PharMigene Industries 
Maryland 

The sound of footsteps echoed loudly through the still night air as he made his way across the deserted lobby. The day shift had long since gone home, and only a few dedicated researchers remained, locked away in their labs oblivious to the world around them. He liked the night when the mass of humanity that usually inhabited the building was gone and all was silence. Stopping at the security desk he showed his ID to the alert guard and signed the logbook before continuing on his way. The lab marked "Special Studies" was located in the far, West wing of the building, away from the usual traffic that flowed through the facility during business hours, and was equipped with a sophisticated electronic lock. Inserting a specially designed card key into the reader mounted adjacent to the door, he waited for the click, then opened the door and entered the lab. For all of its tight security the lab was small and no different from any of the other labs spread throughout the complex. Ignoring the contents of the room, he headed instead for the supply closet located on the far back wall, and the secret elevator hidden within it. The security measures guarding the elevator were more extensive than those guarding access to the lab itself. A second card reader received his card key and a scanner plate checked his fingerprints. Passing these two security checks he entered his secret code on the numeric keypad and waited as the elevator's doors opened. Inside the elevator he spoke his name and watched as the red light on the control panel turned green. Only then did the elevator doors shut and the car begin its downward journey. 

He always found it amusing that while the researchers above diligently strove to improve the health of the world, beneath their feet a secret group plotted the destruction of mankind. He really didn't care about The Dawn's agenda. They allowed him to do his work and that was all that mattered to him. When the scientific community had scorned his ideas as insane and impossible, The Dawn had listened. As his colleagues had turned him into a laughing stock, The Dawn had funded his research. Now after five years, his dream was a reality. Exiting the elevator he made his way through the subterranean complex to his lab. Unlike the mock lab above this facility was state-of-the-art. His white coated lab assistant looked up as he entered. "Doctor Everrett, you're just in time. We've just completed the last batch." 

He glanced at the rows of metallic cylinders his assistant indicated with a sense of pride and vindication. "Excellent. Has a target site been chosen?" 

"Don't worry, Doctor, we have the perfect site in mind. You should be quite pleased." 

He turned to find one of The Dawn's security personnel standing behind him. He didn't care much for The Dawn's "security" types. They had the look of professional soldiers, with their tattoos and dark clothing. He had not even heard the man approach; it unnerved him. But he didn't care how ruthless The Dawn might be, he would bargain with the devil himself if that was what it took to do his work. "What about Cassian and his little group? Nothing must interfere with the test." 

"Don't worry Doctor, Cassian and his group have more than enough to occupy them for now. The experiment will be over long before they have finished dealing with their present troubles. Also, the target is off the beaten path so to speak. By the time anyone even suspects that there might be anything amiss, it will be far to late." 

"Very well, you may proceed." As the security expert left to prepare, the doctor gazed again at the metallic cylinders that held his life's work. They had laughed at him. Well, they wouldn't be laughing soon. Soon they would all be dead. He smiled at the thought. Yes, it was true; revenge was indeed sweet. 

Georgetown University Hospital 
Washington, DC 

Dr. Kimberly Shiroma stared at the tiny organism revealed by the high powered microscope for the hundredth time and for the hundredth time she sighed in frustration. Fatigue was slowing her thinking. There had to be an answer here somewhere; yet it eluded her. Children were dying and she was no closer to stopping this deadly creature than she was three days ago. 

Shiroma's contemplation of the microbe was interrupted by a soft tapping at the lab door. Looking up she saw her colleague Dr. Edward Marcase standing at the doorway of the lab, two cups of steaming coffee in his hands. "Time to come up for air, Kimberly. You've been at it for six hours straight. Break time." 

Standing up Shiroma stretched her stiff shoulder and neck muscles then gave Marcase a tired smile. "There's a break room next door. Just let me wash up." 

A few moments later Kimberly entered the break room. Taking her cup of coffee she covertly studied Marcase. God he looks worse than I do. They had been brought in three days ago by Dr. Edmonds, chief of Georgetown University Hospital, to investigate an outbreak of meningococcal meningitis. Since that time twenty-five children had been admitted with the disease and they were no closer to halting its spread. "How are you holding up?" 

"About as well as can be expected. We haven't lost anyone since we've started them on chloramphenicol, but it's too early to tell if it's going to be able to do the job. And we have to constantly monitor for side effects, as if this bug didn't have enough complications to watch for. I hate to use something this strong with such young kids but everything else has proven useless. I've never seen a strain of meningitis this resistant to antibiotics. Then there's the fever and convulsions to deal with. Even with antipyretic drug therapy, we can't get the temp below 102 and don't ask what happens if we try to take them off of the phenytoin." 

"We'll beat this thing Edward, we have to." 

"I know it's just that this last month has been insane. This is the third outbreak of a mutant bug occurring literally back to back. It's almost as if someone is deliberately starting these epidemics." 

"Who and for what purpose?" 

"Haven't a clue; to drive us crazy? It just doesn't feel right Kimberly. My suitcase had barely hit the living room floor from the last case before Cassian was dragging me off to this one. Neither of us has slept much in the past few days and before that we were running on empty. How long can we keep this up?" Marcase shook his head to dispel the dark thoughts. "Sorry, didn't mean to get maudlin on you. What have you discovered about our little friend?" 

"Not much, it is definitely meningococcal meningitis but the bacteria is highly resistant to antibiotics. I hope the chloramphenicol works because everything else I've tried has had no effect. There is definitely a sign of alteration at the genetic level, but whether it is natural or engineered it's hard to say. I'm still trying to unravel the gene coding, if I can discover the sequence that controls antibiotic resistance and somehow disrupt it, we could use conventional antibiotics to knock out the infection." 

"If anyone can find the key, it's you." 

"Thanks." 

"Cassian has rallied the health authorities and they are administering rifampin to all family members and classmates of the exposed children. They've also started vaccinating everyone in the school and the two day cares where the outbreaks occurred, but with this mutant strain, I'm not sure preventative measures are going to do any good." 

"With the resistance the bacteria has shown to antibiotics, I wouldn't be surprised to find increased resistance to the vaccines as well, and I doubt intervention with antimicrobials will have much effect. Have they determined the vector of infection?" 

"Hailey has tracked the cases to the local school and two neighboring day cares. Exposure seems to be targeted at kindergarten age children. All secondary exposures have been among siblings and friends of kindergartners from the three target sites. We still have no clue as to how the original exposure occurred." 

"So we have the possibility of escalation?" 

"Afraid so, if we don't find a way to do more than slow this thing down, we could have a lot of dead kids on our hands." Further conversation was interrupted by the Hospital PA System. "DR. MARCASE TO EMERGENCY, DR. MARCASE TO EMERGENCY, PLEASE." 

"That's my cue. Try to get some rest if you can Kim." 

"I will if you will." 

A wry grin and a shake of his head were her only answer then he was gone. As Edward headed toward the latest crisis, Shiroma finished her coffee then returned to the lab. They had to crack this thing and soon. Neither of them could take much more. 

Dr. Daniel Cassian was not a happy man. He was tired, bored and above all irritated. He had been summoned to the Hill to face a group of highly placed military and political figures. Ordinarily appearing before such an august body was of little concern to Cassian, but these were not only powerful people, they were also parents. He had been summoned to explain to a bunch of distraught fathers and mothers how their child could possibly be at risk, as if disease was a respecter of socioeconomic boundaries. They demanded to know why Cassian hadn't made it all go away. Instead of being out dealing with the problem, he was stuck here being asked questions that had no answers. Of course Cassian's outer demeanor reflected none of his inner turmoil. He was as cool and unruffled as always. He listened patiently as one outspoken senator lamented over the inordinate amount of money spent on Cassian's group and the lack of results from said group. When the verbose politician finally ran out of steam, Cassian decided he had heard enough. Pushing his chair away from the conference table he arose and headed for the door. 

"Dr. Cassian this meeting is not over. You have not been given permission to leave." 

"On the contrary this meeting is definitely over and I do not need permission from you or anyone else to leave. I came here as a courtesy and nothing I have heard in the last two hours has convinced me that this meeting is anything but a waste of time. The facts are that three days ago an epidemic hit this city. In those three days my team has isolated the infected population and begun intervention measures. They have also isolated the mutant bacteria responsible for the outbreak. For now we can only slow the course of the disease but my people are working round the clock to find a cure. The information we have gathered about the bacteria has been sent out to experts around the country for input. Mr. Hailey is even as we speak working to track the outbreak to its source. Now if you know of anyone who could have done more in such a short length of time, I wish you would tell me, we could use their help." 

Cassian glance around the now silent room. "I thought as much. Go home to your families. I suggest that you monitor your children carefully and at the first sign of possible infection get them to the hospital. Everything that can be done to stop this outbreak is being done. My people are the best in their fields. They won't quit until this thing is beaten. The best way for you to help is to let us do our jobs. When we know anything, you'll be informed. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an epidemic to see to." 

A few moments later Cassian settled into the seat of the limo with a sigh of relief. Leaning his head back he allowed the fatigue to momentarily wash over him before pushing it back. He would rest later when this was over for now there was still too much to do. 

The sight, which greeted him as he entered the ER, had become all too familiar to Marcase over the last few days. A six-year old boy lay on a stretcher wracked by convulsions. Dr. Sarah Lopez, the ER doctor, was already administering anti-convulsant and fever reducing medications. Marcase stayed out of the way while Lopez and her team worked to stabilized the boy. They had gotten quite proficient over the last few days and soon the boy's seizures quieted and he drifted into the stupor that marked the next stage of the disease. When the flurry of activity had died down Marcase approached the nurses' station where Lopez was busy making notes on the patient's chart. "Nice work." 

"Thanks, we've had lots of practice. More than I like. Which is why I called you. We may have another site." Handing Marcase the chart she watched as he read the information it contained. "Damn, this is in a completely different part of town. How many cases so far." 

"This is number two. We just finished stabilizing the first one a few minutes before you came in. He's in treatment room one." 

"Edward?" The softly uttered word startled both doctors. They had been concentrating so hard on their discussion that they had not heard the woman approach. Turning Marcase stared in shock at his downstairs neighbor. "Maria? What are you doing here? Not Timmy?" At the woman's nod Marcase stepped forward and wrapped her in a hug. "God, Maria I'm so sorry. I didn't know." 

Drying her tears the woman stepped back and reached up to gently pat the cheek of the young man who had become like a son to her. "There was no way for you to know Edward, it has just happened. One minute he was fine the next..." She shrugged. "It is just one of those things. Do not worry about us you have other things to think about. You must stop this Edward before more children become sick." 

"We're trying Maria, believe me we are all trying." Catching a signal from Lopez, Edward gently herded the woman back toward the treatment room. "They should be ready to take Timmy up to his room now, I'll stop by later and check on you two." 

Marcase watched as the woman accompanied the stretcher bearing the still form of her son out of the room. With a mental effort he wrenched his thoughts from his friends and focused on the crisis at hand. "You had better alert Edmonds, I'll call Cassian and tell him of the new target site. We'll need to pull in more staff, the ward is already packed and with a new outbreak we could quickly run out of rooms and hands. Maybe Cassian can borrow extra help from the other local hospitals and clinics." 

As Lopez dialed the hospital administrator, Marcase punched in Cassian's number and waited for his boss to pick up. Just when you think things can't get any worse. "Cassian? Marcase, we've got trouble." 

Michael Hailey parked his car down the street from the small white ranch house. Over the past three days he had questioned every student, parent and teacher in the three target sites. Only one thing stood out. In the past week each of the kindergarten and pre-school classes had hosted birthday parties. A party attended by one "Jocko the Clown". It was thin but so far it was the only lead he had. So here he sat watching Jocko's residence for anything out of the ordinary. He was about to move in for a closer look when a dark sedan pulled up to the house and two men in dark suits got out. All of Hailey's instincts kicked into high gear at the sight of the men. "Well, well and what do we have here. Those two are definitely not the local Avon ladies." Hailey studied the two closely, both were packing guns and they moved like men with a purpose. - Pros. Even as the thought went through his head he was exiting the car to follow them. By the time he reached the house the two gunmen were already inside. Entering the building he silently followed the sound of voices to the kitchen. "Is this everything?" Peeking around the corner of the doorframe Hailey saw one of the men; a black gym bag clutched in his left hand, standing over a terrified man crouched on the floor in front of him. 

"Yes, yes please. What's this all about? I did my part, why are you doing this?" 

"I'm afraid you've become a liability. We're here to tidy up." The sound of a silencer, followed by the thud of a body hitting the floor, told Hailey all he needed to know. 

"We've got it all. Let's clear out. Are the charges set?" 

Hailey listened as the second man joined the first in the kitchen. "I set the timer for three minutes, let's move." 

Carefully, Hailey drew his gun from the holster. He would only get one chance at this. In one smooth motion he was up and in the doorway, his weapon trained on the two men. "Freeze, Federal agent." 

