlghL leg.
1hln, sLrong chalns were aLLached Lo brackeLs on Lhe wall. Lach was secured by a powerful
padlock.

l should've suspecLed someLhlng llke Lhls when Lhey dldn'L leave someone behlnd Lo guard
you."

lL's been unpleasanL," MarLy admlLLed.

l'll beL." Pe goL ouL hls plcklocks once more and qulckly opened Lhe padlocks.

As MarLy rubbed hls wrlsLs and ankles, Crlffln whlsLled low for Lhe uoberman.

1he dog padded Loward Lhem, hls back nose hlgh and snlfflng.

lrlend," Crlffln sald Lo Lhe dog and Louched MarLy. Cood. roLecL."

WlLh amazlng paLlence, Lhe usually nervous MarLy swung hls legs off Lhe coL and saL quleLly as
Lhe powerful uoberman smelled hls cloLhes, hls hands, and hls feeL.

As Lhe blg anlmal sLepped back, MarLy asked, uoes he have a name?"

Samson."

SulLs hlm," MarLy declded. A blg brulser of a dog."

1haL he ls." Crlffln ordered, ScouL."

Samson LroLLed ouL lnLo Lhe corrldor, looked boLh ways, and angled off Loward Lhe sLalrs.
wwwavs!"o#co%

Come on," Crlffln sald.

Crlffln helped MarLy unLll he was ouL of Lhe room, and Lhen MarLy shook hlm off. WlLh Crlffln ln
Lhe lead and MarLy half-runnlng ln hls usual rolllng gaLe, Lhey moved qulckly up Lhe sLalrs and
Lhrough Lhe deserLed corrldors Lo Lhe rear door where Crlffln had parked hls car. MarLy's braln
was worklng aL full speed now, and hls emoLlons were raLcheLed Lo a flne plLch. Pe had mlxed
emoLlons abouL 8lll Crlffln, buL aL leasL Crlffln had goLLen hlm ouL of LhaL dlsgusLlng dungeon.

As Crlffln paused aL Lhe door, MarLy grabbed hls arm and whlspered, Look. A movlng shadow."
Pe polnLed ouL Lhe small slde wlndow.

1he uoberman's head was up, alerL, hls ears roLaLlng as he llsLened. Crlffln gave a hand slgnal
LhaL Lold Lhe uoberman Lo sLay. AL Lhe same Llme, he pulled MarLy down. 1hey hunched
LogeLher on Lhe floor.

Crlffln spoke ln a husky whlsper. lL's [usL one of Lhe securlLy guards. Pe was clocklng ln aL a key
sLaLlon. Pe'll be gone ln Lhree mlnuLes. Ckay?"

?ou don'L have Lo ask my permlsslon, lf LhaL's whaL you mean," MarLy sald LarLly. Pe was
deflnlLely feellng beLLer.

Crlffln ralsed hls eyebrows. Pe pulled hlmself up and looked ouL Lhe wlndow. Pe nodded Lo
MarLy. LeL's go." As soon as MarLy was on hls feeL, Crlffln pushed hlm ouLslde. 1he uoberman
ran ahead Loward Lhe red !eep Cherokee. 8lll pulled open Lhe door, and Samson leaped ln.
MarLy clambered aboard whlle Crlffln slld behlnd Lhe sLeerlng wheel.

As Crlffln Lurned on Lhe moLor, he ordered, CeL down on Lhe floor."

MarLy had been Lhrough enough emergencles ln Lhe pasL week LhaL he no longer ob[ecLed
when someone who undersLood Lhe unfaLhomable world of vlolence Lold hlm whaL Lo do. Pe
crouched on Lhe floor ln Lhe back. Samson saL above hlm on Lhe seaL. MarLy reached ouL a
LenLaLlve hand. When Lhe muscular dog dlpped hls head and slld hls nose under lL, MarLy
smlled and paLLed Lhe warm muzzle.

nlce doggle," he cooed.

Crlffln drove swlfLly away, breaLhlng deeply wlLh rellef. AnoLher securlLy guard waved as he
sped ouL of Lhe compound, and he waved back. lL had been less Lhan LwenLy mlnuLes slnce he
had reLurned, and he felL confldenL no one would remember hls earller deparLure. now he
concenLraLed on one goal: reachlng !on before 8andl 8ussell could klll hlm.

Ckay, we're ouL. now where do we go?"

Syracuse. l'll Lell Lhe resL when we geL Lhere."

Crlffln nodded. We'll have Lo fly. 8enL a car Lhere."

8uL ln hls hasLe and rellef, he had forgoLLen abouL Lhe vlLal Lhlrd guard, who had been hldden ln
wwwavs!"o#co%
a sLand of poplars. As Lhe guard waLched Lhe Cherokee dlsappear down Lhe road, he spoke
quleLly lnLo a cellphone. Mr. 1remonL? Pe's Laken Lhe balL. Pe's busLed LhaL Zellerbach guy
ouL, and Lhey're drlvlng ouL of here. ?es, slr. We planLed Lhe Lracklng devlce, we've goL Lhe
alrporL covered, and CheL's walLlng aL Lhe counLry road."

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
FORTP TIO

___________________

1:02 .M.

Syracuse, new ?ork

uammlL all!" eLer Powell's wlry frame was benL over hls compuLer as he sLared ln frusLraLlon
aL Lhe glowlng monlLor. 1here's preclous llLLle ln 8lanchard company's flles abouL Lhe
veLerlnarlan serum or Lhe monkey vlrus. WhaL Lhere ls looks bloody compleLely on Lhe up-and-
up." As Lhe wlnd blew Lhrough Lhe 8v's broken wlndows, he ran hls gnarled brown hand
Lhrough hls gray halr ln dlsgusL.

noLhlng abouL LesLs on humans?" SmlLh was slLLlng on Lhe sofa nearby, hls arms crossed over
hls chesL, hls legs exLended. Pe had been dozlng as eLer had searched for lnformaLlon. 1he
8ereLLa was Lucked lnLo hls belL, easlly reachable.

Cr lraq?" 8eslde hlm, 8andl sLreLched. She had been sleeplng, Loo, unLll eLer's loud curse had
[erked her awake. Suddenly she was aware of !on and how closely Lhey were slLLlng LogeLher.
She ad[usLed her welghL, LacLfully puLLlng more space beLween Lhem. Per uzl was beneaLh Lhe
sofa, [usL behlnd her heels. When she Lapped back, she could feel lLs comforLlng hardness.

noL a syllable," eLer growled as he conLlnued Lo sLare lnLenLly aL Lhe screen. l suppose lL's
posslble we're on Lhe wrong Lrack--- LhaL 8lanchard's clean as a boaLswaln's whlsLle and Lhey
don'L have Lhe vlrus. 1haL Lhelr serum ls slmply whaL lL looks llke--- a forLulLous colncldence."

Ch, please." 8andl shook her head ln dlsbellef.

1haL doesn'L explaln Lhe lnlLlal Lwelve human LesL sub[ecLs," !on sald. Whoever seL LhaL
experlmenL ln moLlon Len years ago had Lhe vlrus Lhen and Lhe serum lasL year Lo cure Lhe
lraqls and Lhen, lasL week, Lhe Lhree Amerlcans."

1hey consldered some oLher explanaLlon for Lhe experlmenL.

1here musL be anoLher seL of records." eLer roLaLed ln hls chalr. Pe gave Lhem a baleful look
and scraLched hls leaLhery cheek.

unless Lhey [usL dldn'L keep wrlLLen records," 8andl suggesLed.

lmposslble," SmlLh dlsagreed. 8esearch sclenLlsLs have Lo keep noLes, resulLs, speculaLlons,
every plece of paper, each blL of an ldea, or Lhey can'L move forward ln Lhelr work. 8esldes,
Lhelr supervlsors have Lo monlLor progress, seL goals, and go afLer fundlng, and Lhelr
bookkeepers have Lo keep accuraLe flnanclal accounLlngs."

wwwavs!"o#co%
8uL sclenLlsLs don'L have Lo puL everyLhlng on a compuLer," 8andl sald. 1hey could do lL by
hand, Loo."

!on shook hls head. noL Loday. CompuLers have become a research Lool ln Lhemselves. lor
pro[ecLlons, for slmulaLed reacLlons, for sLaLlsLlcal analysls... everyLhlng would Lake years
oLherwlse. no, Lhere have Lo be real records on a compuLer somewhere."

l'm convlnced," eLer agreed, buL where, eh?"

We need MarLy." lL was SmlLh's Lurn Lo swear. Pls navy blue eyes were dark wlLh frusLraLlon.

8andl sald reasonably, We can Lry oLher ways. LeL's drlve Lo 8lanchard, break ln, and search
Lhelr flles on slLe. lf Lhere's anyone around, we'll `convlnce' Lhem Lo Lalk nlcely wlLh us, Loo."

CreaL," !on began, l'm sure we haven'L broken every law yeL. 1here musL be some we've
mlssed."

Suddenly Lhere was franLlc knocklng on Lhe 8v door. 1he vehlcle shuddered wlLh lL.

MusL be geLLlng old." eLer snapped up hls P&k M3. Mlssed hearlng anyone approach."

lnsLanLly 8andl and !on became a blur of movemenL as Lhey pulled ouL Lhelr weapons.

!on!" 1he volce ouLslde was Lhln, famlllar, and commandlng. !on! Cpen Lhe darn door. lL's
me."

MarLy!" SmlLh [umped Lo Lhe enLryway and cracked open Lhe door.

lor Lhe momenL, MarLy's round, chubby body was aLhleLlc. Pe pushed Lhe door back, leaped
lnslde, and grabbed !on by boLh arms. !on! AL lasL." Pe hugged hlm and sLepped qulckly back,
embarrassed. l was beglnnlng Lo Lhlnk l'd never see you agaln. Where ln heaven's name have
you been? Are you unln[ured? 8lll rescued me, so l declded lL was safe Lo brlng hlm Lo you. ls
LhaL okay?"

1rap," eLer barked. Pe swung Lhe M3 around so lL polnLed aL Crlffln, who had sLepped
quleLly lnslde.

1he ex-l8l man sLood alone wlLh hls back agalnsL Lhe closed door ln hls wlndbreaker and
Lrousers, hls arms hanglng loosely from hls broad shoulders. Pls hands were empLy, buL hls
sLocky body was rlgld and alerL. Pls long brown halr was greasy, as lf he had noL washed lL ln
days, and hls brown eyes had an empLy look LhaL chllled !on.

8andl lnsLanLly backed eLer wlLh her uzl.

no!" SmlLh yelled, sLepplng ln fronL of Crlffln. Pold lL, boLh of you. MarLy's rlghL. 1hls ls 8lll
Crlffln. uL down Lhe guns." Pe swung around Lo face Crlffln. ?ou alone?"

We're alone," MarLy assured Lhem. 8lll says he has Lo warn you, !on. ?ou're ln blgger danger
Lhan ever."
wwwavs!"o#co%

WhaL danger?"

8andl and eLer, sLlll waLchful, had slowly lowered Lhelr weapons.

1he momenL Lhelr weapons were down, 8lll Crlffln dlpped hls hand lnslde hls [ackeL pockeL and
pulled ouL a 9mm Clock.

Per." Crlffln polnLed Lhe deadly lnsLrumenL aL 8andl's hearL, hls hollow eyes focused on her.
She's ClA. SenL by Ceneral nelson Caspar Lo assasslnaLe you, !on."

WhaL?" 8andl's pale brows arched ln ouLrage. Per blond head whlpsawed from Crlffln Lo
SmlLh. 1haL's a lle!" 1hen she glared aL Crlffln. Pow dare you? ?ou're worklng for Lhem, buL
you come ln here and accuse me?"

!on held up hls hand. Why would Lhe exec of Lhe chalrman of Lhe !olnL Chlefs wanL me kllled?"

8ecause he's worklng for Lhe same people l am."

1remonL and 8lanchard harmaceuLlcals?"

8lll nodded. lL's whaL l was warnlng you abouL back ln 8ock Creek park."

!on sLared aL hlm. 8uL you dldn'L warn anyone else." Pls hlghplaned face radlaLed rage. So
Lhey kllled Sophla."

1haL's Lhe world we llve ln," Crlffln sald blLLerly. 1here are no good guys. no one belleves ln
rlghL and wrong anymore. lL's geL whaL you can for yourself. So now l'm golng Lo geL mlne. l'm
owed LhaL much."

!on looked away, forclng hlmself Lo remaln composed. Sophla was dead. Pe couldn'L brlng her
back. Pe would always carry Lhe paln, buL maybe he could learn Lo llve wlLh lL beLLer. Pe made
hls volce quleL. no one's owed anyLhlng, 8lll. And you're wrong abouL 8andl. She couldn'L have
been senL Lo klll me. lmposslble, conslderlng Lhe clrcumsLances of how we meL. ln facL, she
saved my llfe." Pe shoL her a smlle and was surprlsed Lo see her lce Cueen face sofLen. She
wanLs Lo sLop whaL 1remonL ls dolng as much as l. Who Lold you Caspar senL her Lo klll me?"

As 8lll Crlffln llsLened Lo !on, he had a sLrange feellng. AlmosL as lf he had mlssed some
lmporLanL plece ln Lhe puzzle of llfe. Pe was noL sure exacLly whaL lL was, only LhaL for a few
lucld momenLs he recognlzed Lhe loss and LhaL he had never been able Lo flnd Lhe dlrecLlons
LhaL would lead hlm back Lo whaL was gone. So now as he sLudled !on, saw hlm shudder for
conLrol as he was remlnded agaln of Sophla's deaLh, he felL lonellness and regreL. erhaps he
had been Loo hasLy ln Laklng care of hlmself. Maybe he should have warned Sophla. Pe could
have warned oLhers, Loo---

And Lhen he sLopped hlmself. Pow far could he go? CerLalnly he was noL prepared Lo save Lhe
world. 8uL maybe Lhls one lasL Llme he could do someLhlng for !on Lo make up for whaL had
happened Lo hls flancee.

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So he Lold hlm, vlcLor 1remonL ls behlnd everyLhlng. Pls numberone gun ls nadal al-Passan.
1hey---" 8uL as he sald Lhe names, a warnlng bell rang loudly lnslde hls head. Pe LhoughL abouL
1remonL's lodge and how empLy--- and safe--- lL had been when he had broken ln Lo flnd MarLy.
Pow convenlenLly Lhey had escaped.

Pow easlly he had passed Lhe senLrles.

Pls gaze moved qulckly Lo MarLy. uld 1remonL or any of Lhe oLhers glve you someLhlng Lo
carry?" he growled. 1hlnk! Any buLLons, colns, pens, maybe a comb?"

!on Lurned on Crlffln. ?ou're Lhlnklng---?"

8lll ordered MarLy, Search your pockeLs. Maybe Lhey sllpped you someLhlng wlLhouL your even
knowlng lL. lL could've been any of Lhem. Maybe Maddux?"

AL flrsL MarLy had noL reallzed whaL Lhey were asklng, and Lhen lL became clear. ?ou're
worrled Lhey bugged me!" lnsLanLly he Lurned hls pockeLs lnslde-ouL onLo Lhe coffee Lable ln
Lhe llvlng room. l don'L remember anyLhlng, buL l was unconsclous afLer Lhe pockmarked man
hlL me."

Pls plump hands, whlch were so naLurally aglle on a keyboard and clumsy almosL everywhere
else, worked wlLh speed. 1he former l8l agenL waLched wlLh an lLchlng urgency LhaL made hlm
wanL Lo rlp every plece of cloLhlng off MarLy so he could make cerLaln he was clean.

lnsLead, he ordered, 1ake off your belL, MarLy. Culck."

!on added, ?our shoes, Loo."

As MarLy sLrlpped off hls belL and Lhrew lL aL !on Lo examlne, fury rose ln a red Llde from 8lll
Crlffln's LhroaL Lo hls neuLral face. 1hey Lold me a lle Lhey knew l'd have Lo Lry Lo warn you
abouL, !on. 1hen Lhey leL me break MarLy ouL, so he'd Lake me Lo you because Lhey dldn'L learn
anyLhlng from hlm. 1wo blrds wlLh one sLone. 1hey musL've suspecLed me slnce 8ock Creek
park. l should've---"

1he sharp bark of a dog carrled from ouLslde Lhe 8v. A slngle bark and no more.

8lll froze. Pls face wenL slack. "1hey're ouLslde. Al-Passan and hls men.

Pow do you know?" 8andl slld along Lhe wall Lo Lhe, corner of a fronL wlndow wlLh lLs glass
sLlll lnLacL. She peered carefully around.

1he dog," !on reallzed. 1he uoberman you had ln Lhe park."

8lll nodded. Samson. Pe's Lralned for aLLack, scouLlng, senLry duLy, you name lL."

l see Lhem," 8andl whlspered. Looks llke four. 1hey're hldlng among Lhe row of 8vs ln fronL of
us. Cne's a Lall Arab."

Al-Passan," 8lll sald. Pls volce was deaLhly quleL.
wwwavs!"o#co%

eLer made a clucklng sound wlLh hls Longue agalnsL Lhe roof of hls mouLh. Pe murmured,
Pere's how Lhey goL Lo us." Pe held up a Llny Lracklng LransmlLLer he had Laken from Lhe
hollowed-ouL heel of MarLy's shoe. uarllng llLLle bug, lsn'L lL?" Pe shook hls head wlLh dlsgusL,
flung Lhe devlce ouL Lhe back wlndow, and snapped up hls submachlne gun.

8andl was sLlll on waLch aL Lhe wlndow. l don'L see any pollce or mlllLary."

WhaL does lL maLLer?" 8lll sald harshly. l led Lhem here, and Lhey've goL you. SLupld. l was
sLupld!"

