Michael Palmer - Fatal

"I'm sorry."

Ellen was embarrassed to find herself at that moment thinking about Rudy — how much more comfortable she would be feeling if he were there with her, how foolish she had been to open his letter to her. Why in the hell hadn't he ever spoken up?

"So," the ambassador was saying, "when you called, you presented me with two tasks."

"I know what I was asking might be difficult."

Strawbridge smiled patiently.

"We may not be able to afford Columbia Pharmaceuticals' exorbitant rates for their vaccine," he said, "but gratefully, we can afford computers. Your first question had to do with the number of cases of Lassa fever that have occurred in Americans."

"Over the last three years, yes."

"Well, I am not allowed to give you the names because of my nation's rules on medical confidentiality. But I can tell you that over the past three years there have been six cases of Lassa fever in Americans in Sierra Leone, two of whom died."

"That's all? Six?"

"Three of those were hospital workers."

Six cases in Americans in three years in a country where Lassa fever was endemic. Eighteen cases in three years in Americans flying back from West Africa.

"Curiouser and curiouser," Ellen said.

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll," Strawbridge exclaimed. "It is one of my favorite books."

"Mine, too. Well, Your Excellency, for the past week or so, that's precisely where I feel like I've been — Wonderland."

"Mrs. Kroft, are you at some point going to tell me what this is all about?"

Ellen felt herself blush.

"Ambassador Strawbridge, I'm truly sorry for seeming so oblique. I beg you to be patient with me. I'm investigating some loose ends surrounding the Lasaject vaccine. That's as much as I feel comfortable sharing right now."

"Is there something wrong with the vaccine?"

"No. I have no reason to think so."

"You will keep me posted?"

"As soon as I have any firm information."

Ellen held her breath as the diplomat pondered his situation.

"In that case," he said finally, "let us move on to your second request."

"The passenger manifests."

Rudy's contact at the CDC had obtained the flight each American Lassa fever victim had taken getting back to the States. Ten of them had flown from Freetown to London on Sierra National Air, and from London to various cities in the U.S. The other eight had flown Ghana Air from Freetown to Accra, Ghana, and then directly to Baltimore. Their hope was that the passenger manifests might provide a recurring name — maybe indicating a carrier of the disease.

"You know," Strawbridge said, "we diplomats are taught never to give away something for nothing. If I hand over these documents, I do have a request of my own."

"Yes?"

"Ever since they chose to hang on to their vaccine until we could meet their price demands, my government has been very disappointed with the people at Columbia Pharmaceuticals. If there is any way you uncover that we might, how should I say, make life more difficult for them, I would like your word that you will let me know."

Ellen sat on a sunlit bench in DuPont Circle, cradling her cell phone in her lap and following one passing couple after another. Andrew Strawbridge had come through not only with the passenger manifests of the Sierra National flights, but with those of Ghana Air as well. The next logical step would be to interview some of the few surviving Lassa fever victims. She had enough of a credit line on her VISA to make any necessary flights.

Since the confrontation in her living room with the monster who threatened her grandchild, she had been consumed with finding a way to bring the production and distribution of Omnivax to a halt without endangering Lucy or anyone else in her family. The man's huge head, soulless eyes, and hallmark scar burned in her mind.

Somehow she was going to find him. She was going to find him, and when she did, she would also find the means to destroy him in as painful a way as possible. Surprisingly to her, over the days since he appeared in her living room with his smugness and his threats, she had realized in her heart that she was perfectly capable of killing such a man. But in the meantime, she would take whatever chances were necessary to bring down those who had hired him. The problem was that, suddenly, she didn't want to do it alone.

Over the years since Howard's departure she had managed to hold her vulnerability and loneliness in check. Reading Rudy's letter had changed things. Suddenly she felt uncertain and frightened. The last thing she needed at this point was to lose her incisiveness — to dilute in any way the hatred that was driving her. But that was exactly what appeared to be happening.

The first of the cases on the list Rudy had obtained did not answer the phone and had no machine or service. A man answered Ellen's second call and assured her that, yes, his wife had survived her terrible illness, and yes, they would be happy to meet with Ellen after his wife returned home from work.

Next Ellen called information and jotted down the number of United Airlines. Then, barely realizing what she was doing, she dialed Rudy's cabin.

"Hello?"

"Rudy, hi, it's me."

"Calling from the big city?" he asked with a make-believe twang.

"DuPont Circle."

"How'd ya make out?"

"Six cases in three years, Rudy. That's the sum total of all the Americans infected with Lassa in Sierra Leone. Six. Three were hospital workers."

Rudy whistled.

"I don't think I need my degree in statistics to know that ain't very many compared with those who got infected on those airplane flights," he said.

"I think not. Strawbridge gave me the manifests, too. All eighteen of them. I've already contacted one of the patients from your list. She lives outside of Chicago."

"Going to go see her?"

"I want to."

"Well, I say go for it."

"Rudy?"

"Yes?"

"I… I want you to come with me."

"Hey, that's very nice of you. When are you going?"

"Today. This afternoon."

"Oh, shoot. I'm really sorry, El, but I have a class to teach and a private lesson. I'm afraid tomorrow's tight, too. I have this family of Russian immigrants that I teach English grammar and reading to. I might be able to change them to another day if I can get ahold of them, but they don't have a phone and — "

Ellen watched a couple snuggling on a bench across from hers, and felt a knot in her chest.

"No, no. Please don't change your plans," she managed. "I'll be fine. I'll fly in and back, and drive out to the cabin late tonight or first thing in the morning."

"You're right," Rudy said. "You will do fine. Who's the woman? Where does she live?"

"She lives in Evanston. Her name's Serwanga. Nattie Serwanga."

The massive killer moved across the floor with surprising stealth and closed in on Nikki as she slept. Her eyes opened a slit, but it was too late. Before she could make a sound, his huge, fleshy palm clamped over her mouth. His knee ground into the small of her back, increasing pressure on her spine until she knew it was going to crack in two.

Please, no! Please stop! her mind screamed. I don't want to be paralyzed!

Paralyzing her was clearly only part of what the man had in mind. He had tried to kill her before and botched it. He was not going to miss again. His moon face puffed into a lurid smile as he hooked his fingers beneath her chin and pulled her head back. His knee was pressing straight through her body.

Nikki awoke lost and totally disoriented, clawing at her pillow. The air in the strange room felt thick and stagnant. Then, as she was forcing herself to calm down, she heard the steady breathing of the man lying next to her. Startled, she sat up on the side of the bed, trying to ignore the land mines exploding behind her eyes. The sight of Matt Rutledge, sleeping deeply, his face peaceful and un-lined, brushed aside the last of what had been a series of exquisitely vivid and frightening nightmares. A piece at a time, some of the events of the night just past drifted into place. The man lying there, her doctor, had saved her from certain torture and probable death — just rode in on his motorcycle and saved her life. She wondered how much her managed-care insurance carrier allowed for that service.