by Bobby Akart
At the back of the dressing area was a door labeled STAGING, which Mac opened and passed through. Dr. Matta was already getting suited up.
“As you might know, this facility suffered several mishaps causing it to be reprimanded,” started Dr. Matta. “I was hired in its final days to identify its vulnerabilities and provide an overall assessment to the CDC on suggested changes to create a more secure environment.”
While he spoke, Mac got accustomed to her surroundings. The staging area contained several bench seats and a wall covered with a variety of biohazard suits. The room was made of simple block construction and concrete floors. It looked, and was, very sterile.
After affixing her wireless communications gear, Mac sat on a bench and slid on the suit, feet first. Her arms followed and her hands ultimately found the rubber gloves attached to the sleeves. She found the zipper and pulled it up to close around her neck.
“After I submitted my report, the announcement was made that the facility would be closed down. I was cleaning out my office when Agent Surrey showed up unannounced. I was given fifteen minutes to decide whether to stay as an employee of the DTRA, together with a skeleton staff, or leave. I chose to stay and the two of us immediately approached the best people within the facility.”
Finally, Mac pulled the hood and faceplate over her head and Dr. Matta assisted in sealing it to her suit. She returned the favor.
Dr. Matta continued. “That was four years ago, and in that time, there has never been a project as important as this one.”
He reached up and pulled down a spiral-coiled yellow air hose from the ceiling. He connected it to a socket in his suit, and then he assisted Mac in doing the same. Their suits immediately filled up with cool, dry air.
While the hose was attached and inflating the suit, the air would exhaust through ports in the suit. When the two moved from room to room, they were required to disengage their air hose and immediately reengage in the next compartment.
The positive pressure remained a constant while in the BSL-4. If for some reason a tear in the fabric occurred, the air would flow out of the suit, preventing any dangerous contaminants from coming in.
They transitioned from the staging area into the level 4 lab. Dr. Matta opened a stainless steel door with a dark red biohazard symbol on it, reminding visitors of the perils that awaited inside. Infectious diseases were not something scientists dare trifle with.
Even with the wireless communications, conversation was difficult while in the BSL-4 because the high flow of air inside the suit created a continuous roar.
“Let me show you the latest,” started Dr. Matta, who was deliberately speaking louder than necessary despite the air noise. Mac decided not to tell him this. He seemed to be enjoying her company.
They approached a series of microscopes with V-shaped plastic placards in front of them. They’d been labeled with a Sharpie—Madagascar, Guatemala, Trinidad, Greece, London, New Mexico.
He gestured with his arms for her to take a look. She walked down the line, one by one, studying the six microscopes. The results were the same as what she’d experienced before. Madagascar’s strain was pure and the others had been adulterated, modified only slightly.
She turned to Dr. Matta. “This is consistent with my findings at the CDC.”
“I suspected they would be,” said Dr. Matta. “Now, you and I must find a cure for a disease that is incurable.”
*****
“Agent Surrey, while my associate gets acclimated to her new surroundings, perhaps we can get our IDs in place and you can give me a security orientation,” said Hunter as he tapped on the open door of the CIA agent’s office.
Without looking up, Surrey continued to thumb through a folder sitting on her desk. “Associate? It appears that you and Dr. Hagan are more than associates.”
“Maybe,” replied Hunter with a bit of surly attitude. He never liked the CIA and their ability to create drama out of thin air. “We met at the original hot zone for the plague bacteria in Guatemala and later became closer friends.”
She motioned for him to sit down without removing her eyes from the folder. “You flew out on a chartered jet. Was this a company aircraft?” She glanced up and raised her eyebrows as she awaited Hunter’s response. Her reference to the company implied Hunter had used a CIA-chartered aircraft to fly from Atlanta.
“No, I chartered it using personal resources,” Hunter shot back. He didn’t appreciate the implication or the interrogation. His security clearance didn’t warrant the scrutiny.
Agent Surrey thumbed back toward the front of the dossier and nodded her head. “Hmm, yes, I see that too. Mr. Hunter, there was an accident in this lab years ago that could’ve endangered this entire community. It was caused by two careless people who were carrying on a sexual relationship after hours. They almost died and the CDC’s reputation would have been harmed significantly as a result.”
“What’s that got to do with us?” asked Hunter.
“This is a close-knit group and nepotism can never be an issue. Further, while Dr. Hagan falls under Dr. Matta’s area of responsibility, the safety of this entire facility rests upon my shoulders. If you are going to be a regular visitor here, I want to make sure that we’re clear on the ground rules.”
“Crystal clear,” snarled Hunter. I’m not a horny teenager.
“Dr. Hagan is quite, let’s say, newsworthy,” continued Agent Surrey. “I’ll ask her this, but from your perspective, is this going to impact your ability to maintain this facility’s cover?”
“No, she’s appreciative of the opportunity to help and understands the covert nature of this operation. Shall I have her wear a disguise?” Hunter laughed, trying to inject a little humor into this almost contentious conversation.
“Perhaps a cap and glasses would be appropriate when traveling to and from this location,” replied Agent Surrey, who made several notes in the margin of the folder.
“I’ll let her know,” said Hunter with a shrug.
“Good. I thought we’d reach an understanding, so I’ve prepared your identification and secured access cards. When Dr. Hagan finishes up her orientation, I’ll walk you both through the protocols. Weapons are to be checked at this desk upon entry. I am authorized to issue Dr. Hagan a sidearm. Is she weapons trained?”
“Yes, definitely, but she brought her own,” replied Hunter. He hadn’t disclosed this fact to Mac yet, but Hunter had a variety of weapons, including handguns, automatic rifles, long guns, shotguns, and ammunition requisitioned for their use. He’d pick them up at the FBI field office in Denver tomorrow. It was the first step in an overall plan that he’d been mulling over for a week or more.
*****
After an hour in the BSL-4, Dr. Matta walked Mac through the rest of the facility. During their private conversation, Mac expressed her reservations about the government creating biological weapons, even as a deterrent. Her fear was that administrations, and attitudes, change. Dr. Matta echoed her concerns but felt he had to trust in the virtue of our nation’s leaders to avoid retaliating in kind. He was a believer in diplomatic solutions, even after an attack.
He and Mac discussed resources and staffing. Mac assured him she wouldn’t be a burden on his team. She operated as a loner typically. She did have one specific request.
“Do you have a geneticist on staff? That was my field of study, but another set of eyes with a different point of view always helps.”
Dr. Matta laughed. “Well, it’s your lucky day. You’ll like Dr. Gene.” He gently took her by the arm and led her to a large open space where a man with gray hair that stood on end was glancing from a notepad and then to a series of vials filled with reddish liquids.
“Okay,” said Mac with a grin. The man looked the part of a mad scientist.
“Mac, I’d like you to meet Dr. William Baker, our resident geneticist. Or, as we lovingly call him, Dr. Gene.”
Dr. Gene abruptly jumped out of his chair and bowed. “At your service, ma’a
m. To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“Dr. Gene, I’d like you to meet Dr. Mackenzie Hagan on loan to us from the CDC-Atlanta.”
“Oh yes, you are a remarkable woman,” said Dr. Gene. “My wife and I applauded your effort in Washington. She called you the Last Man Standing because you remained in that room after the other cowards rushed for the exits.”
Mac laughed. “I guess I was the last one. Dr. Gene, my postgraduate studies were in molecular biology and applied genetics. I studied at the University of Chicago School of Medicine.”
“Ahh, I know it well,” interjected Dr. Gene. “The work of Zimbler on the adaptation of Y. pestis was groundbreaking. I lived in Chicago before I moved to this lovely hamlet in 1993.”
“You’re a long way from Chi-Town,” said Mac. She liked Dr. Gene’s quirkiness, so she had to know more about him. Plus, he was going to be an important part of her search for answers.
“Well, young lady, there’s a story behind my adventure,” started Dr. Gene.
“This is where I leave you in good hands,” interrupted Dr. Matta. “I know all about Bill’s life-altering event. Bill, if you would, deliver Dr. Hagan back to Surrey’s office when you’re through discussing the meaning of life.”
“Certainly,” he replied. Dr. Matta patted Mac on the shoulders and said he’d see her in a couple of days.
Dr. Gene continued. “While in college, I was a huge fan of Rush Limbaugh. He was the lone voice of reason on the talk radio airwaves, so listening in every day became a priority for me.”
Mac never had an interest in politics and her choice of radio listening usually involved classical music. She couldn’t imagine listening to political talk radio for hours. Her head would explode.
“Rush had a listener named Dan Kay, from right here in Fort Collins, who phoned into the program, lamenting that he’d love to have a copy of Rush’s monthly newsletter, but he couldn’t afford the thirty-dollar annual subscription fee. A friend offered to make copies of his newsletter to give this fellow, Dan, but during the call, it was agreed that would violate copyright laws.”
Mac listened intently as Dr. Gene enjoyed telling the story.
“At the time, Rush was poking fun at elementary school children conducting bake sales to send money to the government. Now, consider at the time, our national debt was four trillion dollars. Today, it’s well over twenty trillion, but I digress. So these children were having bake sales to raise ninety dollars here and thirty-seven dollars there to send to Washington to cover this four-trillion-dollar debt.”
Mac laughed. “I see a whole lot of symbolism in the effort, but not much substance, obviously.”
“Exactly! So Rush suggests to the gentleman that if he couldn’t afford a subscription—and keep in mind, he was probably just fishing for a free one—but Rush said to Dan Kay if you can’t afford a subscription, you should have a bake sale to raise the money and buy a subscription.”
Mac was enjoying Dr. Gene’s story and asked, “Sounds plausible. Did you drive from Chicago to Fort Collins to buy a cookie or a cupcake?”
“Yes! I did.”
“What?” asked Mac. She was just kidding.
“I did. In fact, over twenty thousand of us did. You see, after Dan agreed to have a bake sale, Rush promised to fly out to Fort Collins and make an appearance. It was an amazing gesture. In May of ’93, Dan’s Bake Sale was organized and Rush Limbaugh appeared, and so did twenty thousand dittoheads from around the country to support this fellow Dan Kay and his wife.”
“Dittoheads?”
“Yeah, you know, the word ditto, meaning I agree. That’s another story. Think parrotheads or deadheads—for Buffett and Grateful Dead fans.”
“Oh yeah.” Mac laughed. This guy was a typical geneticist. He’d spent too much time with his nose over the test tubes.
“I loved it out here, so I never left. The high mountain air has been good to me.”
Mac laughed out loud. “It certainly has.”
Chapter 23
Day Thirty-Seven
Der Spiegel News Report
The Bundestag
Berlin, Germany
From the Der Spiegel news wire …
A state funeral was held today for Chancellor Frieda Müller, who died suddenly a week ago from a battle with pneumonia. The former Lutheran minister’s daughter was laid to rest in her hometown of Hamburg, at St. Michael’s Church.
Some leaders from around the world have descended upon Hamburg to pay tribute to the iron lady of Germany, the sitting chancellor, amid tight security measures.
The funeral was delayed as extensive autopsies were performed on the chancellor, the results of which have continued to be kept from the public eye. This has led to rampant speculation that the chancellor was poisoned or otherwise the victim of foul play.
A spokesman for the Bundestag in Berlin stated that the autopsy was routine and in keeping with standard procedures following the death of a sitting chancellor. The Bundestag assured Germans that they were working diligently to assist the President in appointing a temporary chancellor until elections can be held.
