Chapter One
New York Times Headline: This Doesn't Happen Here!
People in downtown Manhattan were horrified at an apparent outbreak of Asian Bird Flu. Sally Rhode, 54, a secretary at Halo Halo & Roe in SOHO stated, "I thought this stuff didn't happen here."
A source from the CDC spoke under the condition of anonymity. "This situation could have been disastrous had they not received advance notice from an anonymous source."
Jennifer Smith, head spokesman for the CDC will speak in a press conference later this afternoon about what people can do to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. She will also outline a readiness plan for the city to follow effective immediately…
Mr. Phipps picked up his ringing phone and listened to the voice of hysteria on the line. "Yes I have read the article in the Times. We were able to locate the source mentioned in the article. It is being handled." He hung up and then dialed another number. "Give me agents Brewer and Hall. I want them in my office by noon today. Reassign Matthews and Perriman on their case. I have a special assignment for them." He hung up the phone and sighed. He didn't clear the reassignment through Petrie. There wasn't enough time.
Dr. Long, educated, the best in her field. Many avenues were available when she completed her training. Offers came at her like a swarm of ravenous mosquitoes. She was happy working at the local clinic in her Kiwi hometown. Her mind as sharp and brilliant as her looks, she was in great demand and traveled worldwide to lend her expertise. She received an interesting correspondence from a Dr. Washington in the States. He wanted to meet with her, get some help with a patient he had. He sent a roundtrip first class ticket to New York. The consult would cost her nothing but her time. How could she refuse? Besides, her long term relationship with her college sweetheart was long stale. This consult provided her with the easy out she preferred. In a matter of hours she was on the phone securing her flight and making arrangements for the care of her bird, Hammish.
When she disembarked the 747 at JFK Airport and picked up her checked baggage, she found a stocky man holding a placard with her name on it. She approached the man and he took her bags. She followed him to the limo parked out front and got in the back. A man was inside waiting. "Hello Dr. Long. I trust your flight was comfortable?"
"Oh yes, thank you very much. I've never flown first class before."
He smiled and reached for a crystal decanter. "May I offer you a drink?"
"Sure."
"I'm having scotch, is that okay?" She nodded and he poured the amber liquid into the heavy crystal glass. She took the proffered glass and sipped the liquid silently enjoying its warmth. The scotch was a singlemalt, judging by its finish, probably a doublewood. First class transatlantic flight, singlemalt scotch, Waterford crystal glasses, this corporation is loaded. She thought.
"So, why don't you tell me a little bit about this corporation?"
He looked at her and silently sipped his scotch before responding. "I'm sure we're not the first corporation that has come knocking on your door Dr. Long. We are an experimental group. People in high places with deep pockets fund our research. Frankly, you came to our attention as a result of the dissertation you published three years ago. How would you like to have the resources at your disposal to make that a reality?"
Chloe looked into his eyes. They were flat but he was unable to hide a spark. "How did my dissertation on viral mutation get into your hands?"
"All I can say to that, Dr. Long, is that it's in my boss's best interest to keep on top of the latest research and to let those with the greatest potential pursue their theories uninhibited by moral and financial restrictions."
Chloe wondered who his boss was. They spent the rest of the commute in a contemplative silence while Chloe watched the skyline of the city shrink smaller as they drove into the countryside; the sun slipping behind the tall towers.
In the 1990s, the Reynolds Syndicate was involved in many illegal activities. Lucius Reynolds, in his prime, was the formidable head of the family. He had a beautiful (significantly) younger wife, Nina and an equally dazzling though tomboyish daughter, Lucinda (Lucy to her friends), an only child. It is a fact that Lucius adored his daughter above everything else. It is also true that the adoration was returned with equal vigor.
One of the illicit activities Lucius oversaw personally was gun running. He helped supply guns in the Contra affair in the 80s. The fall of the wall in Russia in 1991 brought a newfound source for weapons and other instruments of war. Lucius was smart enough to avoid the Russian mob and he had enough political contacts worldwide to give the semblance of being a small time dilettante. He made a huge profit and he used the money he made to invest in legitimate businesses in America and Europe. Of course some of these businesses were fronts for his associates.
