Twenty-Four Hours
Fandom: Covert Affairs
Summary: When the CIA building is contaminated by a highly toxic fungal spore, Annie and Auggie are the only ones not inside the building at the time. After Joan identifies the spore, the building is sealed off and they realize that if they don't find the antidote within twenty-four hours, everyone inside the building will die.
Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never have. Probably never will.
A/N: First CA fic ever, so please don't yell at me too much if it's horrible! Which it probably is...
C_A
Joan was in her office when the toxin alert was sent. Reading the message that popped up on her computer screen, her heart skipped a beat and went into overdrive. No. This can't be happening.
Standing up from her chair so quickly she knocked it over and racing out of her office, Joan yelled, "Code Fourteen! I want everything sealed off, yesterday!"
The DPD was silent as the grave for a full 2.8 seconds. Then a techie called, "On it!"
Jai hurried over to Joan. "What's happening?" he demanded. "Why the biohazard alert? Is the CIA contaminated?"
"Yes," Joan said curtly. "This has all the trappings of a Dirty Demon fungal contamination. Please relay that to Arthur, by phone. I'll see if we have anyone on the outside who can help."
"Why can't we just evacuate?" Jai snapped.
"Because if this fungus gets out, it will kill more than just the CIA's employees, it will take out most of North America! If we can't stop it and save the CIA, the least we can do is not destroy the rest of the continent. Now GO!"
Whispers had broken out as the DPD's employees looked at Joan in terror.
Taking a deep breath, Joan said calmly and loudly, "There has been a fungal contamination. Dirty Demon, to be precise. Right now, the worst thing we can do is panic. Am I clear?"
Just about everyone in Joan's line of sight nodded.
"Good. Now, since we were sealed off rather quickly, we likely have a lower chance of succumbing to the infection in the normal stretch of time. However, the rest of the building has slightly less than twenty-four hours before the infection will have gone too far for anything to help them." Pausing for emphasis, she continued, "We have approximately twenty-six.
"I need anyone who has any knowledge of Dirty Demon spores to come up here so Jai can interview them. Anything helps. Don't hold back or be shy.
"If you have no knowledge of the spore, I want you to research it. If you come across anything that might help but is inaccessible due to it being classified, alert me or someone else with the required clearance and we will ensure you get access. This is a life-or-death situation. We can worry about classification later.
"All right, team, let's go."
Jai pulled his laptop out of his bag and opened up a word processing software. As people started leaving their desks to tell him what they knew, and he directed them to form lines. Joan was satisfied he had everything under control.
Joan returned to her office and sat down at her desk to make a phone call. She thanked the powers that be for the fact the Annie and Auggie were out in the field that day, and so could escape the infection, at the least. At best, they could find the antidote and save the CIA.
