The White Iris

by Susanne Matthews

  Huffing out a frustrated breath only to steam up her visor, she left the isolation lab, removed the Hazmat gear, and stepped out of the controlled environment, walking down the hall to the lounge.

  “Took you long enough. Here. I made coffee,” Cassie said. “Sit, and then tell me how it went with Trevor last night. I managed to send Ariel to bed and didn’t mention the baby, although she did wonder about the wrestler who was watching TV. He’s hard to miss. I couldn’t believe the guy who replaced him is just as big. He had three bowls of oatmeal. I’m going to have to cook for an army.”

  Feeling her cheeks heat, Julie reached for the coffee. “I didn’t want you to have all this extra work…”

  “Relax. I love to cook and the Crock-Pot does it all while I’m away. Tonight we’re having roast pork with applesauce. When we get home, Miles can peel potatoes while Ariel watches the baby, and you and Trevor conference with the rest of this super-secret spy team. So, tell me, how awkward was it alone with Trevor last night? I was so beat, I went right to sleep.”

  “Not as bad as I thought it would be. We can talk about the case and keep it friendly. I didn’t see him this morning. I was busy with the baby when he left.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Sorry to disappoint you. Oh, he did say that we should avoid talking about the past—it would just complicate things.”

  Cassie reached over and touched her arm. “Things will work out, Julie. I know it. You’ve got Hope; now you need to have faith.”

  “Faith in what, Cassie? In myself? In my abilities? In my fellow human beings? In Trevor? In God? I don’t know anymore, but if I’m waiting on the Big Guy, He wrote me off months ago.”

  She reached for the baby in the hot pink sleeper with a matching cap. “But He’s looking out for her, so maybe some of that will rub off. Don’t you look nice?” she said, extraordinarily pleased when Hope opened her eyes, cooed, and smiled at her.

  “I know, it’s just gas,” she said to Cassie, “but a girl can dream.”

  • • •

  Trevor stared down at the steaming, smoking ruins of the camp beneath him. The fire had spread from the dock to the trees surrounding what remained of two dozen buildings, some no more than a pile of ashes. A few of the boats had burned as well. Shrapnel from the three large propane tanks littered the area.

  “There’s no way in hell this was a lightning strike,” he said. “This fire burned hot and fast before it died. The only thing I know that can burn concrete blocks like that is chlorine trifluoride. How far to that village you mentioned?”

  “About five miles inland, but judging by the burn radius, I don’t think it got that far. Let’s go have a look.”

  Trevor nodded.

  Within minutes, the helicopter hovered over sixty wood and concrete buildings. There was a smoky haze in the air, and a six-passenger float plane, wheels on instead of skis, sat on the runway.

  “Who does that belong to?” Trevor asked.

  “Not sure, but we’ll find out soon enough. Are you armed?”

  “I am.”

  “You might want to keep that handy.”

  “Take us down, Lieutenant. Identify the plane and park so it can’t leave until we do.”

  A half-dozen children followed by a grim-faced older man headed over to the chopper as soon as the blades slowed.

  “That’s Ivan, the village elder.”

  “Not a good day, Commander Franklin,” the old man said. “You saw the camp—all dead. Three of my sons and their wives returned late last week, and I thank God they did, but these children are orphans now. What will become of them?”

  “My condolences,” Luke said. “I’ll contact Juneau for you. They’ll send someone. This is Trevor Smith. He tracked the lightning strikes last night.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” Trevor said, seeing the traces of the children’s tears.

  The old man shrugged, the weight of responsibility heavy on his shoulders. “I’ve seen many things in my life but never lightning like that. The sky lit up, and then there were several large booms as if the earth were being torn open, followed by the bright orange glow and the smoke. Thankfully, the rain put it out before it reached us, but Parsons says there’s no one left alive. He checked before coming here.”

  “Who’s Parsons?” Trevor asked.

  Luke shrugged.

  “Parsons is a pilot from Ketchikan,” Ivan said. “He has family around here and brings the new nurse with him when he visits. The man’s checking everyone for smoke inhalation damage.”