When Lucy was born, Lucius' priorities shifted. He wanted to be around to watch his lovely daughter grow. He invested more of his funds into art trading, and looked the other way when forgeries came into his galleries in Europe. He was able to spend more time with his daughter, and that made both Lucy and Nina happy. While Luicius' attention was centered on his family, a small time rival used the opportunity to pick up the slack. His name was Thomas Schaeffer and he was without any moral compunction. Lucius steered clear of him as much as he possibly could, but seeing as they were both in the same underground circles, it was inevitable their paths should cross.
In the spring of 1992, Lucius had an eye opening experience. He had a transport of Russian AK47s and some land to air missiles. The weapons were supposed to be destroyed, but with the proper documents and cash silently pushed into the right people's palms, the weaponry was virtually untraceable. There was an unexpected development which required Lucius to travel inside to what was now the dissolved USSR. The Russian general, Sergei Duma, who Lucius had never met in person, demanded a face to face meeting. Since the General had control over releasing the arms, Lucius agreed to the meeting.
It was at this meeting that Lucius learned of Thomas Schaeffer's rival bid for the weapons. General Duma wanted to know where Lucius was going to sell the arms and he wanted to know how much Lucius would get for the weapons. This was a big change in terms, and Luicius wondered if the general was going to rat him out to ATF officials. Only after a chess match of questions did Lucius learn that the General was looking for a larger slice of the profits, and after further questioning, he learned that Thomas Schaeffer was not the small time dabbler in arms dealing as he'd thought for Schaeffer had started running guns to Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola and the Congo in exchange for diamonds, which were much easier to smuggle out of the country compared to cash. The bottom line: Diamonds were worth more than cash even when that cash was the ever domineering U.S. dollar.
Lucius had to make a decision. He knew that the continent of Africa was in a constant state of civil war. He also knew that those diamonds were called blood diamonds for a reason, and his gut told him that if he were to participate in that kind of trade, a line would be forever crossed, and he wouldn't be able to be a father to Lucy. He drew the line at putting automatic weapons into the arms of children. Maybe he was growing too old for this business.
Lucius tried unsuccessfully, to negotiate a deal with the general, but it was clear to him that the general was going to follow the path that would net him the most profit. What Lucius failed to see was that this negotiation had been a test. He failed miserably, as General Duma had gleaned a pronounced weakness he could exploit, and he knew of one person who would be more than happy to assist in the coup of the Reynolds Syndicate. So when Lucius returned to his home in the U.S., General Duma set up a meeting with Thomas Schaeffer, who was quite eager to acquire the General as a supplier.
General Duma and Thomas Schaeffer sold guns to various African rebel groups. Their best customer was one Jonas Savimbi, the leader of the UNITA forces. Thomas Schaeffer had acquired wealth and power beyond his grandest aspirations. Meanwhile, Lucius Reynolds was content to be a family man. He still had important contacts in ports all over the world, and his Syndicate was thriving.
It irked Schaeffer to no end that Lucius had the façade of being a respectable businessman in polite circles. As cities throughout the US opened riverboat casinos on their picturesque lake and ocean fronts, Lucius found new prosperity in the old business of laundering money for the mob. Ever the innovator, Lucius laundered the money using the stock markets and the ever popular Cayman Islands and Swiss banks.
It had long been a practice to keep the price of diamonds high by creating an artificial dearth in the supply. This was done easily by storing raw, uncut diamonds in safe deposit boxes. The mob also preferred to store large amounts of cash in deposit boxes, thus creating a demand for storage space. What was stored in the safe deposit boxes was and always had been confidential. Schaeffer was put into an unfortunate circumstance, as he couldn't smuggle the diamonds into the US; border guards were owned by the Reynolds Syndicate. Lucius had the respectability and the backing of the mob, so those deposit boxes naturally went to the mob and Thomas was literally left holding the bag of uncut diamonds. Schaeffer requested a meeting with Lucius to discuss his predicament. Lucius was quite willing to help Thomas provided Thomas would agree to stop running guns to Africa. Schaeffer wouldn't acquiesce and the meeting ended.