Pardly," Lhe Lngllshman sald calmly. lL's golng Lo Lake a loL more bloody work Lhan Lhey've
puL ouL Lo geL us." Pe reached for Lhe llghL flxLure on Lhe wall over Lhe klLchen Lable, pressed a
buLLon on lLs slde, and Lhere was a popplng sound as four vlnyl squares, lndlsLlngulshable from
Lhe oLhers coverlng Lhe floor, llfLed up ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe llvlng room. Pls wlry frame moved
llghLnlng-fasL across Lhe floor Lo Lhe exlL. never leave a slngle way ouL, frlends. !on, would you
do Lhe honors?"

!on ralsed Lhe Lrapdoor and dropped Lhrough.

?ou nexL, my boy," Lhe Lngllshman Lold MarLy.

MarLy nodded glumly, peered down aL Lhe asphalL, and leL hls feeL fall Lhrough. 1he blg
uoberman was lylng quleLly under Lhe 8v, hls large dark eyes scannlng Lhe open area and Lhe
woods behlnd where Lhe 8v was parked. ln Lhe deep shadow beneaLh Lhe vehlcle, MarLy
crawled qulckly ouL of Lhe way as 8andl 8ussell, 8lll Crlffln, and eLer Powell landed, one afLer
Lhe oLher. 1he waLchful uoberman ralsed hls nose aL MarLy, and MarLy slld closer. As Samson
resumed hls senLry duLy, MarLy crouched nexL Lo hlm and ran hls hand over Lhe handsome
anlmal's sleek back. SLrangely, he felL no fear. 1hen he ralsed hls gaze Lo look around aL Lhe
wheels of oLher 8vs and Lhe Lhlck Lree Lrunks of Lhe foresL. Pe saw no feeL, and for a wlld
momenL he had Lhe hope LhaL maybe al-Passan and hls klllers had glven up and gone home.

8lll Crlffln called Lhe dog and spoke sofLly. lrlends, Samson. lrlends."

Pe had Lhe dog smell each of Lhem.

1hen, wlLh !on ln Lhe lead, Lhey crawled Lo Lhe end of Lhe 8v LhaL was closesL Lo Lhe woods.
1here were only abouL flfLeen feeL beLween Lhem and safeLy.

1haL's lL." eLer nodded Loward Lhe Lrees. We can hlde Lhere and flgure ouL whaL Lo do nexL.
When l say `go,' [ump up and run as lf Lhe hounds of hell are on your Lalls. l'll cover you." Pe
paLLed hls P&k.

8uL Lhen shapes moved ouL from Lhe foresL llne.

llaLLen!" SmlLh growled and dropped onLo hls face.

As Lhe four oLhers fell, a fuslllade swepL across Lhe open area, whlnlng and rlcocheLlng off Lhe
slde of Lhe 8v. 1hey scrambled back, searchlng for cover behlnd Lhe Llres.
wwwavs!"o#co%

8lll Crlffln ralsed hls volce. Pow many?"

1wo." 1he Lngllshman's eyes were narrow sllLs as he searched Lhe woods. Cr Lhree," !on
counLered, breaLhlng hard.

1wo or Lhree," 8andl echoed, whlch means one or Lwo are sLlll ln fronL."

?eah." 8lll Crlffln looked around aL Lhelr Lenslon and fear and aL Lhe brave llghLs ln Lhelr eyes.
lL was Lrue even of MarLy wlLh hls odd condlLlon and even odder mlnd. MarLy was noL Lhe same
prlssy, whlny nulsance he remembered. MarLy had grown up. As he LhoughL LhaL, he felL a
Lerrlble Lear rlp Lhrough someLhlng old and palnful lnslde. AL Lhe same Llme, he felL a shlfL.
Maybe lL was Lhe sourness from all Lhe years of worklng for men wlLh plnched mlnds. Cr
perhaps lL was slmply LhaL he had never flL lnLo Lhls world whlch made so much sense Lo oLhers.
8uL probably Lhe LruLh was he dld noL care a damn abouL anyLhlng or anyone anymore, noL
even hlmself.

Pe desperaLely wanLed Lo care agaln. now he saw lL--- why he had rlsked so much Lo save !on.
8y dolng LhaL, he had had a hope of savlng someLhlng good wlLhln hlmself. 1hlnklng LhaL, hls
blood seemed Lo course more vlgorously. Pls mlnd grew lncredlbly clear. A sense of purpose
swepL Lhrough hlm as sLrong as he remembered from Lhe old days when he and !on were
young and Lhe fuLure lay ahead.

Pe knew whaL Lo do.

knew wlLh every flber ln hls body. WlLh all hls dlsappolnLmenL.

LxacLly whaL he musL do Lo reLrleve hlmself.

WlLhouL warnlng, he crawled qulckly ouL from under Lhe 8v, surged Lo hls feeL, and wlLh a
sharp guLLural sound charged sLralghL Loward where Lhe aLLackers crouched aL Lhe edge of Lhe
woods. 1he uoberman followed.

8lll!" !on shouLed. uon'L---"

8uL lL was Loo laLe. 1he sLocky man's legs pumped and hls long halr flew behlnd as he pounded
Loward Lhe Lrees, flrlng hls Clock. Pe was exclLed and lmmensely relleved, and he dld noL glve a
damn anymore abouL anyLhlng buL redeemlng hlmself. WlLh bared fangs, Lhe uoberman sprang
Loward one of Lhe aLLackers on 8lll's lefL.

!on, 8andl, and eLer leaped ouL wlLh Lhelr weapons Lo follow. lL was over ln seconds.

8y Lhe Llme !on reached hlm, 8lll Crlffln lay on hls back on dry weeds aL Lhe edge of Lhe woods.
8lood bubbled up from hls chesL.

!esus," eLer breaLhed as hls canny gaze swepL Lhe Lrees and 8vs, looklng for more Lrouble.

1en feeL away Lhe shorL, heavy man who had led Lhe aLLack on !on ln CeorgeLown LhaL flrsL day
was crumpled ln a llfeless heap. A second man lay dead of a gunshoL Lo hls head. A Lhlrd man
wwwavs!"o#co%
had sprawled back, hls LhroaL Lorn open, whlle Lhe uoberman paced Lhe woods ln search of
oLhers.

no slgn of Lhe man 8lll called al-Passan," eLer noLed qulckly. Pe could sLlll be ouL fronL."

lf he's alone, he probably won'L Lry anyLhlng by hlmself," 8andl agreed, her uzl ready. Per
volce sofLened and she looked down. Pow ls he, !on?"

Pelp me."

As eLer sLood waLch, hls P&k fannlng all around, 8andl helped !on carry Crlffln lnLo Lhe shelLer
of Lhe Lrees, where Lhey lald hlm on a bed of dry leaves.

Pold on, 8lll." Pls LhroaL LlghL, !on crouched down. Pe Lrled Lo smlle aL hls old frlend.

eLer backed up Lo [oln Lhem ln Lhe foresL, holdlng hls poslLlon as senLry.

!on's volce was genLle. 8lll, you damn fool. WhaL were you Lhlnklng? We could've handled
Lhem."

?ou... don'L know LhaL for sure." Pe Lugged !on down by Lhe collar. 1hls Llme... you could've
goL yourself kllled. Al-Passan ls ouL Lhere... somewhere. WalLlng for relnforcemenLs. Leave...
geL ouL of here!"

Pls grlp was sLrong, buL Lhen plnk foam appeared on hls llps.

1ake lL easy, 8lll. l'm [usL golng Lo Lake a look aL your wounds. We'll be flne---"

8ullshlL." Crlffln gave a weak smlle. Co Lo Lhe lodge... Lake Magua. Porrlble... horrlble---" Pls
eyes closed, and he breaLhed shallowly.

uon'L Lalk," !on sald anxlously as he rlpped open 8lll's shlrL.

Pls eyes opened. no Llme... Sorry abouL Sophla... Sorry for everyLhlng." Pls eyes wldened as lf
seelng lnLo a vasL darkness.

8lll? 8lll! uon'L do Lhls!"

Pls neck wenL llmp, and hls head dropped back. ln deaLh, Lhe bland face seemed suddenly
younger, somehow more lnnocenL. 1he feaLures LhaL had so easlly flL lnLo so many dlfferenL
roles smooLhed ouL Lo show a sLrong bone sLrucLure wlLh deflnlLe cheekbones and chln. As !on
looked numbly down, somewhere a blrd began Lo slng. lnsecLs hummed. 1he sunllghL Lhrough
Lhe Lrees was warm.

SmlLh wenL lnLo acLlon. Pe felL Lhe caroLld arLery. noLhlng. lranLlcally, he puL hls hand on Lhe
bloody chesL. 8uL Lhere was noL even a whlsper of a beaL. Pe saL back, crouchlng nexL Lo hls
frlend. aln swepL Lhrough hlm. llrsL Sophla and now 8lll.

Suddenly Lhe uoberman appeared. Pe sLood over 8lll, guardlng hlm. Pe nudged 8lll's head and
wwwavs!"o#co%
made whaL sounded llke a low moan ln hls LhroaL. MarLy murmured someLhlng and sLroked Lhe
uoberman's back.

SmlLh closed 8lll's eyes and looked up. Pe's gone."

We've goL Lo leave, !on." eLer's volce was klnd buL deflnlLe. Pe handed hlm a colored kerchlef
from one of Lhe webbed belL pouches on hls commando unlform.

As !on wlped blood from hls hand, 8andl sald, l'm sorry, !on. l know he was your frlend. 8uL
more of Lhem wlll be here soon."

When SmlLh dld noL geL up lmmedlaLely, MarLy sald, !on!" Pls volce was sharp. LeL's go.
?ou're scarlng me!"

SmlLh sLood and gazed around aL Lhe baLLered 8v and Lhe dead bodles. Pe breaLhed deeply,
conLrolllng hls grlef and rage. Pe glanced once more aL 8lll Crlffln.

vlcLor 1remonL had a loL Lo answer for.

Pe moved lnLo Lhe woods. We'll work our way back Lo Lhe car Lhrough here."

Cood ldea." 8andl Look Lhe lead.

Come on, Samson," MarLy called.

1he dog llfLed hls head. 1hen he nudged hls dead masLer's shoulder. Pe made a low sound ln
hls LhroaL agaln and prodded 8lll one lasL Llme.

When Lhere was no response, he gave a flnal look around as lf saylng good-bye. Pe LroLLed
sllenLly lnLo Lhe woods, followlng.

8andl's long body angled lefL. WlLh sure fooLsLeps, she forged a paLh Lhrough Lhe underbrush
and around Lhe Lrees. !on and MarLy came behlnd wlLh eLer and Lhe uoberman brlnglng up
Lhe rear. eLer's P&k swepL from slde Lo slde.

!on looked aL MarLy. ?ou know anyLhlng abouL Lhls `lodge' 8lll was Lalklng abouL? Lake
Magua?"

lL's where Lhey chalned me ln a room."

?ou know where lL ls?"

Cf course."

Suddenly eLer's volce sounded over Lhelr conversaLlon. 8ogles aL slx o'clock. 1hey're comlng
afLer us. l'll keep Lhem busy. Co!"

noL wlLhouL you!" SmlLh refused.

wwwavs!"o#co%
uon'L be sLupld. ?ou've goL 1remonL Lo flnlsh off. l can Lake care of myself."

AL Lhe sounds of feeL approachlng Lhrough Lhe Lrees, Lhe blg uoberman sLopped lLs loplng LroL
and spun back Lo [oln eLer. Pe spoke low Lo Lhe dog, Lhen looked back aL SmlLh.

Co on. now! Samson and l wlll cover your Lalls and buy you Llme. Purry!" Pe gazed down aL
Lhe dog. ?ou undersLand hand slgnals, boy?" Pe lowered hls hand Lo hls slde and made a swlfL
moLlon. lnsLanLly Lhe dog raced off lnLo Lhe woods Lo scouL. eLer nodded, saLlsfled. See, l
won'L be alone."

Pe's rlghL," 8andl agreed. lL's whaL 8lll would've wanLed."

!on was frozen for a second. Pls hlgh-planed face wlLh Lhe dark blue eyes looked omlnous ln Lhe
shadowy foresL. Pls long, muscular body was Lensed, ready Lo sprlng. 8lll had [usL dled, and
now eLer was volunLeerlng Lo sLay behlnd where hls rlsk of belng kllled, Loo, was enormous.
!on had devoLed hlmself Lo savlng llves, noL Laklng Lhem. And now, because of clrcumsLances,
he was caughL ln whaL seemed a hopeless loop of deaLh.

Pe sLudled eLer's wrlnkled, weaLhered face and Lhe sharp eyes LhaL had one message: Co.
Leave me alone. 1hls ls whaL l do.

SmlLh nodded. Ckay. MarLy, you follow me. Cood luck, eLer."

8lghL." Already Lhe Lngllshman had Lurned, hls gaze searchlng Lhe foresL behlnd as lf hls whole
llfe were focused on Lhls momenL.

!on sLared a second longer. 1hen he, MarLy, and 8andl sped away Lhrough Lhe Llmber. 8ehlnd
Lhem a long bursL of gunflre sounded, followed by a cry of paln.

eLer?" MarLy's volce rose wlLh worry. uo you Lhlnk he's hurL? Maybe we should go back?"

lL was hls P&k's flre," !on assured hlm, alLhough he was noL sure.

MarLy nodded uncerLalnly, rememberlng Lhe endless days of Loo-close conLacL ln Lhe 8v and
eLer's LarL humor and lrrlLaLlng hablLs. l hope you're rlghL. l... l've grown Lo llke eLer."

Crlmly Lhey conLlnued on. 1he woods were quleL now, shocked as sporadlc gunflre sounded.
Lach shoL seemed Lo plerce SmlLh Lo Lhe qulck. 1hen Lhere was sllence. 1haL was worse. eLer
could be lylng ln hls own blood somewhere, dylng.

AL lasL Lhey emerged on a quleL resldenLlal sLreeL LhaL paralleled 8ouLe 3. Crave and wary, Lhey
hld Lhelr weapons lnslde Lhelr cloLhes, LroLLed rlghL, and Lurned onLo Lhe sLreeL where !on and
8andl had parked Lhelr renLed car under Lhe maple Lree.

1hey spllL up and approached Lhe car cauLlously.

8uL no one was around, and no one Lrled Lo sLop Lhem. MarLy heaved a slgh and cllmbed lnLo
Lhe backseaL. !on slld lnLo Lhe drlver's seaL, 8andl [umped lnLo Lhe fronL passenger seaL, Lhe
mlnl-uzl on her lap, and Lhey headed for Lhe 1hruway. An hour laLer Lhey arrlved aL Lhe
wwwavs!"o#co%
Crlskany-uLlca alrporL, where Lhey renLed a llghL plane and flew lnLo Lhe vasL wllderness of
Adlrondack SLaLe ark.

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
FORTP THREE

___________________

3:02 .M.


vlcLor 1remonL's Llmbered lodge loomed enormous Lhrough Lhe Lrees below. Pere aL Lhe back
of lL, a narrow brlck drlve led from an overslze Llmbered garage deep among Lhe Lrees. 1hree
heavlly armed men paLrolled. Cn Lhe far slde of Lhe lodge a prlsLlne lake was nesLled ln Lhe
foresL of plne and hardwood Lrees. Large whlLe clouds hovered above, and Lhe long llghL of Lhe
laLe-afLernoon sun casL dark shadows across Lhe wooded slopes.

1aklng lL all ln from a rlse ln Lhe foresL behlnd Lhe lodge were !on, 8andl, and MarLy. 1hey lay on
Lhelr sLomachs on Lhe Lhlck carpeL of duff under dense plnes as Lhey carefully analyzed Lhe
lodge's layouL and Lhe bored acLlons of Lhe Lrlo of guards.

l hope eLer ls all rlghL," MarLy worrled quleLly as he peered ahead, noL sure exacLly whaL he
was supposed Lo be looklng for.

Pe knows whaL he's dolng, MarL," SmlLh answered as he recorded Lhe senLrles' rouLes.

1hen !on peered over aL 8andl, seelng her face lnLenL on Lhe scene below. She was sLreLched
ouL on hls oLher slde and had been quleLly llsLenlng.

She gave hlm a sympaLheLlc smlle.

WlLh LhaL Lroubled exchange, Lhe Lhree Lurned Lhelr full aLLenLlon back Lo plannlng how Lo
break lnLo 1remonL's mounLaln casLle. Cne of Lhe bored and yawnlng guards clrcled Lhe log-
and-frame bulldlng every half hour, checklng doors and cursorlly sweeplng Lhe grounds wlLh a
gaze LhaL would have seen noLhlng LhaL was noL lmmedlaLely obvlous. 1he second man saL
relaxed ln a chalr, smoklng and en[oylng Lhe laLe CcLober sunllghL, hls old M-16A1 assaulL rlfle
across hls lap. 1he Lhlrd was comforLably ensconced ln a clvlllan Pumvee beslde Lhe small
clearlng for a hellpad flfLy yards Lo Lhelr rlghL, hls rlfle [uLLlng up beslde hlm.

1hey haven'L had any lnLruders for years," !on guessed. lf ever."

Maybe Lhere lsn'L anyLhlng Lo guard," 8andl sald. Crlffln could've been lylng Lo us. Cr [usL
mlsLaken."

no. Pe saved us, and he knew he was dylng," SmlLh lnslsLed. Pe wouldn'L lle."

wwwavs!"o#co%
lL's happened, !on. ?ou yourself sald he'd gone wrong."

noL LhaL wrong." Pe Lurned Lo MarLy. When Lhey had you locked up here, MarL, whaL do you
remember of Lhe layouL lnslde?"

A blg llvlng room and a loL of small rooms. A sun room and klLchen. laces llke LhaL. 1hey
quesLloned me ln a room downsLalrs. lL was empLy excepL for a chalr and a coL, and when l
woke up l was ln a basemenL sLorage room chalned Lo a wall."

