Woodrow Cade glanced about the long table stretching nearly the full length of the room before sitting down. There were only three other gentlemen besides Atoz and himself. He remembered Atoz’s message being marked as “Urgent,” and wondered what five men could find urgent, other than a bathroom.
“Sitting next to you,” Atoz began, “is Dr. Jay James, whom we will refer to as Dr. JJ. Dr. JJ is an expert in virology and toxicology.” Dr. JJ was a young, distinguished-looking gentleman with dark skin and neatly cropped hair. Although dressed in an Armani suit, his demeanor was relaxed and cordial. JJ looked over at Cade and nodded with a slight grin.
“Across the table from you is Dr. Madrone,” Atoz continued. “He is perhaps the world’s most qualified expert on replication technology and genetic engineering. To his left, is Dr. Martine. Martine has worked with our agency in the past on cases of medicinal malfeasance and pharmaceutical fabrication. Shall we begin?” Atoz concluded.
“I do not believe you have introduced the lovely person sitting next to you,” Cade said, referring to Atoz’s secretary. The secretary glanced up from her notepad and flashed a smile Cade’s way.
“I introduced BB ahead of your arrival, Agent Red,” Atoz said with an air of annoyance. “I know that you know her all too well. Now, may we begin.”
“By all means,” Cade responded, “don’t let me hold things up.”
Atoz greeted Cade’s last statement with a scowl before stating, “First, Dr. JJ will be your companion throughout this assignment. He will be known as Agent Gray, unless otherwise identified. It is necessary because he is an expert in things you probably have never heard of. “I’ll now let Dr. Martine explain to you why you have been called in.”
“Thank you, Atoz,” Martine began. “My service has received intelligence that a pandemic may be in the making.”
“In the making?” Cade repeated. “Are we making them now?” Cade glanced around the table expecting a laugh.
“Yes, you see we feel this pending pandemic has been planned,” Martine continued. “We have intercepted a number of communiqués indicating a virus of deadly consequence may in the final stages of development. We do not know for sure where this virology gain-of-function lab is located or exactly who is behind it. What we have surmised is it will likely be used as a bio weapon.”
“A bio weapon spread via a pandemic?” Cade responded. “Is there anyone who wouldn’t be affected by this thing? A pandemic sounds too ubiquitous and therefore a bit too careless, to me.”
“That’s where I come in,” said Dr. Madrone. “I have spearheaded the technology for vaccine development in the absence of an actual infecting agent. It is termed messenger RNA, or mRNA, designed to alert the immune system of an invading pathogen. It takes a sample of the pathogen and codes it into alerting antibody production, creating immunity before it becomes a pandemic.”
“Sounds ingenious, but complicated,” Cade said, leaning forward in the direction of Madrone.
“Quite,” Madrone replied. “Complicated enough that I fear an attempt is being made to use the technology before it has been fully developed and understood. I’m afraid at this stage it carries with it the potential of being a pathological agent unto itself.”
“Kind of an Oppenheimer sort of thing, right?” Cade queried.
“The technology is still in its infancy,” Madrone said with a steely tone while locking his eyes on the agent.
Martine cut in, “We need greater expert help and that’s why we have come to Rogue’s Manor. We’re hoping you gentlemen can head this thing off before it gets out of hand.”
“I hope so too,” the agent said softly, while lowering his head and shifting his eyes to-and-fro.
“This is your assignment, Agent Red,” Atoz broke in. “We will begin with the World Health Organization. You and Agent Gray will be given new identities and board a plane for Geneva first thing in the morning.”
“That’s it?” Cade quipped.
“That’s it, Agent Red. We are depending on your talents and Agent Gray’s knowledge,” Atoz said. “If we have more information forthcoming it will be given to you in code. BB will give each of you a valise with the essentials we feel you will need along with your tickets. Please, dress accordingly. “Oh, by the way, Agent Blue will be contacting you after you get there,” Atoz concluded.
“Naturally,” Cade responded unenthusiastically.
To be continued …