Code Name: Luminous (18 page)

“Are you saying he wants to be President?”

Thane nodded. “Yes. Obviously he didn’t consider what would
be left after a virus of this deadly magnitude devastated the globe. The
survival rate is zero. There would not be much left to lead, unless he saw it
as a history-making moment to rise from the ashes and rebuild a country from
what’s left.”

“No, Thane. I won’t accept it. He’s put this country first,
always. He’s a man of honor.”

“Aren’t we all until greed twists its way into our soul?”
Hoskins said.

“What proof do you have?”

Thane filled his mug for the third time. “Lumin Edenridge
was taken by Dafoe and injected with the virus. He admitted Caufield supplied
him with the bacteria and he did it for money to begin his campaign.”

“You’re here to arrest him,” the President said, putting his
attention on Thane.

“We’ve lost Dafoe. He’s carrying a second strain of the
virus. The first one had a flaw. It dies off quickly. The second strain does
not.” Thane glimpsed his phone when he felt it vibrate, and closed his eyes. A
sickening tightness balled in his gut after reading the message.

The aid answered the door and took the paper he was handed,
presenting it to the President. He read it quickly and breathed out heavily.
The other admirals in the room looked to Thane. “Three towns now reporting
plague symptoms.”

“How do you know?” Hoskins asked.

Thane lifted his phone.
“My wife.”

The President nodded.
“CDC brief.”
He handed the paper to Admiral Hoskins. “Kayla’s still working? I thought she
retired.”

“She’s lending her efforts and we need her on this mission.
She found the lab in Northern Nevada with the help of Base Command staff.”
Thane blew out a deep breath. “If this is the second strain, we need to
quarantine these towns, but it’s probably too late. They are larger than Ramah,
but still somewhat isolated.”

“How do we find Dafoe?” the President asked.

Thane nodded slowly and stood up. The other Admirals did as
well. “Now, it’s time to call in Caufield.”

General Caufield strolled into the room,
then
jerked to a stop seeing every set of eyes on him.
“Mr.
President, gentlemen.”

No one acknowledged him except the President. “Come in,
Darrin,” he said, taking a seat behind his desk. Thane sat in a chair, while
his counterparts sat on one couch, which left the other for General Caufield.

Caufield wore his uniform and ribbon rack of medals like a
suit of armor. He was a barrel-chested, short man with a strong but quiet
persona. Thane had met him several times, and appreciated the man’s
intelligence and his level-headed approach to warfare. As far as he knew,
Caufield had been a respected and confident advisor to the White House.

“I take it the news on the virus is not good,” Caufield
said, sitting down.

Admiral Hoskins once again took the lead. “Darrin, for forty
years you have served this country without fault.”

Caufield didn’t bat an eye waiting for the punch line.

“A terrorist by the name of Callum Dafoe has been uncovered.
For three years he has poured his money into creating a virus with a one
hundred percent kill rate to seek justice for a bombing that took out his wife
and son.”

“Is he in custody?” the General asked.

Thane glanced at his peers. Everyone’s game face was on.
“General Caufield.” The General’s dark blue gaze slipped to him. “The virus has
been launched in three more towns. American citizens, people you’ve dedicated a
lifetime to protect, are now dying. When you walk out of this office, you will
be arrested, tried, and more than likely imprisoned for the rest of your life.
I don’t really give a shit what you say outside these walls, but right now you
are going to tell us how to find Dafoe and anything you know about Dr.
Bjornson.” Thane rose and stepped toward the General. He knew fear and it
radiated from Caufield. He leaned over the General. “I will bar those doors and
you won’t have to worry about a trial, General. Innocent people are dying
because of your greed. There is a second strain, and the antiserum you no doubt
possess is useless. Where—the—fuck—is Dafoe?”

Caufield shifted in his chair and turned to look at the
President.

John shook his head slowly, poorly hidden disgust painting
his expression. “Tell him, Darrin, so we can stop this before we have a
pandemic.”

Caufield lowered his head.

Thane balled his hand. He didn’t see shame, he saw regret at
being caught. “Where, Caufield?” he growled.