1haL's all you can Lell us?" 8andl asked.

l dldn'L exacLly geL a vacaLlon brochure of Lhe place," he sald hufflly. 1hen he grlmaced. All
rlghL. l'm sorry. l know you dldn'L mean anyLhlng. Well, l dld see some people ln whlLe coaLs,
llke docLors. MosL wore whlLe panLs, Loo. 1hey were golng upsLalrs Lo Lhe second floor, buL l
don'L know Lo where exacLly."

A laboraLory?" 8andl wondered.

A secreL lab." !on's volce was low buL charged. 1haL's lL--- one of Lhe Lhlngs 8lll could've Lold
us. A secreL lab for research and developmenL. 1he records of Lhe experlmenL on Lhe Lwelve
vlcLlms from Lhe Culf War and whaLever else Lhey've been dolng should be here. 1haL's
probably why noLhlng showed up on Lhe 8lanchard company compuLer. 1hey never puL
anyLhlng Lhere."

Some oLher company name and password, maybe," 8andl Lheorlzed.

!on sald, "We'd beLLer geL ln Lhere and flnd ouL for sure. MarLy, sLay here. ?ou'll be safer. lf you
see or hear anyone, flre a slngle shoL Lo warn us.

?ou can counL on lL." MarLy heslLaLed, hls round eyes wldenlng wlLh shock. l can'L belleve l
sald LhaL. Lspeclally LhaL l sald lL enLhuslasLlcally." Pe was grlpplng Lhe Lnfleld bullpup ln hls
plump hands wlLh nervous dlsLasLe. Pe had Laken a new dose of meds and was sLlll calm, buL
Lhe effecL would wear off soon.

!on and 8andl declded Lo delay unLll Lhe guard compleLed hls nexL clrculL and re[olned Lhe one
aL Lhe fronL for a relaxed smoke. 1hen Lhey would Lake ouL Lhe one ln Lhe Pumvee ln Lhe
clearlng Lo Lhe rlghL, where Lhe afLernoon sun senL long, cool shadows Lhrough Lhe Lall Lrees.

1hey dld noL have long Lo walL. AfLer a few mlnuLes, one of Lhe Lwo aL Lhe fronL sLood and
vanlshed behlnd Lhe lodge. 1en mlnuLes laLer he reappeared, Lhls Llme comlng around Lhe
bulldlng's far slde. Pe gave a cursory scan of Lhe foresL and grounds, logged ln aL Lhe key sLaLlon
nexL Lo Lhe maln rear enLrance, and flnally clrcled back Lo Lhe fronL Lo re[oln hls companlon.

Cnly Lhe guard ln Lhe Pumvee remalned on Lhls slde of Lhe blg lodge.

now," !on sald.

1hey sllpped Lhrough Lhe plnes Lo Lhe clearlng. CuL of slghL of hls colleagues, Lhe guard ln Lhe
Pumvee was dozlng ln Lhe warm sunshlne, slumped ln Lhe drlver's seaL.
wwwavs!"o#co%

?ou wanL Lo work around behlnd Lhe Pumvee, 8andl?" !on suggesLed. Pe could feel hls pulse
begln Lo pound behlnd hls ears. l'll waLch from here and cover you. When you geL Lhere, glve
me a slgnal, and l'll dlsLracL hlm from Lhls slde. lf he wakes up Loo soon and hears you, l'll Lake
hlm ouL."

l'll wave a hankle." She gave a shorL smlle. Well, a kleenex." She was relleved Lo be ln acLlon
agaln.

Per hearL pumplng, she melLed among Lhe Lrees unLll she was ouL of SmlLh's vlew. Pe crouched
ln Lhe shadows [usL lnslde Lhe foresL. 8ereLLa ready, he waLched Lhe dozlng guard and walLed.
llve mlnuLes passed. 1hen he saw a flash of whlLe dlrecLly behlnd Lhe parked Pumvee. 1he
guard sLlrred, moved ln hls seaL, buL dld noL open hls eyes. As Lhe man seLLled ln once more,
!on loped sLralghL Loward Lhe squaL, open vehlcle.

8uL [usL as !on was halfway across Lhe clearlng, Lhe guard's eyes snapped open. Pe grabbed hls
M-16. 8andl maLerlallzed behlnd hlm. Per pale halr was a wreaLh of sunllghL around her head,
and her beauLlful face was sLony wlLh concenLraLlon. Per body moved wlLh Lhe fluldlLy of a feral
caL as she sprlnLed sllenLly Lo Lhe Lopless Pumvee, ran up over Lhe back, balanced one fooL on
Lhe Lop of Lhe backseaL and Lhe oLher on Lhe rollover rall, and pressed her uzl down lnLo Lhe
back of Lhe guard's head. lL Look !on's breaLh away. Pe had never seen a woman move llke LhaL.

Per volce was cold and clear. 8elease Lhe rlfle."

1he guard heslLaLed a second as lf calculaLlng hls chances, Lhen slowly lay Lhe rlfle on Lhe seaL
beslde hlm. Pe placed hls hands flaL on hls Lhlghs ln plaln slghL, llke someone who knew Lhe
proper procedure for belng arresLed.

Cood declslon."

!on reached Lhe Pumvee and removed Lhe M-16. Pe and 8andl marched Lhe guard back Lo
where MarLy walLed. 1he Lhree worked qulckly LogeLher. MarLy rlpped Lhe man's shlrL lnLo
sLrlps. !on and 8andl used Lhe guard's belL and Lhe sLrlps of cloLh Lo gag and Lle hlm hand and
fooL. 1russed up, unable Lo speak, he lay on a bed of plne needles, shooLlng angry looks.

SmlLh Look Lhe guard's rlng of keys. 1he Lwo oLhers ouL fronL won'L expecL us from lnslde Lhe
lodge."

l llke LhaL." 8andl nodded, approvlng Lhe plan.

Pe looked aL her a llLLle longer Lhan necessary, buL she dld noL seem Lo noLlce.

MarLy slghed. l know whaL you're golng Lo Lell me. `lf you see anyLhlng, shooL.' Cad. And Lo
Lhlnk Lwo weeks ago l'd never even held a gun. l'm devolvlng."

1hey lefL MarLy shaklng hls head as he guarded Lhe dlsabled senLry and LroLLed down Lhe slope
Lo a slde rear enLrance of Lhe lodge. 1he scenL of plne was aromaLlc buL somehow cloylng.

As 8andl sLood guard, !on found Lhe rlghL key and unlocked Lhe door. 1hey sLepped warlly
wwwavs!"o#co%
lnslde a small foyer where sunllghL beamed down from cleresLory wlndows and more shone
ahead aL Lhe far end of a hall. Closed doors llned Lhe hallway, and Lhere was Lhe falnL odor of
good clgars as Lhey padded Loward Lhe second source of llghL.

WhaL's LhaL?" 8andl sLopped, her aLhleLlc shoes moLlonless on Lhe parqueL floor.

SmlLh shook hls head. l dldn'L hear anyLhlng."

She was frozen Lhere, her even feaLures pursed ln concenLraLlon. lL's gone. WhaLever Lhe
sound was, l can'L hear lL now."

We'd beLLer Lry all Lhe doors."

She Look one slde, and he Lhe oLher. 1hey Lurned every knob.

Locked." !on shook hls head. 1hey look as lf Lhey mlghL be guesL rooms or offlces."

We'd beLLer leave Lhem unLll laLer," 8andl declded.

1hey passed a sLalrcase LhaL rose Lo a landlng and Lurned. 1hey could see noLhlng above Lhe
landlng. 1hey conLlnued on, llsLenlng. 1he odor of clgars lncreased. Ldgy, !on's gaze swepL
everywhere. AL lasL Lhey sLood aL Lhe Llmbered enLry Lo a cavernous llvlng room decoraLed wlLh
rusLlc wood-and-leaLher furnlLure, brass-and-wood lamps, and low wood Lables. lL had Lo be
Lhe blg room MarLy had descrlbed. Across lL exLended a wall of wlndows Lhrough whlch sunllghL
flooded. 1here was also an enormous sLone flreplace ln whlch coals glowed, warmlng Lhe room
agalnsL Lhe CcLober chlll. 1he expanse of wlndows looked ouL Lo Lhe lake Lhrough Lhe dense
Lrees, and ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe wall were double fronL doors LhaL opened ouL Lo a covered
porch.

WlLhouL speaklng, Lhe sllenL palr sllpped LogeLher across Lhe room, sLood beslde Lhe doors, and
surveyed Lhe porch. 8eyond Lhe porch, on Lhe lawn off Lo Lhe lefL, were Lhe Lwo remalnlng
guards relaxlng ln Adlrondack chalrs, smoklng and chaLLlng, Lhelr rlfles across Lhelr knees. 1hey
were gazlng ouL aL Lhe valley where Lhe colors of auLumn had Lurned Lhe sweep of hardwood
Lrees Lo rlch golds and reds among Lhe green plnes.

She was waLchlng Lhe senLrles. 1hey're perfecL LargeLs," she murmured.

Lazy ldloLs. 1hey Lhlnk because 1remonL ls gone Lhey can do whaL Lhey wanL."

lf lL comes Lo shooLlng," 8andl whlspered, l'll Lake Lhe one on Lhe rlghL, you Lake Lhe one on
Lhe lefL. WlLh luck, Lhey'll surrender."

1haL's whaL we wanL." SmlLh nodded ln agreemenL. Pe was geLLlng used Lo worklng wlLh her.
ln facL, he was en[oylng lL. now, lf Lhey could [usL do lL well enough Lo survlve... LeL's go."

1hey eased Lhe doors open and padded ouL onLo Lhe porch as Lhe Lwo men Lalked and smoked
ln Lhelr chalrs. 1he sun was hard and fllnLy as !on's gaze locked onLo Lhe guards slLLlng dlrecLly
below, unknowlng.

wwwavs!"o#co%
1he Laller guard fllcked hls clgareLLe onLo Lhe grassy lawn and sLood. 1lme Lo do anoLher Lurn
around Lhe properLy." 8efore !on or 8andl could move, he saw Lhem. 8ob!" he called ln alarm.

Lay down your weapons," !on commanded.

8andl's volce was Lense. uo lL slowly. So no one makes any mlsLakes."

8oLh men froze. Cne was compleLely on hls feeL buL only half-Lurned Lo face Lhem, whlle Lhe
oLher was merely halfway ouL of hls chalr. nelLher's weapon was polnLed aL !on and 8andl,
whlle !on and 8andl had Lhe guards compleLely covered. lL was a surprlse ambush LhaL had
worked, and Lhere was no doubL ln anyone's mlnds LhaL unless Lhe senLrles wanLed Lo commlL
sulclde, Lhey would do exacLly as Lold.

ShlL," one muLLered.

__________

1he Llmbered grounds were quleL as SmlLh locked Lhe Lhree Lled-up senLrles ln an ouLbulldlng
behlnd Lhe garage. MarLy sLood ln Lhe shadows nexL Lo lL, whlle 8andl was ouL of slghL,
monlLorlng Lhe lodge for any acLlvlLy. MarLy's round face was worrled, and hls green eyes had a
dark look, as lf he were ln a world he had never wanLed Lo know anyLhlng abouL. Pls plump
body seemed desolaLe ln hls baggy panLs and [ackeL.

Pe looked up aL !on. ?ou wanL me Lo sLay here?" he asked, as lf he knew Lhe answer.

lL's safer, MarL, and we need someone Lo be senLry. l don'L know whaL we're golng Lo flnd ln
Lhe lab. lf someLhlng happens Lo us, you've goL a chance Lo make lL by escaplng lnLo Lhe
woods."

MarLy nodded soberly. Pls flngers LwlLched on Lhe bullpup as lf he longed for a keyboard
lnsLead. lL's okay, !on. l know you'll be back for me. Cood luck. And lf l see anyLhlng"--- he gave
a brave smlle--- l'll be sure Lo flre once."

SmlLh clamped a hand on hls shoulder ln encouragemenL.

MarLy paLLed !on's hand. l'll be okay. uon'L worry abouL me. ?ou'd beLLer go."

__________

Weapons ln hand, !on and 8andl meL aL Lhe slde door of Lhe lodge Lhey had used before. 1hey
exchanged a long look, and some klnd of recognlLlon passed beLween Lhem. !on moved hls eyes
away, and 8andl found herself wonderlng nervously whaL was happenlng Lo her.

lnslde Lhe lodge, Lhey paused aL Lhe fooL of Lhe sLalrcase ln Lhe long hall. 1here had been no
gunshoLs flred ouLdoors, and Lhey hoped LhaL whoever was aL work upsLalrs had no ldea Lhe
senLrles had been Laken and Lhe lodge lnvaded. 1he whole polnL of Lhls sLealLhy aLLack was Lo
accompllsh whaL Lhey needed as qulckly and efflclenLly as posslble--- and Lo emerge allve and
lnLacL.

wwwavs!"o#co%
Warlly, Lhey padded up Lhe sLalrs, rounded Lhe landlng, and conLlnued on up. As Lhey neared
Lhe Lop, Lhere was sLlll sllence.

And Lhen Lhey saw why. A Lhlck glass door wlLh heavy glass panels on elLher slde was seL back
from a small foyer area. 8eyond Lhe glass was a vasL, gleamlng laboraLory wlLh offlces and
rooms around lLs perlmeLer. Cff Lo Lhe slde was whaL looked llke a clean room" devoLed Lo
experlmenLs LhaL had Lo be conducLed ln an aLmosphere free of conLamlnanLs. AnoLher room
held an elecLron mlcroscope. All labs had Lhe same sense abouL Lhem--- orderllness Louched
wlLh an aura of conLrolled chaos LhaL came from papers, LesL Lubes, 8unsen burners, glass
beakers, flasks, mlcroscopes, flle cablneLs, compuLers, refrlgeraLors, and all Lhe oLher
paraphernalla LhaL was so vlLal Lo sclenLlsLs ln Lhelr pursulL of codlfylng Lhe unknown. 1hls one
also had whaL looked llke a nexL-cenLury specLromeLer.

8uL whaL rlveLed !on's gaze, whaL gave hlm boLh a slnklng sensaLlon and a [olL of Lrlumph, was a
heavy door ln Lhe cenLer of one wall marked by Lhe glarlng red Lrefoll symbol of a blohazard. lL
was Lhe door Lo a Level lour PoL Zone laboraLory lnsLallaLlon. A secreL Level lour.

l see four people," 8andl whlspered.

!on kepL hls volce even. 1lme Lo lnLroduce ourselves."

1hey pushed ln Lhrough Lhe door, Lhelr weapons ln fronL of Lhem.

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
FORTP FO)R

___________________

1wo of Lhe Lechnlclans looked up. As soon as Lhey saw Lhe guns, fear shoL lnLo Lhelr faces. Cne
of Lhem moaned. AL Lhe sound, Lhe oLher Lwo looked up. 1hey blanched. WlLhouL saylng a
word, !on and 8andl had all four's aLLenLlon.

uon'L shooL!" begged Lhe oldesL of Lhe Lwo men.

lease. l have chlldren!" sald Lhe younger of Lhe Lwo women.

no one's golng Lo be hurL lf you [usL answer a few quesLlons," SmlLh assured Lhem.

Pe's rlghL." 8andl polnLed her uzl aL whaL looked llke a small conference room off Lhe lab.
LeL's go ln Lhere and have a warm and frlendly chaL."

ln Lhelr whlLe unlforms, Lhe four Lechnlclans flled lnLo Lhe room and, when Lold, Look chalrs aL
Lhe lormlca-Lopped conference Lable. 1hey ranged ln age from mld-forLles Lo mld-LwenLles,
and Lhey had Lhe look of people who puL ln regular days. 1hese were no wlld-eyed, pasLy-faced
sclenLlsLs who llved ln Lhelr labs weeks aL a Llme when wrapplng up a pro[ecL. 1hey were
ordlnary people wlLh weddlng rlngs and phoLos of exLended famllles on Lhelr workbenches.
1echnlclans, noL sclenLlsLs.

LxcepL Lhe older of Lhe Lwo women. She had shorL gray halr and wore a long whlLe lab coaL
over sLreeL cloLhes. She had been sllenL and waLchful slnce Lhey had enLered. Some klnd of
sclenLlsL or supervlsor.

SweaL baLhed Lhe hlgh forehead of Lhe older, baldlng man. Pls gaze had been on Lhe guns, buL
now he looked up aL 8andl. WhaL do you wanL?" Pls volce was shaky.

Clad you asked," she Lold hlm. 1ell us abouL Lhe monkey vlrus."

And Lhe serum LhaL happens Lo cure a human vlrus, Loo," !on sald.

We know lL was broughL from eru Lwelve years ago by vlcLor 1remonL."

We also know abouL Lhe experlmenLs on Lhe Lwelve soldlers ln ueserL SLorm."

8andl asked, Pow long have you had Lhe serum?"

And how dld Lhe epldemlc sLarL?"

Pearlng Lhe rapld-flre quesLlons, Lhe older woman's gray feaLures plnched. Per faded eyes grew
deflanL. We don'L know whaL you mean. We have noLhlng Lo do wlLh any monkey vlrus or
wwwavs!"o#co%
serum."

1hen whaL do you work on here?" 8andl demanded.

AnLlbloLlcs and vlLamlns mosLly," Lhe supervlsor Lold her.

SmlLh sald, So why Lhe secrecy? 1he remoLeness? 1hls lab doesn'L show up ln any of
8lanchard's documenLs."

We don'L belong Lo 8lanchard."

1hen whose anLlbloLlcs and vlLamlns are you worklng on?"

1he supervlsor flushed, and Lhe oLhers looked Lerrlfled agaln. She had sald more Lhan she had
wanLed Lo. l can'L Lell you LhaL," she snapped.

8andl sald, Ckay. 1hen we'll look aL your flles."

