cpatricia.unnaturalexposure-第45部分

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tities。　Wheat；　who　battled　paperwork　almost　as　much　as　I　did；　was　sitting　at　her　desk；　typing　something　on　her　puter。　She　was　an　attractive　woman　in　a　strong　way；　forty　and　friendly。
　'What　trouble　are　you　getting　into　this　time？'　She　smiled　at　me；　then　eyed　my　bag。　'I'm　afraid　to　ask。'
　'Possible　product　tampering；'　I　said。　'I　need　to　spray　some　on　a　slide；　but　it　absolutely　can't　get　in　the　air　or　on　me　or　anyone。'
　'What　is　it？'　She　was　very　somber　now；　getting　up。
　'Possibly　a　virus。'
　'As　in　the　one　on　Tangier？'
　'That's　my　fear。'
　'You　don't　think　it　might　be　wiser　to　get　this　to　CDC；　let　them　。　。　。'
　'Douglas；　yes；　it　would　be　wiser；'　I　patiently　explained　as　I　coughed　again。　'But　we　haven't　got　time。　I've　got　to　know。　We　have　no　idea　how　many　of　these　might　be　in　the　hands　of　consumers。'
　Her　DNA　lab　had　a　number　of　closed　air　system　hoods　surrounded　by　glass　bioguards；　because　the　evidence　tested　here　was　blood。　She　led　me　to　one　in　the　back　of　a　room；　and　we　put　on　masks　and　gloves；　and　she　gave　me　a　lab　coat。　She　turned　on　a　fan　that　sucked　air　up　into　the　hood；　passing　it　through　HEPA　filters。
　'Ready？'　I　asked；　taking　the　facial　spray　out　of　the　bag。　'We'll　make　this　quick。'
　I　held　a　clean　slide　and　the　small　canister　under　the　hood　and　sprayed。
　'Let's　dip　this　in　a　ten　percent　bleach　solution；'　I　said　when　I　was　done。　'Then　we'll　triple　bag　it；　get　it　and　the　other　ten　off　to　Atlanta。'
　'ing　up；'　Wheat　said；　walking　off。
　The　slide　took　almost　no　time　to　dry；　and　I　dripped　Nicolaou　stain　on　it　and　sealed　it　with　a　cover　slip。　I　was　already　looking　at　it　under　a　microscope　when　Wheat　returned　with　a　container　of　bleach　solution。　She　dipped　the　Vita　spray　in　it　several　times　while　fears　coalesced；　rolling　into　a　dark；　awful　thunderhead　as　my　pulse　throbbed　in　my　neck。　I　peered　at　the　Guarnieri　bodies　I　had　e　to　dread。
　When　I　looked　up　at　Wheat；　she　could　tell　by　the　expression　on　my　face。
　'Not　good；'　she　said。
　'Not　good。'　I　turned　off　the　microscope　and　dropped　my　mask　and　gloves　into　biohazardous　waste。
　
　The　Vita　sprays　from　my　office　were　airlifted　to　Atlanta；　and　a　preliminary　warning　was　broadcast　nationwide　to　anyone　who　might　have　had　such　a　sample　delivered　to　them。　The　manufacturer　had　issued　an　immediate　recall；　and　international　airlines　were　removing　the　sprays　from　overseas　travel　bags　given　to　business　and　first…class　passengers。　The　potential　spread　of　this　disease；　should　deadoc　have　somehow　tampered　with　hundreds；　thousands　of　the　facial　sprays；　was　staggering。　We　could；　once　again；　find　ourselves　facing　a　worldwide　epidemic。
　The　meeting　took　place　at　one　P。M。　in　the　FBI's　field　office　off　Staples　Mill　Road。　State　and　federal　flags　fought　from　tall　poles　out　front　as　a　sharp　wind　tore　brown　leaves　off　trees　and　made　the　afternoon　seem　much　colder　than　it　was。　The　brick　building　was　new；　and　had　a　secure　conference　room　equipped　with　audio…visual　capabilities；　so　we　could　see　remote　people　while　we　talked　to　them。　A　young　female　agent　sat　at　the　head　of　the　table；　at　a　console。　Wesley　and　I　pulled　out　chairs　and　moved　microphones　close。　Above　us　on　walls　were　video　monitors。
　'Who　else　are　we　expecting？'　Wesley　asked　as　the　special　agent　in　charge；　or　S。A。C。；　walked　in　with　an　armload　of　paperwork。
　'Miles；'　said　the　S。A。C。；　referring　to　the　Health　missioner；　my　immediate　boss。　'And　the　Coast　Guard。'　He　glanced　at　his　paperwork。　'Regional　chief　out　of　Crisfield；　Maryland。　A　chopper's　bringing　him　in。　Shouldn't　take　him　more　than　thirty　minutes　in　one　of　those　big　birds。'
　He　had　no　sooner　said　this　than　we　could　hear　blades　thudding　faintly　in　the　distance。　Minutes　later；　the　Jayhawk　was　thundering　overhead　and　settling　in　the　helipad　behind　the　building。　I　could　not　remember　a　Coast　Guard　recovery　helicopter　ever　landing　in　our　city　or　even　flying　over　it　low；　and　the　sight　of　it　must　have　been　awesome　to　people　on　the　road。　Chief　Martinez　was　slipping　off　his　coat　as　he　joined　us。　I　noted　his　dark　blue　mando　sweater　and　uniform　pants；　and　maps　rolled　up　in　tubes；　and　the　situation　only　got　grimmer。
