Page 72 of Deadly Strain

Sharp’s gaze jerked in her direction. His eyes narrow and jaw clenched. He shook his head, but it was already too late.

Jamal stared at her like he couldn’t believe his eyes. If she thought he looked angry before, he looked furious now.

Wonderful, Sharp looked ready to strangle her, and the only person who could help them was about to shout and swear and probably order them to leave.

But they still needed his help.

“I’m a doctor,” she said calmly, pulling the cloak of her profession around her, letting it straighten her back and lift her chin. “An infectious disease specialist.”

At her words, Jamal paused, confusion joining the anger on his face. She could almost see the thoughts playing through his head. “What is that to me?”

“A great deal.”

“Grace,” Sharp growled. He took a step toward her.

“He needs to know,” she argued softly. “He might even be able to give us good advice regarding our next steps.”

“What is it you think I need to know?” Jamal asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Grace glanced at Sharp, and though his nostrils flared and he grit his teeth, he nodded once.

“Approximately two days ago,” Grace began, “someone released weaponized anthrax on a small village near the Afghan/Pakistan border. Everyone,every single personin that village was dead less than a day later.”

Jamal’s jaw dropped open.

“The strain kills incredibly quickly, like nothing I’ve ever seen. This was not an accident. Someone designed, weaponized, and tested this strain for a purpose.” She paused for a moment. “That someone has managed to sabotage our efforts to get this strain to a lab where it can be properly identified and a treatment plan created.”

“What?” Jamal’s hands fluttered about aimlessly. “Why are youhere? I don’t understand how I—”

She held up the sample container. “We need fuel to leave, or a safe place to hide.”

Jamal stared at the package like she was holding an armed nuclear bomb. “A...a bounty has been placed on all of you,” he stuttered. “One million American dollars. You can’t stay here.” He backed away, closer to Sharp. “The boys have covered your aircraft with tarps, but this compound is frequented by several different parties. Some of them hostile to Americans.” He swallowed hard, still staring at Grace like she was the grim reaper. “I would give you the fuel, but it’s been paid for and the people who bought it are not ones to cross.” He stared at his feet for a moment. “I can hide you, at least for the time being.”

“Thank you,” Sharp said in a tone so devoid of emotion, she knew he was furious.

“Wait here.” Jamal scurried out, casting frightened looks over his shoulder.

Everyone else looked at her with tight expressions on their faces.

“What?” Grace asked the guys. “Do I glow in the dark or something now?”

“Nah,” Hernandez said. “You looked pretty serious and tough telling him all that stuff, though.”

“His advice sucked,” Clark said. “He didn’t give us any new ideas. I thought dudes in his line of work were good at that.”

“I doubt he’s had a container full of a deadly organism displayed in his...” Grace glanced around the building. “Store before.”

“You did cut through the normal bullshit in record time,” Sharp said. “Maybe I should let you do all the talking from now on.” The words should have sounded complimentary, but his tone hadn’t changed.

She was so tired of male bullshit. “He needed to know,” she told him through gritted teeth. “How can we expect him to help us if we don’t share all the information?”

“I didn’t stop you, did I?”

“No, but you sure didn’t like it and you made that very clear.” She wished she could wipe the intractable expression off his face. “There’s protective and then there’s getting in the way of me doing my job.”

His brows rose.

Jamal came back inside, a cell phone at his ear. He nodded as he listened, then hung up without saying a word. “I’ve received instructions to hide you. The doctor and the container are not to leave this compound.”

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