“Why do I keep surrounding myself with women who always want to do the right thing?”
She smiled. Creed reached out his hand across the space between them and over Bolo’s head. Maggie hesitated for only a second or two before she took his hand and squeezed it.
He held tight as he told her, “You do realize that the same man who saved you was willing to send you down here to possibly be exposed to something equally dangerous?”
This time she didn’t look away. She didn’t respond, and she didn’t pull her hand away from his.
DAY 4
65.
Early morning
Washington, D.C.
When Colonel Hess opened the front door he scowled at Benjamin Platt.
“This had better be as urgent as is the hour.”
Hess was dressed in trousers, a collared shirt, cardigan sweater, and fine leather shoes. Even after being awoken in the middle of the night the man needed to look in control. Platt, on the other hand, had thrown on blue jeans and a sweatshirt. In his hurry, he’d forgotten socks and a jacket.
“The situation in North Carolina is more urgent than we thought,” he told the colonel.
“Have there been more landslides?”
“No. But there’s been a fire. The building they were using for a temporary morgue was destroyed.”
His bushy gray eyebrows rose. “And the bodies?”
“As far as anyone knows, they were destroyed.”
Hess nodded and Platt stared at him. He didn’t seem fazed by the news.
“Has Logan checked in?” Platt asked. “Has he told you anything about this?”
“Logan.” He made a noise as he waved his hand, indicating he’d had it with Logan.
“I sent someone down there,” Platt said, “who might now be in danger. Someone I care very deeply about. And I sent her there because you asked me to choose someone I trusted implicitly. You told me that facility might—and you emphasized might—contain Level 4 samples. You never told me about the experiments.”
“Calm down, Benjamin.”
“Look, I respect you, Abe. You’ve been a tremendous mentor to me—”
“One you repay by waking me in the middle of the night with your suspicions.”
“I just need to know what the hell’s happening down there. This isn’t about us protecting the world anymore, Abraham. We have a responsibility. This facility isn’t even a part of Fort Detrick. It’s DARPA. It’s your responsibility.”
“Exactly. You’re correct. I was wrong in asking for your help. However, I have everything under control. I have a team down—”
“Under control? Wait a minute.” And it only just occurred to Platt. “You mean under your control. Your special team isn’t just searching for the lockbox. They’re cleaning up to make sure no one ever knows about any of this.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Benjamin.”
“That fire destroyed evidence.”
This time Hess stared at him as if mention of the fire had finally struck a nerve.
“You’re not the only one, Benjamin, who has lost someone. I sent someone there, too. Someone who I once trusted many years ago. She was married to one of my dearest friends. I thought I could still trust her.” He shook his head like it didn’t matter. Then added, “We all make sacrifices.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Your friend is a bit of a rebel, isn’t she? Just like my so-called trusted friend.”
“I suppose you could call Maggie a rebel. What does that—”
“You failed to mention that. Rebels have a tendency to meddle more than help.”
“She does what she believes is the right thing.”
“The right thing? The right thing? We’re faced today with a new threat that makes the Cold War look like child’s play. That’s what no one understands. Your friend has no idea what the right thing is in this case. She can’t possibly know. I suggest you go home and get some sleep, Benjamin. You need to trust me to take care of this.”
“And what if Logan is the rebel?”
Hess stopped and stared at him as if he hadn’t given it any thought until Platt said it.
“What if Logan is destroying evidence? What if he has other intentions?”
Hess shook his head. “I’ll take care of everything. You go home. Get some sleep.”
“I’m going down there first thing in the morning.”
“There’s no need.” And now Hess had his arthritic hand on Platt’s back and was guiding him toward the door. “By morning everything will be taken care of.”
Platt couldn’t help thinking that the colonel made it sound like he already knew what was going to happen.
66.
Haywood County, North Carolina