When Schaeffer returned from the meeting with Reynolds, he was fuming. He complained to the general incessantly, and Duma soon grew weary of his partner's company. That was when he decided to engineer a war between the two of them. Having dealt with both of them, Duma knew exactly how to exploit their individual weaknesses against each other. As an added bonus, he would be entertained watching the fallout. May the stronger of the two win or may they both run each other to the grave. Duma didn't care. He just wanted the whining to stop. Besides, there was a new industry he wanted to break into; it would be the wave of the future in the war business. Duma placed a call to Mr. Savimbi, and for an undisclosed sum (from his personal stock of diamonds) he made arrangements for Schaeffer's next deal to go horribly wrong. It was also important that this botched exchange appeared to have been engineered by Lucius. It was amazing what a few tiny stones could buy from the CIA and Interpol. The wheel had been set in motion and for all intensive purposes, Schaeffer would believe that Reynolds had turned rat for immunity and a safe retirement.
It was these machinations that led to that gory massacre at the Reynold's home and later on to the rise of Lucinda Reynolds AKA Lucy Diamond. The irony of that name never ceased to make Duma laugh. He knew that Lucius must be rolling over in his grave. When Lucy took out the Schaeffer family, she had unknowingly done the general a great favor as the CIA had been making significant inroads to discovering who was supplying the arms to Schaeffer. With Schaeffer out of the picture, Duma was safe.
The limousine arrived in front of what appeared to be an old, run down, Bolshevik stronghold. When Dr. Long and Dmitry stepped inside, its interior had been renovated. The space retained its original clean lines, but upgrades had been made in its furnishings. Traditionally, these living spaces were for the worker class. Luxuries were frowned upon, but the floors on which they walked were marble, paintings encased in ornate frames hung on the walls giving the appearance of great wealth and sophistication. Surveillance cameras tucked neatly into dark corners and embedded in unobtrusive locations tracked Dr. Long's walk down the corridor, monitored her ascension in the elevator, and again followed her into the study.
He spoke to her in a thick but refined Russian accent. "Your trip was comfortable, no?" Dr. Long smiled. "Please forgive. My English is not so good." That was a lie. The general spoke fluently many languages. He was testing her. She continued to smile pleasantly at the older man sitting in front of her. "Dmitri, make sure Dr. Long's things are secured accordingly before placing them in her quarters." He said this in russian and gauged her reaction to the sudden switch in language out of the corner of his eye. A temporary look of confusion grazed her delicate features, but was quickly replaced with the former polite smile.
"Dmitri has taken your bags to the guest room."
"Thank you."
"Supper will be ready soon. We will talk over the meal what need to."
She smiled. "Thank you. I am hungry-", she let the end of the sentence hang as she did not know the man's name a questioning look suspended in her eyes.
He smiled, warmed by her accent and charm. "You may call me Sergei, Dr. Long." He took her wrist gently and kissed lightly the back of her hand inhaling deeply her subtle scent. Dmitri returned from his errand and stood in the doorway. "Dmitri show her to her room." The two left the study and the general pressed a button on his desk. A computer smoothly sailed up out of the desk. He focused on her intently searching for what physical intel was available. His eyes ended up resting on the smooth gait and supple calves. He made a quick call and then got up and left the room.
Alone in her room, Chloe sat down on the chaise and took in her accommodations. She had a large queen sized bed adorned with an ornate head board and foot board. On each side of the bed were matching carved oak nightstands lacquered to a lush shine. The light in the room was sufficient and the floor was hardwood. In the center of the room was a plush oriental rug. Chloe studied the pattern for a moment transfixed by the rich autumn colors.
Her suitcase was resting on a sturdy antique suitcase holder close to an armoire. She walked over to the window and looked out. Her room was located on the L angle of the courtyard. She walked back to her suitcase and opened it. She made quick work of putting her things away in the drawers. When she opened the doors to the armoire she gasped. Hanging inside was an elegant black dress and an unworn pair of sleek heels. She took the hanger off the rack and held the dress up against her measuring it. It was a good fit, the shoes too.
"Supper will be ready in a bit." Chloe jumped at the sound of Dmitri's voice behind her. "I see you have found your evening wear."
"Y-yes." She swallowed a bit overwhelmed.
"There is time for you to freshen up before we dine. You've had a long trip."
