Ghost Detectives Bk. 02: Virus 04-08

"Nevertheless, the Ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus does mutate one or two times with each copy that is made. On the plus side, though mutations are numerous, the actual mutation change is extremely small. Having said that, and despite airborne mutation being unlikely, we should prepare for the Ebola virus mutating and become airborne, which means Ebola survivors could be infected again with the virus. It would also mean that all the vaccinations that are being made to combat the virus would prove ineffective against new strands. If it ever did become airborne, god help the world."

"God, Carolyn, you could write a dissertation on the virus and in the wrong hands is a terrorist's dream. We need to prepare for the worse and hope for the best."

"That is what my team does. Look, Don, Ebola is a scary infectious disease and spread through frequent contact with bodily fluids but can only be spread by someone who is showing symptoms; no symptoms showing, no transmission of infection possible. Some viruses can hide in the body and spread from person to person without causing any symptoms in the individual infected. Ebola isn't like that and cannot spread until someone falls sick. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, said, Ebola does not spread from someone who doesn't have a fever and other symptoms. Symptoms generally occur eight to ten days after infection, though that period can range from two to twenty-one days. The uninfected person would have to have a break in the skin on their hands to allow virus entry. On a negative, especially in developing nations, a large percentage of people have minor breaks in their skin. Another negative, the virus can survive for some days in liquid outside an infected organism and for up to twelve hours, as I've said earlier, on inanimate surfaces."

"I want two teams on this project permanently."

"Already have, and they've been on it for the last four weeks."

"Set up a travelling task force to move at a moment's notice to anywhere in the world. I will have a plane permanently on standby, we must stop this disease from gaining any foothold here. It's getting late and I'm out at a dinner with my wife tonight so I think we'll call it a day. How is James, I haven't seen him in a while, or your brother for that matter".

"All doing fine."

"I'm away tomorrow and I will see you the day after."

"Give my best to your wife and enjoy your evening."

A few weeks had passed since James and John confronted Russell Mackintosh and were still unsure if he was the rapist and murderer, letting him go did not sit easy and they had no intention of letting things rest. Despite retaining a keen interest, they had heard nothing untoward regarding the two girls and planned on checking the three of them at the weekend. James would go back into the other dimension to find out what had happened since the last time he was there.

That evening, the three sat around the dinner table having just finished the evening meal, the air full of tension. James smiled at his wife as she refilled their wine glasses and looked towards John. "Why don't you sell your house and live here with us?"

He gazed at him for a while before speaking and grinned. "I'm going home next week."

"You said that last week, the week before and the week before that," she laughed. "You know we always keep that bedroom for you and we both love having you here."

"If I sell my house my love life will suffer."

James burst out laughing. "Absolute balderdash, you've never been short of a woman or three. How is Courtney and Margaret by the way?" he smirked.

"Yes, John," Carolyn grinned, "you were with Courtney last week and I know a few days ago you paid a visit to Margaret. I don't suppose the visit was just talking; besides, if you ever get that short, you'd have tapped James before now to borrow my body for an hour; you haven't recently, so that means you are getting plenty," giving him a wry smile.

"An hour, have her for two, three even, I need the rest," groaned James in mock pain.

She threw her table napkin at him in feigned anger. "You're in for an extra dose now, and another dose after that followed by..."

"Sis, drink your wine. I was with Courtney last night; in fact, she asked about you and said she hadn't heard from you in weeks."

"With what's going on at work it's little wonder."

John picked up on her change of voice realising the earlier tension around the table was due to her dampened demeanour, affect one affect all. "Trouble in the old corral?"

"More than trouble, a game changer but we have nothing to go on and no proof anything is happening."

"Can you share without breaking confidences?"

"It could be nothing and it could be everything."

"Brandy anyone?" broke in James, who stood and walked to the drink's cabinet.

Carolyn silently watched him pour the brandy from a decanter, her eyes following his return. She held out her hand, took the glass and swallowed a large draught. The other two waited for her to speak. "It may be nothing," she stalled a few seconds to collect her thoughts, "my department is focusing on terrorism linked to germ warfare and pandemics. We are working closely with the Military Intelligence Section (M15), counter-terrorism, security services and the joint intelligence committees as well as the Secret Intelligence Service. Something big is happening, but we have no reliable intelligence on what, how, when, or even where the strike will happen. We do know the next big war will not be fought with planes, ships, bombs or guns, but with germs, viruses and pandemics, it's terrifying; everyone is on edge, not just our government. America, China, Russia, India, are coming together sharing intelligence and have reached the same conclusion and we are in for a rough ride if we fail to stop it."

"Come on love, despondency doesn't become you. To make that happen there would need to be a virtual army, cloaked and hidden, waiting to strike. Frankly, it's just not possible. If there were anything, don't you think intelligence would have picked up on it? If not in our country, surely other countries would have and shared the information, it's in everyone's interests. You've never been one for rumour, innuendo and scaremongering, so until you get concrete verification, take what you hear with the proverbial pinch of salt."

"I think she's right in the groove, James. I have spent the last few months studying this area of warfare while talking with my colleagues around the world. I'm convinced the next war will be fought at the micro level in laboratories. We are not up against an enemy where technology of weaponry takes the advantage but against an enemy that can only be seen through a microscope, controlled by intellectuals with their own ideological agenda of how they wish to see the world, where toleration, sanctity of life and freedom is as alien to them as Mars is to us. The battle will be antiviral versus viral but not as nature intended. Instead, by the destructive paradoxical evil hand of fanatics, tyrants and criminals; a toxic combination of a necromancer's poison which could eventually eliminate the genus homo sapiens, or if not total elimination, change our culture to such an extent that it becomes unrecognisable to us."

"Say I accept what you both say, show me your evidence?"

"Carolyn is saying there is no hard evidence to lock onto, only third-party rumour and loose talk."

"The organising plus the number of people needed to pull this off would need to be in their thousands and all kept cloaked from our intelligence services. I can't see it."

"Our and other country's intelligence services have picked up on it but have no idea who's involved, where the strike will happen, or how they intend to bring it about."

"What's to be gained, where is the profit in it? Look at how disease in other countries devastates their economies, everyone will lose."

"This is not about profit; most agree it's about ideology. With the number of refugees flooding into Europe, you needn't stretch that far to accept a few hundred of them could be ideological terrorists."

"I'll go back into the other dimension this evening and see what I can find out."

Carolyn sat up, her feeling of discomfort returning. "Can't you just go there for a few hours, log onto the internet and return early morning? I see little need for you to stay there any longer," she pleaded.

"I'll be as quick as I can but it'll be longer than a day but I promise to be careful. If you want information I must stay there until I learn something and it may mean I'd have to travel."

"He's right, sis, we need all the help we can get."

She puffed out her breath in resignation. "The risks of failure are too dire to contemplate. I am being selfish. Do what you need to do no matter how long it takes. For you, my love, I'll wait forever and worry every moment you are over there."

Carolyn went for a bath and John went up to the loft leaving James alone to think through what they had discussed. He would go through the window just after midnight and began searching the internet to learn about germ warfare.

James kissed Carolyn, waved to John, and disappeared. The night was cool with a multitude of stars and he wondered how many other words were out there and how many dimensions occupied the same space. He quickly threw the thought away. The task ahead was too large to rationalise and his thoughts jumped back to Carolyn and he smiled.

Tonight, the way she was feeling, she'd be at big george, groaning her frustration and worry towards him into her orgasms and would exhaust herself until her passion was spent. She may even go to her brother's bed for comfort after finishing with george, when her sexual pressure would have abated and the rawness of her urgent sexual tension satisfied. The more he thought about it the better it made him feel knowing she'd never take big, or any of her smaller george vibrators with her to John's bed, no need. She would rest on her side turning her back to him, body slightly arched, and he would gently stroke her vulva for a little while letting his fingers slowly penetrate her body, later, locking his penis inside her, making slow sensual love until they both fell into sleep.