The two men were completely taken by surprise but they soon recovered. As Hailey had expected they ignored his warning and reached for their guns. Without hesitation he dropped the two in rapid succession. A quick inspection verified that both were dead. Only then did he turn his attention to the third man. Jocko was still alive but Hailey knew he wouldn't be for much longer. "What's in the bag Jocko?" 

"Medicine...they ...gave it.to me...keep from getting sick. Oh, God I'm so sorry." Hailey felt the body go limp as Jocko joined the other two in death. 

Remembering the timer, Hailey grabbed the black bag from the dead leader's hand. The sight of the tattoo, engraved on the left palm, came as no surprise. Shouldering the bag he ran for the living room. Throwing his arms over his head for protection he dived for the large picture window on the front wall. The explosion caught him in mid leap and hurled him through the window and across the lawn. Instincts ingrained by years of training took over causing him to roll as he hit the ground. He came to rest near the street, shaken, bruised but not seriously hurt. Getting to his feet Hailey watched the burning house for only a second before grabbing up the black bag and heading for his car. He was far down the street before the first neighbor appeared to gawk at the fire. 

Marcase stood beside the hospital bed watching the young boy sleep. Of all the people in the world why did this have to happen to this particular boy? Timothy and his folks were like family to him. They were all the family he had. "I'm so sorry Timmy." He should have known better than to get too close. Everyone he got close to, died. First his parents then Alan. It was as if the diseases of the world had gotten together and made a list of those he cared about, then set out to destroy them one by one. Marcase closed his eyes and ran his hands over his temples trying to stop the headache forming there. God, he was more tired than he realized if he was getting this fatalistic. Ordinarily he kept his demons at bay; he had a great faith in God and life and usually strove to see the good in even the worst circumstances. That faith had seen him through many a rough time. But he was human and far from perfect. Every once in awhile he reached his limit. He was close to those limits now. 

"How's he doing?" Marcase turned at the sound of the quietly spoken words to see Cassian standing at the door to the room. 

"Like the others, he's hanging on for the moment." 

"Well, we may have something that can improve the situation. I just received a call from Mr. Hailey. He's bringing us a present." 

"I hope it's a good one." With a last glance at the sleeping boy, Marcase followed Cassian out of the room. "So what has Michael been up to?" 

"He didn't give me too much information on the phone, just that he had found the source of the disease and was bringing us something we would be very interested in." 

"That sounds like Hailey, he's almost as cryptic as you." 

"Hazard of the job I'm afraid. So what's the story with you and our young patient?" Cassian smiled at Marcase's suspicious look. "Relax Edward, I haven't been checking up on you. I happened to run into young Timothy's mother. She referred to you as her eldest son, I'm curious. I didn't know you were Italian." 

Marcase chuckled, "By adoption only. It's a long story." 

"We have a few minutes before Mr. Hailey arrives. I'll buy you a cup of coffee." 

Giving in to the inevitable Marcase accompanied Cassian to the cafeteria. He might as well tell the story, Cassian was good at keeping secrets but he hated not knowing everything. If Marcase didn't spill the beans he would grill the Torreno family until he had his answers. Taking a sip of his coffee Edward began his tale. 

"As you know I have no surviving family. Haven't had any since my grandfather died. I was still working for the Epi service when I first met Maria and David Torreno and there brood of kids. I had been on assignment in Africa. One of those nightmare cases where you get dropped into a zone with only what you are carrying and you pray someone will come back to get you out. There was a border dispute going on. We had to keep moving the hospital to stay out of the line of fire. By the time I finally got back to the states I was close to exhaustive collapse. To make matters worse I left the steaming jungles to hit Washington in winter. I was still dressed for Africa. By the time I made it to my apartment I was running a fever and seeing double. I managed to get the key in the lock before falling flat on my face, not my finest moment. While I had been out of the country the vacant apartment downstairs had acquired new tenants. They must have heard the crash. The next thing I know I'm being carried inside and put to bed. Two days later I awoke to find my apartment overrun by the Torreno clan. David is a cop, he had been home when I did my swan dive and had come to investigate. His wife Maria followed him. She took one look at me and decided I needed a keeper. She adopted me on the spot. They have six kids what was one more. From that day on at least one member of the clan drops by to check on me when I'm in town. They've made me one of the family." Marcase smiled. "Maria keeps trying to marry me off to one of her nieces. Until I have a proper wife to look out for me, she has assigned herself the task of keeping an eye on me." 

"You're a very lucky man, Edward." 

"I know." Marcase finished his coffee and stood. "Hailey should be here by now. I'm very interested to see what he's found." 

Cassian nodded and stood to follow his colleague out of the cafeteria. His expression betrayed none of the anxiety he was feeling. Marcase was close to burn out, so was Shiroma for that matter. They had both been in the field too long without a break. Cassian hoped little Timothy made it through this epidemic. They were all worn out physically, mentally and emotionally. He feared what the loss of the child, his little brother, would do to Marcase. 

Michael Hailey ignored the stares as he limped through the hospital corridors toward the lab. His clothes were dirty and torn from the explosion and he could already feel the bruises forming on his body and he ached from dozens of small cuts and scrapes. He should have stopped in the ER but he couldn't afford to waste the time. If Jocko's dying words were true he carried the answer to this epidemic in his hands. 

He entered the lab to find the rest of the team waiting for him. "My God Michael what happened to you." Marcase was at his side in an instance guiding him to a chair. 

"I had a disagreement with some of The Dawn's foot soldiers. They decide to blow up the building we were in. This is what they were after." He handed the black bag to Cassian. "According to its owner it contains medicine to keep him from catching the disease he was busy spreading." 

Cassian took the bag and handed it to Shiroma who began cataloguing its contents. "All right Mr. Hailey, from the beginning please." 

"That can wait." Marcase interrupted before Hailey could get started. "First I want to check him out. Some of those cuts look deep and he may have a concussion." 

For a moment it looked as if Cassian was going to disagree, then he took a good look at Hailey and nodded. "Dr. Shiroma and I will inventory the contents of the bag. We'll compare notes when you're done." As Marcase led a protesting Hailey away for treatment Cassian turned his attention to the objects Shiroma was carefully pulling from the bag. She was handling each item with extreme caution. With The Dawn involved it was no telling what might be contaminated and infectious. 

Sometime later Marcase and a much cleaner Hailey returned to the lab. Edward had found Michael a set of green hospital scrubs to replace his torn and dirty clothes. He now sported bandages on both forearms and one at his temple. Now that the adrenaline rush was fading he was beginning to feel the effects of his escapade. He ached in every part of his body and the cuts and scraps were beginning to hurt. He was also developing a whopping headache. At least he didn't have a concussion. "Bruised and battered but you'll live" was the way Marcase had put it. He sank wearily into a chair and was surprised when two capsules were placed in his hands. "I told you you'd be needing these. You should always listen to your doctor." Hailey scowled but accepted the cup of water Marcase handed him and took the pills. A few minutes later the aches and pains eased enough for him to pay attention to the ongoing conversation. 

"From what I can tell these are all standard prescription drugs." Shiroma held up one of the brown pill bottles. "We have what appears to be an antibiotic." She put down the bottle and picked up the next one. "This is a common anti-viral medication and the other appears to be an anti-fungal drug. The only other thing in the bag were small sacks of gummy bears." 

"It's how he spread the infection." The three turned in surprise to stare at Hailey. 

"Maybe you would be good enough to explain that Mr. Hailey." He now had Cassian's full attention. Organizing his thoughts Hailey explained about Jocko and The Dawn. "Jocko's dying words were that he was sorry for spreading the disease and that the stuff in the bag was what kept him from becoming sick." 

"And you believe him?" Cassian's tone was neutral giving no clue as to his thoughts. 

"The Dawn certainly did. They only rigged the house, after being sure they had all of Jocko's stash. They were very careful to make sure nothing was left behind before they killed him." 

"But it's just prescriptions and maybe some infected candy." Shiroma gave the contents strewn across the lab bench a skeptical look. "How could that be a threat to The Dawn?" 

"I wonder." All eyes turned to Marcase. Edward stood lost in thought. They recognized the signs; Marcase's mind was busy traipsing down paths unseen by others. "I wonder, could that be it?" 

"Dr. Marcase if you have any clues to what is happening here, I'd appreciate it if you would be good enough to share them with the rest of us." Cassian's tone brought the desired effect. He could almost see Edward refocus to the here and now. 

Marcase gave Shiroma an impish smile. "You're going to think I'm crazy." 

Kimberly couldn't help the small answering smile as she responded to the challenge. "Why should this time be any different." 

"Doctor's, if we could get back to the problem at hand please." Secretly Cassian was relieved, Marcase was on to something, he would bet on it. The question was what? 

"OK, bear with me a moment. We have a typical bacteria that is acting anything but typical. It resists everything we throw at it. Well, what if it isn't just a bacteria?" Shiroma looked skeptical but didn't interrupt. "I know it sounds crazy. We know that this is The Dawn's work and the genetic structure has definitely been altered." 

"I'll agree that this is a genetically modified bacteria." Shiroma shook her head in confusion. "But what does that have to do with prescription drugs?" 

Marcase gave her an enigmatic smile. "A lot, if the genes incorporated into the bacteria were viral and fungal in nature." He held up a hand to stall the protest. "Here me out. The Dawn engineered a bacterium with a super protection system. But in order to spread the disease they had to keep their carrier from becoming exposed. So they devised a way to turn the defense off when needed." 

"They used mechanisms inherent in viruses and fungi, mechanisms which could be disrupted by anti-viral and anti-fungal drugs." Shiroma's mind suddenly saw where Marcase was going. "Of course, no one would treat a bacterial infection with anti-viral or anti-fungal drugs. They would try the antibiotics first." 

"Which wouldn't work. The defense mechanisms are immune to antibiotics." 

"But, if anti-viral and anti-fungal drugs are given in conjunction with the antibiotics..." 

"The defense system is neutralized and the antibiotics do their job. So Kim how do we test this theory?" 

"First, we'll need to verify that the drugs are what they appear to be. Then we'll need the correct combination of doses. Then see how the microbe reacts to the drugs..." 

Neither Marcase nor Shiroma noticed as the other two slipped from the room. "What do you think? Is what they're talking about possible?" 

"Where The Dawn is concerned, I've learned to rule nothing out." Cassian gave Hailey a tired smile. "But we may just have a chance now. Good work Michael. I need to check in with the health authorities and update Edmonds." He motioned to the closed lab door. "Keep an eye on those two." 

Hailey slipped quietly back into the lab. Shiroma and Marcase were totally absorbed in their work and oblivious to all else. Michael made himself comfortable and prepared for a long night. Hope. For the first time since this mess began, Hailey let himself hope. He added a prayer for good measure. A prayer that Marcase's uncanny intuition was once again right. 

When Cassian returned to the lab he found things much as he had left them. Marcase and Shiroma were hard at work and Hailey was doing what he could to help. Michael glanced up as Cassian entered the room. Leaving the two doctors to their tasks he joined his boss. "I think they've just about figured it out. They're muttering about testing the formula." 

Nodding his understanding, Cassian drifted over to where the two scientists were conversing. 

"Edward, I just think we need to test the mixture further. These are powerful drugs we're dealing with, and the dosages are strong, especially for a child." 

"I know it's dangerous, Kim. But we don't have a lot of choice here. We've got four kids who are going to go critical on us. If we don't do something right now, they won't make it through the night. We've stalled this disease as long as we can. Either we find a way to kill it now or we start losing patients." 

"You're right, we really have no other choice." 

"So I take it the two of you have come up with a treatment plan." Cassian looked from Marcase to Shiroma. It was Shiroma who finally answered him. 

"We believe so. Antibiotics can kill the bacteria but only in the presence of a mixture of anti-viral and anti-fungal drugs. Whoever designed this thing is a genius. The genetic coding is well camouflaged and easily missed unless you know what you are looking for. Codons from both viruses and fungi have been spliced into the bacteria's genetic code. But only enough genes were transferred to give the bacteria a specific defense mechanism not enough for anyone studying the genetic structure to notice the mixture of species. Working from the dosages of the drugs prescribed for Jocko, we believe we have come up with a formula that should be safe and effective for a child. But it is still risky." She glanced at Marcase and he continued. 

"We have four cases that are about to go sour on us. I suggest we try the treatment on them first. One of us will need to stay with them and monitor them constantly. I've already talked to the parents. They've given us permission to try." 

"Good, we'll start as soon as you are ready. I have one piece of good news. There have been no new cases from site four. It seems that the birthday party was a lunch affair. Since the teacher didn't wish to be stuck with fifteen hyperactive children for the rest of the day, candy was banned. The only sweets allowed were the birthday cake. When Jocko tried to pass out his special party favors, the teacher stopped him. Only Timothy and his friend managed to get a piece before it was taken away." 

