A Pox On You

Viruses, just like bacteria, can mutate or they can be genetically engineered. Either way a change occurs in their genetic make-up. When this happens, as is shown in some mutant bacteria such as the new strains of tuberculosis, the new strains are resistant to standard antibiotics. So the vaccines we have for the smallpox virus, variola, insufficient or flawed as they are, may not control a smallpox disease caused by a mutant or genetically changed virus. Such a virus would be dangerous to any laboratory that discovered it and the virus would never be considered in germ warfare, because the user would be as subject to the disease as his enemy. However, the country that possessed a changed virus as well as the vaccine to control that virus would have a weapon of extraordinary power. That nation's population could be protected by vaccination, while the population of other nations could be wiped out if they did not have access to the vaccine on a massive scale.

Chapter One

She could see the front door from the top of the stairs, but the corridor to the main entrance was a narrow unlit hall. She saw Atash standing on the walk outside, silently smoking a cigar. His shadow spread out in a threatening length along the sidewalk. Busy pedestrians hurried past him on their way to a late night reveling or perhaps home to bed. She thought, I don’t remember him smoking.

When Chloe was no more than three feet from the restaurant door, a long black car pulled up beside Atash, screeching brakes. A hooded man leaned from the open window, and pushed a revolver before him. He fired into Atash's chest not more than inches away. Atash crumpled to the sidewalk as a rag doll would. Chloe could see his surprised countenance and the blood on his shirtfront. The car stopped. Two burly young men jumped from the back seat, grabbed Atash by the shoulders and knees, popped him into the car, and sped off.

Chapter Three

"Chloe, come here, quick!" Richard shouted. She came and stood beside him, her hairbrush in her hand. On the TV screen a somber young man stood before the White House and intoned, "We have sad news today. A maid found Mr. Andrews, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, dead in his swimming pool this afternoon and called police. A preliminary examination indicates a heart attack, but authorities say they will have an autopsy done. Mrs. Andrews was out of town and could not be reached for comment. The President said Mr. Andrew's death was a great loss to the country. Among his many other accomplishments, Mr. Andrews had initiated health alerts for infectious diseases and viruses and was working with the WHO and U.S. pharmaceutical companies to stamp out curable sicknesses in the third world countries. Most recently, Secretary Andrews has been championing the production of more vaccines to guard against biological warfare. He had especially targeted the smallpox vaccine."

Richard reached over and turned off the set. They looked at each other without speaking. Richard said, "Well, it looks like you're only going to have two people to interview, too. Perhaps we better get to it before all the people on the list end up on the evening news."

Chapter Four

Senator Ezra Dobbs was no fool. She could see he was thinking fast how much and what to tell her and how much to cover up what he didn't know. "My dear Mrs. Manning, I had no idea," this much she believed from his sweating. "I haven't seen Atash since...oh it must be six months. One of his pharmaceutical companies is in my district and employs lots of people. I do know Mr. Bahram Rafiai, the Director of Smithwick Industries here in Washington; he's a good friend, well, that is, a business constituent. I don't know him socially. He's not married you know and doesn't do any entertaining. "

Ezra thought quickly; he had to search for a safe reason to know Rafiai. Golf! Athletics, there that would be safe! "We're old golfing buddies. But he's never mentioned Atash's death or kidnapping. Surely he would know." He laughed rather nervously. "If all this had happened and Rafiai did know, I suppose he wouldn't want the information about kidnapping and death, that is, he wouldn't want that out until he was absolutely positive and he knew how to handle the results. Such information would surely damage the company's stock."

So that's how he does it, thought Chloe. No money from Atash but of course an old golfing buddy is happy to shell out. He knows all the time that Atash is the source of the money. Very clever! I also picked up on the possible downturn of stock effect. Does Dobbs own a great deal of stock? She put on her poor-little-worried-me look. "Well, of course you can imagine how worried I was for Atash and for me too. Who knows what those people who took him had in mind." She glanced at him sideways and saw he was buying it.

Chapter Five

Anna excused herself. "I'll be back. I think I had too much brandy." John called the waiter over to ask for the bill. When Anna had left, Joe leaned toward John. "You rich Americans are crazy, more interested in lab with sick virus than you are in beautiful girl. Crazy." He leaned back in his chair and smiled, sober as a judge. John experienced a chill and cursed himself for his self-complacent assumptions. He knew Joe had downed the best part of a bottle of vodka and most of the brandy, but Joe was not drunk and was more observant than John had anticipated. He looked into Joe's bemused eyes and remembered Richard's warning.

Chapter 10

Very carefully he reached over and raised the window and climbed over the windowsill. Soundlessly he closed the window. He pulled a flashlight out of his pocket and surveyed the room. He remembered the layout from his previous visit, the desk with a chair facing it and a leather chair behind. To the left was a coat closet and to the right what looked like a small bathroom. By the door to the hall were a large fig tree and a porcelain umbrella stand with blue and white decoration. He pulled a small camera out of his pants pocket and approached the file cabinet. The drawers were filled with billings and staff meeting notes. John sat in the leather chair at the desk and surveyed the room. As he stretched his left leg, his foot hit something under the desk. When he bent down and turned the flashlight on it, he saw a small metal file cabinet. The frame was bolted to the side of the desk.