Page 39 of Viral Justice

“You are.”

Thank God she didn’t have to argue her way onto the team. She waited for him to list more people, but he didn’t. He just walked around her and headed toward the supply room. Two names wasn’t enough. “Just us?”

He didn’t even slow down. “I want this to be an in-and-out mission. We arrive unobtrusively, identify the pathogen for the World Health Organization, and leave. Short and quick.”

That wasit? “Who treats the sick?”

He walked into the supply room like he was on a one-way mission. “The WHO will assign a team once we know which flu we’re dealing with.”

“You make it sound like it’s going to be a cakewalk.” If he didn’t stop to listen to her soon, three seconds soon, she was going to make him stop the hard way. He’d look good tied to her bed.

He stopped and looked at her. Well,finally.

“It won’t be,” he said. “But the fewer people we bring, the easier it’ll be to do our job and get out without ruffling any feathers.”

“Ruffling feathers? You sound like my grandmother.” Could she strangle him, just a little? “What you really mean is to do the job without pissing anyone off or pissing on their territory.”

He winced like he was in actual pain. “Your use of colorful language isn’t necessary, is it?”

She laughed. “Pissis not a swear word. In fact, I don’t think it’s even on the soldier’s checklist of stress-reducing bad language.”

He glanced at her. “It’s a pedestrian word, and you’re smarter than that.”

“What are you, Greek now?”

“Audentes fortuna iuvat,” he said absently.

“What?”

“Fortune favors the bold.”

Now he was quoting military mottos. “I thought you didn’t speak fortune cookie?”

He huffed and glared at her. “I was saving it for a special occasion.”

He was getting mad. Good. Maybe he’d stop and think for a minute. “Really? What are we celebrating?”

“Wednesday.”

She couldn’t help herself. It just tumbled out of her mouth. “Shouldn’t we be naked?”

All activity within twenty feet stopped.

She shrugged. “Since we’re, you know, celebrating hump day.”

Max frowned at her. “Are you drunk?”

She rolled her eyes. “No, I’m somewhat bemused at all the frenetic activity. If this isn’t going to be dangerous, you wouldn’t be so wound up. So, tell me again why we’re not bringing any backup?”

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“I’m the security expert.”

“Right, dumb question.” He squared his shoulders as if preparing for bad news. “How many people do you think we should have?”

“Total of four. Two extra to help lug your stuff around and watch our backs.”

Max stared at her like he wasn’t sure he understood what language she was speaking.

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