Marcase shook his head. "Timmy never could resist candy. His sweet tooth runs all the way to his toes. But I'm glad there are no other casualties, we already have our hands full." Pushing thoughts of Timmy to the back of his mind he turned his attention to Cassian. " When can you be free to assist? I'd like to start treatment as soon as possible." 

"I'm free now. I finished up all my other business before I came over. Let's do it." 

Twenty minutes later the three doctors, plus Dr. Edmonds, were maintaining a vigil at the bedside of the four critically ill children. Not being a doctor Hailey rotated between the rooms carrying coffee and providing backup for those rare times that a doctor had to leave the room for an instant. 

Six hours after treatment began; Marcase let himself breathe a sigh of relief. He watched as the temperature of the golden haired little girl began to slowly drop to something approaching normal. She moved and muttered in her sleep and he smiled. It was the first sign of life he had observed in the sick child in days. By morning she was awake and asking for her mother. He said a prayer of thanks. Shiroma would want tests of course but Marcase already knew what they would show. The treatment worked. 

The next two days flew by in a blur of activity. Treatment was begun on the remaining twenty-three children. Tests of the cerebral spinal fluid confirmed that the treatment was indeed effective. Without its genetically enhanced defense system the bacterium was just plain old meningococcal meningitis and was again susceptible to routine antibiotics. As the children stabilized, the anti-convulsant drugs were discontinued and ampicillin was substituted for the chloramphenicol. After two days with no further complications the doctors finally began to allow themselves to relax. 

"I don't know how to thank you. Without your help, I would be looking at a lot of dead kids." 

Cassian gave Dr. Edmonds one of his rare smiles. "It's all part of the job, doctor. Glad we could be of service." 

Marcase and Shiroma were standing at he nurses' station updating the last of the patient charts. Hailey was standing by ready to drive the weary doctors, home. As Edmonds and Cassian joined them Marcase finished his notations and closed the chart. "All i's dotted and all t's crossed, we're out of here." In spite of his exhaustion Marcase was in a festive mood. They had won. The children were recovering and young Timmy was on the mend. He had stopped by to check on him last and the smile the little boy had given him made all the hard work worthwhile. 

Shiroma finished her chart and laid it on the desk beside Edward's. "I'm going to go home and sleep for a week." She fixed her boss with a firm stare. "And so help me Cassian, if you call before that I'll not be responsible for my actions." 

Cassian held up his hands in mock surrender. "Don't blame me, I didn't start this epidemic. Go home both of you and take a couple of weeks off. You deserve it." 

"CODE BLUE ROOM 216. CODE BLUE ROOM 216." 

All conversation stopped as the PA system broadcast its call. The color drained from Marcase's face then he was running for the East wing of the floor. The others were right behind him. Marcase halted outside of Timothy's door and watched the organized chaos within. His every instinct urged him to rush to the boy's defense but he knew he would only get in the way. He stood frozen by the door watching the smoothly coordinated moves of the crash team as they struggled to breathe life back into the young boy. Marcase felt a chill deep in his bones and he knew with certainty that it was hopeless. He had experience the same feeling when he had watched his parents fighting for their lives so many years ago. Whatever had happened, Timothy was not going to make it. He was gone. Finally the doctor called a halt and the crash team began to pack up. Turning Edward stumbled out into the hallway to face Timmy's frightened parents. "I'm so sorry, they did everything they could." 

Maria buried her face against her husband's chest and gave in to her tears. David wrapped his arms around his distraught wife and fought to contain his grief. One look at the young doctor's face and he knew what was going through his adopted son's mind. He offered the only comfort he could. "It's not your fault Edward. You did all that you could, all anyone could." Then he escorted his sobbing wife away from the room. 

Marcase was barely aware of someone grabbing his arm and leading him away. The next thing he knew he was sitting in the doctor's lounge and Shiroma was pressing a cup of water into his hand. "Drink, I thought I'd lost you there for awhile." 

Obediently Marcase drank the water and tried to regain his balance. "Sorry Kim, I just got blind sided. Damn it, this wasn't supposed to happen. He was better. I just don't understand what went wrong." 

Cassian entered the room in time to hear Marcase's last remark. The virologist was still much too pale but Cassian was relieved to see the awareness in his eyes. "We can't be sure without an autopsy but we believe it had nothing to do with the disease, at least not directly. It looks like an aneurysm. The prolonged stress caused it to rupture. There was no way you could know Edward, no one could. This could have happened at any time." 

"Do Maria and David know?" 

"Yes, they've given permission for the autopsy. They left a few minutes ago and I suggest you do the same. Our job here is finished. Go home and get some rest. Mr. Hailey will drive you." 

For a moment Cassian thought he would refuse but then Marcase nodded and climbed wearily to his feet. 

Hailey escorted Shiroma and Marcase to the car without saying a word. He had learned that there was a time for talk and a time for silence. He dropped Shiroma off first. He was amused when Marcase got out of the car to walk her to the door. It seemed chivalry wasn't as dead as people thought. The two paused on the sidewalk for a moment talking then Shiroma gave Edward a brief hug and entered the building. Hailey didn't have to be a lip reader to know what they were saying. She was telling him she was there if he needed her. They were a team and teammates looked out for one another. Marcase got back in the car, laid his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes. 

Pulling up to Marcase's apartment building Hailey stopped the car and turned off the engine. Turning in his seat he glanced at his silent passenger. Marcase had not moved once during the trip from Shiroma's. "We're here." 

Opening his eyes Marcase glanced over at his chauffeur and gave a tired smile. "Thanks Michael." 

"All a part of the job. Door to door doctor delivery." 

"Not for the lift, for not trying to get me to talk about it. I don't think I can right now." 

"I understand. Just remember you're not a lone wolf anymore. We're a team. If you need me I'm there." 

"First Kim now you. I'm not use to all this attention. I'll be all right. I always am." 

"Yeah, just don't forget that this time we're here for you." 

"I won't. And Michael, thanks." 

Marcase stood on the sidewalk and watched Hailey drive away. It was a balmy Washington night but he felt chilled. Timmy's loss was like a hole in his soul. He knew it would get better with time. Death and grief were old acquaintances as was guilt. He had to let himself grieve in order to heal but tonight he was just too tired. He glanced up at the brightly, lit window of the Torreno's apartment. He should go up and offer what comfort he could to the family but he was wrung dry. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept but he could not make himself go inside. He couldn't face the Torrenos or his empty apartment or the feelings of sorrow filling the building. Not now, not when his reserves were so low. Maybe a drive would help him clear his mind. Then maybe he could rest. 

The vintage Cadillac was one of Edward's prized possessions. It had been the first thing he had bought when he graduated from med school and started earning a decent living. Driving with the top down, the wind blowing through his hair always helped him unwind. Tonight was no different. As the caddy worked its usual magic, he felt some of his inner tensions begin to ease. Just a quick spin around town, then he'd go home to bed. 

A flash of light and the sound of a car horn jerked Marcase back to awareness. He was on a deserted mountain road, deserted that is except for the tan van hurtling toward him. There was no time to wonder where he was or how he had come to be here. There was only time to react. Jerking the big caddy to the right, he narrowly missed the oncoming van. Marcase cursed as he felt the car begin to skid out of control. He struggled to regain mastery of the wildly spinning car, but to no avail. With a crunch of metal the car broke through the guard rail at the side of the road, plummeted down the steep embankment and slammed head on into the trunk of a large pine tree growing at the bottom of the ravine. 

The driver of the tan van stared at the broken guardrail then down at the wheelchair that supported his lower legs. There was no way for him to offer assistance to the other driver. So he did the one thing that he could do to help. Closing his eyes he prayed for the injured driver. The inside of the van glowed with a bright white light as the young man prayed. When the light faded the man opened his eyes and smiled. The sheriff would soon be by on his morning patrol. The other driver would be fine until help arrived. The young doctor was needed here. All was as it should be. Content that his presence was no longer needed the young man put the van in gear and continued on his way. When the sheriff arrived a short time later, there was no sign of the van or its mysterious driver. 

Michael Hailey pored himself another cup of coffee and scrounged through his refrigerator for something to eat. He had slept for eighteen hours straight and was looking forward to a few days away from the demands of work. Taking his late breakfast into the living room he paused beside the phone and punched in a familiar number. "Come on Edward, answer the phone man." He listened until the answering machine picked up then hung up. Marcase was a big boy. He had to handle things his own way. He would give him some time then try again. Tonight Michael planned to have some fun. A group of his old SEAL buddies was in town on a three-day pass and he had promised to show them the sights. Cold beer, cool jazz and good comrades were just what he needed right now. 

Shiroma hung up the phone and frowned. Where was he? She was worried about Marcase and his silence only added to her worry. 

"Something wrong dear?" 

Kimberly turned to face her aunt. "Just checking on a friend." 

"Kimmie, want to go park. You promised." Two-year old Ashley Shiroma gazed up at her older cousin with adoring eyes. Shiroma laughed and swept the little girl up in a hug. "Of course we're going to the park. Why don't you go and see if your brother and sister are ready." 

"OK." Kimberly watched the child run from the room and smiled. Spending time with her aunt and her lively brood always lifted her spirits. Whenever the pressures of the job became too much, she always ended up here. A few days looking into her cousins' innocent faces and she remembered what she was working for. 

"Are you sure you're up to this, dear? Those three are a handful and you were awfully tired when you arrived." 

"I'm fine Aunt Bev. I slept the clock around and a day of fresh air and sunshine will do me good. Are we still going shopping this afternoon?" 

"If you still have the energy after the terrible trio finish with you." 

At that moment the three miniature tornadoes descended on them and Kim was whisked away. Cassian had given her time off and she intended to make the most of it. 

Daniel Cassian sat at his desk sorting through the pile of invitations he had received over the past few weeks. Sometimes keeping up with the social and political functions of Washington society was as exhausting as fighting a mutant virus. Twice during the day he had kept himself from going to the phone and calling Marcase. Cassian was concerned but he knew from experience, you could not force someone to accept help. He knew what it was like to lose someone close to you. The best thing he could do was to give Marcase the space he needed to come to terms with his loss. However, that didn't mean he couldn't worry, it was his job to worry about his people. Whether they realized it or not his team's welfare was very important to him, and if he didn't hear from Marcase by Monday he would call, intrusion or not. Friends didn't leave friends to face their pain alone. Funny he couldn't say when Marcase and the others went from being irritating but necessary tools to friends. A lot had changed in the past few months. Part of Cassian was glad. Friends you could trust were few and far between in his business. When you found one you guarded them carefully. He would give Marcase until Monday. This weekend he had a slew of social and political engagements that demanded his presence. Even he needed time off occasionally and a night on the town was just what the doctor ordered. 

DAWN Headquarters, East Coast 
Location Unknown 

He was known only as the Director. Only a few members of The Dawn's top echelon knew his true identity and he preferred it that way. He was content to monitor the activities of the vast organization in secrecy. Only the most crucial projects warranted his attention. When Dr. Everrett had first been brought to his attention he harbored grave reservations as to the doctor's usefulness. As he read the latest reports from his operatives the Director was pleased to see that he had been wrong. Everrett was a rare find, a genius; his creation could be the ultimate biological weapon The Dawn had been searching for all these years. After the fiasco with the Mayan virus, the Director was determined that nothing interfere with the Dawn's triumph. The reports were encouraging. Dawn operatives had successfully infiltrated the plant and the town's annual spring fair was only a couple of weeks away. A perfect opportunity to test the doctor's work. The Director sat back in his chair and smiled. The ultimate weapon would soon be theirs and there was nothing Cassian and his misguided troop of do-gooders could do to stop them. 

Cassian was in his office catching up on the mountain of paperwork that had accumulated during his absence. For a secret group it was amazing how many forms, requisitions and reports he had to file. With the team away it was the perfect opportunity to put in a few hours of effort to try and liberate himself from the maze of government red tape. 

A soft tap on his office door interrupted his solitude then Michael Hailey walked in. "Sorry to intrude on your fun but do you have a minute?" 

"Mr. Hailey, I thought I told you to take some time off. Don't tell me you're bored already?" 

"Hardly. Have you heard from Edward?" 

"No, I tried to call him but he wasn't home. Why is something wrong?" 

"I'm not sure. Both Kimberly and I have tried repeatedly to reach him all weekend, but no luck. I went by his apartment and the caddy is missing." 

"So he went for a drive. Nothing unusual about that." 

"He hasn't been in his apartment and the Torreno family haven't seen him since the night Timothy died." 

"You're sure he hasn't been home?" 

"Positive. The Torreno kids have been taking turns staking out his apartment. Besides I checked, the place looks just like it did the last time I was there. He never made it upstairs Friday. I've checked with the local police and hospitals. They haven't seen him." 

"Well that's something at least. All right, I'll make some calls, start a search of the DC area and the surrounding states. Considering the frame of mind Edward was in, it's no telling where he ended up. I suggest you try to enjoy your vacation Mr. Hailey, there is nothing more we can do for now. I'll keep you posted." 

