“We got a call this morning from the Research Center for Advanced Biogenics,” Mina said to begin. “From what I understand, the research center is privately owned by a group of investors but run by a scientist who obtains quotes and jobs for different types of research from other labs, government agencies and universities. There’s also a lead scientist who works on those projects. Their system has been compromised due to malware, and they need help restoring their programs. We have a recording of a call I had with Dr. Rebecca Roth, the lead scientist at the center, about the situation. We’ll play that for you and then make our game plan.”
Cal clicked the remote, and a woman wearing a white lab coat filled the screen. Iris quickly took in the space around her and noted the laboratory rooms, high stainless-steel tables, and several rooms separated by sliding glass doors. A man sat behind her in a flannel shirt and jeans. He was older, easily in his sixties, and nervous, if the way he tapped his thigh with his fingers was any indication.Whoever he was, he was letting Dr. Roth do the talking. When Iris focused on Dr. Roth, her heart paused in her chest and then resumed in a rhythm that was as atypical as her brain. For the first time in too long, it felt…normal. Slow. Unhurried. Confident. Peaceful. Iris hadn’t felt that way since she was seven years old.
“This morning, the lab computers were attacked,” Rebecca explained. She was beautiful, with long wavy brown hair and the most bottomless brown eyes Iris had ever seen. They were filled with a pain she knew all too well, and maybe that’s why she was instantly drawn to her. It was the pain of knowing you didn’t belong anywhere or to anyone. “The system is locked, and this message is on all the computers.” Rebecca turned the camera to show a screen that revealed an ace of spades and the message,Stay tuned… More to come! 4C3
Cal paused the video and turned to the assembled group. “Here comes the part about why it’s imperative we do this job quickly and efficiently.” He clicked Play on the remote again.
“Our facility currently harbors the deadliest virus on the planet. Ignis Cerebri, sometimes called the brain-burning virus, will make COVID-19 look like the common cold, and we all know how brutal that virus was. Unfortunately, with Ignis Cerebri, the victims wouldn’t know they came into contact with it until they died, and by then, they could have spread it to many more people. There’s no way to slow the progression of the disease or treat it that we know of yet, so my job was to develop a vaccine, which I recently completed. I was ready to move into the testing phase and start writing and publishing documentation of the process. What that meansis, I don’t know if the vaccine works on humans, nor is there enough for a widespread outbreak of this disease. If the containment room security is compromised and the virus escapes through the center’s air exchange, there’s no way to predict what will happen. Worse yet, if Ignis Cerebri were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be a biological weapon of Armageddon proportions.”
Transfixed by the woman on the screen, Iris knew she had to help her. She’d utilize every tool in the command center and work every second of the day to fix this without even meeting her. Rebecca Roth was captivating from a distance, and she appreciated how in control she was during the report. She had a scientific mind, which Iris could appreciate beyond anything else. It wasn’t until Cal cleared his throat that she realized he’d paused the video. Turning slowly with her cheeks heating, she waited for him to continue.
“We need all hands on deck with this one. Dr. Roth says they’re locked out of the labs since they don’t have access to the program that runs them. That means she doesn’t know if the containment system still holds the viruses.”
“Does this 4C3 guy have access?” Zac asked. Although he was a relatively new hire to Secure One, he had a mile-long résumé protecting people.
“Ace,” Iris mumbled. “4C3 is his call sign online, but you call him Ace when it’s converted.”
“That’s all Greek to me,” Zac said, shaking his head. “I’m not up on all the lingo.”
Declan and Zac sometimes did double duty for Secure Inc. They worked as security guards on large jobs but could also install security systems, which gave them rudimentary computer skills, at least in comparison to her own. Iris liked and respected them as the kind of guys who could do everything and make it look easy.
“The lingo,” Cal said with haste, “will only get worse in this case before it gets better. I don’t understand much of what Dr. Roth told me other than ‘the deadliest virus’ and ‘it can’t fall into the wrong hands’ part. Do we all agree on that?” Everyone’s heads nodded.
Mina took over from there. “Good, then the plan is as follows. The research center is in the middle of nowhere North Dakota, to protect the general public, but that makes it difficult to get there quickly. Cal will fly the three of you to the research center to shave hours off your travel time.”