1hey're compuLerlzed. We don'L have access. Cnly Lhe dlrecLor and ur. 1remonL do. When
Lhey geL back, Lhey'll puL an end Lo you and all Lhls---"

!on's anger was rlslng. WheLher Lhey knew lL or noL, Lhey had helped murder Sophla. no one's
golng Lo come back anyLlme soon. 1hey're Loo busy geLLlng medals, and your Lhree guards are
dead ouLslde," he lled. ?ou wanL Lo [oln Lhe guards?"

1he supervlsor glared aL hlm, sLubbornly sllenL.

8andl Lrled Lo conLrol her rage. Maybe you Lhlnk because we've been pollLe so far LhaL we
won'L klll you. ?ou're rlghL, we probably won'L. We're Lhe good guys. 8uL," she added
cheerfully, l have no problem wlLh causlng conslderable paln. MlsLakes do geL made. ?ou hear
me clearly?"

1haL goL Lhelr aLLenLlon. AL leasL Lhe aLLenLlon of Lhe oLher Lhree. 1hey hurrledly nodded.

Cood. now, whlch of you ls golng Lo Lell us Lhe name of Lhe company you work for and Lhe
compuLer passwords?"

And," SmlLh added, sLarlng aL Lhe supervlsor, why you need a Level lour lab for vlLamlns and
anLlbloLlcs?"

1he supervlsor's face paled, and her hands Lrembled, buL she lnLenslfled her glare of
lnLlmldaLlon aL Lhe oLher Lhree.

8uL Lhe smallesL and oldesL man lgnored her. uon'L Lry LhaL, Lmma." Pls volce was weak buL
deLermlned. ?ou're noL ln charge here anymore. 1hey are." Pe looked aL !on. Pow do we
know you won'L klll us anyway?"

?ou don'L. 8uL you can be sure Lhe odds are far beLLer LhaL lf anyone's golng Lo be hurL, lL's
golng Lo be now. LaLer, we're golng Lo be Loo busy brlnglng down vlcLor 1remonL."
wwwavs!"o#co%

1he older man sLared. 1hen he nodded soberly. l'll Lell you."

!on looked aL 8andl. now LhaL Lhlngs are handled here, l'll geL MarLy."

She gave a brlsk nod. As she held her uzl on Lhe four lab workers, her mlnd was on Sophla. She
was closlng ln on Sophla's klller. She was golng Lo make Lhem pay, no maLLer whaL she had Lo
do.

1alk," she Lold Lhe older lab Lechnlclan. 1alk fasL."

__________

MarLy was slLLlng agalnsL a Lree near Lhe shed, Lhe Lnfleld bullpup lylng across hls lap. Pe was
hummlng Lo hlmself. Pe seemed Lo be sLudylng sunbeams LhaL danced ln a shafL of yellow llghL
Lhrough Lhe Lrees. 1o look aL hlm where he leaned back, hls shorL legs sLreLched ouL on Lhe plne
needles, hls ankles crossed, he could be an lmp from some long-ago falry Lale wlLhouL a
problem ln Lhe world. unless you noLlced hls eyes. 1haL was where SmlLh's aLLenLlon was flxed
as he approached sllenLly, cauLlously. 1he green eyes were almosL emerald ln color and
Lroubled.

Any problems?"

MarLy [umped. uarn lL, !on. nexL Llme make some nolse." Pe rubbed hls eyes as lf Lhey hurL.
l'm happy Lo reporL l've seen or heard no one. 1he shed's been quleL, Loo. 8uL Lhen Lhere's noL
a loL any of Lhose Lhree can do, conslderlng how well we Lled Lhem. SLlll, l don'L Lhlnk l'm cuL
ouL for guard work. 1oo borlng and Loo much responslblllLy of Lhe wrong klnd."

l see Lhe problem. leel llke some compuLer sleuLhlng lnsLead?"

MarLy lmmedlaLely looked more cheerful. AL lasL. Cf course!"

LeL's go lnLo Lhe lodge. l need you Lo search some of 1remonL's flles."

Ah, vlcLor 1remonL. 1he one behlnd lL all." MarLy rubbed hls hands.

Cnce lnslde, Lhey were movlng pasL Lhe row of closed and locked doors when SmlLh heard a
sound. 1hey were almosL ln Lhe same place ln Lhe hall where 8andl had LhoughL she had heard
someLhlng.

Pe sLopped and grabbed MarLy's arm. uon'L move. LlsLen. Are you plcklng up anyLhlng?"

1hey sLayed LhaL way, slowly roLaLlng Lhelr heads as lf by movemenL alone Lhey could enhance
Lhelr hearlng.

!on spun around. WhaL was LhaL?"

MarLy frowned. l Lhlnk someone's shouLlng."

wwwavs!"o#co%
1he sound came agaln. lL was a volce, buL muffled and far away. A mans volce.

lL's Lhls one." !on pressed hls ear Lo one of Lhe doors. lL appeared Lo be Lhlcker, sLurdler Lhan
Lhe oLhers, and Lhe lock was a heavy dead-bolL. Someone was shouLlng buL barely audlble
somewhere on Lhe far slde.

Cpen lL!" MarLy sald.

Clve me Lhe bullpup." WlLh Lhe blg assaulL rlfle, he shoL ouL Lhe lock.

Screams of Lerror sounded above Lhelr heads from Lhe laboraLory, buL Lhe door swung open.
1hey enLered cauLlously. 1here was a second door almosL aL once. SmlLh shoL Lhls one open,
Loo, and Lhey found Lhemselves ln a large, well-furnlshed llvlng room. 1here was a klLchen
Lhrough an archway, a formal dlnlng room, a weL bar, and a corrldor LhaL probably led Lo
bedrooms. 1he nolse, clearly shouLlng now, was comlng from Lhe corrldor.

?ou sLay back and cover me, MarL."

MarLy dld noL boLher Lo proLesL. Ckay. l'll do my besL."

As !on warlly enLered Lhe corrldor, whoever was calllng musL have heard enough Lo convlnce
hlm someone was on Lhe way. 8anglng sLarLed behlnd Lhe Lhlrd door.

!on Lrled lL. Locked. Who's ln Lhere?" he called ouL.

Mercer Paldane!" Lhe furlous volce bellowed. Are you Lhe pollce? Pave you capLured vlcLor?"

SLand back," !on called agaln. Pe used hls 8ereLLa on Lhe slmple room lock.

1he door blasLed open, and a shorL banLam-roosLer of an older man wlLh a mane of unruly
whlLe halr, Lhlck whlLe eyebrows, and a clean-shaven buL cholerlc face saL ln an armchalr ln
whaL looked llke a masLer bedroom. Pe was handcuffed and chalned Lo Lhe wall aL Lhe ankle
buL noL gagged.

Who Lhe devll are you?" Lhe old man demanded.

LL. Col. !onaLhan SmlLh, M.u. Someone your people have been Lrylng Lo murder."

Murder? Why, for Lhe love of---" 1he old man sLopped. Ah, yes, vlcLor. l knew he was worrled
abouL... M.u. you say. uon'L Lell me: CuC? luA?"

uSAM8llu."

lorL ueLrlck, of course. So have you caughL Lhe basLard?"

We're Lrylng."

?ou'd beLLer Lry fasLer. Pe's geLLlng LhaL damned medal aL flve o'clock. robably Lhe money a
mlnuLe or so laLer, and no Lelllng where he'll be by slx o'clock. A long way from here, lf l know
wwwavs!"o#co%
hlm."

1hen you'd beLLer help us."

!usL ask."

?ou Lhlnk he creaLed Lhe vlrus epldemlc?"

Cf course he dld. Are you a numbskull? 1haL's why he locked me ln here. WhaL l don'L know ls
how he dld lL."

!on nodded. llgures. WaLch yourself. l'm golng Lo shooL Lhls leg chaln off."

Mercer Paldane crunched wlLh frlghL. 1hen he shrugged. l hope your alm's good. l lnLend Lo
llve long enough Lo brlng vlcLor down Lo hls knees."

SmlLh shoL ouL Lhe chaln lock and helped Lhe old man up. My oLher assoclaLe's ln Lhe lab.
We're Lrylng Lo locaLe 1remonL's research records."

Pe musL have hls llllclL records hldden. l Lrled Lo flnd Lhem, Loo."

!on paLLed MarLy on Lhe back. ?ou dldn'L have my secreL weapon."

__________

When !on and MarLy sLrode lnLo Lhe laboraLory wlLh Lhe shorL old man red-faced and angry
under a shock of whlLe halr, 8andl was walLlng for Lhem. She had locked Lhe four lab
Lechnlclans ln Lhe conference room.

WhaL was all Lhe shooLlng? ?ou nearly gave me a coronary."

!on lnLroduced Mercer Paldane and asked, WhaL dld Lhe Lechnlclan Lell you?"

1hey work for 1remonL and AssoclaLes. 1he password lnLo Lhelr compuLer ls Pades."

MarLy made a beellne Lo Lhe nearesL Lermlnal, Paldane on hls heels. MarLy's face was almosL
relaxed, so happy was he Lo be reLurnlng Lo a world he undersLood. WlLhouL looklng aL
Paldane, MarLy handed hlm hls bullpup, saL, flexed hls flngers, and wenL Lo work. Paldane
rolled a sLool over so he could slL nexL Lo hlm. !on followed and Look Lhe bullpup Lnfleld away
from Lhe former CLC. Pe was noL abouL Lo LrusL hlm.

SmlLh quleLly explalned Lo 8andl, Mercer Paldane ls Lhe former chalrman and CLC of
8lanchard. LasL week 1remonL forced hlm ouL and Look over."

Pow could he do LhaL?"

Cld-fashloned blackmall, he says. 8uL l Lhlnk he was boughL off, Loo. A cuL of Lhe Pades
ro[ecL. 1haL's whaL 1remonL named Lhe vlrus and serum pro[ecL. Pe kepL lL hldden from
Paldane and 8lanchard for more Lhan a decade."
wwwavs!"o#co%

A perfecL name for Lhe horror Lhey're causlng. WhaL else dld he Lell you?"

!usL abouL whaL we'd flgured. 1remonL found Lhe vlrus ln eruvlan Amazonla and broughL lL
back Lo 8lanchard along wlLh a crude naLlve cure: Lhe blood of monkeys LhaL had survlved Lhe
dlsease and were full of neuLrallzlng anLlbodles. Some lndlans down Lhere drlnk Lhe blood, and
lL saves a loL of Lhem every year. 1remonL seL up hls secreL Leam wlLh company money and
personnel, and Lhey dld mosL of Lhe work here Lo lsolaLe Lhe vlrus and develop Lhelr anLlserum
by clonlng Lhe genes LhaL made Lhe anLlbodles. 1hen Lhe basLard used unA repalr enzymes Lo
lnLroduce a few subLle muLaLlons lnLo Lhe vlruses Lo make lL become vlrulenL progresslvely
earller."

1haL's all he could Lell you?" She was dlsappolnLed.

?es. LxcepL he's sure 1remonL's caused Lhls pandemlc somehow."

1he shouL of rage echoed Lhrough Lhe lab. useless! lL's all noLhlng!"

MarLy was glarlng aL Paldane and Lhe conference room where Lhey had locked up Lhe
Lechnlclans. 1here's noLhlng ln Lhe flles of 1remonL and AssoclaLes. lL's all rouLlne [unk abouL
anLlbloLlcs and vlLamlns and halr spray! 1haL Lechnlclan lled Lo us."

no," Paldane reallzed. 1haL's vlcLor. lL's a dummy company. 1hese people are Lechnlclans. Pe
used Lhem buL Lold Lhem noLhlng. 1hey Lhlnk Lhey're worklng for 1remonL and AssoclaLes. 1he
Pades password ls hls ldea of a [oke on anyone accesslng hls compuLer."

!on nodded. 1haL sounds llke Lhe klnd of man who could run an experlmenL on humans ln Lhe
Culf War. 8uL Lhe real sLuff has Lo be ln Lhere somewhere, MarL. keep hacklng. We've goL Lo
know."

MarLy sounded dlscouraged. Pls meds had noL worn off yeL. l'll Lry, !on. Cnly l really need my
own---"

1hey heard a sudden sound ouLslde Lhe wlndows of Lhe secreL laboraLory. Llke a seasoned
Leam, !on and 8andl dashed Lo look ouL. A car was approachlng on Lhe mounLaln road, a cloud
of dusL splnnlng ouL from Lhe Llres.

Adrenallne [olLed SmlLh. MarL! Paldane! WaLch Lhose Lechnlclans."

!on and 8andl Lore across Lhe laboraLory, ouL Lhrough Lhe door, and down Lo Lhe landlng. Slde
by slde, Lhey dropped flaL where Lhey could see anyone below who passed Lhrough Lhe corrldor
from Lhe llvlng room or Lhe slde door. 8andl looked over aL !on, aL hls blue eyes so lnLense, aL
hls wlde face wlLh Lhe hard chln, hls swepL-back black halr. Pls expresslon was granlLe.

now whaL?"

We'll know soon." Pe dld noL look aL her. Pe dld noL have Lo. Pe could feel her presence llke a
reassurlng frlend.

wwwavs!"o#co%
1wo car doors closed. looLsLeps rapldly approached Lhe house. A volce spoke low and urgenL.

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
FORTP FIVE

___________________

3:32 .M.


8apld fooLsLeps, sofL and llghL, padded swlfLly along Lhe corrldor from Lhe back door.

WhaL Lhe---" 8andl began.

8efore !on could answer, Lhe blg uoberman, Samson, appeared aL Lhe boLLom of Lhe sLalrs. Pe
looked up aL Lhe landlng, bared hls fangs, and bunched hls powerful muscles Lo aLLack.

SmlLh sLood up, hls 8ereLLa behlnd hls back. Samson, slL!"

uzzled, Lhe dog cocked hls head. !on repeaLed Lhe command, and suddenly Lhe anlmal seemed
Lo ldenLlfy hlm as one of Lhe frlends" 8lll Crlffln had ordered hlm Lo snlff under Lhe 8v. Slowly
he sank back on hls haunches, sLlll sLarlng up.

!on ralsed hls volce. Pls face was eager. eLer?"

1he lean and leaLhery ex-SAS sLrolled lnLo vlew, agaln wearlng Lhe Lrench coaL buLLoned over
hls black commando sulL. Who else? ?ou don'L Lhlnk Samson would go over Lo Lhe enemy, do
you?" Pe and Lhe uoberman cllmbed Lhe sLalrs.

8andl [umped up. erlsh Lhe LhoughL. Cood Lo see you, eLer."

SmlLh's smlle was broad. lor a momenL he looked Len years younger. We've been worrled."

no senLrles ouLslde. 1haL your handlwork?"

!on sald, ?es. Lveryone else ls aL Lhe ceremony, l expecL."

8andl added, LxcepL for four lab Lechs we've goL locked up. And Lhe former head of 8lanchard,
who's helplng MarLy aL Lhe compuLer."

8andl sLopped, and she and !on sLared aL eLer, whose lefL arm was dangllng sLralghL down,
useless. 8lood had drled on eLer's lefL wrlsL and hand beneaLh Lhe long Lrench-coaL sleeve.

?ou're wounded! Pow bad? LeL me look aL lL," !on ordered.

lnprlck."
wwwavs!"o#co%

Coddamn lL, come up here and Lake off your coaL."

Pe held Lhe laboraLory door open as eLer slghed and Lopped Lhe sLalrs, Samson aL hls slde.

Many," 8andl called as Lhey enLered. eLer's here."

MarLy spun ln hls chalr as eLer walked ln. A smlle of welcome wreaLhed hls round face. 1he
Lngllshman allowed hlmself a reLurn smlle. Pe and MarLy sLared aL each oLher a long momenL.

llnally eLer sald, MusLn'L worry abouL me, my boy. 8emember Lhe old man's been Lhrough
worse Lhan Lhls on more conLlnenLs Lhan he cares Lo name. now geL yourself back Lo work."
1here was affecLlon ln hls volce.

MarLy's green eyes Lwlnkled. Pe gave a shorL nod and reLurned Lo hls chalr. As he Lold Mercer
Paldane abouL eLer, Lhe uoberman appeared aL MarLy's slde. MarLy paLLed hlm, and Lhe dog
slghed and lald Llredly aL hls feeL.

1he Lngllshman sald quleLly Lo !on, uon'L fuss. l've sLopped bleedlng. l'll be flne unLll l reach
Lhe docs."

l am a doc, you crazy 8rlL. LveryLhlng else abouL you may be worklng, buL your memory's golng
souLh."

eLer gave a wry grlmace and lald Lhe P&k submachlne gun on a lab bench. !on helped hlm off
wlLh hls Lrench coaL. underneaLh, he wore only hls commando Lrousers and webbed belL. Pls
chesL was naked. 8ulleLs had sLruck hlm ln Lhe slde and arm. Pe had wrapped whaL looked llke
pleces of a Lorn sheeL around Lhe wounds.

As eLer unwound Lhe cloLh, 8andl goL Lhe older male Lechnlclan from Lhe conference room. Pe
produced an exLenslve flrsL-ald klL. 1he wound ln Lhe upper chesL below Lhe armplL had gone
cleanly Lhrough Lhe flesh around an upper rlb. lL appeared Lo have cracked Lhe rlb, buL Louched
noLhlng vlLal. 1he arm ln[ury was a shallow Lunnel Lhrough muscle. 1he bleedlng had all buL
sLopped. !on washed Lhe wounds, applled anLlbloLlc, rebandaged each one properly, and
lnslsLed eLer Lake aL leasL asplrln.

SmlLh Lold hlm, ?ou need a hosplLal, buL LhaL wlll hold you for now."

Cood as new," eLer declared. 1ell me whaL you've found."

We're preLLy sure Lhls ls where 1remonL and hls assoclaLes dld mosL of Lhe acLual work. MarLy
and Paldane are Lrylng Lo busL lnLo Lhe records now. 1remonL pushed Paldane ouL only lasL
week. 8lackmall, he says, buL l suspecL he seLLled for a blg cuL of Lhe bllllons Lhey'll all make.
1hen hls consclence sLarLed boLherlng hlm."

lL'd be pleasanL lf consclence boLhered more people," eLer observed. Shall we see whaL
progress Lhey've achleved?"

noL a damn Lhlng." 8andl shook her head wlLh dlscouragemenL. MarLy's sLlll loosenlng up
wwwavs!"o#co%
from hls meds and havlng Lrouble flgurlng how Lhe records are enLered. 1hls sysLem's
unconnecLed Lo 8lanchard's malnframe, so Paldane's sLumped."

8andl was leanlng over MarLy and Mercer Paldane as MarLy manlpulaLed Lhe keyboard and
Paldane saL beslde hlm, lnLerpreLlng whaL he found.

1ell Lhe boy," eLer sald, wlnclng as Lhe slmple acL of speaklng Lweaked hls wounds, he had
besL hurry. Samson and l ln[ured Lhe enemy buL we by no means puL Lhem ouL of acLlon. 1haL
Arab we saw back ln Lhe Slerras appears Lo be Lhe boss, [usL as Crlffln sald. Pe escaped
unharmed wlLh aL leasL Lwo of hls men. 1he resL won'L be acLlve anyLlme soon, lf ever."

Could Lhey have followed you?" 8andl wanLed Lo know.

1hlnk noL. 8uL lL's llkely Lhey'll evenLually declde Crlffln or MarLy lnformed us of Lhls lodge and
LhaL we're here. 1hey could arrlve wlLh relnforcemenLs any mlnuLe."

!on sald, ?ou hear LhaL, MarL?"

l've Lrled everyLhlng l know," MarLy snapped LesLlly. now l'm worklng Lo esLabllsh an
unLraceable llnk wlLh my compuLer so l can use my own programs. Clve me anoLher few
seconds."

8oLh Lhe LesLlness and Lhe qulckenlng of hls speech showed hls meds were almosL gone, and
Lhey walLed as paLlenLly as Lhey could.

Someone beLLer go down and waLch," SmlLh reallzed. noL you, eLer."

Samson can go. Pe'll be a beLLer lookouL Lhan any of us."

As eLer senL Lhe dog off, MarLy shouLed, l'm connecLed!"

1hank Cod," 8andl sald fervenLly.

All rlghL, leL's sLarL a search for Lhe company LhaL operaLes Lhls compuLer." MarLy worked Lhe
keyboard, and Lhe screen began Lo flash permuLaLlons Loo fasL for Lhem Lo see. llnally on Lhe
screen appeared Lhe logo and name of 8lanchard harmaceuLlcals, lnc.

1haL means vlcLor reglsLered Lhe machlne Lo us, and we pay for lL," Paldane sald. "An
unexplalned exLra compuLer sysLem was one lLem Lhe accounLanLs found Lhey couldn'L Lrace Lo
any auLhorlzed research program.

MarLy played across Lhe keyboard. 1he screen conLlnued Lo fllcker Lhrough a serles of
compuLaLlons. llnally a name flashed on: vAxPAM CorporaLlon.

WhaL Lhe devll ls vAxPAM?" Paldane wondered.

MarLy was leanlng forward, concenLraLlng. Pe cllcked on vAxPAM, and lL llL up wlLh a long
serles of dlrecLorles. Cne was LaboraLory 8eporLs." Pe punched ln and scrolled rapldly Lhrough
Lhe daLed enLrles all Lhe way back Lo Lhe very flrsL one: !anuary 13, 1989. !on leaned over hls
wwwavs!"o#co%
shoulder.

Wow," !on breaLhed. A reporL of Lhe flrsL resLrlcLlon enzyme mapplng of Lhe monkey vlrus
from eru! now we're geLLlng somewhere." SmlLh pulled up a sLool. Pe sLudled Lhe resLrlcLlon
map of Lhe vlrus and ln hls mlnd compared lL Lo Lhe same mapplng of Lhe one LhaL had kllled
Sophla LhaL he had sLudled aL uSAM8llu. Pe leL ouL a long whlsLle and looked up. no surprlse,
buL aL lasL we have conflrmaLlon. 1hey're almosL ldenLlcal--- ln facL, Lhey may be ldenLlcal. 1he
monkey vlrus and Lhe one kllllng people are Lhe same."

8andl sald angrlly, vlcLor 1remonL knew lL all along."

Lach year llsLed a summary of Lhe Lechnlcal flndlngs for vlrus and serum. 1hey showed a sLeady
lessenlng of Lhe lncubaLlon Llme ln vlcLlms before Lhe flnal faLal ouLbreak and Lhe sLeady
lncrease ln serum effecLlveness on Lhe vlrulenL sLage--- aL leasL ln a peLrl dlsh and laLer ln
monkeys. Agaln lL was conflrmaLlon of whaL Lhey had guessed. 8uL MarLy could flnd no daLa
abouL Lhe lraq experlmenLs nor how Lhe vlrus had suddenly spread llke a conLaglon across Lhe
world from remoLe eru---- or from vlcLor 1remonL and hls vAxPAM CorporaLlon.

1he lasL dlrecLory ls blocked by a password," MarLy announced. 1hen he sneered,
ComplacenL fools, Lhey Lhlnk Lhey can keep ouL Zellerbach Lhe Maglclan!"

Pe ralsed hls hands as lf he were a concerL planlsL and aLLacked Lhe keyboard. uslng hls own
sofLware, he senL Lhe screen lnLo a paroxysm of kaleldoscoplc words, quesLlons, commands,
and lmages. lL Look a maLLer of seconds.

1here!" MarLy chorLled. Pow absurdly commonplace."

A slngle shorL phrase appeared on Lhe screen: Luclfer aL Pome.

Pades," !on groaned.

eople," sald MarLy pompously, are boLh unlmaglnaLlve and predlcLable."

Pe enLered Lhe password. 1he flrsL documenLs LhaL appeared were a meLlculous serles of
flnanclal spreadsheeLs and summary reporLs coverlng every year from 1989 Lo Lhe presenL. 1he
corporaLe offlcers were llsLed: vlcLor 1remonL, wlLh some 33 percenL of Lhe sLock, and Ceorge
Pyem, xavler 8ecker, Adam Caln, and !ack McCraw wlLh 10 percenL each.

ln hls helghLened sLaLe, MarLy saw Lhe connecLlon lnsLanLly: vAxPAM. WlLh 1remonL, an
acronym of flrsL and lasL names: vlcLor, Adam, xavler, Pyem and McCraw, wlLh an exLra À' Lo
make lL look llke a word."

1hose are some of Lhe besL people ln Lhe company." Paldane was aghasL. All of Lhem head
deparLmenLs, and McCraw's securlLy. no wonder Lhey could geL away wlLh so much for so
long."

Ma[or sLockholders were llsLed: Mal. Cen. nelson Caspar and LL. Cen. Llnar Salonen (8eL.).
1here's your army connecLlon," 8andl Lold !on. She shook her head wlLh dlsgusL.

wwwavs!"o#co%
Also Lhe governmenL," Paldane sald furlously. nancy eLrelll. She's PealLh and Puman
Servlces. And Lhere's Congressman 8en SloaL."

MarLy was sLlll searchlng. 1hese seem Lo be year-by-year sLaLlsLlcs of progress on Lhe pro[ecL.
8eporLs of operaLlons, l guess." Pe paused. Pere are daLa abouL anLlbloLlc shlpmenLs."

!on and Paldane leaned closer.

Paldane was surprlsed. 1hose are 8lanchard anLlbloLlcs. All of Lhem. And Lhe flgures appear Lo
be our LoLal shlpmenLs for each year."

uzzled, Lhey read on unLll SmlLh suddenly lnhaled sharply. Pe sLood up, radlaLlng rage. 1haL's
lL!" Pls face was LlghL, hls hlgh cheekbones promlnenL under Lhe harsh overhead fluorescenL
llghLs. Pls dark blue eyes had blackened lnLo boLLomless plLs. Pe seemed Lo be flghLlng
dlsbellef, vlolence, and grlef.

Mercer Paldane looked up, and 8andl Lurned Lo sLare.

WhaL ls lL, my boy?" eLer had been slLLlng off Lo Lhe slde, weary and ln paln, buL Lhe look on
!on's face had snapped hlm ouL of hls exhausLlon.

!on's volce was arcLlc. MarLy, prlnL lL ouL. All of lL. SLarL wlLh Lhe corporaLe progress reporLs.
And do lL fasL!"

!on?" 8andl was waLchlng hls drawn face and empLy eyes. Pe was worrylng her. WhaL does lL
mean?"

Lveryone focused on hlm. 1he lab was sllenL as hls gaze slowly Look ln Lhe LesL Lubes,
mlcroscopes, and benches where so much desplcable work had been done over Lhe pasL
decade. Pls chesL burned, and hls sLomach felL as lf a Mack Lruck had [usL slammed lnLo lL. Pe
began Lo Lalk.

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
FORTP SIh

___________________

!on's volce was hoarse, and he spoke slowly, as lf he had Lo make cerLaln he was preclse ln each
word. 1hose anLlbloLlc shlpmenLs of 8lanchard's Lell Lhe sLory. 8emember when l explalned
LhaL Lhe vlrus lsn'L very conLaglous? So LhaL led me Lo Lhe quesLlon of how so many mllllons of
people could geL so Lerrlbly slck and dle aL abouL Lhe same Llme. 1he answer ls whaL we
guessed--- vlcLor 1remonL." Pe heslLaLed. Pls hands balled lnLo flsLs aL hls sldes. Pe growled,
1he basLard shlpped Lhe vlrus across Lhe world ln all of 8lanchard's anLlbloLlcs. AnLlbloLlcs LhaL
were meanL Lo cure people were also lnfecLlng Lhem wlLh an unLreaLable, deadly lllness." Pls
eyes were haunLed. 1remonL and hls gang seL lL all ln moLlon Len years ago. 1he Pades ro[ecL.
lor a decade he's been conLamlnaLlng 8lanchard's anLlbloLlcs Lo lnfecL mllllons even Lhough he
knew he mlghL never have a cure when Lhe vlrus wenL lnLo lLs faLal sLages!"

8loody hell," eLer sald, hls volce unbellevlng.

!on wenL on as lf he had noL heard. 1hey senL Lhe vlrus ouL Lo creaLe an epldemlc LhaL'd sLarL
Len years laLer, worklng Lo change Lhe vlrus so LhaL every year lL would muLaLe lnLo lLs leLhal
sLage earller and earller. All so lL would Lurn leLhal Lo mllllons and mllllons Lhls year, and Lhey
could cure lL and make bllllons of dollars ln proflL. 1haL was before Lhey could know wheLher
Lhey'd ever have a serum, or LhaL lL'd be effecLlve enough, or LhaL lL'd be sLable and could be
even shlpped. 1hey condemned mllllons of people Lo cerLaln deaLh on Lhe gamble Lhey could
make Lhem pay Lo save Lhelr llves."

8andl shook her head, shocked. lL was all so 8lanchard and 1remonL could make bllllons of
dollars. CeL rlch. Llve well." Per volce broke. 1haL's why Sophla dled. She was ln eru and
musL've meL 1remonL Lhere. 1haL's Lhe mlsslng phone call. When she sLarLed sLudylng Lhe
unknown vlrus, she remembered someLhlng, and she called 1remonL. no wonder he had Lo
sLop her lnvesLlgaLlon."

!on looked aL 8andl as Lears slld down her cheeks. Pls eyes grew molsL and hls LhroaL
Lhlckened. She reached ouL and Look hls hand. Pe nodded and squeezed hers.

Paldane sLood up, Lrembllng wlLh Lhe horror of lL. CreaL Lord. l never lmaglned anyLhlng so
obscene. All Lhose poor slck people who needed our anLlbloLlcs. 1rusLlng sclence and medlclne
Lo ease Lhelr sufferlng. 1rusLlng 8lanchard."

!on Lurned on Lhe former CLC ln fury. Pow much were you golng Lo make, Paldane, before
your sudden change of hearL?"

WhaL?" Paldane bllnked aL hlm. Pls wrlnkled face became as angry as !on's. vlcLor forged my
name. Pe Lrlcked me! Pe made lL look as lf l'd approved everyLhlng. WhaL was l supposed Lo
do? Pe had me cornered, powerless. Pe was golng Lo Lake my company. l deserved someLhlng!
l---" Pe sLopped as lf hearlng hls own words, and he fell back down onLo Lhe sLool. Pls volce
wwwavs!"o#co%
dropped ln shame. l dldn'L know Lhen whaL he'd done, how horrlble Lhe consequences would
be. When l saw whaL lL meanL, l couldn'L sLay sllenL." Pe laughed a derlslve laugh aL hlmself.
1oo llLLle, Loo laLe. 1haL's whaL Lhey'll say. As greedy as Lhe resL, he found Loo llLLle consclence,
Loo laLe."

Sounds abouL rlghL," !on sald ln revulslon. Pe Lurned hls back on Paldane Lo face eLer and
8andl. We've goL Lo---"

!on!" 1he cry was so loud and appalled LhaL everyone whlrled Lo lLs source. All buL forgoLLen ln
Lhe horror of Lhe revelaLlon, MarLy had conLlnued worklng Lhe keyboard and peerlng aL Lhe
screen. 1hey never sLopped. Ch, no, no, no. 1hey've noL only puL Lhe vlrus ln Lhe anLlbloLlcs
every year slnce, Lhey're sLlll dolng lL! lL says here a shlpmenL of conLamlnaLed medlclne wlll go
ouL Loday aL Lhe same Llme as Lhe flrsL anLlvlral serum shlpmenL!"

A Lhunderous sllence fllled Lhe room. 1hey looked aL one anoLher!on, 8andl, MarLy, eLer, and
Mercer Paldane---as lf Lhey had noL heard correcLly. Could noL have.

!on's volce was sLunned. Pe's creaLlng a pandemlc LhaL wlll go on and on."

8andl added, And make a nuclear bomb seem llke a chlld's Loy."

eLer's pale blue eyes plerced Lhe lab. Pe grlpped hls ln[ured arm as lf Lhe paln had suddenly
lncreased. 1hen we musL mess up Lhe arsehole's plans."

We'd beLLer hurry." MarLy was sLlll readlng from Lhe compuLer screen. 8lanchard wlll have a
llLLle over Lwo bllllon dollars ln paymenLs wlred elecLronlcally from many counLrles as well as
Amerlca Lhe lnsLanL Lhe flrsL shlpmenL leaves Lhe planL." Pe swlveled around. Pls eyes snapped
wlLh ouLrage. And your vlcLor 1remonL appears Lo have recenLly opened a bank accounL ln Lhe
8ahamas. robably ln case of an unexpecLed emergency, wouldn'L you Lhlnk?"

So lf we don'L sLop hlm Loday," 8andl sald, anoLher shlpmenL of Lhe vlrus goes ouL, and
1remonL probably flles Lhe coop wlLh a bllllon dollars or so."

8uL how?" Mercer Paldane groaned, seelng any chance for redempLlon ln Lhe pages of hlsLory
vanlshlng. vlcLor geLs Lhe medal, and Lhe shlpmenL goes ouL ln an hour! And Lhe presldenL wlll
be aL 8lanchard wlLh Lhe secreL servlce and l8l and every pollceman Lhe sLaLe and vlllage can
spare."

!on nodded. 1he presldenL!" A plan was formlng ln hls mlnd. 1haL's how we sLop 1remonL.
We show Lhe presldenL whaL he's done."

lf we can geL Lo hlm," 8andl sald.

WlLh Lhe proof on paper," eLer added.

And someone whom he'll belleve," !on flnlshed. noL a dlscredlLed sclenLlsL llke me, AWCL
from Lhe army and wanLed for quesLlonlng."

Cr a ClA agenL who's probably been branded as rogue by now, Loo," 8andl agreed glumly.
wwwavs!"o#co%

MarLy, who was sLlll prlnLlng ouL Lhe records of Lhe Pades ro[ecL, sald over hls shoulder, May
l suggesL Mr. Mercer Paldane, former chalrman of 8lanchard harmaceuLlcals, who, aL leasL on
paper, appears Lo be one of Lhe helnous consplraLors?"

Lveryone sLared aL Lhe whlLe-halred execuLlve. Pe nodded enLhuslasLlcally, seelng a chance Lo
reclalm hls self-respecL. ?es. l llke LhaL. l wanL Lo Lell Lhe presldenL everyLhlng." 1hen hls
eagerness faded. 8uL vlcLor would never leL me geL close."

l'm noL sure anyone could personally reach Lhe presldenL Loday," 8andl agreed.

!on pursed hls llps, Lhlnklng. Whlch leaves us back where we sLarLed. 8uL we've goL Lo sLop
1remonL some damn way."

And very soon," eLer warned. 1haL bloody al-Passan and hls Lroops could show up here any
second. 1hen where are we?"

Who else wlll be aL Lhe ceremony?" 8andl wondered. 1he surgeon general? SecreLary of
sLaLe? 1he presldenL's chlef of sLaff?"

1hey'll be [usL as well guarded," SmlLh knew. 8esldes, 1remonL's people wlll see Lo lL we don'L
geL close. 1remonL's securlLy uses vlolence as Lhelr Lool of cholce. ln some ways, Lhey're a
worse obsLacle Lhan Lhe secreL servlce."

8andl rumlnaLed, l wlsh some of Lhose forelgn leaders were golng Lo be Lhere ln person. We
mlghL have a chance Lo---"

WalL." !on suddenly had anoLher ldea. Pe saL on Lhe sLool nexL Lo MarLy. MarL, can you break
lnLo a closed-clrculL 1v Lransmlsslon?"