As Hailey left Cassian dialed the FBI and issued instructions for locating the wayward Dr. Marcase. They would locate him and report back only. Cassian assured himself that he was not interfering in Edward's business. After all if the team was called to action he needed to know where to find his resident virologist. And if Marcase had somehow managed to get himself into trouble, he needed to know where to send the cavalry. 

Nestled high up in the mountains of Virginia's Southwest Highlands, New Hope was a quiet town and that was just how Sheriff Adam Caldwell liked it. He had spent twenty years as a big city police officer before the stress of the job became too much and he had moved to New Hope. He loved his town and was very protective of its inhabitants. Strangers to the area always warranted his attention, especially those who drove their cars off back mountain roads. A routine background check revealed nothing unusual, yet the sheriff was still concerned. What was a big city doctor doing way out here? The fact that the doctor in question carried a government ID card only added to his worry. The sheriff's musings were interrupted as his deputy, Ben Hawkins, came into the office waving a fax in excitement. "Boss, you're not going to believe this. The FBI is looking for our mystery guest." 

"Calm down Ben and give me that." Taking the fax the sheriff read it carefully then sat still pondering its implications. The FBI wanted the doctor located but no mention was made of a crime nor was there any indication that he should take any action against the man. So Dr. Marcase was not just an ordinary doctor. Someone in high places was interested in his whereabouts. Picking up the phone the sheriff dialed the contact number listed on the fax. Maybe now he would get some answers. 

Twenty minutes later the sheriff hung up the phone. Grabbing his hat he headed for the door. "Ben, I'm heading over to Doc's place. I'll be back in a little while." 

Doc lived in a white two story Colonial house at the outskirts of town. Knowing that the irascible old doctor never locked his doors the sheriff went straight in. "Doc, you home?" 

"In the kitchen." Following the sound of the doctor's voice Adam entered the kitchen. The doctor was pouring a tall glass of iced tea and smiled as he entered the room. "Howdy, Adam, care for some tea?" 

"Thanks." Dropping his hat on the back of a chair the sheriff sat down at the table. "How's your patient?" 

Doc sat two glasses of iced tea on the table and took a seat across from his guest. "Frankly I'm starting to worry. The kid's got a nasty concussion and more bruises than I'd like to name but he should have woke up by now. I'm beginning to wonder if I missed something." 

"I doubt it. I just had an interesting talk with our young friend's boss. Seems that he's a virologist with a government biohazard team and he probably hasn't slept in a week." 

"Well that would explain a few things." Doc chuckled. "His body finally got him off his feet and it's not in any hurry to let him back up. Yep, that would definitely explain a few things." 

"There is one other thing you need to know. Seems that just before he went missing he lost a patient. It was a kid and someone he was close to, sort of a little brother. His boss is worried." 

"Exhausted and emotionally hurt. Now we know why he ended up in New Hope." 

"Yes, well New Hope does seem to attract people who need a quiet place to heal. I hope it can help the kid. His boss was pretty closed mouthed about their work but I wouldn't be surprised to discover that we all owe that young man a debt of gratitude." 

"I've known a few of the Epi boys in my time and you're right. They put it all on the line so that the rest of us can be safe. Don't worry, I'll take good care of him. It'll be kind of nice to have another doctor around to talk to." 

The sheriff finished his tea and stood up. "Let me know when he wakes up. I promised his boss I'd look out for him." 

"You'll be the first to know." 

After seeing the sheriff out, Doc went upstairs to check on his patient. The young man still slept soundly. Checking his vital signs the doctor was pleased to find the pulse strong and no indications of fever. The dark circles under the eyes were mute testimony to the young doctor's exhaustion. Smoothing back his hair, Doc checked the bandage on the right side of his forehead. Satisfied that all was well, he straightened the covers over the sleeping figure. "Take all the time you need son. You're safe here." Closing the door quietly behind him, he left his patient to the healing power of sleep. 

Marcase first became aware of a dull throbbing in his head that soon spread to the rest of his body. With a low moan he forced his eyes to open. He was in a strange bed in a strange room. Confused, disoriented and aching in every part of his body he struggled to remember where he was and how he had gotten here. Slowly memories began to resurface. There had been an epidemic in Washington and Timothy; Timmy was dead. Marcase couldn't stop the sharp pain in his chest as he remembered the little boy's death. Hailey had driven him home from the hospital but he had been too tired to sleep. Instead he had gone for a drive and...the rest was a blank. He had vague memories of a van and a mountain road but it was hazy. 

As the throbbing in his head subsided to a dull ache Marcase studied the room. The decor was country causal with handmade quilts and hardwood floors. The windows were open but no sound of traffic reached his ears. The room was totally unfamiliar to him and he had no recollection of coming here. On the far side of the room a door opened into a bathroom. The sight of indoor plumbing suddenly reminded him of other needs besides figuring out his present location. Carefully Marcase pushed himself up to sit on the side of the bed. He sat there for a few moments letting the pain in his head and body eased then pushed himself to his feet. Grabbing the headboard he held on tight as a wave of dizziness washed over him. When his vision finally cleared he began working his way slowly around the room using the furniture for support until he reached the bathroom. 

After caring for his body's needs Edward stood before the bathroom's mirror and studied his reflection. He was shocked to see a bruised face with a large white bandage taped to the right side of the forehead staring back at him. He ached in every part of his body and merely walking across a room had tired him. What had happened? Realizing that his strength was fading, Marcase began to make his way back to bed. He made it as far as the bathroom door before being overcome by dizziness. Grasping the doorframe he hung on as the room tilted crazily. 

"Easy there, son. Those are some of my best stitches. Can't have you ruining all my work." Edward was barely aware of the strong hands that steadied him as he was escorted back to bed. When the dizziness and nausea finally abated, he opened his eyes to find a gray haired man with kindly eyes watching him. "How are you feeling?" 

"Like I've been hit by a truck." 

The old man chuckled. "More like a tree." 

"What?" 

"Never mind, I'm Jack Rawlins but the folks around here call me Doc. I'm what passes for a doctor hereabouts. Let me check you over then I'll try to answer your questions." 

Marcase cooperated as the doctor checked his vitals and examined his pupils. When the doctor was satisfied that his patient was responding normally, he pulled up a chair beside the bed and made himself comfortable. "Before I answer your questions, I have a few of my own. Like can you tell me your name?" 

His patient gave him an impish grin. "Edward Marcase and if you're going to ask me the date, I'm afraid I haven't a clue. I've been chasing epidemics for weeks. I'm not even sure what month it is but I think the year is 1997." 

"Well I see your sense of humor survived. What's the last thing you remember." 

"We had just finished a case. I was too tired to sleep so I went for a drive. Then I woke up here. Exactly where is here by the way?" 

"New Hope, Virginia." 

"New Hope? I've never heard of it. How far are we from DC?" 

"Oh, about 200 miles are so." 

"200 miles! You're kidding!" 

"Nope, near as we can figure you decided to do a little sleep driving. That is until you drove off the road and into a tree." 

"I hit a tree? Oh God, not the caddy. I wreaked the caddy?" 

"Easy son, the patient isn't terminal. My nephew is a classic car buff. He's baby sitting your car. Said he'd have it good as new in about a week." 

"A week? I can't stay here for a week." 

"Don't see why not. You're supposed to be on vacation aren't you? These parts are known for their mountain scenery. It's the perfect place to rest and relax." 

Marcase shook his head in confusion then wished he hadn't as the dull throbbing started up again. "How did you know I was on vacation?" 

"The sheriff talked to your boss. When you disappeared, your friends got concerned; put out a search for you. They were mighty relieved to find you safe and relatively sound." 

The conversation was beginning to be too much for Marcase. He had driven 200 miles in his sleep? And Cassian had called the police to search for him? He was in a strange town in a strange bed and the man wanted him to take a mountain holiday? The doctor read the confusion on the younger man's face. "Look son you have a bad concussion and numerous bruises. On top of that you're exhausted. As your doctor I'm ordering you to take some major R&R. It's already been cleared with your boss, so just lay there and take your medicine like a good boy." 

In spite of his confusion Marcase couldn't help but find humor in the situation. "Yes sir, I'm just not use to time off without a crisis cropping up. I don't know if I can stand the strain." 

"Oh, I think you'll manage. How about some lunch, you haven't had anything in two days." 

"Maybe later, I'm still a little queasy. What I'd really like is a shower." 

"I'll see if I can round you up some clothes." 

"Thanks, but I have a bag in the trunk of the caddy. Hazards of the profession, I never know when I'll be called away so I keep a bag packed at all times." 

"OK, you take a little nap and I'll have someone fetch your clothes. When you wake up we'll see about getting you cleaned up and some food in you." 

Feeling suddenly tired Marcase didn't argue. "It's a deal." 

Doc closed the door quietly and smiled, Edward was already asleep. The young doctor may not know what was best for him but his body did. 

Doc paused at the front door watching the three youngsters eating watermelon on the front steps. It was amazing what a difference a week could make. The young doctor lounging on the front porch laughing at his companions' jokes was a far cry from the exhausted, wounded man that had arrived, unconscious, on his doorsteps. Introducing Edward to Laura Franklin, the sheriff's daughter, and her seven-year old son Billy had been a stroke of genius. Laura had lost her husband in a hunting accident at the first of the year. She had struggled for her son's sake to control her grief and get on with her life. Finding someone who understood her pain had helped the young woman immensely. Doc was not exactly sure what had transpired between the two but he had observed them returning from an afternoon walk and it was evident that they both had been crying. From that day the young doctor had possessed a tranquillity, that assured Doc that the emotional healing had begun. Part of that healing was due to Billy. At first Marcase had been wary of the boy; the pain of his recent loss making it hard for him to be around the seven year old. But with the engaging charm of the innocent Billy had slowly wormed his way into Edward's heart. Marcase was a natural healer. He could not see Laura and Billy's pain without trying to ease it. In reaching out to them he had healed himself. All doubts about his patient's mental health had been put to rest the day before, when he had observed the young doctor in action. 

When he had recovered enough to be out of bed Marcase had broached the subject of moving into a hotel. Being that it was tourist season most of the available rooms had all been booked besides which Doc was enjoying his colleague's company so he had convinced Edward to stay with him. He had enjoyed showing off the small clinic adjacent to the house to someone who could appreciate the quality of the care he offered his patients. Edward had been home alone the previous day when Ellie Jordan had been rushed to the clinic in premature labor. Doc had gone to visit one of the local farmers a few miles outside of town and his nurse, Sarah Watkins, was away on a house call. There had been nothing for Marcase to do but deliver the baby. Doc had arrived back at the clinic just in time for little James Edward to make his entrance into the world. He would never forget the look of joy and wonder on the young doctor's face as he held the new life in his hands. That night the two had sat up till dawn talking. Doc could still hear the awe in Marcase's voice. 

"I had forgotten. I see so much suffering and it's always a case of life and death, more often as not death wins. I had forgotten the simple joys of bandaging skinned knees or bring new life into the world. Thank you." 

"Thank you for being there. Ever think of a practice in family medicine? I could use a partner. I'm not getting any younger. A doctor needs both skill and heart to take care of a community. You have both." 

"I appreciate the offer. Don't think I haven't considered settling down in a nice safe practice somewhere treating gout and broken legs. But the truth is I've never been one to play it safe. I went into virology because I wanted to fight disease on the front lines, I could never be happy doing anything else." 

"Just remember even the greatest warriors need time off now and again. And if the pressure gets too much come up and visit us. I'll be glad to find a skinned knee or two for you to bandage." 

"Thanks Doc, I guess I was messed up in more ways than one when I came here. Thanks for the TLC, you're one heck of a doctor." 

"Anytime son, anytime." 

They say time heals all wounds but some injuries take the touch of human kindness to heal. Edward Marcase was a rare doctor who risk not only his life but his heart and soul to heal. Doc was glad that he had survived this crisis. The world could not afford to lose such a champion. 

Turning his thoughts back to the present Doc went to join the laughing group on the porch. Sometime life was good. 

The large paneled truck made its way slowly through the streets of New Hope. The town was decorated with brightly colored banners and flowers adorned every doorway. Lights and garlands were wrapped around every lamppost, hung in trees and tied around doorways. The annual Spring Festival was a major event for both the town and the surrounding area. The inhabitants of New Hope went all out to make it a day to remember. Tents had been set up in the park at the center of town and already crafters and merchants were busy arranging their wares. One of the tents carried a banner reading "Mountain Spring Water" and the panel truck came to a stop beside it. Two men exited the truck and began to unload crates of bottled water. One of the men stopped and peeled a symbol from the side of the crate he was holding. Taking a red marker he made a large red X on the side of the crate and set it to one side of the tent, away from the other crates being unloaded. Crumbling the symbol into a ball, he stuffed it in his pocket. There must be no incriminating evidence left behind. 