  “Is he doing vaccines?” Luke asked.

  “No. I suppose he’ll be back with those soon enough. Here he comes now.”

  The man walking toward them was slight, in his early twenties, dressed in navy pants and a pale blue shirt. There was a cockiness about the way he walked, swaggered really. Trevor disliked him on sight.

  “Dr. Franklin,” the man said, offering his hand as if they were old friends and colleagues. Luke frowned. “Mitchell. We met when I brought in one of my pregnant ladies back in the summer. The breech?”

  “Oh yes, now I remember. How is she?”

  “She and the boy are doing well. The father greatly appreciated your help. What are you doing here?”

  The kid’s got balls, going on the offensive like that.

  “We came to check on the fire,” Luke answered.

  Mitchell looked away, swallowing as he did. Trevor noticed a slight tremor in his hands, and he was sweating even though it couldn’t be any more than fifty degrees.

  Never trust a man who won’t look you in the eye.

  “We have satellites that monitor the coast,” Trevor added, watching the color slowly leach from Mitchell’s face. “It’s a real shame about that camp and those people, but in the storm, we were grounded. Not sure we could’ve done much anyway. How many were lost?”

  “Twenty, one a newborn,” Mitchell said, pulling himself together almost like he’d rehearsed this part of the meeting. “It looks as if they never made it out of the houses. Parson says the strike hit that central propane tank and the whole place went up. Talk about bad luck. What are the odds of that?”

  “Not as high as you might think,” Luke said quickly, his eyes warning Trevor not to disagree.

  “Well, if you’re staying, can you get your pilot to move? I’ve got to get back to the clinic in Nome, and Parsons is waiting to take off.” He was anxious again but trying to hide it.

  “Actually, we’re leaving shortly,” Luke said. “Like you, I wanted to make sure everything was good here. We’ll go back and check out the camp, make sure there isn’t any more damage.” He turned to the elder. “I’ll send a cutter out tomorrow to recover whatever we can, Ivan, and have the remains brought to you. There may not be much—not even enough to identify.”

  “I know,” the old man said sadly, his forehead creased.

  Luke nodded, and Trevor empathized with the doctor. What else could he say?

  “Before I leave, Mitchell, how is everyone?” Luke asked. “Is there anything I can do for them?”

  “They’re good, Doctor. No one’s got breathing problems. I’ll be back to give them their flu shots, and bring a grief counselor with me—maybe someone from child services—but I think since just about everyone here is related, they’ll look after their own. My vaccine’s been ordered for weeks. I thought it would be in by now. Be careful in the camp. There are still a few hot spots here and there. Personally, I’d wait a day or two to do a walk-through, but it’s up to you.”

  The nice thing about observing people was that you got to check out the undertones. Trevor nodded. That warble, the slight uptick at the end … this guy was trying to hide the warning in his voice, but the threat was definitely there.

  “Well, if everything’s as it should be, we’ll head back to the base. Ivan, once again, I’m sorry. If there’s anything I can do, just send word,” Luke said. “Let’s go, Trevor. We’ll do a fly-by and see what’s still burning. You’l
l need to file your report. You can come back with the ship, but I think that’s just about it. The sooner you can figure out what happened, the better.”

  Trevor followed Luke to the helicopter. Mitchell was dirty. He knew it, Luke knew it, but they’d move slowly on him. Let the cocky bastard think he was safe for the moment. Today would be the last time he and his pilot accomplice would see the sun as free men, and if anyone else was involved…

  “Take us back to the camp, Lieutenant,” Luke said to the pilot as soon as the helicopter lifted off the ground. “Before you land, fly over the far end of the pier again, I want to know if that boat from Nome is still there.”

  As soon as they were in the air, Trevor turned to Luke. “There wasn’t another baby in that camp, was there?”

  “No, there wasn’t, and that bastard lied to us. If he counted bodies, he’d have found seventeen adults in the camp and three on the boat. If they blew up the propane tanks and firebombed the trees around the village, there’s a chance my men are alive. I need to get to them now. They could be injured.”