Caufield stood and faced him. “I don’t know. Our transaction
and communications were finalized.”

“Tell me about Bjornson.”

Caufield ran his hand down his face as if rubbing away the
moment and the nightmare he’d started. “Dr. Bjornson is retired. When Dafoe
needed experts in virology, I offered his name. Clifford and I had crossed
professional paths many times over the years. He moved his family to California
when he retired.”

“Where?”
Thane barked. Patience was
becoming a lost commodity.

“San Diego. He and his wife Ariana wanted to be closer to
their grandchildren. His son-in-law is a Marine.”

Admiral Pennington spoke. “I’ll dispatch a squad to visit
his residence.” He reached for his cell and wandered away from them.

“Send Petty Officer Mace Callahan to do it. If there’s
information, he’ll get it,” Thane said. Caufield took a step back when he
turned his attention on the General. “Bjornson hasn’t shown himself since he
escaped. He may be dead. If he is, your death sentence is sealed in cement with
every other American citizen. You won’t have a headstone that says President of
the United
States,
you’ll be in a mass grave with
every other rotting corpse.”

Caufield strode with as much pride as he could garner to
stand in front of the President. “Since the day I agreed to Dafoe’s offer, I
have regretted it, but there was no going back without implicating myself and
hurting my family.”

The President reached for his phone. “Send a security team
to the Oval Office immediately.” He stood and faced Caufield. “You are a
traitor to this country. You declared war on America when you gave Dafoe the
plague.” The door to the Oval Office burst open and a team of security officers
came through. “Arrest General Caufield. Admiral Cagney, will you escort them?”

“Yes, Mr. President.” Cagney gripped the General’s arm and
led him out of the office.

“Thane, Felix, can you stop this before it gets out of
control?”

Thane’s cell rang and he saw it was Kayla. “If you’re
calling, you have something.”

“Thane, there are quarantines around each of the towns.”

“That’s good news.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Sweetheart, you sound scared.”

“Dafoe’s second strain can live in water. The city’s water
systems were shut down and they automatically diverted to the water towers.
That’s where he put the virus.”

“How many people left the towns before they were quarantined?”

“We don’t know. They’re investigating now.”

“If we get them all, it’s contained.”

“No, Thane, it’s not. People use the bathroom. People wash
their hands, shower, and it all goes somewhere. All three of these towns were
situated near underground river systems. The virus is free. It’ll find its way
into streams, lakes, and reservoirs. It will find its way to the cities.”

“Is there any mention of this in the media yet?”

“I’m monitoring the largest news sites. Nothing yet, but if
this gets out, there will be pandemonium.”

“I’m on my way home.”

“Okay,” she said, her voice shaky, and that made him scared
because Kayla didn’t get scared.

“Leave one person in Base Command. Get everyone else to go
with you and buy as much bottled water as you can. If hell breaks loose, I’ll
need you to be able to remain in the Ops Center.”

“I’m leaving now. I’ll call you when I’m back.”

He lowered his voice and said, “Kayla, I love you, but I
have to see this mission through. We’re sending Mace on recon to Bjornson’s
residence. I’m going to join the team and we’ll track down Dafoe. Lumin has six
hours left. We have to find that antiserum.”

“Maybe I should go with Mace?”

Jesus
help
us
. “I didn’t spend the last year and a half
chasing your crazy, sexy ass down to be mine forever to lose it to some bug. I
trust you to keep our unborn daughter safe. You’re the woman of my dreams, and
my son is the pride of my life. I can’t lose any of you, but I believe in you,
Snow White. Find Bjornson. He’s the only one who can stop this.”

“Thane Austen, I won’t let God himself break up our family.
Find Dafoe, and kill that son of a bitch before he kills us.”

“Roger that, my beautiful wife.
Call me before you head out with Mace.”

“Bye, darling.”

Thane swiveled and his brows puckered seeing the admirals
and the President staring at him. “She’ll find Bjornson, but in the meantime,
we have a bigger problem.”

The President prompted, “Sounds like it.
Water.
How do we stop people from drinking water without letting them know the real
reason and starting a national panic?”