At his flat nothing had changed, only what he expected, plenty of unsolicited mail in his mailbox which he disposed of without opening; he made himself a cup of Earl Grey tea and checked his emails two from Debra and three off Jennie asking how he was and asking him to give them a ring and set up lunch or dinner when he was next in town. She also asked if he would like to meet Courtney and Caroline and that did pique his interest. He grinned to himself, the four of them together. He'd never survive the encounter and chuckled, thinking, he could at least try and closed his laptop. He would answer them tomorrow, tonight, he was tired and needed to sleep and was soon in his bed dreaming of his Carolyn playing with her georges.

The following morning, he was up early and went out to buy some newspapers and get breakfast. After he'd eaten, he returned to his flat and spent the morning reading and relaxing in his own space. The Daily Chronicle had a headline story on the murder of a prostitute and a violent rape of a young woman, both suffering extensive head and facial injuries, and it was thought there could be a correlation between the two, the rape victim narrowly escaping death. He knew both women were not the two girls in his dimension, they were much older and yet, here both were dead. He wasn't yet sure how it would play out in his dimension, that was in the hands of destiny, out of his and everyone's control whether they'd live or whether they died; what he did know, if either of their actions were to change the timeline, they would die, for always the timeline of history must stay pure.

In the centre of the Chronicle was a section devoted to Ebola stating that the deaths reported so far were nowhere near the true figure. For every death reported, at least another five went unreported as families and local officials covered up the true extent of mortalities for political expediency and family pride. Numbers were rising at an alarming rate and it was only a matter of time before the virus infiltrated the developed countries. Advocating travel to and from those countries under siege from the virus be banned, and anyone who had recently visited those countries be quarantined for thirty days. James shuddered, understanding how the world was frightened and how easily populations could turn panic and mistrust into uncontrollable violence with mobs looking to blame someone when illness, pain and death knocked on the door and stared them in the face. Another article caught his eye, in the war against ISIS, a compound believed to be an ammunition factory was bombed but it turned out to be a school, the mistake costing the lives three hundred and eighty children. He made a note of the location and name intending to pass that information to the relevant authority, then emailed Debra and Jennie to set up a lunch meeting.

Chapter Six

Hadi, Sadeen and Kanval with Eiliyah left Tenerife and returned to Turkey and the three men set up a secret laboratory to study the Ebola virus. Eiliyah's dental surgery was in the same location where she practiced on vagrants who wouldn't be missed. It took her a few attempts to perfect the process, causing five deaths, confident, after the second demise, she had the process right. The last three vagrants she'd practiced on were kept incarcerated for a few weeks before being executed and the bodies burnt as an autopsy would bring to light the cyanide; not that there would be one on beggars, but why take even a slight risk when it was so easy to eliminate it completely.

Where she could, she used an existing tooth, drilling out the inside and inserting a sealed capsule, encasing the capsule with dental glue and sealing with dental cement. Otherwise, she made a tooth and drilled it into the gum. Both treatments held risk, and breaking the seal would prove difficult but by carrying a sharp object to puncture the tooth it could easily be accomplished. Even if captured, before any meaningful interrogation could take place, the captive could activate the poison and death would soon follow sending them into paradise before torture and mind control techniques could be implemented against them.

The brief from Abisali for Hadi, Sadeen, the two epidemiologists, and for Kanval, the infectious disease specialist, was to focus on advancing the Ebola strain to mutate and become an airborne virus, which would infect millions of people by simply breathing it into the body. They were to store vials of contaminated blood at optimum temperature waiting for distribution as a backup plan and to be used to cultivate the virus.

"Abisali said we need to recruit assistants and create fifty sleeper cells," stated Eiliyah. "Once our work is concluded, you two must come to Britain to help in the manufacture and distribution of the virus."