  “Commander, the boat that was at the end of the pier yesterday is gone.”

  “Thanks, Lieutenant.” Luke turned to him. “I figured as much. I’ll bet they towed it out into deep water and scuttled it the way they did the Alaskan Gold.”

  “Where do you want me to set down, sir?” the pilot asked.

  “Over by the hangar, or what’s left of it. If our men survived, that’s where they’ll expect us. Mr. Smith and I will have a look at the buildings while we wait. You two are to stay with the helo and keep an eye out. If that plane from the village comes anywhere near us, I want to know.”

  As soon as the helicopter landed, Trevor and Luke hopped out. The other houses and structures were in far worse shape than the hangar, some reduced to ashes. How could anyone trapped here have survived?

  “Call them, Lieutenant,” Luke said, leaning into the chopper.

  Three short blasts of what sounded like a ship’s whistle erupted into the air, startling Trevor. The sound was loud enough he’d guess they’d have heard it in the village, and said as much.

  Luke chuckled. “Maybe a mile away, no more. Let’s look around while we wait. If there aren’t any bodies in here, there’s a good chance they were able to save themselves.”

  Trevor followed Luke to the hangar, and let out a breath when he saw that the interior was more or less intact without bodies.

  “If they’re here and alive, they’ll come to us,” Luke said. “Let’s have a look over there.”

  Ten minutes later, Trevor had seen enough. In the cabins the fire had only partially destroyed, he saw charred skeletons, two actually entwined.

  No wonder Julie had had a meltdown. He’d seen a lot of terrible things in the fifteen years he’d worked for the FBI, but nothing struck him like this did. He’d thought the aftereffects of the plagues and Pierce’s vicious murders were as depraved as it could get, but he was wrong. This was insidious. Unleashed, this virus could kill everyone who mattered to him—his brother, his nephews, his friends—this was evil, pure and simple, and what he’d witnessed today would haunt his dreams for years to come.

  If I have years.

  He was ready to admit the Coasties had to be dead, when movement near the tree line not far from the hangar caught his attention.

  “There they are,” he cried.

  Within seconds, the pilot and copilot were out of the helicopter, running toward the three men, two of whom supported a third. As soon as they reached them, they took over helping the injured man. The men were covered in soot and foul-smelling mud. Luke called to the pilot.

  “Get us the hell out of here before whoever did this sees us.”

  “We knew you’d come for us, Commander,” the man in the middle said.

  “How badly are you hurt, Ensign?” Luke asked.

  “Twisted my ankle when I jumped into the old well. Might need a round of antibiotics after that place, but it wasn’t contaminated by the virus. It’s up in the trees on the far side of the hangar. We saw some tracks earlier and followed them. They led to a cabin about a half mile in. Funny thing was, there were supplies in it, and I’d guess someone had been living there until recently. It could’ve been a hunter.”

  “Or someone watching the camp. Do you think the shack survived?” Trevor asked. Would he find Mitchell’s DNA there?

  “Unlikely, sir. That fire burned hot and fast.”

  “How did it start?” Luke asked before Trevor could.

  “The storm was blowing in pretty good and the power went out. I was looking through my pack for a flashlight when we heard a plane approach. I was trying to figure out how to wave them off when the main propane tank near the fish processing building exploded. When the one closer to the houses blew, I realized they were bombing us. The fire was like nothing I’ve ever seen. We went out the back of the building and into the woods, kicked the cover off the dry well, and jumped in. The place went up like a tinderbox.”

  “How many bombs?” Trevor asked.

  “At least three, maybe four—hard to tell with the echo and the thunder. Can’t say what else happened. The pilot who flew that mission has to be insane. I’d swear the same plane flew over earlier this morning, made several passes, but didn’t land.”

  “Did you see it?” Trevor asked.

  “No, sir.”

  “Then how do you know it was the same plane?”

  “There’s a distinct tick in the engine. I’m a mechanic, sir. I recognize engine sounds.”