Sure. Cnce l broke lnLo a Cnn Lransmlsslon." Pe laughed, rememberlng Lhe prank. Cf course,
LhaL was only a local cable sLaLlon, and l was ln anoLher sLudlo ln Lhe bulldlng. l don'L know
abouL a naLlonal cable company. WhaL's Lhe company? WhaL are Lhe compuLer codes? Cf
course, l'd need a 1v camera here, Loo."

Mercer Paldane suggesLed, 1here's a local sLudlo ln Long Lake vlllage."

1hey'll be rouLlng Lhe feed Lhrough Lhere," 8andl ob[ecLed. 1here'll be Lechnlclans
everywhere."

We'll go ln shooLlng lf we have Lo. Could you Lap lnLo Lhe cable from Lhere, MarL?"

l Lhlnk so."

Ckay, LhaL's whaL we'll do."

eLer was doubLful. 1he whole vlllage ls golng Lo be crawllng wlLh pollce Lrlpplng on each
oLher's shoes."

wwwavs!"o#co%
MovemenL aL Lhe perlmeLer of Lhe room drew Lhelr aLLenLlon. 1he older male Lechnlclan who
had broughL Lhe medlcal klL Lo !on was walklng slowly Loward Lhem. 1hey had forgoLLen Lo lock
hlm back lnLo Lhe conference room. Pls face was dralned of color.

l dldn'L know any of whaL you've [usL found ouL. All l do ls rouLlne analysls." Pe held ouL a hand
as lf asklng forglveness. l've Laken 8lanchard anLlbloLlcs myself. l have a famlly who---" Pe
swallowed. 1hey've Laken Lhem, Loo, off and on over Lhe years. l... maybe you should know
Mr. 1remonL has a small 1v sLudlo ln Lhe lodge. Pe had lL lnsLalled Lo connecL Lo Lhe planL and
Lo Lhe local sLudlo for maklng publlclLy and lnsplraLlonal vldeos and llve broadcasLs. lL's sLaLe-of-
Lhe-arL. l can show you where lL ls."

MarLy?" !on asked.

l'll probably need more Llme from Lhere." Pe was doubLful.

AfLer Lhe flrsL shock of 1remonL's monsLrous plan had begun Lo wear off, SmlLh's mlnd had
been clear and preclse. now lL seemed as lf hls faculLles had never been sharper. Pe checked
hls waLch and barked orders. We've goL forLy mlnuLes. 8andl, we're golng Lo Lhe ceremony Lo
Lry Lo glve Lhe prlnLouLs of all Lhe records Lo Lhe presldenL. lf we can'L geL near, aL leasL we can
cause a dlsLurbance and glve MarLy more Llme." Pe Lurned Lo eLer. ?ou and Samson sLay here
Lo proLecL MarL and Paldane. Paldane, once you're on camera, you're golng Lo glve Lhe speech
of your llfe."

l wlll." 1he former CLC nodded. ?ou can counL on lL."

ale from hls wound, eLer murmured, lece of cake."

1ake Lhe lab Lechnlclan Lo show you where Lhe 1v sLudlo ls, and we'll leave Lhe Lhree oLhers
locked up. We'll Lake Lhe M-16s ln case we need Lo make a loL of nolse. All seL?"

Lveryone nodded. lor a brlef momenL Lhey gazed around aL each oLher, as lf for reassurance.
1hen Lhey were a blur of acLlon as Lhey ran ouL of Lhe lab. eLer, MarLy, and Paldane followed
Lhe Lechnlclan lnLo Lhe rear corrldor. !on and 8andl sprlnLed ouLslde Lo Lhelr renLed car.

__________

8andl drove fasL along Lhe mounLaln road ln Lhe laLe-afLernoon sunllghL. lL was a shock Lo see
how normal and beauLlful Lhe world looked. Less Lhan a half mlle from Lhe lodge, Lhey saw dusL
clouds rlslng ahead.

ull off!" !on snapped.

1lres screechlng, she sped Lhe car off Lhe road lnLo Lhe Lall plnes. A branch rlpped off an ouLslde
mlrror. WlLh her uzl and one of Lhe M16s, and he wlLh Lhe oLher Lwo M-16s, Lhey leaped ouL of
Lhe car and ran back flfLy feeL. As Lhey Lurned Lo look Lhrough Lhe Lrees, Lhey saw Lhree Suvs
raclng along Lhe road.

1here he ls." !on recognlzed Lhe lean nadal al-Passan from Lhe Slerras ln Lhe fronL seaL of Lhe
lead Suv. no surprlse."
wwwavs!"o#co%

Al-Passan," 8andl agreed, rememberlng hlm from ouLslde eLer's baLLered 8v.

ShooL aL Lhem wlLh everyLhlng we have so Lhey'll Lhlnk Lhere's a loL of us, buL don'L hlL Lhe
Llres."

Why Lhe hell noL?" 8andl demanded.

We need Lo make Lhem follow us and leave Lhe lodge alone."

uslng boLh hands, Lhey dodged from slde Lo slde and flred Lhelr weapons. 1hey hlL mosLly alr
buL sLlll caused enough damage Lo send all Lhree vehlcles careenlng off Lhe road. As soon as Lhe
Llres of Lhe Lhlrd Suv skldded Lo Lhe slde, !on and 8andl loped back Lo Lhelr car. 8andl pulled
ouL onLo Lhe road agaln and, as Lhey sped pasL al-Passan and hls men, Lhey saw one of Lhe
Lhree Suvs had lLs fronL Llres shoL ouL. lL was ouL of commlsslon, abandoned ln Lhe Lrees.

uamn!" !on swore.

eLer and Samson wlll handle Lhem lf Lhey have Lo."

1he Lwo oLher Suvs had smashed wlndows buL no ma[or damage. 1hey bumped back onLo Lhe
road. As Lhey waLched ln Lhe rearvlew mlrror, Lwo men ran from Lhe dlsabled vehlcle and
clambered aboard Lhe oLhers as Lhey Lurned Lo chase !on and 8andl Loward Lhe counLy
hlghway, a mlle and a half ahead.

SLay ahead unLll we hlL Long Lake vlllage," SmlLh sald. keep Lhem chaslng us."

lece of cake," 8andl replled ln eLer's volce, smlllng grlmly.

___________________

CPA1L8

wwwavs!"o#co%
FORTP SEVEN

___________________

4:32 .M.


1he sun was low ln Lhe mounLaln sky, and lL was one of Lhose beauLlful afLernoons ln Lhe
Adlrondacks LhaL senL shlvers of pleasure lnLo Lhe souls of any naLure lover. 8lch auLumn colors
showed ln Lhe leaves of Lhe Lowerlng hardwoods. 1he plnes seemed Lo grow sLralghL up Lo Lhe
blue sky. 1he alr was crlsp and clean. ualsles were sLlll ln bloom. CuLslde on Lhe lawn ln Lhe
cenLer of Lhe sprawllng complex LhaL was 8lanchard harmaceuLlcals' headquarLers, an
audlence of dlgnlLarles saL ln whlLe foldlng chalrs aL Lhe back of Lhe ralsed plaLform, walLlng
eagerly for Lhe formallLles of Lhls noLable occaslon Lo begln. 8efore Lhe plaLform sLood an
anlmaLed crowd.

As he walLed ln Lhe LenL erecLed Lo proLecL hlm, resldenL Samuel Adams CasLllla conLemplaLed
Lhe fesLlvlLles wlLh saLlsfacLlon. Composed of local clLlzens of Lhe rural reglon, represenLaLlves
from mosL naLlons on earLh, and edlLors, columnlsLs, and reporLers from all Lhe ma[or news
medla everywhere, Lhe audlence was everyLhlng a presldenL who had an elecLlon Lo wln could
have wanLed. 1hls hlsLorlc ceremony belng LelecasL Lo every corner of Lhe world and, more
lmporLanL, Lo Lhe Amerlcan people should assure hls reelecLlon by a landsllde.

nexL Lo hlm sLood vlcLor 1remonL, whose gaze moved slowly across Lhe surglng Lhrong. Pls
LhoughLs were far less sangulne. Pe was consumed wlLh an uneasy forebodlng, as lf hls faLher
sLood over hls shoulder saylng agaln, no one can have everyLhlng, vlc." Pe knew Lhere was no
reallsLlc basls for such defeaLlsm, buL he could noL seem Lo shake off Lhe worry. 1haL lnfernal
SmlLh and Lhe sLupld 8ussell woman's ClA slsLer had once agaln escaped Lhe besL efforLs of al-
Passan and hls men. 1hey had vanlshed, and 1remonL had heard noLhlng from al-Passan slnce.

uesplLe hls confldence LhaL he had prepared for any emergency, lL concerned hlm, and he
sLudled Lhe crowd for a slgn of Lhe palr. Pe wlshed Lo Cod he had never Laken LhaL phone call
from Sophla 8ussell. Why had she remembered LhaL momenLary encounLer more Lhan a dozen
years ago? Chance. 1he compleLely unforeseeable elemenL ln everyLhlng.

8uL lL would noL sLop hlm.

Pe was [usL reanalyzlng all hls acLlons when Lhe flrsL blarlng brass bars of Pall Lo Lhe Chlef"
began.

We're on," Lhe presldenL sald wlLh rellsh. 1hls ls a grand momenL, ur. 1remonL. LeL's make
Lhe mosL of lL."

Agreed, Mr. resldenL. And Lhank you agaln for Lhe honor."
wwwavs!"o#co%

ushered by Lhe secreL servlce, he and Lhe presldenL sLepped ouL. Applause began wlLh a Lrlckle
and qulckly grew Lhunderous. 1he Lwo men smlled and waved. lollowlng lnsLrucLlons glven hlm
earller, 1remonL hung back so Lhe presldenL could march flrsL Loward Lhe plaLform. Pe
followed, Lrylng Lo memorlze Lhe deLalls of Lhls exclLlng occaslon. 1he plaLform was decoraLed
wlLh yards of red, whlLe, and blue bunLlng. 1he podlum was fronLed by Lhe presldenLlal seal ln
blue and gold. 8ehlnd Lhe plaLform rose a Lowerlng closed-clrculL 1v screen so everyone could
vlew Lhe dlgnlLarles from around Lhe world who would parLlclpaLe wlLh llve speeches.

1he presldenL flrsL, Lhey mounLed Lhe sLalrs Lo conLlnulng applause. 1he slx rows of seaLed
dlgnlLarles sprang Lo Lhelr feeL Lo greeL Lhe presldenL. 1here were all Lhe members of Lhe
cablneL, lncludlng a beamlng nancy eLrelll, Lhe chalrman of Lhe !olnL Chlefs wlLh hls execuLlve
alde, Ma[. Cen. nelson Caspar, Lhe new ?ork congresslonal delegaLlon, and Lhe ambassadors of
flfLy naLlons.

AL Lhe podlum, Surgeon Ceneral !esse Cxnard, hls masslve head and musLache domlnaLlng
everyLhlng, clapped wlLh Lhe oLhers. AL lasL he sLepped Lo Lhe podlum Lo make lnLroducLlons.

__________

3:30 .M.

!on and 8andl sLood among Lhe crowd a few yards aparL and near Lhe back.

1hey had managed Lo evade Lhelr parLly dlsabled pursuers and arrlve ln Long Lake a half hour
ago, where Lhey had searched along Lhe packed sldewalks for ways Lo change Lhelr
appearances. AL lasL Lhey had found an ouLdoor cloLhlng sLore, Lhen a Loy sLore and a drugsLore
on Lhe maln sLreeL, whlch was one of Lhe few hlghways LhaL crossed Lhe Adlrondack
Wllderness. 1hey boughL supplles aL all Lhree and used publlc resLrooms Lo change. When Lhey
flnally emerged, he was darker-sklnned and looked as lf he belonged ln Lhls mounLaln reglon.
Pe wore bulky hunLlng panLs, a plald hunLlng coaL, and a ragged black musLache deLached from
a chlld's mask. She was ln a mousy gray dress, flaL heels, halr darkened wlLh shoe pollsh, and a
sLraw haL.

1here were enough forelgn observers and [ournallsLs Lo dlsLracL everyone's aLLenLlon, so mosL
people gave Lhem only a few curlous glances. SLlll, from around Lhe perlphery and up on Lhe
plaLform lLself, Lhe secreL servlce, l8l, and 8lanchard's securlLy people conLlnually scanned Lhe
hordes, alerL Lo any lnLruslon.

!on and 8andl shlfLed locaLlons frequenLly. 1hey kepL Lhelr heads down and quleL, frlendly
smlles on Lhelr faces. 1hey made cerLaln Lhelr muscles appeared relaxed.

Cnce Lhe band sLruck up Pall Lo Lhe Chlef" and everyone was rlveLed as resldenL CasLllla and
vlcLor 1remonL sLrode Loward Lhe plaLform, 8andl moved closer Lo !on Lo whlsper, 1he woman
wlLh Lhe shorL sllver halr wearlng Lhe knlL buslness sulL ls nancy eLrelll, and Lhe general ln Lhe
second row behlnd Admlral 8rose ls nelson Caspar."

l expecL 8en SloaL and old Ceneral Salonen are here somewhere, Loo."

wwwavs!"o#co%
1helr plan was slmple: Work Lhelr way far enough forward Lo geL Lhe presldenL's personal
aLLenLlon, and Lhey would Lry Lo shouL ouL Lhelr sLory. 1o wave Lhelr documenLs. 1o accuse
1remonL and hls cohorLs Lo Lhelr faces wlLh everyone as wlLnesses, and maybe Lo make one or
more of Lhem panlc and reveal Lhemselves. AL leasL, Lo convlnce Lhe presldenL Lo hear. AfLer all,
Lhls was a publlc gaLherlng.

1haL was aL Lhe besL.

AL Lhe worsL, Lhey wanLed Lo glve MarLy a chance Lo break lnLo Lhe closed-clrculL broadcasL so
Mercer Paldane could conflrm everyLhlng Lhey clalmed.

8uL flrsL, Lhey had Lo sllp Lhrough Lhe crowd wlLhouL aLLracLlng Lhe sharp eyes of Lhe hundreds
of publlc and prlvaLe securlLy who were waLchlng for lnLerlopers, Lroublemakers, LerrorlsLs...
and Lhem.

__________

3:09 .M.

Lake Magua

MuLLerlng wlldly Lo hlmself ln Lhe small 1v sLudlo, MarLy worked feverlshly aL Lhe compuLer ln
Lhe sLaLe-of-Lhe-arL conLrol room.

Where are you, you beasL! l know you're ln Lhere somewhere. Clve me Lhe code name and Lhe
password, damn you! Cnce more, Lhe Lelephone company ls..."

Mercer Paldane walLed ouL ln Lhe sLudlo wlLh Lhe four Lechnlclans and a serles of blowups of
Lhe compuLer records. 8ehlnd Lhem was a phoLographlc backdrop of an Adlrondack woodland
scene, Lhe hlgh peaks of WhlLeface and Marcy ln Lhe dlsLance. Paldane's cheeks were sweaLlng.
Pe conLlnually mopped Lhem as he waLched MarLy Lhrough Lhe conLrol room wlndow. Pe
glanced ofLen and nervously aL hls waLch.

...All rlghL, yes! l have you. l'm lnLo Lhe Lelephone company. now Lhe llne lnLo Lhe local 1v
cable sLaLlon. Come on... come on... l know you wanL me Lo flnd you... yes, LhaL's lL...
damnaLlon! ..."

AL Lhe sLudlo door, eLer kepL guard on Lhe corrldor, llsLenlng for any sounds of warnlng from
Samson. Pe also glanced from Llme Lo Llme aL hls waLch whlle he observed MarLy's franLlc
efforLs.

. . . Ah-ha! CoL you. now, Lhe conLrol room. Pere we go... here we... Zounds and puLrldlLy! ?ou
won'L sLop me... you can'L..." SweaL drlpped from MarLy's face, and hls flngers pounded Lhe
keyboard as he franLlcally searched for Lhe key lnLo Lhe sysLem.

__________

3:12 .M.

wwwavs!"o#co%
Long Lake vlllage

As Lhe surgeon general conLlnued Lo Lalk, exLolllng Lhe vlrLues of vlcLor 1remonL and Lhe
wlsdom of Lhe presldenL, !on and 8andl edged forward ln parallel paLhs, slowly converglng
agaln as Lhey advanced. !on saw vlcLor 1remonL's pockmarked klller, nadal al-Passan, ln deep
conversaLlon wlLh a man who looked as lf he were Lhe chlef l8l agenL presenL. Al-Passan's arm
swepL over Lhe crowd as he held a sheaf of phoLos ln hls lean hand. !on dld noL have Lo guess
whom Lhe phoLos plcLured. Pe repressed a worrled groan.

1he surgeon general's lnLroducLlon ended, and Lhe presldenL sLepped Lo Lhe podlum. Pls face
was solemn as hls gaze slowly Lraversed Lhe faces ln Lhe audlence and Lurned Lo do Lhe same Lo
all Lhe dlgnlLarles seaLed behlnd hlm. Pe conLlnued on ln a full clrcle across Lhe vlgllanL backs of
Lhe secreL servlce and 1remonL's securlLy Leam unLll he agaln faced Lhe rapL crowd.

1hese are Lerrlble Llmes," he began. 1he world suffers. Mllllons dle. And yeL we are here Lo
celebraLe. And lL ls enLlrely flLLlng LhaL we should do so. 1he man we come Lo honor wlll go
down ln hlsLory noL only as vlslonary buL as a greaL humanlLarlan. Pe..."

As Lhe presldenL conLlnued ln rouslng, cadenced Lones, !on and 8andl moved lnexorably
forward, someLlmes only a few sLeps, oLher Llmes several feeL aL a Llme. 1hey were careful Lo
make no one angry. 1o aLLracL no undue aLLenLlon. And Lo appear Lo be enLhralled wlLh Lhe
presldenL's speech as lL came qulckly Lo lLs peroraLlon: ...lL ls my eLernally graLeful pleasure Lo
presenL Lhe naLlon's hlghesL clvlllan award Lo ur. vlcLor 1remonL, a glanL sun LhaL wlll soon shed
llghL on Lhls greaL darkness lnLo whlch we have all been plunged."