He brushed a slow hand through his hair. “We can’t, Mr.
President. You need to be quarantined. The Commander and Chief
has
to live.”

Chapter Thirteen

Date: 07.26.2014

Time: 0600UTC 2200hrs PST

Mission: Code Name Luminous

Lumin needed gas and water. Sweat rolled down her back even
though the air conditioning was on high. Scoring some aspirins to fight the
fever would help. A fuel and food sign clung below a Route 66 marker. Another
few minutes passed before a dilapidated gas station came into view. She parked
in front of the pump and stuffed the corporate credit card she’d found in the
glove box into her back pocket. A young guy sauntered from the gas station. Her
eyes followed him as he rounded the front of the car. Luck helped with dim
lighting over the pumps. She didn’t want to try and explain why dried blood was
splattered across the back window.

“Evening, ma’am.
Fill her up?”

She nodded. “Do you have any water and snacks inside?” she
said loudly.

“Yes, ma’am we’re full service.”

She waited until she heard the nozzle inserted then got out
of the car. The musty-smelling store had a few shelves with mostly chips and
fast food. The floor looked as if it hadn’t been washed since the store opened,
and the cracked linoleum gave away the building’s considerable age. Pulling her
sleeve over her fingers, she grabbed some bottled water and a few bags of
chips. She dropped them on the counter, left the card and put some distance
between her and the cashier’s desk.

“All of this on the card, ma’am?” the young man asked as he
rounded the counter.

“Yes, please.” She hovered by the canned goods while the guy
rang up her order. “What?” she asked, seeing him eye
her.

“Five bottles of aspirin.
You must
have one helluva headache,” he said, putting the last bottle in the bag.

“Migraines.”

She had to sign the receipt. Taking a deep breath, she
hurried back, swiped the pen from his hand, scribbled her name and snagged the
bag from the counter.

“Your receipt, ma’am, and you’ve got my pen,” he said when she
had the door halfway open.

“Do you mind if I keep it? I lost mine.”

“Sure, lady.”
He pushed the receipt
to the edge of the counter.

Damn it.
“Don’t
need it. Everything’s electronic these days.” She ran back to the car, threw
the bag on the passenger seat, and gunned the engine.

Tucking the bottle between her thighs she cracked the cap
with one hand, and drank the whole bottle down. She fiddled with the aspirin
but couldn’t get the cap off so she pulled over, and quickly sprang three pills
and downed them. With a shoulder check, she got back on the highway.
Time to find someplace to wait this out.

She slowed when she saw a sign cross her headlights that
said
Kaibab Recreational Site
.
Turning the wheel, she took the forestry road. The pine, spruce, and fir trees
would keep her hidden. Driving slowly, she noted only two camp sites were
occupied. A couple of outhouses sitting on uneven ground next to each other
made her ponder how she’d go to the bathroom. She’d have to contain her bodily
fluids. Pulling into the last site, she parked the car. Checking her cell
service, the phone rang. The number was blocked.

“If this is a United States SEAL, I want you to hang up.”

“Lumin, you sound tired.”

Tony’s concerned voice struck her in the heart. She closed
her eyes, but it didn’t stop the tears. A harsh squeeze in her chest threatened
to make her bawl like a baby. “I’m okay.”

“No, my lady, you’re not. Before you hang up on me, I need
to tell you something.”

“I’m not dying in a cold cement room with a guy wearing a
baggy suit hovering over me, Tony.” She tucked her hand underneath her armpit
to coddle the thrumming pain. The lymph node was swollen, and she remembered
the picture they’d shown her at the base. Fear had taken up a solid residency
in her stomach. Six hours to go before her expiration time. She stared at the
passenger seat, at the bottles of aspirin sitting there. Could she do it if
things got too bad?

“Then talk to me, because I want to hear your voice. I want
you to hear mine.”

“Later. I’ll call later.”

His voice hitched. “When it’s too damn late, you mean.
When I can’t save you.
Don’t hang up, please.”

She snuffled and rubbed the tears away. “I know you can stop
Dafoe. I know you can do anything you want to do.”

“I want to hold you in my arms. More than anything I’ve ever
wanted.”