Marcase groaned as the bright morning sunlight streamed into the bedroom and made a warm puddle on his face. Mumbling something about choking whoever had opened the curtains he prized open his eyes to find a sandy haired pixie staring down at him. "Go away, it's too early to be morning." 

"You're awake." Billy bounced up and down on the bed in excitement. "I thought you'd never wake up." He gave his new friend a scolding look. "It's Saturday. You promised to go with us to the fair." 

"Billy, I told you not to wake him up." Laura stood at the door giving her son a look of exasperation mixed with amusement. "It's barely seven o'clock, the festivities won't start for another hour." 

"I didn't wake him, I was good." 

"I must admit you were very quiet." Edward smiled and ruffled the boy's sandy hair. "Let me get dressed and we'll head over to the park and see what's happening. OK?" 

"Yes!" 

"Come on let's go find Edward something for breakfast." Laura led her son down the stairs. "If you're going to drag him out of bed at this hour, we ought to at least feed him." 

Marcase sighed then crawled out of bed. He hated mornings but for Billy he'd make an exception. 

It was a beautiful spring day and everyone within a fifty-mile radius flocked to New Hope for the long awaited Spring Festival. Marcase watched the milling crowd and tried to remember when was the last time he had been this relaxed. He still wasn't sure how he had ended up here, it must have been divine intervention. God had known what he needed and brought him to New Hope. Watching the excitement on Billy's face, Edward had to agree that once again God had known best. Timmy's loss still hurt, but the pain was bearable now. He was ready to return to work. Cassian had been right to force him to take a vacation. He had been closer to burn out than he realized. For now Marcase was content to enjoy the day. 

As they walked through the park Edward spotted a tent advertising free lemonade. "Now there's a clever marketing idea." He pointed to the tent. "Giving away free lemonade made with their bottled water. You impress the community with your generosity and thus assure that they will remember your name." 

"Let's try some." Laura corralled Billy and headed him toward the tent. "I'm thirsty." 

If the line was any indication the water company's promotion scheme was a great success. Finally it was their turn. Laura took a sip from her glass and gave Edward a thumb's up. "This is great. I wonder if the water really does make a difference?" 

"I'm not an expert on lemonade but you're right this isn't bad. Maybe you can talk them into giving you their recipe." Marcase grinned. "If you agree to buy the water of course." 

"Of course." Laura studied her glass in mock seriousness. "It wouldn't be any good without the water." 

Billy watched the two laughing adults then turned to study the truck parked behind the lemonade tent, a thoughtful expression on his young face. 

Laura and Edward toured the craft booths and marveled at the myriad of wares available. They each picked up a few things that caught their fancy then decide it was time for lunch. Looking around they realized that Billy was no longer with them. Frantically Laura searched the crowd then relaxed as she saw him two booths back. "Billy, come on its time for lunch." 

Taking their food to a grassy spot underneath a shade tree, the three ate their lunch and watched the entertainers strolling around the park. A bandstand had been set up in the center of the park and a free concert followed by fireworks was scheduled for later. Finishing their meal the three headed back into the milling crowd. 

The day passed far too quickly for Laura but as Edward carried her exhausted son up the stairs to bed, she had to admit that she was tired. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much. Dr. Marcase was good company and Billy adored him. He was intelligent, witty and thoughtful, too bad that he would be leaving soon. She recognized the signs. New Hope had worked its magic on him and now it was time for him to return to the outside world. Sam Rawlins had finally finished the repairs to his car and there was nothing to hold him here any longer. Her mother had taught her long ago that you couldn't chain the wind but if you were very lucky it might blow your way every once in awhile. She hoped her mother was right and Marcase would come their way, again. 

Edward sat on the front porch watching the passing traffic. For the last three days he had been feeling restless. There had been a sudden outbreak of flu among the citizens and Doc had been busy. Helping the doctor care for his patients had awakened all of the old longings. He belonged out there, battling diseases in the trenches, not here in the mountains lazing on the porch. It was time for him to go. He would miss Doc, he owed both the doctor and his town a debt of thanks but it was time for him to go back to where he belonged. Marcase's musings were interrupted by the arrival of a harried Doc. 

"Edward, good you're here. Son, I need your help." 

"What's wrong, Doc?" 

"I need your help at the clinic." Without a word Marcase rose and accompanied the doctor toward the clinic. "It's the dangest thing I've ever seen. Ever since the Fair we've had a sudden onset of influenza or at least what I thought was influenza." 

"I've seen some of your patients, Doc. They were all showing classic symptoms of a mild case of flu." 

"That's what I thought. But Adam just brought Laura in to the clinic." 

"I saw Laura this morning and she was fully recovered. What happened?" 

"That's what I'd like to know. She's had a sudden relapse only the symptoms she's showing now are ten times worse than before and she's not the only one. I've had calls from ten other people who are on their way in with folks suffering from the same thing." 

The two doctors entered the clinic to find a worried Adam pacing the floor of the waiting room. Leaving the sheriff to Doc, Marcase headed straight for the treatment room. As he entered the room Sarah handed him the patient chart. Edward read the list of symptoms then gave Laura a through exam. He was not pleased by what he found. All the signs were there. Laura had experienced a sudden onset of very high fever, 105 F, which completely incapacitated her. She was suffering from headaches and developed retro-orbital pain whenever she moved her eyes. Her blood pressure was low and both the lymph nodes and spleen were enlarged. But the most telling indicators, were the acute pain in the joints and muscles that had earned this virus the nickname "bonebreak". The pale pink rash covering her face locked the diagnosis in place. He was pretty sure he knew what malady had struck the young woman. The question was how did it get to this part of Virginia? Scribbling instructions on the chart Edward handed it to the nurse then turned to face the two worried men watching him. "Let's talk in your office." 

Nodding in assent Doc turned and crossed the hall to his office. The sheriff had a million questions but the two doctor's behavior was beginning to scare him. Silently he followed Doc from the room. Marcase entered the office and stopped when he saw Billy sitting at Doc's desk drawing. Crossing the room Edward knelt down so that he was on eye level with the boy. "Hi Billy, what are you drawing?" 

"A picture for Mama, she's sick." 

"I know, Doc and I need to talk about how to make her better. I need you to sit outside in the waiting room for a little bit, OK?" 

Billy studied Marcase solemnly for a moment then handed him the drawing. "OK, here will you give this to Mama?" 

"Sure." Taking the drawing Marcase glanced at the picture then froze. "Billy wait, where did you see this symbol?" 

Doc and Adam looked from Marcase to Billy in confusion. Marcase had gone suddenly pale at seeing the drawing and Billy, well Billy had the look of a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. 

"Would someone like to tell this old country doctor just what in the heck is going on?" 

"I'd like to know that too. And what does a kids drawing have to do with my daughter being sick?" 

"Maybe everything." Marcase gently laid a hand on Billy's shoulder. "Billy you're not in trouble but this symbol is very important. In order to help your mother, I need to know where you've seen it." 

Billy glanced at the sheriff then sighed. "I didn't mean to do nothing wrong. I was going to surprise Mama for her birthday, she really liked the lemonade." 

"Lemonade?" 

"You know the special lemonade at the Fair." Billy hung his head. "I snuck into the truck and took a bottle of the water." He looked up at Adam. "They was giving it away free, so it wasn't stealing." 

"Billy you're not in trouble." Marcase tried to reassure the kid. "In fact you may have saved us all. Where did you see the symbol?" 

"It was on some of the crates in the truck. " 

"And you took a bottle from one of the crates, a crate marked with the symbol." Billy nodded. "And do you still have the bottle." Again Billy nodded. "Sheriff I need for you to take Billy home and bring back the bottle of water he took from the truck." 

For a moment Adam thought of arguing but the grim look on the young doctors face forestalled his protest. "All right, but when we get back I want someone to tell me what's going on." 

"You got it." After the sheriff left Marcase turned his attention to Doc. "I'm afraid we've got a problem." 

"So I gathered, just what are we up against." 

"Laura has all the symptoms of classic dengue fever." 

"Son that's impossible. This is Virginia not the tropics and far as I know there aren't any infected mosquitoes around." 

"That's what has me puzzled. At first I thought a swarm of infected mosquitoes might have gotten loose in the area but after seeing Billy's drawing I think there is a much more sinister answer. This is going to be hard for you to believe Doc but hear me out. I believe that what we thought was the flu was actually the start of a mutated form of dengue fever that was introduced into the population at the Spring Festival." 

"I think you've been out in the sun too long. Do you have anything to back up this wild theory?" 

"Something about this flu outbreak has been bothering me from the start. There's no pattern of contagion. Before the Spring Festival there was no sign of illness in this town. Yet, twenty-four hours after attending the Fair people mysteriously started coming down with flu like symptoms. The infections occurred all around the area and at exactly same instant. That's a little too coincidental for me. Then just when Laura has completely recovered she suddenly develops high fever; severe muscle and joint pain; and rash. Those are textbook symptoms of dengue fever, what's known as "the dengue triad", and there's not a mosquito in site. Finally there's this." He held up Billy's drawing. For a seven-year old Billy was a gifted artist and he had captured the sinister tones of the image in perfect detail. "This symbol is the logo for a covert bio-terrorist group. They specialize in designer viruses." 

"My God you think someone deliberately infected the town." 

"It wouldn't be the first time. Doc if I'm right then everyone who had the flu is going to come down with the same symptoms as Laura. Also, we have no idea if this new strain is contagious, my guess is that it is. There is no way to predict how many people were originally infected an how far the disease has been spread." 

"So how dangerous is this thing? Are we talking fatalities?" 

"If this really is a form of dengue fever there is a slight chance that some off those infected might develop the haemorrhagic version of the disease. The good news is that dengue fever, even the haemorrhagic kind is not usually fatal. With proper treatment most all patients recover. The bad news is that considering the source of infection I can't guarantee that this mutant strain might not be more lethal or that it won't metamorphose into something else. I need to get some samples to a lab for analysis. Until we know exactly what we're dealing with we can't predict how serious things might become. " 

"Son we're just a small clinic. You're talking about a few hundred people. There's no way we can handle that. We've no supplies and no laboratory." 

"Then you won't mind if I call for some help?" 

In reply Doc reached over and handed Marcase the phone. "Be my guest." 

Marcase punched in the number and waited for an answer. 

"This is Marcase, I need to speak to Cassian." 

A moment later the calm tones of his boss carried over the receiver. "Dr. Marcase, you are supposed to be on vacation not stirring up trouble. What do you have?" 

"I have a sudden outbreak of flu that turns to dengue fever a few days later. The sickness began twenty four hours after the subjects attended a festival where The Dawn was passing out free samples." 

"You're sure it's them?" 

"I have an eye witness who saw their logo on the side of the crates containing the bottled water that was being dispensed." 

"Strange, I wouldn't think dengue fever would be lethal enough to interest them." 

"I'm not sure that what we're dealing with is just dengue fever or at least not typical dengue. Initial infection appears to be through ingestion of contaminated water not mosquitoes. If it wasn't for The Dawn's involvement, I would have assumed we had a mild run of flu then a freak outbreak of dengue fever. By now we would be busy chasing down the local mosquito population which is nonexistent. I now believe we're looking at one mutant virus with two distinct phases of expression. Stage one is a flu-like infection that offers maximum contagion followed by dengue fever in stage two. I'd like to stop this thing before discovering that there is a stage three." 

"Edward, you're the only person I know of who can go on vacation and end up in the middle of a Dawn field test. But in this case I'm relieved you're there. If the Dawn has found a way to make dengue fever contagious then I don't want to contemplate what else they may have engineered. I'll dispatch Shiroma and the field lab to your location. What else do you need from me?" 

"The Dawn chose its site well. This is a small town far off the beaten track. We have limited supplies and nursing staff. I could use some help." 

"I'll have USAMRIID dispatch a field team and supplies to you. Do you have the name of the water company? Since they are unaware of our suspicions, we may have an opportunity to stop them before they spread to another location." 

"It's a local company. Mountain Spring's Water." 

"We'll see what Mr. Hailey can find out. Keep me posted, Edward. I'll put the National Guard, the local authorities, and the CDC on standby in case we need to seal the area and go house to house." 

"I hope it won't come to that. But Cassian, until we know for sure what we're dealing with have Shiroma and the field team use suits. I'd rather look foolish for over reacting then risk them being infected." 

"I trust your instincts Edward and in this case I think you're right. I wish to God you weren't. Good luck." 

Hanging up the phone Marcase turned to find Doc watching him intently. "I didn't hear what your boss said but from your end of the conversation I gather we're in deep trouble and helps on the way." 

"Our field lab and a medical team are on the way. Doc how many cases of flu do you estimate we're looking at?" 

"Hard to say. I've treated around thirty at the clinic but like you said it was a mild case. Most folks around here just take cold medicine and stay home. I did notice that the shelves at the drug store had been cleaned out so I'd guess we're talking about a fair number." 

