Page 33 of Smoky Lake

Suspicion confirmed.

Even though she’d already guessed it, Ani felt a cold trickle of fear down her spine. The CDC was serious, beyond serious. Whatever contagion was going on, it was getting top-level attention.

“Yes, that’s us,” Gil said. “Can you explain what this is all about?”

“I can explain some things. But first, can you tell me everything you know about Victor Canseco?”

Gil shook his head. “No,” he said simply. “You first. We have a right to know why we got kidnapped in the middle of the night.”

“Rescued,” muttered Sergeant Thomson, then snapped back to her military posture.

“She’s right.” The imposing man spoke crisply. “I’m Colonel Heron. You could have been killed if we hadn’t pulled you out. Now answer the doctor’s questions.”

Ani’s heart was racing so fast that she felt lightheaded. Amazingly, Gil seemed unfazed by the military crew surrounding them. “How about this. You’re worried that Victor is spreading some kind of virus or something. But neither of us is sick. If you were worried about that, you’d all be wearing biohazard suits. So we’re a little confused.”

She was really glad that Gil was doing the talking. The sheer number of military and medical personnel in this tiny room was daunting.

“How are you feeling?” the doctor asked. She turned to Ani. “Have you noticed any symptoms since your contact with Victor Canseco?”

“What sort of symptoms?” Ani asked warily.

“Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, that sort of thing. They vary quite a bit.”

“Those are all pretty common, but no, I haven’t had any of those. Gil, have you?”

“No,” he said shortly.

“That’s good to hear. We’d like to administer a blood test to both of you, with your permission, of course. Just to make sure you’re in the clear.” She eyed Gil’s stony expression, then shot a glance at the colonel. He gave a reluctant go-ahead nod. “But obviously you deserve an explanation first,” she said smoothly.

Ani felt Gil squeeze her hand, and she squeezed back. Lord, she was glad not to face all this on her own.

“We believe that Victor Canseco may have come into contact with what’s known as a Methuselah microbe. Sometimes popularly known as a zombie virus.”

Ani’s mouth fell open, the word zombie echoing through her mind. That wasn’t what it meant, she knew that, but…

Gil said quickly, “My brother told me about them. They’re pathogens that have been frozen in the permafrost for hundreds or thousands of years. When the permafrost thaws, and they come into contact with humans, they’re able to evade our immune systems because we haven’t evolved along with them.”

“Correct.” The doctor gave him a relieved smile. “I’m glad I didn’t have to explain it. I understand your brother studies glaciers. You’re probably well aware of this phenomenon.”

“He studies the jökulhlaup.”

They all gazed at him blankly, but he didn’t bother to explain. Ani wondered, absurdly, if he’d had to practice saying that word until he got it right.

Gil continued. “But it’s mostly a theoretical worry. So far, no zombie virus has triggered any widespread disease outbreaks.”

“That’s because not many people live in areas where the permafrost is thawing. Low population density is on our side. But we take all reports of outbreaks very seriously and we have to investigate them.”

“Do those investigations usually include the Army?” Gil asked. A reasonable question, but it caused the colonel’s face to go stern and stony.

“That’s classified.”

The doctor stepped in. “We sometimes work with the military, particularly in areas like Alaska where there isn’t much infrastructure.” Maybe the CDC doctor was playing the role of good cop, Ani thought. It was working for Ani.

“Have you identified the virus?” she asked the doctor. “What do you know about it?”

“I can’t get into all the details, and I must ask you both to keep all of this to yourself. The last thing we need is a panic when there’s no need for one.”

“Yeah, because missile attacks and amphibious helicopter missions never provoke panic,” Gil murmured.

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