She smiled brilliantly at him. "Thank you, I think I will." Dmitri returned her smile and left her alone again in the room. Chloe walked into her full size private bathroom. The marbled floor was cold against her stalking feet. The vanity was white and large and housed numerous drawers. A mirror took up most of one wall and was outlined with large bulbs. There was also an overhead light. Thick white towels hung on the towel rack and when she closed the door behind her she saw a plush white robe hanging on the imbedded hook. There was a large jacuzzi tub centered in front of a shuttered picture window. An arrangement of fresh flowers rested on the wide lip. There wasn't enough time for a luxurious soak in the tub, so she chose to shower instead. The walk-in shower was at an angle to the corner of the room. Large glass doors enclosed the compartment. In addition to the shower head there were nozzles along the wall that could gently spray water from the side.
She set her traveling case on the vanity shelf and opened a drawer to store her make up and other beauty regimens. Out of curiosity she opened the drawer just underneath the one she had just filled with her things. The pleasant scent of lilac wafted up and she saw several bars of scented soaps as well as an assortment of various shower gels and bath salts. She would most definitely take a bath in that tub the soonest chance she could get. She told herself. Quickly and quietly she disrobed neatly folding her traveling clothes and setting them down on the shelf before stepping into what would become one of the best showers she'd ever had in her life.
"Okay you can disable the cameras in the bathroom Dmitri. She's clean."
"I swept her luggage and briefcase. They are clean as well."
"Good. Make sure the chef has her favorite wine. It's very important."
"Yes."
"How is Dr. Washington doing in his quarters? He's been off surveillance now for over a month."
"He is waiting for us in the dinning room."
"Good." The general smiled a chilling calculating smile. "And our patient down below?"
"She's making excellent progress. She asks for you often. You haven't visited in awhile. She grows anxious when you do that."
"I will see her after we all dine together." The general reached into a cigar box and pondered lighting up one of his delectable Havanas, decided against it, and instead poured himself a rich brandy.
Head wrapped up in a towel, soft plush robe hugging her curves gently; Chloe exited the bathroom and walked to the armoire carrying her traveling clothes with her. She slipped into the dress inwardly reveling at the feeling of the expensive fabric against her skin. She radiated a field of lilacs off her glowing and freshly scrubbed self. The shower had worked wonders on her. She felt invigorated. Wasn't she supposed to be experiencing jetlag? The thought left her as quickly as it came in. That was odd. She could normally carry on a thought or two for prolonged periods. She chalked it up to the slow rumble in her belly and quickly finished getting ready for supper.
"Dr. Long you look wonderful." The general greeted her.
"Thank you Sergei. I feel wonderful." Chloe smiled at the men adorned in evening dress in the room, one of which she did not recognize.
"Allow me to introduce you to Dr. Washington." Dr. Washington stepped forward with a pleasant smile on his face. "Hello Dr, Long. I am very happy you agreed to this meeting. I've been following your work for some time now."
Chloe smiled and blushed ever so slightly. She accepted the proffered glass of wine from Sergei. "Thank you." She extended her hand to Dr. Washington and shook his hand firmly. "So you're the reason why I'm here."
"Yes. Well the gen- Sergei is the one with the purse strings. It's his generosity that makes all this possible."
A butler entered the room. "Supper is served."
The general took Chloe'shand lightly. "Allow me." Gently he placed her hand in the crook of his elbow which he extended out for her. He covered her hand with his and escorted her to her seat at the table.
They dined on lobster flown in fresh that day from the Cod. It was an excellent meal with bananas foster for dessert. Chloe noticed that everything served was her favorite. She couldn't help but feel welcomed and valued by her company.
The general got up from the table. "Let's take our after dinner drinks in the solarium." This time it was Dr. Washington who offered his arm to Chloe and she gladly accepted. He patted her hand softly his eyes lingering on the toned triceps muscle-a gaze which was not missed by the general.
"I see you admiring our guest Dr. Washington. She is a lovely sight."
"Sergei, did you know that Chloe was a top ranked gymnast? She just missed qualifying for the national team by a tenth of a point on the-" he paused trying to remember.
"Sticking her landing after her dismount from the uneven bars" the general finished for him, "her left foot (compensating for an irritated sprain) slightly shifted, and the judges docked her for that." Chloe looked amazed at Sergei. She was at a loss for words. Sergei smiled back at her. "I am Russian, we know gymnastics better than anyone in the world. Is a matter of pride." He smiled generously at her. "I see you keep yourself up. Is good you don't get fat like other retired gymnasts."
