Contagion by Cook Robin

Author:Cook, Robin [Cook, Robin]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Published: 1995-12-06T23:33:35+00:00

24

MONDAY, 2:30 P.M., MARCH 25, 1996

Jack walked rapidly toward the General. After the conversation with Terese he needed some fresh air. She had a way of agitating him. Not only was she emotionally confusing, but she was also right about the Black Kings. As much as Jack didn't want to think about it, he was taking a chance defying their threat. The questions were: Whom had he irritated enough to send a gang to threaten him, and did the threat confirm his suspicions? Unfortunately there was no way to know. As he'd told Terese, he would have to be careful. The problem with that flippant answer, of course, was that he had no idea with whom he had to be careful. He assumed it would have to be Kelley, Zimmerman, Cheveau, or Abelard because those were the people he'd irritated. The trick was to avoid them all.

As Jack rounded the final corner, it was immediately apparent that things were abnormal at the hospital. Several wooden police sawhorses stood on the sidewalk, and two New York City uniformed policemen lounged on either side of the main door. Jack stopped to watch them for a moment, since they seemed to be spending more time talking with each other than anything else.

Feeling confused about their role, