Robin Cook - Contagion

“That’s not good news, is it?” Jack said.

“Hardly,” Nicole said. “It was very scary news, particularly in light of the strain’s pathogenicity. We understand there now have been five deaths.”

“How did you know?” Jack asked. “I just found out myself there’d been four more victims last night.”

“We’ve already been in contact with the state and local authorities during the night,” Nicole said. “That was one of the reasons I tried so hard to get ahold of you. We consider this to be an epidemiological emergency; I didn’t want you to feel you were out of the loop. You see, we did finally find something that reacted with the virus. It was a sample of frozen sera we have that we suspect contains antisera to the influenza strain that caused the great epidemic in 1918 and 1919!”

“Good God!” Jack exclaimed.

“As soon as I discovered this, I called my immediate boss, Dr. Hirose Nakano,” Nicole said. “He, in turn, called the director of the CDC. He’s been on the phone with everyone from the Surgeon General on down. We’re mobilizing to fight a war here. We need a vaccine, and we need it fast. This is the swine-flu scare of seventy-six all over again.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Jack asked even though he already knew the answer.

“Not at this time,” Nicole said. “We owe you a debt of gratitude for alerting us to the problem as soon as you did. I told as much to the director. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gave you a call himself.”

“So the hospital has been notified?” Jack asked.

“Most definitely,” Nicole said. “A CDC team will be coming up there today to assist in any way it can, including helping the local epidemiologist. Needless to say, we’d love to find out where this virus came from. One of the mysteries of influenza is where the dormant reservoirs are. Birds, particularly ducks, and pigs are suspected, but no one knows for sure. It’s astonishing, to say the least, that a strain that hasn’t been seen for some seventy-five years comes back to haunt us.”

A few minutes later, Jack hung up the phone. He was stunned, yet also relieved to a degree. At least his warnings of a possible epidemic had been heeded, and the proper authorities mobilized. If an epidemic was to be averted, the only people who could make that happen were now involved.

But there was still the question of where these infectious agents had come from. Jack certainly did not think it was a natural source like another animal or a bird for the influenza. He thought it was either a person or an organization, and now he could concentrate on that issue.

Before Jack did anything else, he called Terese. He found her at home. She was extremely relieved to hear his voice.

“What happened to you?” she asked. “I’ve been worried sick.”

“I stayed the night in a hotel,” Jack said.

“Why didn’t you call like you said you would?” Terese asked. “I’ve called your apartment a dozen times.”

“I’m sorry,” Jack said. “I should have called. But by the time I left the police headquarters and found a hotel, I wasn’t feeling much like talking to anyone. I can’t tell you how stressful the last twenty-four hours have been. I’m afraid I’m not myself.”

“I suppose I understand,” Terese said. “After that horrid incident last night I’m amazed you are functioning at all today. Didn’t you consider just staying home? I think that’s what I would have done.”

“I’m too caught up in everything that is happening,” Jack said.

“That’s just what I was afraid of,” Terese said. “Jack, listen to me. You’ve been beat up and now almost killed. Isn’t it time to let other people take over, and you get back to your normal job?”

“It’s already happening to an extent,” Jack said. “Officials from the Centers for Disease Control are on their way up here in force to contain this influenza outbreak. All I have to do is make it through today.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Terese asked.

“If I don’t solve this mystery of mine by tonight I’m giving up on it,” Jack said. “I had to promise as much to the police.”

“That’s music to my ears,” Terese said. “When can I see you? I have some exciting news to tell.”

“After last night I would have thought you’d consider me dangerous to be around,” Jack said.

“I’m assuming that once you stop this crusade of yours people will leave you alone.”

“I’ll have to call you,” Jack said. “I’m not sure how the day is going to play out.”

“You’d promised to call last night and didn’t,” Terese said. “How can I trust you?”

“You’ll just have to give me another chance,” Jack said. “And now I have to get to work.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me about my exciting news?” Terese asked.

“I thought you’d tell me if you wanted to,” Jack said.

“National Health canceled the internal review,” Terese said.

“Is that good?” Jack asked.

“Absolutely,” Terese said. “The reason they canceled it is because they are so sure they’ll like our ‘no waiting’ campaign that I leaked yesterday. So instead of having to throw the presentation together haphazardly we have a month to do it properly.”

“That’s wonderful,” Jack said. “I’m pleased for you.”

“And that’s not all,” Terese said. “Taylor Heath called me in to congratulate me. He also told me he’d learned what Robert Barker had tried to do, so Barker is out and I’m in. Taylor all but assured me I’ll be the next president of Willow and Heath.”

“That calls for a celebration,” Jack said.

“Exactly,” Terese said. “A good way to do it would be to have lunch today at the Four Seasons.”

“You certainly are persistent,” Jack said.

“As a career woman I have to be,” Terese said.

“I can’t have lunch, but maybe dinner,” Jack said. “That is, unless I’m in jail.”

“Now what does that mean?” Terese asked.

“It would take too long to explain,” Jack said. “I’ll call you later. Bye, Terese.” Jack hung up before Terese could get in another word. As tenacious as she was, Jack had the feeling she’d keep him on the phone until she got her way.

Jack was about to head up to the DNA lab when Laurie appeared in his doorway.

“I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you,” Laurie said.

“And I have you to thank for my being here,” Jack said. “A few days ago I might have thought of you as having interfered. But not now. I appreciate whatever you said to Lieutenant Soldano, because it saved my life.”

“He called me last night and told me what happened,” Laurie said. “I tried to call you at your apartment a number of times.”

“You and everyone else,” Jack said. “To tell you the truth, I was scared to go home.”

“Lou also told me he thought you were taking a lot of risks with these gangs involved,” Laurie said. “Personally, I think you should call off whatever you are doing.”

“Well, you are siding with the majority if it is any consolation,” Jack said. “And I’m sure my mother would agree if you were to call her in South Bend, Indiana, and ask her opinion.”

“I don’t understand how you can be flippant in light of everything that has happened,” Laurie said. “Besides, Lou wanted me to make sure you understand that he can’t protect you with twenty-four-hour security. He doesn’t have the manpower. You’re on your own.”

“At least I’ll be working with someone I’ve spent a lot of time with,” Jack said.

“You are impossible!” Laurie said. “When you don’t want to talk about something you hide behind your clever repartee. I think you should tell everything to Lou. Tell him about your terrorist idea and turn it over to him. Let him investigate it. He’s good at it. It’s his job.”