“Why does something need to be that cold?” Iris asked, and Bec couldn’t stop the nervous laughter from bubbling up.
“To protect humankind from some very nasty pathogens. Cold storage allows labs to keep viruses and bacteria safe and alive until they need it for experimentation. Then they thaw whatever portion they need to conduct whatever test they’re doing.”
“That still doesn’t explain what Walter is doing with it in his house,” Cal said. “What if I open the freezer?”
“I want you to, but you must follow my directions closely, okay?” Bec asked, and Cal nodded. “Turn the camera around to face forward and have someone else open the door. Once the initial cold escapes, hold the camera down so I can see any printing on the vials. Do not get your hands anywhere near the inside of the freezer. When I say close it, whoever opened it should close it with their foot.”
“Is it safe for Lucas to open it with an ungloved hand?”
“Yes, but once it’s been opened, that plastic will get cold, so I don’t want him to close it that way. With any luck, it’s empty.”
“And if we aren’t lucky?” Cal asked. “Well, I guess I can puzzle that one out for myself. Ready when you are.”
She said okay once the camera was forward facing, and Lucas, a Secure One operative, opened the door. Inside was one vial rack with four vials standing upright. “Can you get closer?” she asked, and Cal zoomed in on the vials. As soon as the recording stabilized, she gasped. “Close it.”
Lucas’s black-booted foot struck out to close the door as Cal flipped the camera around. Iris put her arm around her shoulders to help quell her shaking.
“What did you see?” Cal asked.
“Four vials and one said IC.”
“Ignis Cerebri,” Iris deduced, and she nodded.
“There’s no reason for him to have a vial at his house.Hishouse,” she said, emphasizing the word in a way that said it didn’t belong there.
“Is it fair to say Walter’s behind whatever is happening?” Lucas asked from where he stood next to Cal, both still wearing respirators.
“More than fair to say,” she agreed. “Did you find anything else?”
“The place is wiped clean,” Cal said. “When he left here last, he didn’t plan to return. At least not for some time to come.”
“But he left viruses there unsecured,” she said, vibrating with anger.
“I’m hoping he returns for them,” Lucas said. “Something tells me if he saved a vial of it, he plans to backstab whoever paid him to make the vaccine by turning around and selling more of the virus to someone else. Total warfare tactics.”
“We’ve got the place covered in cameras. We installed a system that will lock him in if he shows up. I want to have a word with the good doctor.”
“I want to do more than talk to him,” Iris growled.
“Easy now,” Lucas said with a wink. “You put all your anger into sorting out the computer. We did find a charging cord. Did you get past the password?”
Bec cut her gaze to Iris, who, thankfully, was nonreactive other than shaking her head. “Not yet. I was hungry, so we’re grabbing a sandwich, and then I’ll get back to it.”
“You do that while we secure the house. We’ll head back to the facility in under an hour,” Cal said.
“I think you need to get out now.” Bec took the tablet from Iris. “He may know you’re inside or have left that vial there for someone else to pick up. Someone else, likea terrorist organization, and they won’t care that you’re the good guys. Unplug that freezer, get out and get back here, please.”
Cal glanced at Lucas before answering. “Unplug the freezer? Won’t that damage the samples inside?”
“Absolutely.” Bec laughed, and even she thought her laughter sounded deranged. “It will kill the samples and render them useless to anyone. They’re trapped in the vials and won’t escape, and the viruses will be dead by the time anyone finds them. You can thaw viruses, but it must be done by slowly returning them to room temperature. Anything else means the pathogens will die a fast death. Unplug it.” She paused and then tipped her head side to side. “Actually, don’t unplug it. Just turn the dial on the freezer to off. If he does show up and notices it’s unplugged, he might plug it back in. He’d have to check the dial to see that it isn’t working, which he won’t do. He’ll just assume it is. Once you do that, get back here. I know you’re security guys, but you’re no match for terrorists.”
“Fair point,” Cal conceded. “It would be great if you have something for us to run down when we arrive.”
“You got it,” Iris said. “Come on up once you’ve sorted things there. I’ll hopefully have the rest of the answers we need to find Zafar and Walter before this goes any further.”
“Ten-four, Charlie, out.”
The screen went black again, and Iris lowered it to the table. “You’re a bad influence on me, Rebecca Roth. I just lied to my boss.”
