Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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Reid set his bags inside the door and pulled out his cell again. Again the call went straight to voice mail. Why wasn't she picking up if she knew it was him? She'd made it clear she worried about him. He closed the phone, there was no point in leaving another message, she hadn't responded to any that he'd left so far. He paced the room for a few minutes, "Shirley Payne," he said out loud. He'd always thought that was a funny name for a nurse but she was Linda's head nurse; if anyone would know what was going on it was her. He punched in the number he'd seen once when he'd glanced at Linda's desk.

"Hello," the harried voice said.

Great, he thought, what did he say now that didn't have him sounding like a possessive overreacting boyfriend. "Uh…hi Shirley, it's Spencer Reid. I've been trying to reach L…Dr. Kimura and her cell keeps going to voice mail. I tried calling her office and the secretary told me she's out of town on a case but she couldn't tell me where. I was wondering if you knew how I might get in touch with her?"

"I'm sorry Dr. Reid, Dr. Kimura doesn't have her cell with her at present and isn't able to call you at the moment."

"Oh, I see. Where is she anyway?" he asked in what he thought was an innocent tone.

"I'm sorry Dr. Reid; I'm not at liberty to say. There's been a media blackout. You know how that is."

"Yeah, it's not anthrax again is it?"

"Really Dr. Reid," Shirley reiterated starting to sound impatient with his questions. "I'm not at liberty to say."

"Okay, I understand. Thanks Shirley." He was quiet for a moment and then added, "Do you think you could ask her to call me when she can?"

"Of course Dr. Reid, I'll tell her. I'm sure she'll call you back as soon as she can." Shirley ended the call and closed her phone saying, "Don't hold your breath Dr. Reid." She turned to Sandy who'd overheard her side of the conversation. She noted the concern on her friend's face.

"I'm glad he called you instead of me," Sandy declared. "I don't know if I could have lied to him like that."

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Something didn't seem right. He knew media blackouts were common to prevent panic and mass exodus. He understood this. He also understood that it must be something substantial to prompt a media blackout. That didn't mean Linda couldn't speak to him on the phone. She didn't have to discuss the details of her case any more than he did when he was away. So why was she so impossible to reach. He opened his cell again and hit speed dial.

"I was almost out the door, this better be good," Garcia said in answer to Reid's call.

"Hi Garcia, sorry, I just wondered if you could do something for me? Please!"

"For you sweet cheeks, anything, what do you need?" She sat in her chair and fired up her computers once again.

"I need you to track down the location of a cell phone for me." He reeled off the number.

"Okay, just a minute, I'm triangulating." He could hear Garcia's fingers on the keys. "Rockwell, Iowa, that's where that cell phone is," she told him. "Reid," Garcia said curiously, "why are you tracking down Shirley Payne's cell phone."

"Would you believe that at the moment Garcia, I'm not sure but thanks for looking it up for me."

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"Rockwell, Iowa," Reid said as he stared at the information on the computer monitor. With a population of roughly 990 people, it didn't look like it would be the site of some major outbreak. From what he could gather it was primarily an agricultural community although it did manufacture pipe organs and microwave popcorn. There was nothing in the local newspaper, The Calhoun County Advocate, to suggest any disease had hit the town but then Shirley had stressed there was a media blackout. However, JJ was always alluding to the fact that everybody in a small town seemed to know something about everything so keeping something major quiet wouldn't be an easy task, especially knowing the way small town folk talked. There was no news on unexplained admissions to Stewart Memorial Community Hospital.

There didn't seem to be anything that would be a big case for the CDC. He thought for a moment. But what if that wasn't it? What if there was no big case? What if Linda was deliberately not answering his calls? Maybe she was trying to dump him and by not responding to him she hoped he'd get the message. He wasn't sure. He'd never been dumped before. He'd never been in a position to be dumped before.

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General Mattingly strode briskly down the hallway of Walter Reed Army Medical Centre after hearing the life flight helicopter arrive. "How is she?" he asked Shirley Payne.

"Physically she seems okay but then there wouldn't be any signs yet would there sir? She was upset having to relinquish the case to the team from Atlanta but she's a team player," Shirley replied.

Mitch Mattingly stood in the ante room and looked through the glass at the woman lying on the bed. This was an examination he never thought he'd have to make. He started to don isolation gear. "I guess we might as well get started."

Linda Kimura had been staring straight ahead, lost in her thoughts, when General Mattingly and Shirley entered the room although all she could see of them was their eyes. The general's were kind as always but now tempered with concern. She thought she sensed his brow furrow beneath the cap that covered his hair and most of his forehead. "How are you my dear?"

"Oh, never better," Linda said sarcastically but the general and the nurse could see the fear in her eyes.

"Your vitals are good," the doctor said as he took a stethoscope off the hook and listened to her chest. "Are you in any pain?"

"No sir, really, I feel fine. Have we heard anything from Rockwell?"

"Linda, I want you to forget about Rockwell and concentrate on yourself. That's an order," he said sternly before reaching a gloved hand out to squeeze hers. He nodded at Shirley as he turned to leave the room.

Linda looked at Shirley, the question in her eyes. Shirley sighed, "Two more students dead." Shirley shifted her weight back and forth on both her feet.

"What is it Shirley?" Linda eventually asked.

"Dr. Reid keeps calling. He's left tons of messages on your voice mail. He wants to talk to you. I told him you didn't have your cell phone with you which I guess is technically the truth. He asked me to ask you to call him. Now that you're back here I could…"

"No," Linda interjected. "I don't want him to know."

"Why, are you afraid he won't stand by you?"

"No, it's that I know that is exactly what he will do and I don't want him anywhere near me. He's been through enough…more than enough. That's why he can't know that I've been in contact with Ebola!"