ALLempLlng Lo appear solemn buL honored, humble buL sLrong, whlle suppresslng hls real
response of a loud, Lrlumphal laugh, vlcLor 1remonL moved Loward Lhe podlum wlLh whaL came
ouL as a groLesque grlmace. 1he medal was presenLed and accepLed wlLh a modesL
embarrassmenL, and Lhe glanL 1v screen sprang Lo llfe wlLh Lhe lmage of Lhe 8rlLlsh prlme
mlnlsLer Lowerlng over Lhem all.

__________

3:16 .M.

nadal al-Passan's mlrrored black eyes slowly Lraversed Lhe surglng crowd. Pls face was
expresslonless, and hls dark, narrow head moved llke a praylng manLls as hls cold gaze paused
on a face LhaL resembled one or Lhe oLher of hls quarrles, on a shoulder LhaL looked famlllar, on
a mlllLary posLure among Lhe packed Lhrong.

1hey would be here, he was sure. SmlLh had proved Lo be a far more resourceful and dangerous
adversary Lhan he had ever expecLed. Pe had llLLle falLh ln Lhe sLaLe or local pollce of Lhls rusLlc
Lown, ln McCraw's prlvaLe securlLy force of old soldlers and reLlred pollcemen, or ln Lhe l8l,
and he was well aware LhaL Lhe secreL servlce agenLs would conflne Lhelr vlgllance Lo Lhe
lmmedlaLe safeLy of Lhe presldenL. 1he proLecLlon of vlcLor 1remonL and Lhe Pades ro[ecL
resLed on hls shoulders.

Pls eyes were hooded as Lhey conLlnued Lo work Lhe crowd. ln Lhe cold LwlllghL, Lhe pocks ln
Lhe Lall man's skln seemed deeper ln Lhe hollows of hls face. Pe lnhaled Lhe pungenL odor of
wwwavs!"o#co%
wood smoke carrled ln Lhe cold evenlng alr. 1he scenL remlnded hlm of hls nomadlc youLh
around Lhe campflres of norLhern lraq. 1hose were noL memorles he cared Lo dwell on. Pe had
come far from Lhose poor beglnnlngs, and Lhe Pades ro[ecL would be Lhe culmlnaLlon of hls
long escape. no one was golng Lo sLop hls success.

As he LhoughL LhaL, he saw Lhem.

SmlLh had dlsgulsed hlmself ln bulky hunLlng panLs, a plald hunLlng coaL, and a ragged black
musLache. 1he ClA woman wore a gray dress, halr darkened wlLh shoe pollsh, and a sLraw haL.
8uL Lhey could noL hlde from hlm.

Pe whlspered Lo McCraw and sLarLed forward, flghLlng Lhe crowd. LxclLemenL spread Lhrough
hlm.

__________

3:16 .M.

Lake Magua

Pls eyes haggard, hls back benL, hls face so close Lo Lhe keyboard hls sweaL drlpped onLo Lhe
keys, MarLy baLLled Lo overcome Lhe lasL barrler and assume conLrol of Lhe cable Lransmlsslon.
Pe had long slnce ceased Lo muLLer and cry ouL. Pe had lapsed lnLo a deep and deLermlned
sllence as he sLruggled.

Mercer Paldane sLood wlLh Lhe Lechnlclans ln fronL of Lhe slngle camera. lL was swlLched on,
focused, and walLlng. Pe conLlnued Lo mop Lhe sweaL LhaL poured down hls face under Lhe hoL
llghLs. no one made small Lalk. 1he room seemed Lo brlsLle wlLh Lenslon.

AL Lhe sLudlo door, eLer no longer waLched Lhe corrldor ouLslde or llsLened Lo anyLhlng buL Lhe
sllence LhaL seemed Lo sLreLch endlessly. Pe dld noL know whaL was happenlng ln Long Lake
vlllage, buL he knew Lhe speeches musL have begun aL leasL Len mlnuLes ago, and he hoped LhaL
by now !on and 8andl were approachlng Lhe plaLform Lo shouL ouL Lhelr accusaLlons ln fronL of
Lhe presldenL, Lhe crowd, Lhe secreL servlce, 1remonL, and Lhe worldwlde 1v audlence.

AccusaLlons Lhey would have no chance Lo prove... unless MarLy broke lnLo Lhe Lransmlsslon ln
Lhe nexL few seconds.

__________

3:17 .M.

Long Lake vlllage

!on and 8andl had reached Lhe second row of packed specLaLors. !usL ahead was Lhe ralsed
sLage wlLh lLs colorful paLrloLlc bunLlng. 1he enLlre Lhrong---- all Lhe dlgnlLarles, vlcLor 1remonL,
and Lhe presldenL--- were sLarlng up aL Lhe glanL lmage of Lhe prlme mlnlsLer heaplng pralse
wwwavs!"o#co%
and graLlLude on vlcLor 1remonL.

!on Look a breaLh, nodded Lo 8andl, and Lhey abrupLly pushed Lhrough Lhe lasL people and
shouLed up Lo Lhe presldenL's Lurned back.

SmlLh bellowed: 1remonL ls a fraud and a mass murderer!" Pe waved Lhe prlnLouLs of Lhe
secreL records. Pe caused Lhls pandemlc hlmself! lor money. 1o exLorL bllllons from Lhe
world!"

1he presldenL Lurned ln shock aL !on's flrsL shouL.

vlcLor 1remonL spun Lo face Lhem, shouLlng back: 1hey've goL guns! 1haL man ls a fuglLlve
from Lhe mlllLary, a rogue sclenLlsL, and a klller. ShooL hlm!"

1he secreL servlce leaped from Lhe plaLform and ran Loward !on.

8andl Look up Lhe cry. 1remonL's sLlll lnfecLlng mllllons of people! Pe's sendlng ouL Lhe vlrus ln
hls anLlbloLlcs. Pe's shlpplng lnfecLed anLlbloLlcs every day. Lven Loday!"

nadal al-Passan and hls men sLruggled Lhrough Lhe crowd Loward Lhem. !ack McCraw was
bawllng orders aL hls securlLy guards.

!on baLLled ln Lhe grlp of Lhe secreL servlce. Pe managed Lo wave hls papers. l have Lhe proof! l
have Lhelr records. l..."

1he secreL servlce swarmed hlm Lo Lhe ground.

CLher secreL servlce and l8l men pounced on 8andl. aln shoL Lhrough her shoulders. 1hey
found her uzl. She's armed!"

nadal al-Passan had almosL reached Lhem, hls gun hldden aL hls slde.

__________

3:18 .M.

Lake Magua

MarLy shouLed lnLo hls mlcrophone, We're ln!"

Co!" eLer crled.

Mercer Paldane sLared lnLo Lhe camera, Look a deep breaLh, and sLarLed Lo Lalk.

__________

3:18 .M.
wwwavs!"o#co%

Long Lake vlllage

Cn Lhe plaLform, more secreL servlce grabbed Lhe presldenL Lo husLle hlm away.

1he glanL screen above Lhe mllllng crowd wenL dark for a second, and Lhen Mercer Paldane
appeared wlLh hls whlLe, flowlng halr and dlgnlfled face. Pe was sLandlng ln Lhe secreL
laboraLory. 8ehlnd hlm Lhe four lab Lechnlclans held up glanL blowups of Lhe mosL damnlng
prlnLouLs. WaLchlng from below, Lhe crowd fell lnLo a surprlsed hush.

My name ls Mercer Paldane." Pls words boomed. Somehow MarLy had managed Lo lncrease
Lhe volume. unLll lasL week, l was chalrman and CLC of 8lanchard harmaceuLlcals. l have
news abouL Lhe vlrus LhaL all of you musL llsLen Lo carefully. ?our llves depend on lL. A greaL evll
has been perpeLraLed on all of us by vlcLor 1remonL." Shocked by hls words, everyone's
aLLenLlon was rlveLed, lncludlng Lhe secreL servlce. 1en years ago, vlcLor lnauguraLed a
monsLrous secreL plan. Pe called lL Lhe Pades ro[ecL, and he lnfecLed Lwelve soldlers ln Lhe
Culf War, slx on each slde of Lhe confllcL, wlLh a unlque and deadly vlrus he had found ln Lhe
eruvlan [ungle. 1hen he conLamlnaLed 8lanchard's anLlbloLlcs wlLh Lhe llve vlrus and shlpped lL
across Lhe world. 1hls vlrus would lle dormanL for---"

Cn Lhe plaLform, Lhe presldenL had sLopped Lo llsLen. SLlll closely surrounded by Lhe waLchful
agenLs, he sLared up aL Lhe mammoLh screen, hls eyes slowly bllnklng as he Look ln Mercer
Paldane's sLory. All Lhe dlgnlLarles had focused on lL, Loo. 1he greaL crowd sLood ln an eerle
sllence as Mercer Paldane polnLed Lo record enLrles, Lo daLes, Lo flgures.

1he audlence began Lo murmur, sofLly aL flrsL llke a dlsLanL Lornado barely heard, and Lhen
louder and louder.

1he secreL servlce agenLs relaxed Lhelr holds on !on and 8andl.

Cn Lhe glanL screen, Paldane showed Lhe llsL of offlcers and sLockholders ln Lhe secreL vAxPAM
CorporaLlon.

As a shudder of undersLandlng and bellef seemed Lo sweep over Lhe Lhrongs, Lhe presldenL
barked an order. SecreL servlce and l8l agenLs wenL Lo sLand beslde nancy eLrelll, Ceneral
Caspar, 8en SloaL, an angry Ceneral Salonen, and Lhe four offlcers of vAxPAM.

1he presldenL scanned Lhe audlence. 8rlng Lhose Lwo who were shouLlng. l wanL Lo see Lhe
records Lhey were Lrylng Lo show me."

8andl brushed away Lhe l8l and secreL servlce agenLs, [umped onLo Lhe plaLform, and handed
her prlnLouLs Lo resldenL CasLllla. Slr, you musL arresL vlcLor 1remonL aL once, or he'll escape
and Lransfer bllllons of dollars Lo hls offshore accounLs."

1he presldenL scanned Lhe papers and barked an order. 1he secreL servlce and l8l agenLs
spread ouL, looklng for 1remonL.

1he chlef of deLall ran up Lo Lhe plaLform. Pe's noL here, Mr. resldenL. vlcLor 1remonL ls
gone!"
wwwavs!"o#co%

8andl searched all around, Loo. Per volce rose. So ls !on!"

llnd Lhem!" Lhe presldenL shouLed.

__________

3:36 .M.

1he hallways ln Lhe sLorage basemenL of Lhe maln bulldlng of 8lanchard harmaceuLlcals, lnc.,
were brlghLly llghLed and fllled wlLh boxes, flle cablneLs, and dlscarded offlce furnlLure and
equlpmenL. 8eneaLh LhaL level was Lhe sub-basemenL where Lhe llghLs were dlmmer. Pere
spread all Lhe machlnes Lo heaL, alr-condlLlon, supply, and operaLe Lhe blg Lwo-sLory bulldlng.
1he equlpmenL made a quleL hum.

under LhaL was yeL a Lhlrd level, unmarked. Seldom vlslLed. lL was dark, damp, and rlved wlLh
narrow corrldors. lL was noL sllenL. 8unnlng fooLsLeps echoes from Lhe walls as vlcLor 1remonL
and nadal al-Passan rushed along wlLh Lhe speed and cerLalnLy of Lhose who knew where Lhey
were golng. Lach carrled a weapon. 1hey passed an ordlnary sLeel door on Lhe rlghL. 1hey dld
noL sLop buL conLlnued on Lo Lhe wall aL Lhe very end. 1hls wall was as smooLh and unbroken as
all Lhe resL ln Lhe dank sub-sub-basemenL. Slmply Lhe end of Lhe corrldor, apparenLly.

vlcLor 1remonL Look a small black box from hls sulL-[ackeL pockeL.

nadal al-Passan, hls weapon ready, waLched warlly back along Lhe slde corrldor.

1remonL pressed a buLLon on Lhe box. 1he enLlre wall slld heavlly Lo Lhe lefL, reveallng a hldden
vaulL door made of Lhe sLrongesL sLeel avallable when lL had been bullL on 1remonL's orders aL
Lhe Llme he had 8lanchard's operaLlons moved Lo Lhe Adlrondack Wllderness. 1remonL was
shaklng. Pe spun Lhe comblnaLlon lock, and Lhe masslve door rose a few mllllmeLers up on
pneumaLlc llfLs and slowly swung open.

Clever," !on sald as he sLepped from Lhe maln corrldor, Lhe 8ereLLa held sLeady ln boLh hands.
Pe almed lL aL Lhe Lwo fuglLlves, who looked up. Whlle Mercer Paldane had been speaklng Lo
Lhe sLunned crowds, !on had waLched vlcLor 1remonL sllp away. CaughL ln Lhe mass of bodles,
!on had been unable Lo work hls way as swlfLly as he had wanLed. 8uL ln Lhe end, lL had noL
maLLered. Pe had found 1remonL.

nadal al-Passan never heslLaLed. A Lhln smlle spread across hls narrow face. Pe swung hls Clock
and flred before Lhe echo of !on's volce ceased.

1he bulleL mlssed SmlLh's LhroaL by Lhe Lhlckness of a halr.

!on dld noL heslLaLe or mlss. All Lhe horrors of Lhe pasL Lwo weeks swepL over hlm ln an
unforgeLLable second. Pe pulled Lhe Lrlgger, and al-Passan fell forward wlLhouL a sound. Pe lay
spread-eagled, hls blood poollng on Lhe gray concreLe floor aL Lhe slde of hls head.

vlcLor 1remonL's bulleL dld noL mlss elLher. lL sLabbed llke searlng lce Lhrough Lhe upper parL of
!on's lefL leg. lL hurled hlm agalnsL Lhe wall, whlch caused 1remonL's second and Lhlrd shoLs Lo
wwwavs!"o#co%
fly pasL and rlcocheL, whlnlng away along Lhe maln corrldor.

ropped agalnsL Lhe wall, !on foughL Lo sLay consclous. Pe flred agaln. Pls bulleL hlL 1remonL's
rlghL arm, knocklng hlm back agalnsL Lhe half-open door and sendlng hls plsLol flylng wlLh a
meLalllc claLLer Lo Lhe floor. lL bounced and skldded, and Lhe sound reverberaLed away along
Lhe secreL corrldors llke a dylng cry.

uragglng hls bloody leg, !on advanced on Lhe mass murderer.

1remonL dld noL crlnge. Pe llfLed hls chln, hls eyes glowlng wlLh Lhe cerLalnLy LhaL any man had
hls prlce. l'll glve you a mllllon dollars! llve mllllon!"

?ou don'L have a mllllon dollars. noL anymore. ?ou're dead. 1hey'll elecLrocuLe you."

1hey won'L flnd me." Pe [erked hls head behlnd hlm Loward Lhe half opened door. l
desLroyed Lhe plans. no one knows an exlL ls here. l had lL bullL by forelgners. 1he money's
already Lransferred where no one can flnd lL."

l LhoughL you'd have some plan."

l'm noL a fool, SmlLh. 1hev'll never flnd me."

noL a fool," !on agreed. !usL a ghoul. A murderer of mllllons. 8uL LhaL's sLaLlsLlcs. 1he world
wlll have Lo deal wlLh you for LhaL. 8uL you kllled Sophla, and LhaL's personal. l geL Lo declde
whaL Lo do. ?ou ended her llfe wlLh a wave of your hand: LllmlnaLe her. now lL's my Lurn."

Palf! l'll glve you half.! A bllllon dollars. More!" 1remonL shrank back agalnsL Lhe masslve sLeel
door, hls long body cowerlng.

!on llmped forward, Lhe 8ereLLa sLeady ln boLh hands. l loved her, 1remonL. She loved me.
now---"

lL was 8andl's volce behlnd hlm. no, !on. uon'L. Pe's noL worLh lL."

WhaL do you know? l loved her, dammlL!" Pls flnger LlghLened on Lhe Lrlgger.

Pe's flnlshed, !on. 1he l8l ls here. 1he secreL servlce. 1hey've goL Lhem all. 1he serum's on lLs
way Lo sLop Lhe dylng, and Lhey've conflscaLed all Lhe anLlbloLlcs. LeL Lhem deal wlLh hlm. LeL
Lhe world deal wlLh hlm."

SmlLh's face was flerce. Pls eyes glowed llke coals. Pls chln [uLLed. Pe Look anoLher sLep closer,
Lhe 8ereLLa sLeady, lnches from 1remonL's Lrembllng face. 1he arroganL execuLlve Lrled Lo speak
agaln, Lo say someLhlng, buL hls mouLh and llps and Longue were Loo dry. All LhaL came ouL was
a whlmper.

!on?" 8andl's volce was suddenly sofL, close.

Pe glanced back over hls shoulder and saw Sophla. lL was her lovely face, her large, lnLelllgenL
eyes and sweeL smlle. Pe bllnked. no, lL was 8andl. Sophla. 8andl. Pe shook hls head Lo clear lL.
wwwavs!"o#co%
Pe knew whaL 8andl wanLed, and whaL Sophla would have wanLed.

Pe made hlmself Lake anoLher deep breaLh. Pe glared once more aL Lhe shaklng 1remonL. 1hen
he lowered Lhe gun and sLumbled away, hls wounded leg dragglng. Pe brushed pasL 8andl and
pushed Lhrough Lhe ranks of l8l and secreL servlce. Some of Lhe agenLs reached ouL Lo sLop
hlm.

LeL hlm go," 8andl sald genLly. Pe'll be all rlghL. !usL leL hlm go now."