"And if they develop dengue fever will they seek treatment?" 

"With that high a fever and with the severity of pain, I'd say yes. Of course some of the folks live way back in the hills, they might tough it out at home." 

"Until we know for certain I think we need to assume that we have an outbreak of a mutant virus that is masquerading as other viral types. We need to also assume its contagious and start quarantine procedures. We need to closely monitor those showing signs of dengue fever anyway. There is always the chance of the disease deteriorating into the more deadly haemorrhagic type. Without rapid treatment it can be fatal." 

"Then that's what we tell folks. We have a freak epidemic of dengue fever. Nothing serious if they get treatment quickly. They'll have to come in for monitoring in case complications develop. The rest we'll keep to ourselves." 

"And what do we tell them when the field team shows up in bio suits?" 

"Fancy mosquito garb? I don't know we'll think of something. First we need to round up everyone whose sick, and get them in one place. Any thoughts on where we put em?" 

"How about the high school gymnasium. We can use air mattresses and sleeping bags, I noticed a lot of camping gear around." 

"A community campout. I'll make some calls, see what I can round up. As soon as the sheriff gets back we can have him start informing people and escorting the recalcitrant in." 

"Doc I think you missed your calling, you would have made a great smoke jumper for the Epi services." 

"No thanks, I've more than enough excitement in my life. I'll brief Sarah and have her get ready for those ten new cases that are on the way in, they should be here any time now." 

"I want to check on Laura then start inventorying our supplies. We're going to need all of the acetaminophen and codeine we can get our hands on and it wouldn't hurt to have oxygen and fluids standing by in case of haemorrhagic shock. Things are going to start moving fast. I want to know what we have on hand before the first wave hits." 

As the young virologist left the office Doc gave a prayer of thanks to whatever divine guardian had decided to drop Dr. Marcase into their mist just when his skills were so badly needed. And bless young Billy and his youthful pranks for warning them of the danger that they would otherwise never have seen coming until it was too late. 

Marcase refilled his coffee cup from the large pot set up in the school cafeteria and tried to relax the tension in his neck and shoulders. The last eighteen hours had answered the question of whether his far-fetched theory was true or not. A steady stream of people had followed Laura's admission to the clinic, all suffering from the same debilitating condition as her. Some were brought in by friends and relatives who themselves were beginning to show symptoms of a mild case of flu. All were quarantined. Other folks had been struck down in their homes too prostrated by fever to call for help. The sheriff and his deputies had spent the night ferrying the sick in to town. They currently had seventy-two cases of active dengue fever and around thirty cases showing the stage one, flu symptoms. So far there had been no signs of the haemorrhagic form of the disease. 

"I thought I'd find you here." Doc pointed to Marcase's cup. "I'm beginning to think you have coffee instead of blood in your veins." 

"Sometimes I wonder myself. Is the sheriff back?" 

"Just came in. He's managed to reach most everyone for about twenty miles. You were right son. Everyone who's come in sick had the flu first. I've got volunteers manning the phone lines. We're warning everyone in the area. As soon as he can the sheriff will pay a visit to those we couldn't reach. I have a list of those reporting the presence of flu in the household. If they don't come in voluntarily the sheriff will pay them a visit." 

"At least we now know that it's contagious. Is everyone taking precautions?" 

"It took my entire stock of gloves and masks but all volunteers are using barrier protection." 

"I must admit Doc I impressed by your towns response to the crisis. Usually I have to fight to get people to cooperate. You and the sheriff deserve a lot of credit." 

"Folks are scared but they trust Adam and me to do what's best for them. You just tell us what needs to be done and we'll see that they do it." 

"The med team should be here any time now. As soon as we analyze the blood samples I've drawn and the water Billy confiscated we'll know more." 

"Dr. Marcase." Deputy Hawkins rushed into the room. "There's choppers coming, big ones. You're wanted on the radio." 

Edward gave Doc a tired smile. "Looks like the cavalry here." 

"About danged time." The two doctors followed Ben outside to greet the new arrivals. 

The portable field lab had been set up in the parking lot adjacent to the gymnasium. True to its claim to go anywhere and run off of any power source the lab showed no ill effects from being dangled beneath a helicopter all the way from DC. They had simply plugged the power cable into an outlet in the gymnasium and they were in business. Marcase had introduced the team to Doc and Sheriff Caldwell then briefed them on the situation. Confident that Captain Michaels and his medical team could handle things, Edward and Shiroma had locked themselves in the lab and begun analysis of the samples Marcase had collected. Two days later Shiroma was beginning to get a picture of how the virus operated. It was far worse than they had imagined. Cassian had already called in the National Guard and the CDC and a blockaded had been established for a fifty-mile radius around town. No one was allowed in or out of the area. Teams were sweeping the quarantine area and bringing in anyone showing the least sign of illness or those having exposure to infected persons. Thanks to Edward's early intervention the infection was not as wide spread as it would have been if he had not started appropriate isolation procedures as quickly as he had. Still, approximately fifty percent of the population was showing signs of infection. Then there was Marcase himself. Edward had been showing signs of flu when she arrived. During the last twenty-four hours the symptoms had abated. If the pattern they observed held true then dengue fever would soon follow. Having been infected once with dengue fever there was a one in four chance that Edward would not become sick. However there were four strains of dengue virus. Immunity to one did not confer immunity for the other three. Also having a previous exposure to the fever increased the chances that a second infection would result in the more serious haemorrhagic form of the disease. She was glad that Cassian was on his way. She would need his help if Marcase became ill. 

"Dr. Shiroma?" Captain Michaels voice came through the headset of her suit. 

"Yes." 

"Dr. Marcase has collapse outside of the cafeteria. He's spiking a temp of 105 but the other symptoms are different from what we've been seeing." 

"Bring him to the lab. I'll need to monitor him here." Shiroma had a bed in the lab's isolation area ready when they brought Edward in. A quick examination confirmed her fears - fever, headache, respiratory distress, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain; they had their first case of dengue haemorrhagic fever. 

Michael Hailey crouched outside of the gates to the Mountain Spring's Water processing plant. The bottling company did not run a third shift so Hailey and his team had decided to go in at night. At Michael's signal the strike team moved out. Ten minutes later the video cameras and alarms were circumvented and the lone security guard was peacefully napping, unaware of the tiny dart that had sped him to dreamland. 

"We have an hour before the dart wears off. I want this place searched from top to bottom." As the team scattered through the plant, Hailey made his way to the office. A search of the files and the computer records showed nothing unusual. If The Dawn was using the plant as a base of operations he could find no record of it. 

"Sir, we've found something." 

"On my way." Hailey found the team in the plant's storage area. Cases of bottled water were stacked to the ceiling awaiting delivery. "What do you have." 

" We found a whole stack of these crates in the very back of the storage shelves. They've all been marked but unless you pull the case off the shelf its not visible." 

A sticker approximately two inches square bearing The Dawn logo was stuck to the upper right corner of the crate. Unless you were looking for it the symbol would be easy to miss. "Well it looks like Marcase was right. The Dawn is definitely here. Let's go I need to report this." 

The strike team left as silently as they came. Ten minutes later there was no sign that anyone had been in the plant. The security guard woke up and vowed that tomorrow he would go to bed earlier. After all he wasn't getting paid to fall asleep on the job. 

Dr. Daniel Cassian exited the helicopter and surveyed the organized chaos around him. Everywhere he looked, people were either in bio-suits or wearing gloves and masks. Three large tents had been set up on the school grounds with the words 'Quarantine Area' posted on their sides. A smaller grouping of tents were set far away from the larger area and were marked 'Authorized Personnel Only'. It was a scene straight out of an Epi training film. He had hoped to never see its' like in the US. 

As Cassian surveyed the site, a white suited figure left the quarantine area and made its way toward him. "Dr. Cassian, I'm Captain Michaels. Welcome aboard, sir." 

"Thank you Captain. What's the total so far?" 

"Two hundred thirty eight cases of dengue fever, another hundred and forty showing flue symptoms." The Captain paused. "And one case of dengue haemorrhagic fever." 

"Are the CDC personnel here?" 

"Yes, sir they arrived last night with a ton of supplies. And not a moment too soon, we were almost out of everything." 

"Where can I find Dr. Shiroma?" 

"We set up the field lab next to the gym. She's there along with Dr. Marcase." 

"Thank you Captain. Carry on and keep me informed of any changes." 

"Yes, sir." 

Entering the lab Cassian found Kimberly bent over the electron microscope intently studying the images it revealed. In the quarantine bay, Marcase slept. 

"His temperature began to drop last night." Cassian turned to find Shiroma standing at the door of the ward. "He went into haemorrhagic shock a few hours later. I managed to start fluid replacement therapy in time. He's stable for now but I expect his temperature to begin to rise within the next few hours." 

"Typical dengue. Two to three days of fever followed by a day of normalcy then the cycle begins again. Why did you decide to keep Edward here? Surely it would be easier to have Captain Michaels and his staff monitor him." 

"The people are already scared enough, I didn't think they were ready to see a case of haemorrhagic fever. You made good time." 

Cassian followed Shiroma back into the main lab. "From your message I gathered that speed was of the essence. Have you determined what we are dealing with?" 

"The water sample young Billy stole from the Spring Festival was loaded with spores. When I introduced the spores into a suitable growth medium they germinated and produced this." Shiroma touch a button on the computer and an image appeared on the screen." 

"What exactly am I looking at here?" 

"It appears to be a type of carrier virus. I have never seen anything like it. In fact if you had ask me I would have said the construction of such a entity was impossible. But there it is." 

"Let's forget about the how for now. What is it designed to do exactly?" 

"In the spore stage the microbe is resistant to temperature, pH and most antimicrobials, including bleach. Once in a safe environment the spore germinates producing the carrier virus you see. The virus itself is inert. It is not recognized by the immune system and produces no disease. However embedded in its genetic structure is the gene coding for three other viruses. The gene segments are separated from each other by buffer regions, which keep the genes inactive. At the appropriate time the carrier virus activates a selected gene segment allowing it to replicate the specific virus. The replicated copies are released into the blood stream where they spread out and begin to initiate infection, in this case influenza. The carrier virus itself shuts down production and again becomes inert. The host mounts a defense against the infection and tries to fight it off. If the host is successful in fighting off the influenza, the carrier virus simply activates the next viral sequence, dengue fever, and the cycle starts all over again." 

"So how does it spread?" 

"For every three copies of the infectious virus made the carrier replicates itself. When the influenza virus is spread the carrier virus goes along for the ride infecting the new host with the carrier virus as well as with influenza. But it doesn't stop there. The carrier virus continues to replicate even if the host fights off the disease. Once infected the person becomes a transmitter for the carrier virus even if they show no signs of illness." 

"You said that there were three viruses, what is stage three." 

Shiroma was silent for a moment then answered. "Ebola." 

"My God." Cassian abruptly sat down on the lab stool as the full implication of their situation hit him. "They've finally succeeded. They've created the ultimate biological doomsday weapon." Shaking off his shock Cassian fixed his eyes on Shiroma. "So doctor, how do we stop this monster?" 

"I wish I knew. The microbe is immune to all the antimicrobial agents I've tried and its invisible to the host immune system. Whoever designed this is a sick, demented genius." 

"All right lets take another track. Who do you know of who would have the necessary skills to create such a construct." 

"No one. Cassian what we are looking at is impossible. You're talking about welding together the genetic structures from a dozen different microbial species. Then you have this genetic hodgepodge being controlled by a type of super codon which turns them on and off at will. It's the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard, it's..." Shiroma stopped in mid sentence all color drained from her face. "No it can't be." 

"What?" Cassian placed his hand on the shoulders of the trembling scientist to steady her. "Kimberly talk to me. It can't be what?" 

"Dr. Jacob Everrett." Shiroma took a deep breath to steady her. "But he's supposed to be dead." 

Seeing that Kim was once more in control of herself Cassian released her and sat back to listen. " From the beginning please, Dr. Shiroma. Who is Jacob Everrett." 

"About six years ago Dr. Everrett was one of the leading minds in genetic research. He was brilliant. Then his wife died of cancer and he appeared to go a little insane. He believed that any disease could be cured. It was only a matter of designing the appropriate microorganism to replace or counter whatever mechanism in the body had gone wrong. He started taking trips to the Amazon. He believed that somewhere there was an organism that would allow him to meld together the various genes he needed and provide him a way to control their expression. A year later he claimed to have discovered such a species. The scientific community laughed at him. They turned its back on him and called his ideas pipe dreams. He was never allowed to present or publish his findings. A few months later he disappeared. I heard he had died in a car accident." 

"So you believe that we may be looking at the good doctors work?" 

"The genetic structure of this virus consists mainly of gene segments from well documented microbes - bacteria, fungi, and viruses for the most part. But the buffer regions and the leading segments are of a totally unknown origin. If Dr. Everrett did discover his controller he may have turned to The Dawn for funding. All other avenues were close to him." 

"But would he be insane enough to put such a weapon into the hands of an organization like The Dawn?" 

Shiroma nodded. "He vowed vengeance and promised to make the scientific community pay for their lack of vision." 

"All right I'll see what I can find out about Everrett. You keep working on the virus. There has to be a way to stop this thing." 

"I'll do what I can Cassian but I have to tell you I don't hold out much hope for a sudden miracle cure. This virus is too complex, I could study it for a lifetime and still not unravel all of its secrets." 

"We don't have a lifetime Dr. Shiroma. In three days the first of the infected populace will begin recovering from dengue fever. Twenty-four hours after that, we will have an outbreak of Ebola to deal with. Considering the victims weakened immune system, the ninety plus fatality rate will more likely be closer to one hundred percent. A week from now Dr. Marcase will be the only exposed person still living, and he will be confined to an isolation chamber for life. If there ever was a time for a miracle cure doctor, it's now." 

Leaving Shiroma to continue to try and unravel the virus's secrets, Cassian left to peruse his own leads. Time was running out. 

Michael Hailey hid in the shadows of the warehouse and watched his quarry. For the last two days he had been working as a laborer on the bottling company's loading dock. By accessing the employment records he had discovered that two new hands had been hired in the last month. Hailey had decided to make them his top priority. He had followed his targets to this clandestine meeting on the company's loading dock. Michael had not been surprised to find that the two had managed to by pass plant security and create an easy route for entering the facility undetected. Fifteen minutes later a third man joined them. 

"Cassian and his people are getting too close. We move the merchandise tonight." 

"But we only have twenty four cases infected." 

"It will have to do. Split the crates among the three shipments leaving in the morning. There must be no trace of our presence left for Cassian's people to find." 

"Sorry gentlemen but I think it's a little too late to duck and run." Hailey stepped from the shadows, his gun trained on the three startled men. "You see we're already here." 

The three Dawn agents froze as all around the warehouse; armed men stepped from the shadows carrying assault rifles. Leaving the three to his men Hailey spoke into his headset. "Bring in the truck." 

Ten minutes later the heavy truck left the bottling plant, the twenty-four infected crates and the three Dawn operatives safely stashed in the back under guard. The lone night watchman waved as the military transport exited the front gate and returned to making his rounds. Always glad to lend the military a hand after all he was a veteran himself. 

Cassian wadded up the computer printout and threw it against the side of the communications van. Nothing. There was no record of any Jacob Everrett anywhere. Reigning in his temper he prepared to start a new search but was stopped by the ringing of the phone. "Cassian." 

"Well Daniel, my man, this is your lucky day." 

"Stanton, how are things at the FBI?" 

"Same as always. Listen I got wind that you're looking for information on a Dr. Jacob Everrett." 

"You heard right. What do you know?" 

"Remember Jocko the Clown? We pulled a couple of prints from the bag and vials you sent us and came up with a name, Richard Pruitt." 

"What does that have to do with Everrett?" 

"Patience Cassian. One of our computer techs had a kid in the epidemic; he's kind of made it his personal crusade to find out whom Pruitt worked for. The web was tangled, dummy companies inside false fronts, one dead end after another. Someone didn't want Mr. Pruitt traced back to him. But my man was persistent and yesterday he hit paydirt. Seems Mr. Pruitt was being paid by an international trading company in New York and guess who else is on their payroll?" 

"Everrett." 

"Got in one. Always knew you were smart. I'm faxing you the info now. Good hunting Cassian." 

"Thanks Stanton. I owe you one." 

"Just stop this creep, that's all the thanks I need." 

Cassian hung up the phone and turned to the fax machine, which was busily spitting out papers. This may just be the break they had been looking for. 

Shiroma sat down at one of the tables in the mess tent and stare moodily at her plate. She wasn?t really hungry but it felt good to be out of the bio-suit and she had desperately needed the break. She had stared at the mutant microbe until she was ready to scream in sheer frustration. Not exactly the image a reputable scientist wished to portray but she was too tired to care. Her experiments had yielded one dead end after another and time was quickly dwindling away. She wished that Marcase were available for consult. In spite of the grief she gave him for his unscientific theories, she would welcome his input right about now. 

"Penny for your thoughts." Shiroma looked up as Cassian settled in the seat across from her. 

"I'm not sure they are worth that much." "I have news. The water company was not involved in The Dawn's plan. They cooperated fully and we now have The Dawn's saboteurs and the contaminated water safely locked away under military guard." 

"That is good news. What about the virus, do they know how to stop it?" 

Cassian shook his head. "Unfortunately no, they are foot soldiers. They get their orders through coded phone calls and anonymous drop points, strictly need to know. They received instructions on how to infect the water supply and nothing more. One of the operatives served as an observer. He recorded the spread of the epidemic on tape and delivered it to a designated drop point. The Dawn wanted to make sure that Dr. Everrett had first hand evidence of his virus's efficacy." 

"Then we are right back where we started. You may have stopped them from spreading the infection from here but there is nothing to stop them from starting fresh somewhere else." 

"Only this." Cassian pulled a folded pick of paper from his pocket. "The address for one Dr. Jacob Everrett. Mr. Hailey is on his way there now. We will find the source of this virus Kimberly and when we do, we'll find the antidote." "But will it be in time? The initial exposure cases are nearing day five of dengue fever. In two days they will start to recover. Twenty-four hours after that and they will be down with Ebola. Once that happens we can't save them. Besides I thought The Dawn wanted to destroy humanity. What makes you think they will have bothered with an antidote?" 

"It's the nature of man Dr. Shiroma. For all their talk of saving the Earth, The Dawn values its power. They want to wipe man off the face of the planet, but they want to make sure that they will be the last ones to go. There's a cure. I'll bet on it." 

"You are betting on it Cassian. You're betting the lives of three hundred and seventy eight people." 

"Then I had best be right." Cassian pushed back his chair and stood. "I wanted to let you know that I'll be leaving within the hour. I want to be on hand when Mr. Hailey tracks Everrett to his lair. You have my cell number if you need to reach me. Don't give up doctor, we've beaten the odds before, we will again." 

Shiroma watched Cassian walk out of the mess tent then turned her attention to her forgotten dinner. "I hope you're right Cassian. I hope you're right." 

Hailey stopped the black Explorer a few blocks from the modest two-story house that Dr. Everrett called home. The doctor's car was in the garage and Hailey took the opportunity to place a small tracking device on the vehicle. Then he settled down to wait for the good doctor to leave. A few moments later Everrett came out of the house and drove away. Slipping around to the back of the house Hailey quickly deactivated the burglar alarm and picked the lock. He wasn't sure how long the doctor would be gone and he wanted to search the house before he returned. The inside of the house was nothing remarkable. From the clothes left on the floor of the bedroom and the dirty dishes in the sick, it appeared that the doctor spent much of his time elsewhere. Hailey carefully searched the house but found no records pertaining to Everrett's work. If the scientist ever brought work home he must keep it in a briefcase and carry it back and forth to his lab. There was no make shift lab stuck away anywhere in the house. Everrett must have access to another site. The listing the FBI had uncovered pointed only to this house. There was no record of a place of employment. Satisfied that he had learned all he was going to from the doctor's home, Hailey returned to his vehicle. Activating the tracking unit he was rewarded with a blip indicating his bug was working. Starting the engine, he drove in the direction the tracker indicated. If Dr. Everrett were on his way to work, Hailey would be close behind. 

Twenty minutes later Michael drove by the gates of PharMigene Industries. According to the tracker this was where Dr. Everrett had stopped. Hailey drove until he was out of sight of the main gates then slowed. He needed a place where he could study the facility without being detected. The whole PharMigene complex was surrounded by a high electrical fence. A narrow dirt trail ran down the side of fence, probably for maintenance crews checking the fence for damage. Turning onto the path Hailey followed it back into the brush away from the main road. The path was hard to negotiate and Hailey was glad he had decided against taking the sedan. Finally he came to a spot that offered him cover from detection but still gave him a clear view of the facility. Shutting off the engine Hailey reached into the back seat for his gear. A few moments later he was busy learning all there was to know about PharMigene Industries. "Well, well what have we here another secret complex hidden below ground? What is it with bad guys and subterranean hideouts? There must be a rule in the megalomaniac handbook that says all secret labs have to be underground." Hailey studied the readings on the screen. "Make that deep below ground." 

Hailey studied the complex's layout and security measures until he noticed that Everett was on the move again. "Nice hours you have doc." Michael followed Everrett back to his house then listened as the scientist fixed himself lunch then lay down for a nap. Assured that the Everrett was sleeping soundly Hailey let himself into the house. He had little present for the doctor. Making sure that his gift would go undetected Michael left the house as quietly as he had entered. Unawares of his silent visitor Everrett slept on. 

"What do you mean there's no additional information?" Dr. Jacob Everrett stared at The Dawn operative he knew only as "Mr. Smith" in stunned disbelief. "Phase two of the disease should be ending soon, we still need to observe phase three of the virus. You assured me your people were capable of obtaining the data I need." 

"That was before Cassian and his people raided the bottling company and took our people captive." 

"That's impossible. There was no way for them to trace the source of the infection. Someone must have tipped them off." 

"My people are completely trustworthy. They made no mistakes. Marcase was present at the Spring Festival. Somehow he must have figured it out." 

"Dr. Marcase is smart, all of Cassian's people are smart but there was no way for him to connect the water with the outbreak of flu and dengue fever, much less connecting any of it to The Dawn. You have a leak." 

"The point is irrelevant now. We still have the six cylinders of spores you developed. We will simply lie low for awhile then start up operations again in a new location. You have proved that your virus works doctor. Now we must best decide to use your creation." 

"I will decide if and how my work will be used. I am the only one who knows the process for creating the virus. If you wish an unlimited supply of your doomsday weapon you will honor my wishes. " 

"Of course Dr. Everrett our goals are the same. But some of my superiors are a little uneasy at having the viral antidote stored off the grounds. We would all feel better if it was here where we could guarantee its safety." 

"Yes, I'm sure you would. The antidote is in a very safe place and I intend to keep it there. Good day Mr. Smith." As Everrett returned to his lab Smith pondered the problem the erratic scientist presented. Killing him was out of the question at least until the antidote was in their possession. The virus was too precious a find to risk losing. They would have to handle Everrett carefully. Once the virus and the antidote were in The Dawn's hands, they would settle the problem of the doctor once and for all. 

Michael Hailey removed his headphones and turned to face his boss. "So you were right there is an antidote but Everrett is keeping it hidden." 

Cassian removed his headphones and placed them on the desk next to Hailey's. "Don't look so surprised Michael. I am allowed to be right once in a while. By the way bugging Everrett was a stroke of genius." 

"We're just lucky Dr. Everrett likes to go home for a mid day nap. I took the opportunity to leave him a little present. This new spy cam the intelligence boys have come up with is remarkable. The information its been transmitting will come in handy when we raid the place. You are planning for us to go in?" 

"I don't see that we have another alternative. When can you be ready?" 

"I can have a team ready to go in tonight." 

"Do it." 

Hailey glanced around at the six-man commando squad that he had hand picked for this mission. They were the best in the business. If anyone could get into the hidden lab and out again with the target, it was this team. Everrett was working late in his lab and most of the above ground employees had left for the day. Now was the time. Pulling out the blueprints and security specs he had made of the PharMigene complex, Hailey began his briefing. "The lab facility is underground. The only entrance is a private elevator, which is protected by a number of high security safeguards. Miss any one of them and the alarm sounds. It's imperative that we get in undetected. Our objective is Dr. Everrett and the virus. There is no margin for error. The lab has a separate power supply but ventilation is supplied from the main PharMigene systems. That is their one weakness. There are five ventilation shafts that run from the upstairs lab to the underground complex. That's our way in. The shafts are protected by alarms and laser arrays. If you make it past them you have to deal with the ventilator fan. One slip and you're shish kabob." 

"A walk in the park Commander. Piece of cake." The SEALs chuckled at their comrade's joke. Each of them knew how serious such an assault could be, humor was a safe way to release the tension. 

Hailey smiled. "Just make sure you don't slip. Once we reach the lab we take out everyone there with knock out gas and tranks. No one slips through the net. We can't give them a chance to reach the virus. By the numbers gentlemen, no screw ups." Rolling up the blueprints Hailey took one last look at his team. They were ready. "OK, move out." 

As the SEALs loaded up their gear Hailey approached Cassian. "As soon as we have command of the facility, I'll send the elevator up for you." 

"I'll be waiting. Good luck Mr. Hailey." 

The minutes dragged by as Cassian waited for word from Hailey. If they could secure the antidote tonight they could have it in Shiroma's hands by morning and this nightmare would finally be over. 

"Cassian, Hailey we have command of the lab. We need you down here ASAP." 

Hailey's tone filled Cassian with a sense of dread. Something had gone wrong. "On my way." 

