We All Fall Down Read Online Free

soil samples and confirm that we’re looking at a false positive. She will also be deploying another prototype device, designed to seal off the tunnel areas and render any pathogen that might be present ineffective.”
    “And?”
    “I want you to go down with her team and provide security.”
    “Security from what? You said the subway was shut down.”
    “There will be a significant amount of valuable technology in that tunnel. A lot of proprietary equipment used by Dr. Brazile and her staff. I want someone down there with some training. Someone to watch their back.”
    “What’s wrong with the feds or the Chicago PD?”
    Danielson shook his head. “I told you—this is nothing more than a fire drill. You let a Chicago cop down there, and it winds up on the front page of tomorrow’s Trib . Unfortunately, the same concern applies to the federal agencies in town.”
    “And you trust me to keep my mouth shut?”
    Danielson thinned his lips. “Actually, I do. Mr. Mayor, we’ll call you as soon as we have confirmation that the subway is clean and work out a schedule to reopen closed portions of the system. If everything goes smoothly, I would expect trains to be up and running by rush hour at the latest.”
    Danielson cast a final look around the room. “Last thing. No one, outside of the people at this table and Dr. Brazile’s team in the tunnel, knows the details on this. So if there’s a leak, we’ll track it quickly, quietly, and ruthlessly. Am I clear?”
    Brazile and Carrolton nodded. Wilson waved off the threat and stood up. I took another sip of coffee and wondered. Everyone in the meeting knew more than I did. Probably a lot more. Still, they wanted me to tag along, play a part in their game. So I would. Just in case the geniuses got it wrong and really did need a man with a gun.

CHAPTER 6
    “Are we going to have issues, Mr. Kelly?”
    Ellen Brazile eyed me like I was some sort of fungus she might find between her toes. I bet she didn’t like fungus between her toes. And I bet she knew how to kill it.
    “I’m hoping not, Dr. Brazile. What with Armageddon running loose on the Blue Line, I’m pretty sure you’ll have your hands full.”
    Brazile sniffed and watched the floors tick off as our elevator descended. Molly Carrolton stood beside her, spine stiff, ears open. A bell chimed, and the elevator doors peeled back. Brazile got off first.
    “This way.” She walked down an empty corridor, around a corner, and stopped. Mayor Wilson, accompanied by his chief of staff, was already there, waiting.
    “Dr. Brazile. I know you’re busy, so I won’t hold you up. I just need a minute with Kelly.”
    Brazile moved past the mayor and opened a door to what I could only guess was her lab. Carrolton followed. And then it was just me, the mayor, and his ghostly gray apparition. Alone at last.
    “Mark, give us five.”
    Rissman nodded, and the mayor led me into an empty conference room.
    “Sit down, Kelly.”
    “No thanks, Mr. Mayor.”
    Wilson shrugged and threw himself into a seat. “Pissed, huh?”
    “Seems like there’s a few blanks that need filling in.”
    “You mean from Danielson?”
    “You tell me.”
    “Sit down.”
    I sat. Wilson hunched his shoulders together and pushed his hound’s face close. “He killed the FBI agent. Lawson. Did you know that?”
    I didn’t respond.
    “No wire.” Wilson stood and held his arms out. “Take a look if you want.”
    “Your flunky outside was taping this morning’s meeting.”
    “You noticed. Very good.” The mayor took his seat again. “Think Danielson figured that out?”
    “Probably not.”
    “Doesn’t matter. Danielson thought Lawson was about to go to the press with the story about the lightbulbs. He thought people would panic, be afraid to go into the subway, blame the federal government, et cetera, et cetera. So, he popped her.”
    “That wasn’t the only reason.”
    “No?” The mayor’s eyes flickered inside thick creases of