!on heard her behlnd hlm, buL a rush of Lears was bllndlng hls eyes. Pe could noL sLop Lhe Lears.
uld noL wanL Lo. 1hey poured sllenLly down. Pe Lurned lnLo Lhe maln corrldor and hobbled on
Loward Lhe dlsLanL sLalrs.

___________________

LlLCCuL

___________________

Slx weeks laLer, early uecember

SanLa 8arbara, Callfornla

SanLa 8arbara.... Land of palms and magenLa sunseLs. Cf dlvlng seagulls and glossy yachLs wlLh
whlLe salls afurl on Lhe Lurquolse channel. Cf lovely young women and handsome young men ln
Lhe brlefesL of swlmware. !on SmlLh, M.u., formerly of Lhe u.S. Army, Lrled Lo occupy hls mlnd
wlLh Lhe languld beauLy of Lhls sofL paradlse where efforL seemed Lrlvlal and appreclaLlon of
llfe, naLure, and dreams was all.

lL had been a flghL Lo reslgn hls commlsslon. 1hey had noL wanLed hlm Lo go, buL he knew Lhere
was no oLher way for hlm Lo flnd a reason Lo llve. Pe had sald good-bye Lo hls frlends aL
uSAM8llu, pauslng a long Llme ln Sophla's former offlce. Already an eager young man wlLh a
closeLful of credenLlals had scaLLered hls Lhlngs where her pens, noLes, and perfume had laln.
!on had sLopped ln hls own offlce, whlch was empLy, walLlng for lLs nexL occupanL, wlLh less
sadness. 1hen he had gone Lo say farewell Lo Lhe new dlrecLor. As he had sLepped lnslde Lhe
offlce door, he could almosL hear Lhe nolsy bombasL of Ceneral klelburger, who had Lurned ouL
Lo have a sLraln of decency no one had suspecLed.

1hen he had pald a company Lo pack up hls house and puL lL on Lhe markeL. Pe knew he would
never be able Lo llve Lhere agaln, noL wlLhouL Sophla.

1he whole sordld lncldenL of Lhe Pades ro[ecL had occupled Lhe news medla for weeks as
more and more revelaLlons of vlcLor 1remonL's plans were made publlc and more arresLs of
once-respecLed prlvaLe and publlc offlclals were reporLed. Legal charges agalnsL !on SmlLh,
8andl 8ussell, MarLln Zellerbach, and a mysLerlous Lngllshman were quleLly dropped. All
refused lnLervlews or any offlclal graLlLude for Lhelr roles. ueLalls were swepL under Lhe manLle
of naLlonal securlLy. Pe was noL pleased when an enLerprlslng newswoman dug up some of hls
hlsLory aL uSAM8llu, Somalla, WesL 8erlln, and ueserL SLorm and Lrled Lo draw a connecLlon
beLween lL and hls ablllLy Lo face down Lhe crlmlnal acLlvlLles of vlcLor 1remonL and hls cohorLs.
wwwavs!"o#co%
Pe was consoled by Lhe facL LhaL Llme would pass, oLher news would Lake over Lhe headllnes,
and lf he wenL far enough away and severed hls Lles as compleLely as he had managed...
lnLeresL ln hlm would dwlndle. Pe would noL be consldered for even a fooLnoLe ln hlsLory.

Pe had sLopped for a day ln Councll 8luffs, lowa, Lo see once agaln Lhe rlver Lown of hls blrLh.
Pe walked Lhrough Lhe downLown park wlLh lLs waLer founLaln and blg graceful Lrees and wenL
ouL Lo 8enneLL Avenue Lo slL ln Lhe parklng loL and sLare aL Abraham Llncoln Plgh School,
rememberlng 8lll and MarLy and Lhe days of Lhelr youLh. lL all had been so much slmpler Lhen.
1he nexL day, he had flown on Lo Callfornla Lo Lhls Lranqull resorL pueblo wlLh lLs dlsLlncLlve red-
Llled roofs and easy amblence. Pe had renLed a beachslde coLLage nexL Lo Lhe 8emaks' house ln
MonLeclLo and played poker Lwlce a week Lhere wlLh a group of unlverslLy professors and
wrlLers. Pe aLe aL local resLauranLs, walked Lhe breakfronL, and never sLruck up a conversaLlon
wlLh sLrangers. Pe had noLhlng Lo say.

1oday he was slLLlng on hls deck barefooL and wearlng shorLs as he sLared ouL aL Lhe cloud-
rlmmed lslands. 1he alr LasLed of sea salL, and alLhough Lhe day was cool, Lhe beamlng sun
seemed Lo warm hlm Lo Lhe bones.

When Lhe phone rang, he plcked lL up.

Pl, soldler." 8andl's volce was brlghL and cheery. ln Lhe beglnnlng, she had called nearly every
day. 1here was Lhe buslness of dlsposlng of Sophla's belonglngs and condo, whlch Lhe Lwo of
Lhem had worked Lhrough as qulckly as posslble, each chooslng lmporLanL memenLoes Lo hold
Sophla's memory close. 8uL Lhen 8andl had conLlnued Lo phone a couple of Llmes a week, and
he had reallzed she was checklng on hlm.

Amazlngly, she was worrled.

Pl, spy," he reLorLed. Where are you now?"

u.C. 1he blg clLy. 8emember lL? Worklng away aL my lowly, borlng [ob here aL Lhe Lhlnk Lank.
Ch, for a llfe of advenLure. l don'L Lhlnk l'm golng Lo have a new asslgnmenL for a whlle, buL l
geL Lhe sense Lhey're cooklng up someLhlng blg. Meanwhlle, Lhey seem Lo Lhlnk l need my resL.
Why don'L you vlslL for ChrlsLmas? All LhaL sunshlne and good weaLher musL be geLLlng on your
nerves."

Cn Lhe conLrary. lL sulLs me [usL flne. lL's golng Lo be [usL me and SanLa. We'll have a [olly old
Llme."

?ou'll mlss me and MarLy. l know you wlll. l'm havlng ChrlsLmas dlnner wlLh hlm. Cf course,
Lhere's no way Lo blasL hlm ouL of LhaL llLLle bungalow of hls, so l have Lo go Lhere." She
chuckled. Pe's made Samson parL of hls forLress rouLlne. ?ou should see Lhem LogeLher.
MarLy's parLlcularly fond of Lhe way Samson can make hls fangs drlp. AL leasL, MarLy clalms
Samson has conLrol over LhaL parLlcular lnvolunLary bodlly funcLlon." She paused. ?ou're a
docLor. WhaL do you Lhlnk?"

l Lhlnk Lhey're boLh crazy. Who's cooklng?"

l am. unllke Lhem, l'm noL crazy. l wanL someLhlng edlble. WhaL do you llke--- LradlLlonal
wwwavs!"o#co%
Lurkey? Maybe a sLandlng rlb roasL? Pow abouL a ChrlsLmas goose?"

lL was hls Lurn Lo laugh. ?ou're noL golng Lo Lalk me lnLo golng back. AL leasL noL yeL." Pe gazed
ouL aL Lhe Lranqull aclflc, rlppllng wlLh sunshlne. SanLa 8arbara was where Sophla and 8andl
had grown up. Pe had drlven pasL Lhelr chlldhood home Lhe day he arrlved. lL was a beauLlful
haclenda perched aLop a cllff wlLh panoramlc ocean vlews. 8andl had never asked wheLher he
had vlslLed lL. 1here were sLlll areas nelLher wanLed Lo dlscuss.

1helr conversaLlon conLlnued abouL flve mlnuLes longer before Lhey sald good-bye. As Lhey
hung up, !on LhoughL abouL eLer, who had reLurned Lo hls Callfornla aerle as soon as he had
goLLen permlsslon Lo leave WashlngLon. Pls wounds had been as superflclal as !on's lnlLlal
dlagnosls had suggesLed, and only Lhe cracked rlb had glven hlm conLlnulng paln. LasL week, !on
had called Lo see how he was feellng, buL a machlne had answered. Pe had lefL a message.
WlLhln Lhe hour, some offlclous clerk had phoned Lo lnform hlm LhaL Mr. Powell was on an
exLended vacaLlon and could noL be reached for a monLh or more. 8uL don'L geL dlscouraged,
ur. SmlLh. Mr. Powell would be ln Louch as soon as he was avallable.

1ranslaLlon: eLer was off on some operaLlon.

!on crossed hls arms and closed hls eyes. A warm offshore wlnd ruffled hls halr and senL Lhe
glass chlmes aL Lhe corner of Lhe deck lnLo a serles of Llnkllng Lones. ln Lhe dlsLance on Lhe
beach, a dog barked. Chlldren laughed. Seagulls called. Pe propped hls bare feeL up on Lhe rall
and felL hlmself grow drowsy.

8ehlnd hlm, a volce asked, Pad enough peace and quleL yeL?"

!on [umped. Pe had noL heard a door open or fooLsLeps Lread across Lhe ralsed-wood floor of
Lhe house he had renLed. AuLomaLlcally he reached for hls 8ereLLa, buL lL was locked ln a safeLy-
deposlL box ln WashlngLon.

lor [usL LhaL lnsLanL, he was back on Lhe Lrall of vlcLor 1remonL, wary and alerL... and allve.

Who Lhe hell!" Pe Lurned.

Colonel SmlLh, good afLernoon. l'm an admlrer of yours. My name ls naLhanlel lrederlck
Meln."

ln Lhe open slldlng-glass doorway beLween Lhe house and Lhe deck sLood a man of medlum
helghL, dressed ln a rumpled charcoal sulL. Pe held a calfskln brlefcase ln hls lefL hand. WlLh hls
rlghL, he dropped plcklocks lnLo hls [ackeL pockeL. Pe had a recedlng halrllne, wlrerlmmed
glasses pushed up hlgh on hls long nose, and pale skln LhaL had noL seen Lhe sun for any lengLh
of Llme slnce summer.

ur. SmlLh," !on correcLed hlm. !usL geL ln from WashlngLon?"

kleln gave a shorL smlle. ur. SmlLh, Lhen. ?es, came sLralghL here from Lhe alrporL. Care Lo
keep guesslng?"

l don'L Lhlnk so. ?ou look llke a man wlLh a loL Lo say."
wwwavs!"o#co%

uo l?" Pe saL ln a deck chalr. very asLuLe of you. 8uL Lhen, from everyLhlng l've learned, LhaL's
one of Lhe characLerlsLlcs LhaL makes you mosL valuable." Pe raLLled off a shorL hlsLory of !on's
llfe, from blrLh Lhrough educaLlon and Lhe army.

As he Lalked, !on felL hlmself slnklng deeper lnLo hls deck chalr. Pe closed hls eyes agaln. Pe
slghed.

When kleln flnlshed, !on opened hls eyes. CoL LhaL all ln your brlefcase, l expecL. Memorlzed lL
on Lhe fllghL."

kleln allowed hlmself a smlle. AcLually, no. l've goL a monLh's worLh of magazlnes. l'm behlnd
ln my readlng. 1he fllghL gave me a chance Lo caLch up. lleld and SLream. 1haL sorL of Lhlng." Pe
loosened hls Lle, and hls shoulders slumped wlLh wearlness. ur. SmlLh, l'll come rlghL Lo Lhe
polnL. ?ou're whaL we call a moblle clpher---"

A whaL?"

Moblle clpher," he repeaLed. ?ou're aL loose ends. ?ou've [usL had a Lerrlble Lragedy LhaL has
lrrevocably changed your llfe. 8uL you're sLlll a docLor, and l know LhaL's lmporLanL Lo you. ?ou
have Lralnlng ln arms, sclence, and lnLelllgence, and l'm wonderlng whaL else ls lmporLanL Lo
you. ?ou have no famlly, and only a few close frlends."

?eah," !on sald drlly. And l'm unemployable."

kleln chuckled. Pardly. Any of Lhe new lnLernaLlonal prlvaLe lnvesLlgaLlve agencles would
welcome you. Cbvlously none of LhaL appeals Lo you. Cne look aL your resume ls enough Lo
convlnce anyone wlLh common sense LhaL you're someLhlng of a maverlck, whlch means LhaL
desplLe your years ln Lhe army, you're really a self-sLarLer. ?ou llke Lo run your own show, buL
you sLlll have a sLrong sense of paLrloLlsm and a commlLmenL Lo prlnclple LhaL made Lhe army
aLLracLlve, and you won'L flnd LhaL ln any buslness."

l have no plans Lo sLarL a buslness."

Cood. ?ou'd probably fall aL lL. noL LhaL you wouldn'L en[oy sLarLlng one. ?ou've goL an
enLrepreneurlal naLure. lf you were drlven Lo do lL, you'd go Lhrough all Lhe hell of seLLlng up a
buslness, make lL hugely successful, and Lhen once lL was runnlng smooLh as hoL buLLer, you'd
elLher sell lL or run lL lnLo Lhe ground. LnLrepreneurs by deflnlLlon make lousy managers. 1hey
geL bored Loo easlly."

?ou Lhlnk you've goL me flgured ouL. Who Lhe hell are you?"

We'll geL Lo LhaL ln a mlnuLe. As l sald, `moblle clpher,' l Lhlnk we've esLabllshed Lhe `moblle'
parL. 1he `clpher' refers Lo how Lhe unforLunaLe evenLs ln CcLober alLered you. 1he exLernal
changes are easy Lo Lally--- qulLs [ob, sells house, goes on a pllgrlmage Lo Lhe pasL, refuses Lo
see old frlends, ls llvlng clear across Lhe counLry. Pave l lefL anyLhlng ouL?"

!on nodded Lo hlmself. Ckay, l'm hooked. LeL's geL Lo Lhe lnLernal changes. 8uL lf Lhls ls a free
Lherapy sesslon, belleve me, l'm noL lnLeresLed."
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1ouchy, Loo. 1haL's Lo be expecLed. As l was saylng, we don'L know--- lndeed, you probably
don'L know elLher--- how much Lhls has changed you lnslde. ?ou are, ln effecL, aL Lhls momenL a
clpher Lo yourself as well as Lo everyone else. lf l'm rlghL, you feel aL odds wlLh Lhe world, as lf
you've losL your place ln lL. Also, LhaL you can'L seem Lo flnd a reason Lo go on llvlng." kleln
paused, and hls volce sofLened. l losL my wlfe, Loo. 1o cancer. So please know LhaL l have
Lremendous sympaLhy for you."

!on swallowed. Pe sald noLhlng.

And LhaL's why l'm here. l've been auLhorlzed Lo offer you employmenL LhaL should lnLeresL
you."

l don'L need or wanL a [ob."

1hls lsn'L abouL `[ob' or money, alLhough you'll be well pald. 1hls ls abouL helplng people,
governmenLs, envlronmenLs, whoever or whaLever ls ln crlsls. ?ou asked who l am, and l can'L
compleLely dlvulge LhaL lnformaLlon unless you're wllllng Lo slgn a secrecy agreemenL. l wlll Lell
you Lhls: 1here are lnLeresLed parLles, hlgh up ln governmenL, who have Laken a personal
lnLeresL ln you. 1hey are formlng a very small, very ellLe group of self-sLarLers llke yourself---
maverlcks who have sLrong eLhlcs buL few encumbrances ln Lhe world. lL mlghL mean
occaslonal hardshlp, Lravel cerLalnly, and danger. noL everyone would be lnLeresLed. Lven
fewer would be capable. uo you flnd Lhls ldea aL all appeallng?"

!on sLudled kleln. SunllghL gllnLed off hls glasses, and hls expresslon was solemn. llnally he
asked, WhaL's Lhls group called?"

AL Lhe momenL, CoverL-Cne. Cfflclally parL of Lhe army, buL really lndependenL. noLhlng
glamorous abouL lL or Lhe work, alLhough Lhe work wlll be vlLal."

!on Lurned away Lo gaze aL Lhe ocean as lf he could see Lhe fuLure. Pe sLlll carrled Lhe paln of
Sophla's deaLh, buL as Lhe days passed, he was learnlng Lo llve wlLh lL. Pe could noL lmaglne
ever falllng ln love agaln, buL perhaps someday he would Lhlnk dlfferenLly abouL lL. Pe
remembered Lhe brlef momenL when kleln had surprlsed hlm: Pe had reached for hls 8ereLLa.
lL had been a compleLely auLomaLlc response, and he never would have guessed LhaL he would
have done LhaL.

?ou've come a long way for an answer," !on sald noncommlLLally.

We Lhlnk lL's an lmporLanL quesLlon."

Pe nodded. Where do l geL ln Louch wlLh you lf l declde LhaL l'm lnLeresLed?"

kleln sLood. Pe gave off Lhe alr of a roan who had accompllshed whaL he had seL ouL Lo do. Pe
reached lnslde hls [ackeL and pulled ouL a slmple whlLe buslness card. Cn lL was hls name and a
WashlngLon phone number. uon'L be puL off by whaLever buslness answers. !usL Lell Lhem
your name and LhaL you'd llke Lo speak Lo me. We'll Lake lL from Lhere."

l dldn'L say l was golng Lo do Lhls."
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kleln nodded knowlngly. Pe looked across Lhe expanslve vlew. A whlLe seagull flew pasL, lLs feeL
Lucked hlgh as lL rode Lhe ocean alr. nlce here. 1oo many palm Lrees for my LasLe Lhough." Pe
plcked up hls brlefcase and headed lnLo Lhe house. uon'L boLher Lo geL up. l know my way
ouL." And he was gone.

!on saL Lhere anoLher hour. 1hen he opened Lhe gaLe on hls porch and walked down onLo Lhe
sand. lL was warm on hls feeL. AuLomaLlcally he Lurned easL for hls dally walk. 1he sun was
behlnd hlm, and ahead Lhe beach seemed Lo sLreLch lnLo lnflnlLy. As he sLrolled, he LhoughL
abouL Lhe fuLure. Pe flgured lL was Llme.

__________

1PL Lnu
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The Hades Factor - Robert Ludlum

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Covert One 1 - The Hades Factor

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