　The　agent　at　the　console　was　working　controls　as　missioner　Miles　strode　in　and　took　a　chair　next　to　mine。　He　was　an　older　man　with　abundant　gray　hair　that　was　more　contentious　than　most　of　the　people　he　managed。　Today；　tufts　were　sticking　out　in　all　directions；　his　brow　heavy　and　stern　as　he　put　on　thick　black　glasses。
　'You　look　a　little　under　the　weather；'　he　said　to　me　as　he　made　notes　to　himself。
　'The　usual　stuff　going　around；'　I　said。
　'Had　I　known　that；　I　wouldn't　have　sat　next　to　you。'　He　meant　it。
　'I'm　beyond　the　contagious　stage。'　I　said；　but　he　wasn't　listening。
　Monitors　were　ing　on　around　the　room；　and　I　recognized　the　face　of　Colonel　Fujitsubo　on　one　of　them。　Then　Bret　Martin　blinked　on；　staring　straight　at　us。
　The　agent　at　the　console　said；　'Camera　on。　Mikes　on。　Someone　want　to　count　for　me。'
　'Five…four…three…two…one；'　the　S。A。C。　said　into　his　mike。
　'How's　that　level？'
　'Fine　here；'　Fujitsubo　said　from　Frederick；　Maryland。
　'Fine；'　said　Martin　from　Atlanta。
　'We're　ready　anytime。'　The　agent　at　the　console　glanced　around　the　table。
　'Just　to　make　sure　all　of　us　are　up　to　speed；'　I　began。　'We　have　an　outbreak　of　what　appears　to　be　a　smallpox…like　virus　that　so　far　seems　to　be　restricted　to　the　island　of　Tangier；　eighteen　miles　off　the　coast　of　Virginia。　Two　deaths　reported　so　far；　with　another　person　ill。　It　is　also　likely　that　a　recent　homicide　victim　was　infected　with　this　virus。　The　mode　of　transmission　is　suspected　to　be　the　deliberate　contamination　of　samples　of　Vita　aromatherapy　facial　spray。'
　'That　hasn't　been　determined　yet。'　It　was　Miles　who　spoke。
　'The　samples　should　be　getting　here　any　minute；'　Martin　said　from　Atlanta。　'We'll　begin　testing　immediately；　and　will　hopefully　have　an　answer　by　the　end　of　tomorrow。　Meanwhile；　they're　being　taken　out　of　circulation　until　we　know　exactly　what　we're　dealing　with。'
　'You　can　do　PCR　to　see　if　it's　the　same　virus；'　Miles　said　to　the　video　screens。
　Martin　nodded。　'That　we　can　do。'
　Miles　looked　around　the　room。　'So　what　are　we　saying　here？　We　got　some　loonytune　out　there；　some　Tylenol　killer　who's　decided　to　use　a　disease？　How　do　we　know　these　little　spray　bottles　aren't　the　hell　all　over　the　place？'
　'I　think　the　killer　wants　to　take　his　time。'　Wesley　began　what　he　did　best。　'He　started　with　one　victim。　When　that　paid　off；　he　began　on　a　tiny　island。　Now　that's　paying　off；　so　he　hits　a　downtown　health　department　office。'　He　looked　at　me。　'He　will　go　to　the　next　stage　if　we　don't　stop　him　or　develop　a　vaccine。　Another　reason　I　suspect　this　is　still　local；　is　it　appears　the　facial　sprays　are　hand…delivered；　with　bogus　bulk…rate　postage　on　the　tubes　to　give　the　appearence　that　they　were　mailed。'
　'You're　definitely　calling　this　product　tampering；　then；'　Colonel　Fujitsubo　said　to　him。
　'I'm　calling　this　terrorism。'
　'The　point　of　it　being　what？'
　'We　don't　know　that　yet；'　Wesley　told　him。
　'But　this　is　far　worse　than　any　Tylenol　killer　or　Unabomber；'　I　said。　'The　destruction　they　cause　is　limited　to　whoever　takes　the　capsules　or　opens　the　package。　With　a　virus；　it's　going　to　spread　far　beyond　the　primary　victim。'
　'Dr　Martin；　what　can　you　tell　us　about　this　particular　virus？'　Miles　said。
　'We　have　four　traditional　methods　for　testing　for　smallpox。'　He　stared　stiffly　at　us　from　his　screen。　'Electron　microscopy；　with　which　we　have　observed　a　direct　visualization　of　variola。'
　'Smallpox？'　Miles　almost　shouted。　'You're　sure　about　that？'
　'Hold　on；'　Martin　interrupted　him。　'Let　me　finish。　We　also　got　a　verification　of　antigenic　identity　using　agar　gel。　Now；　chick　embryo　chorioallantoic　membrane　culture；　other　tissue　cultures　are　going　to　take　two；　three　days。　So　we　don't　have　those　results　now；　but　we　do　have　PCR。　It　verified　a　pox。　We　just　don't　know　which　one。　It's　very　odd；　nothing　currently　known；　not　monkeypox；　whitepox。　Not　classic　variola　major　or　minor；　although　it　seems　to　be　related。'
　'Dr　Scarpetta；'　Fujitsubo　spoke。　'Can　you　tell　me　what's　in　this　facial　spray；　as　best　you　know？'
　'Distilled　water　and　a　fragrance。　There　were　no