Rita Herron - A Warrior's Mission

“I received an e-mail from Wiley Longbottom, the director of the DPS,” Colleen added. “He saw those CDC results and suggested we check out a flu that hit Silver Rapids early this year.” She indicated for Shawn to continue.

“About five months prior to the kidnapping, a flu hit Silver Rapids. The people were treated at Gilpin Hospital in Denver. Two died.” Shawn pressed his hands on the table. “At about the same time the kidnapping occurred, Gilpin’s records room was damaged in a fire.”

“Too much of a coincidence,” Night said.

“Exactly. We caught the arsonist but he claims to know nothing about the kidnapping,” Shawn explained. “But we’re sure that the experiments being done on the sheep ranch are connected to the Silver Rapids flu. Dr. Kelley Stanton—” Shawn flushed as he said the name of the woman Night knew had captured his heart “—discovered that the flu was actually a Q fever outbreak. The people of Silver Rapids were probably exposed to a live version of whatever was being tested on the Half Spur flock.

“Senator Gettys still insists that Samuel Langworthy staged the kidnapping for publicity for his son Joshua. Former governor Todd Houghton seems to be in agreement.”

With Holly’s knowledge or without? Night had watched her from a distance these past four months, had seen the strain on her face, the dark circles beneath her eyes that showed she wasn’t sleeping. Even though she loved her brother Joshua and Night still resented the fact that she had kept his son from him, he didn’t believe she’d be a party to such a plan.

Ryan Benton jumped in. “While Michael was at the Half Spur, I investigated Helen Gettys, the senator’s former wife.”

Night turned his attention to Ryan, who explained that the senator was under investigation by the FBI for experimenting with biological weapons. Helen Gettys had given Ryan computer disks, copied from the Half Spur, that all but proved Gettys was involved in experiments that were likely illegal.

“When Senator Gettys was questioned about the experiments being done on the ranch, he was sweating,” Ryan stated. “He definitely supports bio research and wants to make Colorado the location of a premier research facility once the 1972 bio weapons treaty limitations are reassessed. But he insists there is no connection between the germs tested on his sheep and the Silver Rapids flu.”

“What about Joshua Langworthy?” Night asked.

“He’s clear,” Fiona said with a sly grin. While investigating Joshua, Fiona had developed a personal relationship with Holly’s half brother, the governor elect. Now she and Joshua were engaged.

“And Houghton probably isn’t too happy about losing the election,” Night noted.

Fiona shrugged. “He’s a little bitter toward Joshua and Samuel Langworthy. Joshua admits that his father has been acting strangely and thinks we should keep an eye on him.”

Night frowned. Back to Holly’s father. Would he kidnap his own grandson to gain publicity for Joshua’s campaign? Or perhaps he had orchestrated the kidnapping to punish Holly for getting involved with Night? What if Langworthy had decided he didn’t want a half-breed baby tainting the image of the Centennial family and decided to get him out of the picture completely? That would explain the reason there had been no ransom—and how someone had breached Langworthy security.

“Helen Gettys confirmed a connection between Senator Gettys and mobster Helio DeMarco, now deceased,” Colleen continued. “As you know, DeMarco’s web of illegal activities reached worldwide. A suspicious relationship for a senator. The FBI believes that one of Helio’s corporations may be the other owner of the Half Spur.”

Conrad stood, scrubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “We also discovered that DeMarco’s nephew Tony used Holly’s half sister, Marilyn, to steal germ stock from Mills & Grommett, the pharmaceutical company affiliated with the Langworthys. Before he died, Helio implied that Holly might have inadvertently been a subject of germ testing herself.”

Night nearly bolted up from the table. “What?”

Con’s expression turned grave. “Tony tricked Marilyn into bringing Holly to Silver Rapids during her pregnancy. We think Holly was exposed to the germ test that caused the Silver Rapids flu.”

Night inhaled to control his emotions, although his pulse raced as he realized the implications. Both for Holly and their son. How many people had died of the Silver Rapids flu? “Has she been ill?”

“Holly suffered from symptoms during the Silver Rapids epidemic, in her seventh month of pregnancy, and was sick for four days,” Con answered. “Her symptoms also matched Q fever.”

“What are the long-term effects?” Night asked.

“None that we know of, but she’ll definitely need follow-up tests.”

Night nodded.

“And the baby?” His son?

“We have no way of knowing.” Colleen gave him a sympathetic look.

“Why subject a pregnant woman to germ testing?” Night asked. “And risk the life of an unborn child?”

Con released a troubled sigh. “I may have the answer there.” He met Night’s concerned look with one of equal measure. “As a young child, I used to stay with Holly’s mother, my Aunt Celia, when my family was out of town.”

“What does that have to do with Holly?”

“Celia was married to a doctor then, Theodore Grace. Dr. Grace earned his Ph.D. in microbiology at Yale where he met Celia and Samuel Langworthy. At one time, Grace was recruited to work at the federal government’s biological weapons research center in Frederick, Maryland. He made breakthrough discoveries and was working on highly promising experiments in combining viral and bacterial DNA when President Nixon shut down bio weapons research in 1969.”

A deathly chill invaded Night’s body. He had heard the name before. “But he didn’t give up the research?”

Con shook his head.

“No, he became obsessed, moody and abusive to my aunt. He built a home laboratory, locked himself in it for days and continued testing.” He sighed. “One weekend, when I was sick and Aunt Celia was taking care of me, Grace gave me an experimental bacterial concoction to boost my immune system. That was the last straw for Aunt Celia. When she discovered he’d used me as a guinea pig, she divorced him shortly after.”

“No surprise there,” Colleen said. “And later, Celia married Samuel Langworthy.”

Con nodded. “Teddy Grace is one of the few people capable of producing the designer germs Helio DeMarco liked to play with. Grace is connected to the Langworthys through Celia. He’s certainly capable of testing germs on an unknowing public, such as the people of Silver Rapids.”

And on Holly and his son. But why them?

To get revenge on Samuel Langworthy and his wife, Celia?

“For now, all our leads go back to Grace,” Colleen said. “Not only does he hate Samuel Langworthy for stealing Celia away from him, but, if he was involved in the Silver Rapids flu, he might want to follow up on the germ test to see how it affected Holly’s unborn child.”

Night folded his hands in front of him, his calm demeanor a mere smoke screen. Inside, his heart was raging, his anger like a bomb ready to explode.

“So our next step,” Colleen said, “is to find Teddy Grace.”

“I’m taking this assignment.” Night stood, ready for action. “Any idea where he is?”

Colleen shook her head. “Not yet, but we’re looking into it.”

Night headed toward the door. “I’ll go to the Langworthys and see if Celia has heard from him. Maybe she can give us a clue where to find him.”

Hopefully, finding Grace would lead Night to his baby.

“We’ll pinpoint areas where his lab might be,” Colleen said. “The dirt found by Baby Sky’s crib may have come from Southeast Colorado.”