“In the 1950s we worked on a project to breed Aedes aegypti to use the mosquitoes as a carrier, a biological delivery system. The U.S. Army actually did a small, limited trial, doing a release in Georgia and Florida. Probably too small to measure any level of effectiveness.
“But think about it for a minute. How perfect would that be? If we could either breed insects that already carry certain diseases, like dengue fever or chikungunya, or perhaps infect insects with diseases or viruses, we could release them in areas without the enemy even knowing. Dr. Shaw was fascinated by different delivery methods, especially organic carriers.”
“What exactly are you saying, Abraham? That she was working on using swarms of mosquitoes as a weapons delivery system?”
“Keep your voice down, Benjamin.”
“Do you know what viruses the facility had access to?”
“I’m working on getting—”
“No,” Platt interrupted, stunning the colonel. “You must know by now.”
Platt waited out the silence, staring down the man he had respected and revered for almost two decades.
“You must not share this with anyone,” Hess finally said.
“You asked me to send someone I trusted, only so you could control the investigation and what information is released.”
“I assure you any dangerous pathogens are completely safe. My team is in the process of recovering the lockbox that stores them.”
“How can you be certain it hasn’t already ruptured from the pressure of the landslide? Everyone there could have already been exposed.”
“Because it emits a signal, and we’re still getting that signal.”
Platt shook his head. As an army colonel and director of USAMRIID he knew the fine line they walked keeping civilians safe while trying to find new ways to help soldiers be more effective and keeping them safe, too. His life was filled with classified information. He worked in labs at Fort Detrick with viruses and pathogens that could wipe out a city if accidentally released. And he had, in fact, been at the helm of controlling an Ebola outbreak several years ago that could have killed hundreds if there had been a widespread panic.
“Twenty-four hours,” he told Hess. “I’ll give you twenty-four hours.”
“Are you threatening me, Benjamin?”
“I’m giving you a chance to do the right thing.”
39.
Haywood County, North Carolina
By the time they made it back down the mountain, rain had replaced the drizzle. Ross dropped O’Dell, Jason, and Bolo at the high school. She had already checked the area for available lodging. The nearest hotel or motel was over fifty miles away and certainly not worth the drive with all the detours.
Ross had told them that one of the three community churches was housing and feeding the families whose homes had been destroyed. Since classes had to be canceled, cots had been set up in the school gymnasium for the rescue workers. They could use the locker rooms to store their gear and take a shower. Hot breakfasts and dinner were being served in the cafeteria. Brown-bag lunches would be prepared and ready by eight AM.
“Just get your name on the list,” the guardsman had told them.
He pointed to the back of the long gymnasium. “All three of you will need to go through Decon before you can enter the building.”
“Decon?”
“Sorry. Decontamination. All that mud we’ve been trudging through and digging up is considered contaminated. Landslides tend to produce a toxic cesspool. Most folks here have propane tanks for heating and septic tanks. We don’t know how many have been breached. Not to mention all the insulation, asbestos, and other stuff. Basically they’ll be hosing you off.” Then he shrugged and said, “Not like we aren’t already wet enough, huh?”
O’Dell noticed it was the guardsman’s first attempt at humor. She studied his profile and realized he was much younger than she had initially thought. They were all exhausted.
On the drive down the mountain she had tried to get ahold of Dr. Gunther, leaving two messages and a callback number each time. Ross had told her that the other guardsmen would be delivering the body they’d unearthed along with the hand to the temporary morgue, as per their instructions. She’d been hoping Dr. Gunther would start her examination as soon as possible, but now doubted that would happen.
O’Dell, Jason, and Bolo followed the sidewalk around to the back of the long building. Other crews were pulling up along the curb, filing out and gathering gear. Sunset wasn’t for another hour but the gray skies and rain would accelerate that.
“They served an excellent breakfast this morning,” Jason said, walking alongside her.