In the meantime, rumors have circulated that Chancellor Müller contracted the plague bacteria during her visit some two weeks ago to Turkey. Sources close to the vice chancellor have revealed that the pneumonia that inflicted her body was the natural result of the plague bacteria infection, possibly from her personal contact with a young child at a refugee center.
Increased cases of the plague throughout Europe have now created concern among health authorities, especially the World Health Organization, who has recently issued alerts regarding the reported outbreaks to the affected regions, which includes Turkey.
In recent days, reports have surfaced about a new generation of ISIS recruits indoctrinated with religious fervor from birth and viewed by their adult handlers as better and more pure than themselves to carry out jihad.
The German Federal Intelligence Service released information that as many as five hundred children are growing up in Muslim enclaves within Germany and that as many as eighteen hundred ISIS recruits are embedded within the nation’s borders.
The FIS has compiled a thorough study that analyzed ISIS activities and propaganda featuring children. The report revealed a terrorist group more than eager to enlist children to pursue its caliphate.
Through the use of extremism-based education, the children of ISIS are fostered to become future terrorists. But as one high-ranking official within the chancellor’s office stated off the record, the current generation of ISIS fighters see these children as better and more lethal fighters than themselves and may have deployed them already in the form of refugees—innocent on the surface, but carrying a deadly plague bacteria on the inside.
The source added this quote, as she warned us to watch for deaths similar to the chancellor’s. She said the trust of the innocents is the liar’s most useful tool. Time will tell whether her words are prophetic.
Chapter 24
Day Thirty-Seven
Centennial Olympic Stadium
Opening Ceremonies, Summer Olympic Games
Atlanta, Georgia
Edward Loo worked the room, shaking hands with the various representatives of America’s law enforcement apparatus assigned to work the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Loo, a supervisory special agent in the weapons of mass destruction directorate of the FBI, was considered the nation’s top cop in the field of bioterrorism.
He found his way to Kameel Khan, Hunter’s partner and the point man for Project Artemis during the Summer Olympics. Loo congratulated Khan on the successful mission in the Gulf of Mexico and inquired about Hunter, whom he’d never met. Khan simply said that Hunter was on an assignment, because he truthfully didn’t know otherwise. Jablonik and Hunter agreed that Mac’s move to Fort Collins, with Hunter’s assistance, was strictly need-to-know. With the politically risky nature of the move, advising Khan, or even Loo, would create problems for Mac and Hunter.
; “The methods of engineering a microorganism’s DNA are readily available and getting more powerful,” started Loo as he addressed the entire room. “We’re also very much aware that there is a new do-it-yourself movement among terrorists to shift genetic engineering out of large institutions and into do-it-yourself labs or people’s homes. Isolated instances of smallpox and anthrax discoveries have been kept out of the media as law enforcement discovers these DIY bioterror operations.”
He continued his initial remarks after urging everyone to find an available seat. “This bioterrorism field headquarters came as a result of our convincing higher-ups to look at blind spots within the Olympic Games’ security measures. Most local law enforcement officers are trained to identify potential terrorists, but few know what to look for when it comes to biological weapons. My goal with this team is to establish a web of detection throughout the Games to first identify how terrorist operatives will attempt to exploit security weaknesses and, second, to look for suspicious activity in the various venues.”
Loo nodded at his assistant, who pulled back a series of curtains, revealing plate-glass windows overlooking an operations center featuring dozens of computer stations. “Each of these stations will have the ability to use the security camera system to scan attendees’ faces against a terrorist database. If a known terrorist enters a venue, we will dispatch homeland security personnel to intercept that individual immediately.”
The assistant handed out several eight-by-eleven photographs of a mobile biocontainment facility. “We have deployed throughout the Olympic venues thirteen of these mobile truck epidemiological laboratories with capabilities up to a biosafety level three. These mobile labs will permit CDC officials to test for high-risk pathogens such as anthrax, smallpox, and plague within three hours.
