The Deadliest Strain

Chapter Forty-Five

Cell phone lines were jammed. Some of the regular telephone exchanges seemed to be working, but it was hit and miss.

Finally, David got through on an 800-number for Homeland Security in Washington. Could he speak to Faas Hanlon? He was unavailable. Was the next person in charge of the NFI investigation available? No, no one else in charge of that investigation was available, either.

"There's got to be someone there to talk to. I have critical information about the situation."

"Mr. Link, we have no one available to talk to you right now, but if I could take a number where you can be reached, an agent connected with the investigation will get back to you."

"I've been doing just that at a number of places over the past two hours, and no one has called me back yet."

David was disgusted. 'Tine, let me leave a message for Faas Hanlon."

He had been right about the e-mail, at least. Both of his daughters e-mailed him back within an hour. They wanted to know what the heck was going on… and yes, they still had the Strep-Testers.

The company-wide e-mail he'd sent out was creating some questions. But no one was jumping in and offering anything useful. Both Bill and Ned Reynolds had their "I am away" messages on, and the VP of Sales hadn't opened his e-mail yet, either.

His secretary had e-mailed him that she was making the calls to the sales force, but that she wasn't able to get through to a lot of them because of clogged phone lines.

He decided that leaving a message for Faas Hanlon wasn't enough.

David e-mailed and then phoned the White House. He couldn't get through. He e-mailed the FBI. He was getting to be a master at it. The same text was copied and pasted in each e-mail. Name, phone number where he could be reached, the company he worked for, identifying himself as a survivor, so far, of the NFI research boat incident, indicating that he has information that might tie the source of the infection to new sample Strep-Testers that his company had released.

One of the residents came out in the hallway, and David pounced on him.

"The nurses are becoming very concerned about your behavior, Mr. Link," the young man told him.

"Good," David said, frustrated. "Call Security. Call the police. Call the FBI."

"We can't do any of those things right now." He started into a long speech about the procedures for the quarantining of the patients.

David cut him off. "I'm trying to give you information that could save thousands of lives. I work for the company that makes a new product, over-the-counter home Strep-Testers."

"Oh, I've heard of them. That's an interesting idea. But they haven't hit the market yet, have they?"

"Five hundred of them are in circulation. And there are ten thousand that are going to be distributed this morning. .unless we can stop it," David said, trying to keep any hint of fanaticism out of his voice. "I believe the Strep-Testers are causing the infections."

"And why do you think that?" he asked too casually, sending David's blood pressure a notch or two higher.

"Four of our sales people who had these samples had a death in the family from NFI," David told him, exaggerating a little. He wasn't certain for two of the cases, but he decided it was a safe assumption. "They might have used these testers."

"They might have," the resident repeated doubtfully. "Are you sure they used them?"

"I'm pretty sure they did. I know that Philip Carver, the program director on our ship, used one, because I gave it to him."

"You know, sir, every investigator in this country is working on this disease. Don't you think they would have found that information, if it were a common link? And that's only four or five cases out of how many? I've lost count of the total number of fatalities. What about the rest?"

"Yes, you're right—" David looked at the resident's badge " — Dr. Niles. You're right to be dubious. But don't you think this information needs to be brought to someone's attention?"

"Have you called the FBI… or the police department?"

David told him about all the phone calls and e-mails he'd sent.

The young doctor shrugged. "Sounds like you've done everything you should be doing. I don't know what else to tell you. But I still think it's highly unlikely that your theory is correct, since your company had to go through all kinds of testing with the FDA to get the product approved. If there was any question about the tester's safety, don't you think it would have shown up then?"

"Does the name Vioxx mean anything to you?"

"Well, that's not exactly the same thing, but I believe they're still fighting that out in court."

"Who wins in court is not the issue. People could be dying because of this product."

The resident shrugged again.

"Even if the product that was tested is viable, it may very well be that this product lot was infected. Who knows, maybe some terrorist planted something in our lab."

"I still don't know what to tell you. You've done everything you can. Now wait and see. I'm sure they'll get back to you." He glanced at his watch. "Sorry, I have to go."

David rubbed the back of his neck. The muscles were knotted. He wasn't overreacting. What happened if he was right?

He couldn't believe how close he'd come to making Josh use the strip.

A cold sweat washed down his back. Anyone could be using one right now.

He made up his mind. He dialed the number for the White House again and got through. He punched numbers until he was speaking to a living human.

"Yes. This is David Link. I am the terrorist behind the NFI outbreak…. Yes, you heard me correctly. The NFI outbreak… No, I don't want you to put me on hold. I've just been taken off the research vessel that had all the kids on it, and I'm being held in the VA Medical Center…. That's right, the VA Medical Center in Maryland. Yes, I am behind every single one of the outbreaks. Yes, David Link. I work for Reynolds Pharmaceuticals. Okay… now listen to me, because I'm only going to say this to you once. Are you ready?"

David definitely had the White House operator's attention.

"As we speak, ten thousand infected products are being shipped all over the country. Ten thousand. That means the number of NFI deaths so far is nothing compared to what will happen tomorrow if you don't get someone over to this hospital now."