The First Commandment

“When you get there, make sure the doctor and the vet monitor them both for boils and any sort of plaguelike illness. In fact, you should recommend that they start courses of antibiotics right away. This guy has been combining scenarios from the ten plagues of Egypt. The flies and the fleas were the third and the fourth, or in this guy’s case, the seventh and eighth. Just tell them to be on the lookout.”

When Lawlor said, “Scot, there’s something else I need to tell you,” dread seized him.

“Who else?” was all Harvath could manage.

“Carolyn Leonard and Kate Palmer. They were infected with some kind of staphylococcus aureus-bubonic plague hybrid.”

The knife had been shoved into Harvath’s heart the minute he found Tracy lying in a pool of blood on his doorstep; now it felt as if acid were being poured down the blade. The pain of having it twisted for Emily and the dog was one thing, but with Kate and Carolyn added to the mix, it was almost too much to bear.

“Where did it happen?” he asked.

“At Tysons Galleria,” replied Lawlor.

“The shopping center? In public?”

“Some guy was offering perfume samples. We think he had the hybrid aerosolized. Kate gave the Bureau guys a description. Macy’s sent over pictures of all their employees, contracted or otherwise, and none of them are a match.”

“Are they looking at CCTV footage?”

“The tapes have already been pulled and both Kate and Carolyn are working with sketch artists.”

“Will they be okay?” asked Harvath.

“This bug is very fast-acting. They showed symptoms in less than twelve hours, which is pretty much unheard of with either staphylococcus aureus or bubonic plague.”

“If I remember my medical training right, staphylococcus aureus causes some pretty nasty boils.”

“And can be a real bear to treat because of resistance to most antibiotics,” said Lawlor. “The best thing they have going for them is the fact that it was caught early. Even so, the medical people are pretty concerned about how fast-moving it is. They’ve both been quarantined.”

“There’s no question in my mind that we’re dealing with the same guy,” stated Harvath.

“Nor in anyone else’s. They found a card in Carolyn Leonard’s purse, the kind perfume samples are sprayed onto. It had the name of some bogus perfume and a tagline written in Italian.”

“Let me guess,” said Harvath. “That which has been taken in blood, can only be answered in blood?”

“Exactly,” stated Lawlor.

“Does the president know?”

“Yes, he knows.”

“And?” asked Harvath.

“And it doesn’t change anything. He still expects you to turn yourself in.”

“Well, he’s going to have to wait until I’m finished.”

Chapter 71

THE WHITE HOUSE

Jack Rutledge prided himself on his ability to read his people. When Charles Anderson was shown into the residence, the president knew he hadn’t arrived bearing good news.

“We’ve got a problem, sir,” said Anderson, confirming the president’s suspicions.

Rutledge closed the report he’d been skimming and motioned for his chief of staff to take a seat. “What is it?”

“I just heard from Director Vaile. His team managed to take Harvath into custody.”

“That should be good news. What’s the problem?”

“Harvath escaped.”

“He what?” demanded Rutledge. “How the hell did that happen?”

“It’ll all be in the DCI’s briefing,” replied Anderson, “but there’s more.”

“How much more?”

The chief of staff lowered his voice. “Before he escaped, Harvath was debriefed about his recent trip to Jordan. Apparently, he was able to lure Abdel Salam Najib out of Syria to Amman.”

The president could feel his chest constricting. “Harvath killed him. Didn’t he?”

“Yes, sir, he did.”

“God damn it!” Rutledge bellowed. “First Palmera and now Najib. When their people realize what’s happening they’re going to strike back. We need to assemble the National Security Council.”

The president had his work cut out for him. He knew there was no way the United States could provide continuous protection for every single school bus in the nation. It wasn’t just a logistical nightmare; it would also create widespread panic. American citizens would rightly wonder if school buses weren’t safe from terrorists, what was. Would movie theaters be safe? Would shopping malls? How about public transportation? Should they even keep their children in school? Should they even be going in to work?