The Beijing conspiracy

CHAPTER 55

T he small light glowed green as the state of the art security camera matched Professor Sayed’s iris with the records in the computer bank and Imran passed through into the outer area of the Level 4 ward. He looked at his watch. The Secretary of the United Nations had asked for a personal briefing on the threat of bioterrorism and he was due in New York later that night, but he needed to check in on Kate before he left. Professor Ian Jaegar, CDC’s consulting physician on the treatment of Level 4 viruses, had personally overseen and applied every viral test known to modern medicine to Kate’s blood. Apart from slightly low white and red blood cell counts, the latter of which the Professor had attributed to a minor iron deficiency, there were no indications that the virus had gained entry through the cut, but Kate still had a fever.

Imran walked into the small isolation ward office to find it very crowded. Professor Jaegar, the duty sister and Curtis O’Connor had also arrived. Ian Jaegar greeted Imran with a smile. He had known both Imran and Curtis for years.

‘We’ve moved her out of Level 4 and back into a normal ward, Imran. I’ve still got her in isolation but it’s been over two weeks now, and I’m confident she didn’t contract the virus.’

‘The fever?’ Imran asked.

Professor Jaegar smiled. ‘I don’t know what sort of a program she’s involved in,’ he replied, looking at Curtis, ‘but I suspect she’s been working far too hard.’

Curtis grinned, but said nothing. Even though Professor Jaegar also had positively vetted clearances above top secret there was no need for him to know, and the P LASMID Compartment would remain tightly sealed to anyone who didn’t have a reason to be directly involved. On instructions from Esposito that also included the Secretary of State.

‘You think the fever was just a coincidence?’ Imran asked.

Professor Jaegar nodded. ‘A lowered immune system, coupled with the considerable stress involved in the loss of what I understand was one of her favourite chimpanzees may have left her vulnerable. I’m confident that her symptoms were nothing more than the onset of a fever-based flu, something I suspect she may have had before she was exposed in the necropsy room.

Imran nodded, a sense of relief flooding over him. He recalled that Kate had complained of not feeling well the night before, but in the middle of the incident in the hot laboratory that detail had been forgotten.

‘May we see her?’ Curtis asked.

‘Of course. Sister will take you down.’

‘Has Dolinsky settled in, Imran?’

‘As well as I can judge, although he doesn’t say much,’ Imran replied as they followed Sister toward the isolation ward. ‘Keeps to himself outside the lab, but we’re all due to have lunch with Halliwell when Kate gets out of here so perhaps I’ll get to know him a little better.’

‘Any idea how far Dolinsky’s got with his research?’

‘In the first few days I got the impression that he’s probably a lot closer to being able to combine the viruses and develop a vaccine than we might have thought. I’ve helped him insert the primers and the results are frighteningly impressive.’

’A while back I received a couple of invites to next month’s international bioterrorism conference in Sydney, Imran. The Chinese are sending a delegation so it will be interesting to see if they canvas a biological attack as a possibility at the Olympics. I was going to invite you to join me, but I see you’re down to give the opening address. Have you been to Sydney before?’ Curtis asked as they reached Kate’s isolation ward.

‘No, and unfortunately I won’t be able to make the whole program. I’ve got some urgent things to tidy up at the World Health Organization in Geneva so I can get a clear run at the Halliwell research. If you’ve got a spare invite why don’t you take Kate? Sydney’s her home town.’

‘You think she’ll want to stay on the program after this? I would have thought a Level 4 laboratory would be the last thing she’d want to go back to.’

‘You might be surprised,’ Imran replied, and he smiled his thanks to the duty sister as she showed them into Kate’s room.

‘You had us worried there for a while,’ Imran said. ‘Feeling any better?’

‘Much, although I’m beginning to wonder who I’ve got to influence to get off this show! Do I really have to stay here another week?’ Kate’s face was still a little pale but her green eyes had regained their mischievous sparkle.

Curtis and Imran exchanged glances. Dr Kate Braithwaite was clearly back to her old self.

‘I’ll see what I can do,’ Imran promised. ‘In the meantime, I’ve got to get to the airport. The Secretary of the United Nations has asked me to brief him on a few things, so get well soon,’ he said, blowing Kate a kiss, then turning to shake Curtis’ hand.

‘I am well, Imran, that’s the problem,’ Kate grumbled. ‘Safe trip.’

Curtis sat down on the edge of Kate’s bed. ‘Given what’s happened I will understand if you want to pull out,’ he offered.

‘This has only made me more determined to stay, Curtis. What we’re attempting to do is extraordinarily dangerous, but beautiful creatures like Maverick shouldn’t be sacrificed in vain.’

Curtis O’Connor nodded, total understanding in his eyes.

‘And thank you for the flowers,’ she said. ‘They’re lovely.’

‘Thank you for staying with the project and for what it’s worth, I agree, this Administration has lost the plot, but if you ever repeat that, I’ll be forced to kill you,’ he said with a grin. Breaking with protocol Curtis O’Connor leaned over and kissed Kate on the cheek.