“Wait,” Iris said, “that would include me, right?” Mina nodded with a brow up, and just as quickly, Iris was shaking her head no. “That’s not—no. I can’t do that. You know how I work, Mina!” That peaceful rhythm she had enjoyed for a few moments was gone, replaced by the banging of her heart against her ribs as she tried not to hyperventilate. The very idea of leaving Secure Inc. and traveling to someplace unknown would send her into a panic attack if she thought too hard about it, so she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t think about it. Couldn’t.
Deep breath, Iris.That inner voice reminded her she was still safe at Secure Inc.
“You think you can’t do it,” Cal said before Mina could speak. “But I disagree. You can do anything you put your mind to, which you’ve proven repeatedly.”
Mina turned to her and leaned in on the table. “We all know you need things done a certain way, but not only does Dr. Roth need you, but the country needs you.Maybe even the world. There’s no question in my mind that you can do this.”
“But you could do it,” Iris repeated, just in case Mina had changed her mind. “You could go, and I could run interference here for you.”
“While that sounds like a good solution, it’s not,” Mina said gently. “We’re in the middle of some other cases here, and I’m also needed for those. You are the only person who can put their entire focus into helping the research center gain control of its system and, therefore, the viruses. You’re the person for this job.”
“We got you, Iris,” Zac said, turning to her but avoiding direct eye contact as he knew that was the best way to make her comfortable. “We’ll run security outside the center while you work through the program to get the system back online. Declan will be there if you need an extra hand with a computer issue, but for the most part, our job is to support you by keeping the center safe.”
“He’s right,” Cal said, his voice firm. “Once you get there, you’ll be working in an environment not that much different from here. The only people you’ll deal with will be Dr. Roth and Dr. Hoerman, but that will be on your terms as you need information or help regarding how the system works. We need you, Iris.”
“Will I lose my job if I say no?” She glanced at the two people in the room who controlled her fate in an attempt to read their expressions, but they were stoic.
“Absolutely not,” Mina said. “We’ll just have to make a different plan.”
She might not lose her job, but Iris could tell they’d be disappointed with her if she disagreed. The deep brown eyes of Rebecca Roth floated through her mind again,and a shiver racked her. Dr. Roth needed help, and for a reason that Iris couldn’t explain, she wanted to be the one to offer it.
“Time is of the essence, and I’m fast at what I do. I don’t like to travel, but I’ll do it for you and Cal,” she finally said, stroking Hannah’s long blond hair. Maybe she was also intrigued enough by Rebecca to want to meet her. “I’ll have to take an extra dose of my medication, though, so I’ll be dependent on you.”
Cal gave her a finger gun with his prosthetic hand. “You think you’re not a team player, but you always come through for us. Just remember that we’ve got you, and we all know how to protect and keep you safe. I know you’re worried, scared and nervous, but you have nothing to fear. We got you.”
It was always easy for someone else to say that, but it was more complicated when she lived with a brain that had pathways that didn’t link up the same way neurotypical brains did. Her therapist always told her that was okay because the world needed people whose pathways were different, or we’d never solve a problem. She was right in theory, but those misplaced pathways made her life more difficult in practice. Still, she trusted Cal and Mina. They wouldn’t ask her to do a job they wouldn’t do themselves if they had the skills. Did Mina have the skills? Yes, but she was right—she’d be pulled in too many directions to do the job quickly and efficiently. On the other hand, Iris was skilled at shutting out everything but the keys under her fingers and the code flying across the screen. Despite the welling panic in her chest, she was the best person for the job.
Mina’s computer started ringing out of the blue, andwhen she answered it, Dr. Roth’s face filled the screen. Iris noticed how terrified her eyes were right before she noticed the streaks of blood on her face and the cuts on her cheeks. “Dr. Hoerman was just kidnapped! I need help!”
Chapter Three
Bec paced the lab, wishing they had more space for her to stretch her anxious legs. Normally, she’d go outside for a walk, but she didn’t want to leave the building in case something else happened or another message came in from this 4C3 guy. Unable to access his computer, Dr. Hoerman sat in his office, tapping his fingers. She had suggested he call the investors of the facility, but he wasn’t ready to do that yet. He had said that until they had more information about what 4C3 wanted, there was little he could tell them. She figured he was hedging his bets, hoping that this was a little hiccup rather than something more extensive. Her gut feeling was that he would be disappointed. For some reason, they’d been targeted, and now it was up to them to save the world from these highly deadly diseases.