"We need assistants to help with the work here as it is, we can't leave until that work is complete. We are a long way off from where Abisali says he wants us to be. The risk of detection of so many sleeper cells is high and we'll be discovered. I'm worried that the scale of this operation could come back and bite us before we finish."

"By the time they figure it out it'll be too late and there'll be panic in the streets. In Allah, Hadi, everything is possible."

He bowed his head. "Yes, I am sorry I spoke in that way."

"We have plenty of followers here in Ankara," Eiliyah said, "and they will be our walking soldiers of death moving into Syria, Iraq, Iran, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and the rest of the world. We have three sleeper cells on Tenerife and I will call them to arms; Allah be praised."

"Tenerife is a small island, with cameras in bars and outside locations. They'll be found within hours. How have you planned for that?" asked Sadeen.

She hesitated a reply and thought it better to fudge an answer. "Allah will protect and they will not be caught alive."

Sadeen felt uncomfortable, feeling her thought process decadent. "You need to get them into the laboratory and fixed the same way you've fixed us; but there again," he sneered, "they'll be Ebola casualties themselves within days so perhaps that won't be necessary."

She wanted to move away from this subject. "When will you be ready?"

"The virus already is partially airborne; when an infected person or animal sneezes or coughs infected vapour spreads into the air which can linger for hours. I'm working on a strain that can infect directly from the atmosphere and stay airborne for days but I need to test the strain to be sure; I need assistants. I have pressurised the virus inside an aerosol," he grinned wickedly, "death in a can," smirking at his own black humour. "When sprayed into the atmosphere it will combine with air molecules. A mixture of mainly nitrogen combined with oxygen and carbon dioxide in smaller amounts - meaning anyone breathing it inside a confined or even a larger space," he grinned, "will become contaminated. The virus can also enter the body through the eyes or infect a scratch for example but you are aware of that."

"Assistants will increase the risk of discovery. You don't need them, we are already there," Eiliyah beamed, "our test site will be Tenerife."

"Don't be so certain; firstly, as I said, we need to test the virus to ensure it stays potent in air. Secondly, whoever releases the spray will also be infected. Thirdly, with the number of cameras around, the identification and capture of the individuals involved will be almost instantaneous; all travel will be shut down and we'll be stuck on the island."

"The virus will take a few days before it makes itself known and I'll be long gone before then."

"I accept that, but the first two still holds. You'll be infected; even being in the same room as someone with the disease can put you at risk and that's with the disease as it is at present."

"That is why I can't have you near when the spray is used. As for me, I won't be there either. How many more weeks will you need before we can test?"

"I need to bring in Dr. Jul and Dr. Yar both experts in tropical diseases."

Eiliyah shook her head. "I know the first name you mention, he's a world-renowned chemist. The other I have no idea, but you are spreading the risk exponentially. I would need to contact Abisali before you contact them."

"Dr. Yar is a specialist biochemist."

"If Abisali asks, what is a biochemist?"

"He will know, but for your information, he studies the chemical processes and transformations in living organisms. How these processes alter living organisms, which would come into the orbit of the Ebola virus, and how and why chemical reactions happen within cells and tissues."

Eiliyah contacted Abisali by encrypted text and had his answer within the hour. He knew the two people and he gave her assurances they were true disciples of Allah and to do nothing, he would arrange their transportation to Turkey. "Can we undertake laboratory tests while we wait for them?" We have a small amount of the virus in storage and what you've cultivated. A further delivery of contaminated blood is already here waiting. I'm to pick it up."

"What if you are stopped and the package opened? The contamination will spread before everything is in place; again, how do you know it's not a trap? What if you are seized when you collect it?"

"What route did they travel?"

"Everything is secure, Kanval. They will have travelled from Sudan through Egypt and across the Mediterranean Sea and are ready to start testing."

The three looked at her unsure of what she was asking. "It's not that difficult," she emphasised. "We have secure quarantine areas and the required protective clothing. Can we test the virus using live people?"