Chloe blushed. She was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable by the overt admirations from her dinner companions. She cleared her throat softly and began. "So you asked me here because you are interested in the work I've done with viral genetics."
"That's true," Dr. Washington answered, "your research shows unparalleled promise, and I want you to be free to conduct your studies without the strain of fundraising or grant writing that besmirches most scientists worldwide who have a vision for the future. Why did you choose this field Chloe?"
"My mum died from cancer when I was a little girl. I want to figure out how to destroy that beast that kills over 45 of the people of the world."
"Fascinating! But, how does viral mutation fit into your efforts?"
"Well, originally I thought I'd introduce a bug that would kill that part of the cell that turns on itself, but it was all for naught." She paused. "It won't work."
"Are you sure about that? Maybe there were experiments you couldn't conduct because they were deemed too risky or were too expensive…"
"Short of creating a new super virus that has no cure, I'm positive that that course of inquiry would lead me nowhere."
"Well our facilities are first rate, and our labs very efficient at sterilizing mistakes. What do you say to a tour of them tomorrow?"
"That would be great." Chloe yawned.
"You must be exhausted, Dr. Long, after your long trip. How rude of us to keep you up so late."
Chloe glanced at her watch which was still on New Zealand time and couldn't believe that she had been up over 24 hours straight. It was unlike her to be unaware of the time. "Yes, it is beyond the normal bedtime for me." She smiled a self effacing smile. "But I feel oddly invigorated. Guess the jetlag won't hit until tomorrow."
"May I suggest a relaxing bath with the lilac bath salts? It will help you relax." The general didn't suggest anything that wasn't on the forefront of Chloe's mind already.
Chloe smiled. "That sounds lovely." The men bowed as Chloe left the room.
The general and Dr. Washington walked together to the elevator. It was a hidden access panel in the solarium and the only way to the underground labs. When they got off the elevator they went in separate directions. Dr. Washington went towards his lab and the general headed towards the quarters of a certain young patient who was very anxious to see him.
Sector Eight
Amy walked into a room that was technologically more advanced than anything she had seen in her time as a DEB or with Lucy. There were the standard servers and computer workstations, but there were also some devices that she had never seen before. Scud would have fun with this, she thought.
There were several workstations each equipped with its own server and several monitors. Each workstation was enclosed by soundproof glass. The technicians were inside wearing headsets and they communicated with each other through the headsets or email. Each workstation was named after its geographical area of coverage. Amy noted that even though Russia had long split, its area workstation was still called Russia. Each tech who worked in the Russia station spoke fluently all the native languages to that area. Their responsibility was to be the eyes and ears of that region. The workers came in 6 hour shifts. There were a total of 4 techs for each area. It was under 24 hour surveillance. I guess the Cold War never really ended, Amy thought.
A woman's voice, clear and low toned grabbed Amy's ears from behind her left shoulder. "Hello Amy." Amy turned and saw a tall blonde haired woman dressed in a suit underneath her white lab coat. "I'm Dr. Long. I am the head scientist in charge here."
Amy smiled and shook the extended hand firmly. "Amy Bradshaw, but I guess you knew that already."
"Please follow me. I will show you around our labs. You'll be spending a lot of time in there the next few days." Dr. Long escorted Amy down the hallway to a clear elevator. She swiped her card in the identification slot and the doors opened granting them access. A computer voice greeted her. "Hello Dr. Long and guest. Please state your destination." "Level three Biolab" Long stated. "Thank you." The elevator moved down quickly. When they reached the level, the doors slid open silently and both women exited. They walked down a long hallway past numerous closed doors. Dr. Long stopped in front of one and swept her card through the card slot, a soft buzzing noise granted the women admittance. Amy walked into a room that was the size of a large one bedroom apartment. "This is where you will be living while we run further tests on you. You are truly a find Amy Bradshaw, and your blood may be the key to unlocking JICON's genetic sequence. You could turn out to be our secret weapon against chemobiological warfare. It is fortunate for the world's sake that you have not fallen into the wrong hands." Amy looked around her living quarters. "I have to brief my assistant on you. I will be back shortly." Dr. Long turned and quickly walked out of the room the door shutting behind her. Amy knew before she even tried the door that it was locked. She had been prepped for this assignment well. She figured that she had maybe 20 minutes to move in to her room before Dr. Long would be back. She would have to work quickly.
