Page 60 of Logan

Vivian battled a grin at the narrow-eyed expression on Logan’s face. Blowing him a silent kiss, she watched as his facial muscles eased.

Nodding, he stepped back. His hand stayed on the doorknob, and he sucked in a deep breath before closing the door, leaving her to her task, all alone.

Vivian immediately got to work, almost positive she knew what Nafisa had been working on. Hours passed as she carefully analyzed the contents of the vials. Having set up her makeshift lab weeks prior, she moved efficiently from one table to the next. Logan had affixed a portable air conditioner inside, allowing her to keep a steady temperature.

Even a simple lab in an old shed was familiar to her. Finally able to complete the tasks she’d been trained to do, she found herself smiling slightly as she meticulously analyzed her data.

Back in the house, Logan waited impatiently, trying to keep from talking to her on their radio, afraid of startling her. Sitting down at the table, he propped his laptop in a position that allowed him to view the front window toward the Zamans’ house, but he found he couldn’t focus. Not knowing what the terrorists had been working on, his fears of what Vivian might be exposed to shook him to his core.

Akram and Farrah had returned from their Friday sojourn two hours ago. He anxiously monitored to see if anything appeared out of the ordinary, but they hadn’t been outside, nor had Akram made any calls or sent any emails. Knowing that they hadn’t been aware of Vivian in their home, at least on the outside of the lab, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Honey?”

Smiling at the soft voice coming through his radio, he replied, “Right here, babe. How’s it going?”

“Good, I’m good. As you know, I had an idea of what she was working on so that was my starting point.”

“And…”

“And it looks like I was right. I’ve definitely discovered they are working with tularemia. The good news is, if you remember, it’s not lethal?—”

“I’ve gotta confess, I don’t remember much about the different diseases. Sorry, but?—”

“Don’t apologize, Logan. Not with all you’ve got to keep up. I just didn’t want to go into details about something you already knew.”

“No worries. Tell me anything and everything,” he assured, his mood lifting as he heard the excitement in her voice.

“Well, the low lethality is the good news. The bad news is that the bacteria can be stable for months and has a short incubation period.”

“I know all this is important, but, Viv, what I really want is for you to get the fuck outta there and back here.”

“I’ll be there soon. Now that I know what it is and that it’s stable, I can destroy what is here safely. I also need to dispose of my suit. Do you have the fire barrel ready?”

“All set for you, babe.”

“I’m going to bleach the shed and take down some of the plastic sheets to put in the bleach tub in here.”

Thirty long minutes later, he watched as she exited the woods. The evening sun had set, casting the yard in dark shadows as the sky above turned deep shades of blue. Her hair was still in a tight bun, exposing her tired face, but her smile was firmly in place. In her hands, she carried the tray of vials.

Bending, she said, “These chemicals are not dangerous, pointing at the ones near the back of the tray. I have added waterto them to destroy them, and they can easily be added to the fire.”

He took what she handed him and dropped them in, one at a time. Next, she bent to choose the last vial, the one she had been studying. “It can be safely burned,” she assured. “The bacteria won’t be airborne, so we’re safe.”

Nodding, he watched as she destroyed it as well.

Peeling her hazmat suit from her body, she dumped the armload into the metal drum. Within a few minutes, the flames turned the suit to ashes. Looking up, she said, “There’s nothing left but the equipment.”

“You need food, baby,” he said, his voice full of concern.

She turned her gaze from the fire up to his eyes. “What I really want is a long shower. I feel gross.”

Grinning, he reached for her hand, linking his fingers with hers. “Come on. The shower’s small, but we’ll make it work.”

Wiggling her eyebrows, she laughed as he led her inside.

33

Standing in the kitchen the following morning, Logan poured a cup of coffee for himself, then pulled down another mug and filled it with coffee, creamer, and sweetener. Hearing the scuffing of footsteps coming down the hall, he hid his grin as he pushed the mug toward Vivian, still encased in her flannel pajamas.

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