“That wouldn’t be smart. I thought SEALs were smart.”

“I’m a man, and right now my heart is going a hundred miles
an hour. If everything falls apart, if the team can’t stop this, I want to be
with you.”

“I’m scared.” The air hitched hard in her throat and she
choked out a sob. The wall of hope she’d surrounded
herself
in crumbled.

“Please, Lumin, tell me where you are. Don’t make me run in
circles. You’re making me nuts.”

Lumin nearly jumped out of her skin when someone knocked on
her window. A young couple with knapsacks peered inside. “Are you okay, lady?”

“Yes.”

“Roll down the window,” the girl said, winding her hand.

She shook her head. “I can’t.”

A flashlight beam punctured the glass and swept through the
car, settling on the seat beside her. The girl’s eyes strayed back to her.
“Whatever it is, it’s not worth that.”

“Please back away from the car. I’m okay.” The guy pulled on
the girl’s arm, drawing her away. They took another look over their shoulder
before disappearing down the road. They had to be in one of the campsites she’d
seen driving in.

“Why did she say that, Lumin? What’s not worth it?”

“Tony, you need to stop calling me. Do your job. Dafoe is
insane. Find him.”

“It’s too late to stop him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Three towns are now quarantined. The population is
infected. He released the second strain into the town’s water source.”

“Water!”
She gripped the phone
tighter. “Can it make it to the Colorado and other major rivers?”

“That’s a likely scenario.”

“The second strain can survive in air and water?”

“We don’t know about air. They were taking you to Las Vegas
to infect others. We assume so, but we don’t know, and we can’t know until I
find you. Kayla and Mace are trying to find Bjornson and the vaccine. I have to
know where you are so I can give it to you. Hiding from me will only waste
time.”

“Don’t be mad at me. I’m not hurting anyone else.”

“You’re hurting me.”

“No, I’m not.” Her voice wavered with emotion. “We barely
know each other.” Her lip quivered and she couldn’t stop it. Her right hand
gripped one of the pill bottles and she closed her eyes, knowing it wouldn’t be
much longer before thinking straight would be a chore.

Tony sucked in a short breath. “I’m fucking begging you not
to give up on me, Lumin. I thought you trusted me.”

She smiled through her tears as the ache in her heart
twisted tight. In spite of the agony she was about to face, the fear was
swallowed by the memory of his arms around her. “I have a huge crush on you,
Tony Bale. I have ever since you saved me from Gordon in the bar. Every night
since then, I dreamed about the moment you left me on the steps of the Porter’s
home. I play it over and over again like a moment from an epic love story.” She
coughed out a laugh. “Stupid, but it’s the truth. My heart raced when I saw you
for the first time. It races now thinking about you.” She swept her forearm
across her cheeks and took a big, stuttering breath. “I’m probably not the
first to tell you that, and I most definitely won’t be the last. You are an
amazing man, Petty Officer Bale.” The phone was absolutely silent for so long
she thought they’d been cut off from each other. It broke with a strangled cry.
He was crying? “Tony?”

“I’m going to find you, woman, and when I do you’re never
going to run from me again. So hide all you want, because I’ll be damned if
I’ll let my soul mate
die
alone. Come hell or high
water, I’ll be with you to the end. So, tell me where you are!”

A small beep sounded and the background noise went silent.
She yanked the cell from her ear to see the battery was depleted. The tears
came, rolling like a giant wave, and she leaned her forehead against the wheel,
the phone falling from her fingers to the floor of the car. Pain, heartbreak,
they stirred together in a cauldron of loss.

* * * *

Date: 07.27.2014

Time: 1400UTC 0600hrs PST

Mission: Code Name Luminous

The anteroom door to Base Command cracked open with a suck
of air. Mace, geared in his fatigues, strode through it.
“Ready
to roll, Snow White?”

“Affirmative.
I’ve got the address
for the Bjornson residence. It’s at the end of Telegraph Canyon Road near
Otay
Lake.”

“Let’s go pay them a visit.”

Kayla grabbed her purse and slung the strap over her
shoulder. “You don’t think they’re there, do you?”

