Page 106 of Viral Justice

“He’s wrong, Ali,” Max said to her, willing her to hear the conviction in his voice. “You’re a strong woman, but never cold, never inflexible.”

She sighed and turned to look at Nolan, her shoulders slumped forward, sadness etched in the corners of her mouth. “Sometimes I wonder if guys like Hunt are right.”

“Don’t,” Max ordered. “Don’t wonder, you’re exactly who you need to be.

Her shoulders were still hunched, making her look defeated. “We just used up the blood you needed to make your treatment.”

“It was a long shot anyway. I’ve already started culturing the virus in the eggs you brought me. Hopefully in twenty-four hours, I’ll have enough to test a vaccine.”

“I thought you said forty-eight hours?”

“I did, but I don’t know how long I’ve got, so I’m going to accelerate things as much as I can.” He gave her a small, quick smile. “If you find more eggs, I can start a second batch.”

“What about the supply drop you ordered? Isn’t that due soon?”

He closed his eyes briefly. He’d forgotten all about it. “Shit, yes it is.”

“I have an idea,” she said.

He smiled. “Give it to me.”

“Ask Ferhat if we can send out the kids to collect eggs. No one is going to think twice about seeing them doing that.”

Max considered and quickly decided she was right. “Okay, you meet the drop. I’ll talk to Ferhat about getting the eggs.”

Things were moving fast now. What a fucking clusterfuck.

“Can you keep watch for a few minutes while I brief Tom, Jessup, Warren, Holland, and Bird?”

“Yes, sir.” She glanced at Nolan again. “Should I do anything for him?”

There was a lot that needed to be done, with no time right now to do it. “When Hunt gets back, we’ll put Nolan, Samson, and Bull somewhere out of sight.”

“Yes, sir.” She moved to the door, but stopped before she left the room to turn back and look at him. “Are you...okay?”

He quirked up one side of his mouth. “Never surrender, never give up.”

She didn’t smile in return, but the concerned frown lightened and she left.

He found an old blanket and wrapped Nolan in it and removed the IV and the empty bag of saline. Just as he finished, Jessup and Warren came in.

“Hunt found a place where our dead and injured should be out of sight. It’s kind of got a hidden room, it’s hard to find if you don’t know it’s there. So we’re going to put Nolan in there with a note to stay there.”

“Good, get them moved as quickly as you can.”

“Yes, sir.”

They carried Nolan out of Max’s lab. When they came back a few minutes later, Tom, Hunt, Holland, and Bird came with them. Aside from Ali and Nolan, every American soldier he had left alive was present.

He didn’t bother to try and sugar-coat things.

“Our situation has changed. We’re down too many people to attempt any other military intervention outside this building. We have a few civilians we can shelter, but I won’t authorize any other forays outside unless it’s to obtain supplies.”

“What about your vaccine?”

“It’s cooking now. It needs twenty-four hours minimum. Forty-eight would be better.”

“What about Stone?” Jessup asked. “She said she’s going out to meet the drop.”

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