  “And you stayed in the well all night?” Luke asked.

  “Yes, sir. Not the most comfortable place, but since smoke rises, we could breathe, and considering our tanks wouldn’t make it through the night … We almost climbed out earlier, but the plane came back … Never thought that safety drill would ever come in handy.”

  “What happened here stays between us until this is over,” Trevor said.

  Luke nodded. “Last night, your families were told you were looking for a lost fisherman and got caught in the storm. Congratulations. You found him. Now, there are sandwiches in that pack along with some water. You’ll go into isolation when we get you home until I check you out, and then I think you’ve earned a week’s liberty.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  The helicopter ride back to the base seemed faster than the one out to the village. The conversation was general, but Trevor spent most of the time trying to figure out what to do about Mitchell. He couldn’t let the son of a bitch wander around freely—especially if his vaccine arrived. But if Trevor acted overtly, the rest of the Prophet’s men could go back into hiding and he’d be screwed again.

  “Stomach bothering you?” Luke asked as they walked away from the hangar.

  “Yeah, how’d you know?”

  “You’ve rubbed it at least half a dozen times this morning.”

  Trevor shook his head. “I think I’ve worried myself into an ulcer over this case.”

  “I can run some tests if you like, or I can give you a prescription for an acid neutralizer and if it works, we’ll know you’re right.”

  “Thanks. I’ll take the prescription. The antacids I’ve been taking may as well be placebos for all the good they do. Listen, how well do you know that nurse we saw?”

  “Not well at all. This is the best hospital around, so occasionally, we get patients in dire need. I didn’t even remember him until he mentioned the breech. He said she was nineteen, but for my money she wasn’t much more than sixteen and scared to death. She’d gone into premature labor. The baby was large, too large for her small frame. I had to do a C-section to save them. We have her name on file, and we did register the baby’s birth. Mitchell said their regular doctor hadn’t arrived yet. They paid in cash and he took her out of the hospital as soon as she was able to be moved. I’ll tell you one thing. I don’t think that woman said ten words while she was here.”

  “I want to look at that birth certificate when we get back.
”

  “Sure thing. You think Mitchell is part of this, don’t you?”

  “I do. Julie said there has to be someone involved who knows the people, picks the victims. Who better than the nurse?”

  “So, how do we stop him?”

  “Call in some help. He was nervous and hiding something. He knew a lot more about the situation than he let on—for example, how would he have known about the fire to get there before we did?”

  “Not to mention the body count and Hope.”

  Trevor nodded. Pulling out his satellite phone, he punched in a number.

  The man answered on the second ring.

  “Cartwright.”

  “It’s me. In a second, I’m going to hand the phone to Commander Franklin. He’s going to give you some information on a pilot and a nurse who may be implicated in the Great Burning.”

  “Are you sure?” Cartwright asked.

  “As sure as I can be of anything right now. Make sure you check them for a suicide capsule.”

  “You’ve got it. Where will we find these two?”

  “Nome, Alaska. Franklin here has the details.”

  “Alaska? Trevor, you’re sure covering a lot of ground on this one. By the way, as Tom instructed, I’ve replaced the couriers at both White Iris Pharmaceutical locations. So far, only one more batch of vaccine has been picked up. We’re holding it. It’s supposed to go to Nome, to an M. Mitchell, RN.”

  “That’s quite a coincidence, because one of the men you’re picking up is a nurse named Mitchell. Don’t let anyone near that vaccine. I’ll ask Julie what she wants to do. I may need it shipped here.”

  “You got it. We’re conferencing later, right?”

  “We are. Here’s Commander Franklin.”

  Trevor handed the phone to Luke. Taking down the nurse and his pilot wasn’t much, but it was a start.

  Ten minutes later, he walked into the lounge, where Julie sat feeding Hope. The sight of the woman he’d wanted to marry holding the child he’d die to protect punched him in the gut. When Julie looked up at him, he smiled.

  “I’ve got good news. Luke is upstairs someplace with those three men you left at Chinook Cove. They’re going to be fine.”