“We’re going to find out.”

Kayla stared up at the clock and her brows knit together.

Mace shook his head at her. “She’s already out of time.”

“No,” Kayla spit out. “She’s young and strong. The virus
will act differently with everyone. Let’s go.”

It took
them
twenty minutes to
reach the well-kept acreage with white fencing and a modest rancher sitting on
a knoll above the road with an unobstructed view of
Otay
Lake.

“What do you think?”

Mace’s eyes scanned the front of the house and the
surrounding area. “Stay here for a second.” He cracked the door and reached for
his Sig. Running for the house, he put his back to the wall when he reached it
and scanned the property. He waved and she got out of the car. He pointed
toward the side of the house. She nodded and followed.

The back yard was beautiful, with a huge green lawn, a
hip-high fence and a large brick patio. An outdoor fireplace and loungers
completed the outside living room. A kid’s swing set and an oak tree with the
beginnings of a tree fort sat snug within its noble branches. She followed
Mace, and they both peered in the back window. The TV was on. Mace edged his
way down the wall and reached for the patio door. It slid open with a pull. He
signaled for her to join him.

“Your show, I’m just the muscle,” he whispered in her ear.

“Hello, is anyone home? Ariana Bjornson, please come out.”

“Who are you?” A worried voice came from the hallway leading
to the kitchen.

A small child whispered in an overly loud voice and was
hushed by an adult female.

“We’re here to talk to you about your husband,” Kayla said.

A head of white hair appeared from the hallway. “Please
don’t hurt us. We don’t know anything.”

Kayla stepped inside the comfortably furnished home. “My
name is Kayla Austen. This is Petty Officer Mace Callahan, United States Navy
SEAL. We need your help. People are sick and we know your husband has the
antiserum. I’m not here to arrest him or hurt anyone. I need to help my friend,
and the residents of three towns now infected.”

“Stay there,” Mrs. Bjornson whispered to someone behind her.

She stepped into the kitchen. “Your grandchildren are safe.
They can come out.”

Ariana Bjornson was a slender woman, maybe sixty years of
age. A young boy and girl followed her, but she kept them behind her. “I don’t
know anything. I can’t help you.”

“We have to find your husband. He has the only vaccine to
the virus that’s been released by a terrorist. If you don’t help us, we’re all
dead. The virus is making its way toward us. It’s in the water. All we can do
is get the vaccine, replicate it and start vaccinating people. Even then,
thousands will probably die.” Ariana was a mother, and most likely an innocent
victim in all this. “I don’t want my son to die, and I want this little girl to
be born,” she said, placing a palm on her stomach. “Please help us.”

Ariana blinked and glanced at Mace. Kayla hoped like hell he
didn’t have his scary SEAL face on and his weapon was secure.

“That man, Dafoe, he’s looking for my husband.”

“We know. We have to find him first.” The kids made a break
for it, and Ariana tried to grab them. “It’s okay,” she reassured. Kayla eased
herself into a kitchen chair. Cranking a look over her shoulder, she made sure
Mace got the hint. “Mrs. Bjornson, we know your husband was caught up in this.
The other scientists were tricked as well.”

Mace gave her a sympathetic look, and he was good at them.

“You’re a SEAL?” she asked, coming to the table and sitting
across from them.

“Yes, my wife was infected with the first strain of the
virus, but we found the serum. We have to stop this if we can. Once it gets
legs, it’s going to kill thousands of people.”

Ariana clasped her aging hands, wrinkled and covered in blue
veins. “Clifford didn’t realize in the beginning what his work would be used
for. He’d been contacted by an old friend, and asked if he’d like to come out
of retirement for a project. He thought it was backed by the U.S. military.
They confined him to a lab in New Mexico, and when he realized who the man was
behind the project, it was too late. He was a prisoner.”

“Just like Dr. Carmichael,” Kayla added.

“Yes. They had him for an entire year, and threatened our
family if I went to the authorities. This man, Dafoe, he promised Cliff would
be released when he’d finished his work. Yesterday Cliff called me. We’ve been
living at my sister’s place in Colorado for the last year. We only came back
today.”