A grim faced SEAL met Cassian at the elevator and escorted him to Hailey. "What's wrong Michael?" 

"Everrett and one of his Dawn keepers were preparing to enter the hot lab when we arrived. The bio-suits protected them from the gas. We dropped the guard with tranks but not before he shot Everrett. It doesn't look good. I don't think he has much time." 

Cassian knelt beside Everrett. One look at the wound in his chest confirmed what Hailey had told him. Jacob Everrett was dying. "Dr. Everrett, I'm Daniel Cassian. I need you to tell me where the antidote is located. You're dying. There is no need to take innocent people with you." 

"You are a fool Cassian. There are no innocents. The antidote is with someone I trust. You will never find it in time. I will have my vengeance after all." Deranged to the end Dr. Jacob Everrett died. 

"What a waste." Cassian stood and turned to Hailey. "It's not your fault Michael. There was no reason to expect that they would kill Everrett themselves. He must have become too unstable for even The Dawn. They were biding their time before eliminating him." 

"So what do we do now?" 

"Strip the place. I want everything cleared out, including the computer files. When you're done I don't want even a scrap of paper remaining for The Dawn to find." 

"I've already called in a team. Within an hour there won't be anything left." 

"Good meet me back at the airfield. We fly out it two hours." 

"What about the antidote?" 

Cassian gave one of his enigmatic smiles. "Maybe just maybe I have an idea about that. Two hours Mr. Hailey; don't be late." 

As Cassian left on his mysterious errand, Hailey turned his attention to dismantling The Dawn's underground lab. He hoped that whatever Cassian had in mind, it worked. 

Cassian stopped his car outside the small Maryland cemetery. Everrett had said that the antidote was being guarded by someone he trusted. As far as Cassian knew the only person that Jacob Everrett had ever trusted was his dead wife. The burial place of Laura Everrett was a matter of public record. He had traced her here to this small rural cemetery. Standing beside the lone grave Cassian wondered about the woman whose death had changed a dedicated scientist into a madman. Hoping he was right Cassian began to search the gravesite with a small metal detector. He had scanned three sides of the plot before the scanner registered an object buried at the foot of the grave. It was short work to unearth the metal box. The box had been sealed in an airtight plastic bag before being buried in the earth. Cassian opened the bag and removed the box. His hands were trembling as he carefully opened the chest. Inside were a small metal canister and a well, worn journal. Lifting the journal from the box Cassian scanned its contents. A sense of relief swept over him as he read the scientist's notes. He had found the antidote. Replacing the journal in the box Cassian closed the lid and prepared to leave. He paused for a moment at the graveside. "Thank you Mrs. Everrett. Thank you very much." Then gathering his tools he left the late Mrs. Everrett to her eternal rest. 

Hailey stopped in the doorway to the field labs quarantine bay to check on Marcase. The virologist had made it through another episode of haemorrhagic shock and his temperature was again on the rise. It was unnerving to see Edward so quiet. One of Marcase's most noticeable traits was his endless energy and drive. Seeing him still was unsettling. "Hang in there buddy. If Cassian and Shiroma's concoction works, you'll be good as new in a few days." 

After uncovering Dr. Everrett's stash, Cassian had wasted no time in rushing the journal and the vial of antidote to Shiroma. The two of them had spent the last sixteen hours trying to unravel the doctor's notes and figure out how to safely administer the antidote. 

"This is fascinating Cassian." Shiroma put down the journal. "The man was a genius." 

"He might once have been a genius Kimberly but in the end he died a madman. Our job now is to make sure he doesn't take anyone else with him." 

"OK, I believe I understand what the antidote does. The key to Everrett's carrier virus is that it is invisible to the host's immune system. The antidote is a compound synthesized from the same plant/animal hybrid as the buffer regions and control segments of the virus. In its native environment the hybrid used scavenged DNA from various sources both plant and animal to increase its chances of survival. If the borrowed DNA became unstable or the hybrid no longer had a use for a given segment, it needed a way to destroy the cells housing the foreign genes. It devised a way to make the foreign DNA visible to the immune system. Simply put the antidote tags the cells containing the virus and stimulates production of T-cells. Once alerted to the presence of an invader the T-cells move in and destroy the cells containing the virus. The cell and any genetic material it contained are utterly destroyed." 

"The only problem I see is timing. With the host immune system already engaged in fighting off dengue fever. It might not have the resources to wage a second war against the carrier." 

"I agree. Our best chance is the twenty-four hour window between the recovery from dengue and the onset of Ebola. The immune system will still be primed but it will not be actively engaged in fighting off an infection." 

"How soon can you have the first batch of the antidote ready to begin inoculation?" 

"I can have the injections ready in twenty minutes. We need to start testing the initial exposure cases. They should be nearing the recovery point by now." 

"You prepare the injections. I'll alert Captain Michaels. We have to time this just right. Too soon and the antidote will not be effective, too late and they contact Ebola." 

Early the next morning the blood samples from the initial exposure victims showed the infection of dengue had run its course. Immediately the medical team began to inject them with the antidote. Now it was wait and see. 

When forty-eight hours had passed and there was no sign of Ebola. Blood samples were again taken for analysis. 

"They're clear." Shiroma looked up from the microscope. "There's no sign of either Ebola or the carrier virus. We did it, the infection is gone." 

Cassian gave one of his rare smiles. "Well done doctor. How soon before we can begin injecting Marcase and the other secondary exposure victims?" 

Shiroma leaned back in her chair. Now that the crisis was over she was tired. "Another twenty four hours and they should be in the recovery stage." 

"Excellent I'll tell the others the good news." Cassian paused at the door of the lab. "And get some rest Kimberly you've earned it." Then he was gone to spread the word. The epidemic was beaten. 

Three days later the last of the USAMRIID personnel board the helicopters for the return to Washington. The field lab had already been packed up and was on its way home. The CDC personnel would stay to help the still weakened citizens of New Hope until the town fully recovered from its ordeal. 

Marcase looked around the room that he had occupied before the outbreak. It seemed like such a long time ago. He was going to miss New Hope and its warm hearted citizens. Assured that he had not overlooked anything he closed and latched the suitcase. He was just reaching for the handle when Hailey reached around him and lifted the bag form the bed. "Hailey I'm not an invalid." 

"Just try to make it down the stairs without falling. I'll handle the luggage." 

Muttering something about overprotective mother hens. Marcase headed downstairs. When he reached the bottom landing he leaned against the wall to catch his breath. He was still way too weak. Hailey didn't say a word, he just continued on out the front door to store the suitcase in the trunk of the caddy. When he recovered Marcase made his way out to the front porch. Sheriff Caldwell, Doc, Laura and Billy were all on hand to say goodbye. Being in the earlier exposure group Laura had recovered much of her strength. Fortunately the other's had escape exposure to the disease. When Marcase had commented on the fact that neither of the three had been infected even though they had been exposed to Laura. Doc had smiled and commented that the three of them hadn't been kissing her. For whatever reason Edward was glad that Doc and the Sheriff hadn't succumbed, the town had needed their leadership. Walking up to the two men Marcase shook hands with each man in turn. 

"Thanks for all the hospitality. This is a great town you have here." 

The sheriff smiled. "Feel free to come back anytime. It's thanks to you that we still have a town at all." 

"He's right." Doc added. "And if you ever get the hankering to settle down, I'm still in the market for a partner." 

"I'll remember that, and thanks Doc for everything." 

The two men moved off to say their goodbyes to the rest of the team leaving Marcase alone with Laura and Billy. "What can I say, you saved my sanity. I can't ever thank you enough. You are one very special lady. Maybe I can come back this way sometime." 

"I'd like that. Take care of yourself Edward and remember you always have a place here." 

"I don't want you to go." 

Marcase looked down at the solemn faced little boy. "I have to Billy, there are sick people who need my help. But I'll come back and visit, OK?" 

Throwing his arms around Edward's waist Billy hugged him tightly. "Don't forget us." 

"No way, we're buddies. There's no way I'd forget you." 

Marcase hugged mother and son then turned and made his way toward the caddy where his friends and teammates were waiting. 

Cassian smiled as he watched Edward saying goodbye to his friends. Marcase's powers of recovery still amazed him. As soon as his fever had broken Edward had been ready to get out of bed. Fortunately Shiroma and Hailey had been on hand to dissuade him from such a foolish act. Still only three days had passed and he was talking about driving back to DC. Cassian shook his head at the foolishness of youth. Marcase had suffered blood loss as well as the other trials of dengue fever. He belonged in bed. Walking over to where his team stood he smiled as he overheard the ongoing argument. 

"Give me the keys Edward. You are not driving. If you're really good we'll let you lay down in the back seat." 

"Michael I am not an invalid. I'll be fine till I get home. I promise I'll go straight to bed when I get there." 

"Not good enough, you've just had the car fixed from your last little jaunt. Do you really want to have it back in the shop so soon?" 

"Low blow Michael." Reluctantly Marcase handed over his car keys to Hailey. "OK, you win to tell the truth I'm suddenly not feeling all that steady." 

"Good, now that that's settled I get shotgun." Both men turned to Shiroma, identical looks of surprise on their faces. "What? Why should you two have all the fun? I've been cooped up in a bio-suit inside the lab for the past week. I need sunshine and fresh air. We are in one of the most beautiful areas of Virginia and it's spring. I intend to enjoy myself on the way back." 

"Good idea." Cassian threw a pillow and blanket onto the back seat of the caddy. "Doc thought these might come in handy." He then looked Marcase up and down. "Maybe with Dr. Shiroma along Edward you might just make it back to DC in one piece." 

"Cassian I don't go looking for trouble." 

"No Dr. Marcase, but trouble has a way of finding you just the same." Cassian turned to Hailey and Shiroma. "Have a nice trip and I'll see the two of you on Monday." Then he turned back to Marcase. "And you, go home and go to bed. Try just this once to follow your doctor's orders." 

Marcase watched Cassian as he headed for the helicopter, which would speed him back to Washington. "You'd think he didn't trust me or something. I told him I was fine." 

"Maybe you would be more believable if you weren't whiter than your shirt." Was Hailey's comment. 

"Or the fact that you're beginning to sway a little." Shiroma added for good measure. 

"OK I give up." Climbing into the back seat. Marcase made himself comfortable. He wouldn't admit it, but he had needed to sit down. He was still pretty weak. Maybe just this once it wouldn't hurt to let someone else take care of things. 

Hailey had to give Marcase credit; he had good taste in cars. The big caddy drove like a dream. He glanced over at Shiroma. Kimberly looked to be enjoying herself. The fresh air, the sunshine and the gorgeous mountain scenery were a welcome relief after the rigors of the past week. Hailey glanced in the rear view mirror to check on his other passenger and chuckled. Marcase was fast asleep. 

"What's so funny?" 

Hailey nodded toward the back seat. "Take a look." 

Shiroma glanced at the backseat then turned back around and smiled. "Seems we needed that pillow and blanket after all. If we're lucky he'll sleep all the way home. He needs the rest." 

"We can only hope. How about some music; do you like jazz?" 

Edward Marcase stood nervously outside of the Torreno apartment. It had been almost a month since Timothy's death. He was uncertain about his welcome in the Torreno household. He had talked to Maria and David numerous times over the past few weeks and they had assured him that all was well. Timothy had died of an aneurysm. It wasn't his fault. They also didn't blame him for not being there for the funeral. He hadn't asked to get stranded in New Hope or to wind up as a Dawn test subject. Still a part of him was nervous about coming here. He couldn't help feel that he had somehow let them down. 

At his knock the door opened to reveal a smiling Maria. "Edward, come in, come in. We have been so worried. Look at you all skin and bones. You should have let us take care of you. You men; so independent. Well now you are here. We will fatten you up in no time. Did I tell you my sister Gloria's daughter is in town. Lovely girl when you are feeling better I'll introduce you. Here sit down at the table. I made something just for you." 

Edward smiled bemusedly as the small woman grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the dining room. Across the room David gave him a pitting look. All of Maria's protective instincts were in full swing. She had been worried sick about her "eldest son" and now that she had him in her clutches she was going to coddle him within an inch of his life. Marcase let the warm feelings of family wash away the last vestiges of fear and doubt. He was home. 

DAWN Headquarters, East Coast 
Location Unknown 

The Director threw the report on his desk in disgust. Once again Cassian and his people had interfered where they had no business. Both Dr. Everrett and his virus were lost. On top of that they, had also managed to destroy one of The Dawn's best research facilities. At first the Director, like many of The Dawn's upper echelon, had considered Cassian and his team of specialist to be nothing more than a nuisance. He was now beginning to revise that opinion. Cassian and his team were dangerous. He would not make the mistake of underestimating them again. The loss of Everrett's virus and the destruction of the lab were regrettable but there were other scientist and other research facilities. In time, The Dawn would find its ultimate weapon, and then they would triumph. In the end Cassian's group would fail. They had won this battle, but the war was far from over.