Going Viral Read Online Free
going to manage the infiltration. She looked up – she had deep brown eyes to go with her hair, I noticed, which seemed somehow appropriate in an undercover worker.
‘As the commander said just now, there’ll be six of us covering the South West, one in each of Gloucester, Bath, Exeter and Plymouth, and two in Bristol. I’ll be taking Exeter because we think it’s the most likely. I’ll con –’
‘Sorry to interrupt,’ I said, ‘but why d’you think Exeter’s the most likely? I head the SCRUB team there.’
Her eyes turned to me. ‘It’s the nearest to the animal feed place, and the profiler thought it the sort of town this kind of person would like. You know, cathedral city with Dartmoor and the sea nearby, but only a couple hours from London.’
She had a pleasant, slightly husky voice and a South London accent.
‘What about Bath?’ I asked.
‘The profiler felt that Bristol to Africa was the most likely of the three charities and they don’t have a branch in Bath.’
She told us how she was going to phone the chairman of the BTA branch in Exeter that afternoon to join and volunteer her services. She’d drive down tomorrow and hopefully meet him for a chat, then go to all their meetings and get to know as many of them as possible. ‘They’re far more likely to give things away about themselves in that kind of setting than in a police interview,’ she finished.
‘And meanwhile, you want me to make a list of all the virologists in the area?’ I said.
‘Please. I’ll contact you when I’ve got something to compare it with. What’s your mobile number?’
I gave her all my numbers, work, home and mobile. When I asked for hers, she hesitated…
‘I’d rather not at the moment. I don’t want the risk of you calling while I’m with the BTA people, not in the early stages, anyway.’
Close to, her straight brown hair and snub nose made me think of an Indian maiden – North American Indian, I mean, with their characteristic aloofness.
I said, ‘What if something urgent comes up?’
Brigg said, ‘Phone me, and I’ll pass it on.’ He continued, ‘The most useful thing you can do, Dr Smith, is to make sure you and your teams are ready for an outbreak.’
‘How much can I tell them?’
‘How many people are we talking about?’
There were five teams in the Western Area, I told him, each containing two medics, two nurses and a scientist, making 25 in all.
He thought for a moment… ‘You can tell them about the threat, but not the police operation. The less people know, the better – so as few as you can, and only what’s necessary.’
Rebecca Hale came in again: ‘There is one other thing – where are they doing it? I had the impression earlier that you think it’s more likely that they’ve got a lab of their own hidden away somewhere?’
‘It’s just that security’s so tight now in NHS labs that I don’t think you’d be able to get away with it.’
She nodded. ‘OK – could you look into that? Oh, and a list of the equipment they’d need would be useful.’
I hear and obey, I thought, making a note.
Gibb, who up till now had been watching all this with a look of detached amusement, asked whom he should liaise with if the worst happened.
‘Me,’ said Brigg.
‘And in an emergency?’
‘Still me. I’ll be available at all times.’
We talked for a while about what constituted an emergency and how we’d communicate as things went on. Brigg told me I should make myself available at all times to cooperate with Inspector Hale in case my medical knowledge was required.
‘Anything else?’ I enquired. ‘The laying on of hands, perhaps?’
Brigg glanced quickly at her, then replied deadpan, ‘You can try that if you like, so long as you don’t mind a foot in the groin in reply.’
There was nothing to do but take it gracefully and smile. A moment later, we were all laughing.
We finished shortly after that. Fenella was waiting for me and we walked back
‘As the commander said just now, there’ll be six of us covering the South West, one in each of Gloucester, Bath, Exeter and Plymouth, and two in Bristol. I’ll be taking Exeter because we think it’s the most likely. I’ll con –’
‘Sorry to interrupt,’ I said, ‘but why d’you think Exeter’s the most likely? I head the SCRUB team there.’
Her eyes turned to me. ‘It’s the nearest to the animal feed place, and the profiler thought it the sort of town this kind of person would like. You know, cathedral city with Dartmoor and the sea nearby, but only a couple hours from London.’
She had a pleasant, slightly husky voice and a South London accent.
‘What about Bath?’ I asked.
‘The profiler felt that Bristol to Africa was the most likely of the three charities and they don’t have a branch in Bath.’
She told us how she was going to phone the chairman of the BTA branch in Exeter that afternoon to join and volunteer her services. She’d drive down tomorrow and hopefully meet him for a chat, then go to all their meetings and get to know as many of them as possible. ‘They’re far more likely to give things away about themselves in that kind of setting than in a police interview,’ she finished.
‘And meanwhile, you want me to make a list of all the virologists in the area?’ I said.
‘Please. I’ll contact you when I’ve got something to compare it with. What’s your mobile number?’
I gave her all my numbers, work, home and mobile. When I asked for hers, she hesitated…
‘I’d rather not at the moment. I don’t want the risk of you calling while I’m with the BTA people, not in the early stages, anyway.’
Close to, her straight brown hair and snub nose made me think of an Indian maiden – North American Indian, I mean, with their characteristic aloofness.
I said, ‘What if something urgent comes up?’
Brigg said, ‘Phone me, and I’ll pass it on.’ He continued, ‘The most useful thing you can do, Dr Smith, is to make sure you and your teams are ready for an outbreak.’
‘How much can I tell them?’
‘How many people are we talking about?’
There were five teams in the Western Area, I told him, each containing two medics, two nurses and a scientist, making 25 in all.
He thought for a moment… ‘You can tell them about the threat, but not the police operation. The less people know, the better – so as few as you can, and only what’s necessary.’
Rebecca Hale came in again: ‘There is one other thing – where are they doing it? I had the impression earlier that you think it’s more likely that they’ve got a lab of their own hidden away somewhere?’
‘It’s just that security’s so tight now in NHS labs that I don’t think you’d be able to get away with it.’
She nodded. ‘OK – could you look into that? Oh, and a list of the equipment they’d need would be useful.’
I hear and obey, I thought, making a note.
Gibb, who up till now had been watching all this with a look of detached amusement, asked whom he should liaise with if the worst happened.
‘Me,’ said Brigg.
‘And in an emergency?’
‘Still me. I’ll be available at all times.’
We talked for a while about what constituted an emergency and how we’d communicate as things went on. Brigg told me I should make myself available at all times to cooperate with Inspector Hale in case my medical knowledge was required.
‘Anything else?’ I enquired. ‘The laying on of hands, perhaps?’
Brigg glanced quickly at her, then replied deadpan, ‘You can try that if you like, so long as you don’t mind a foot in the groin in reply.’
There was nothing to do but take it gracefully and smile. A moment later, we were all laughing.
We finished shortly after that. Fenella was waiting for me and we walked back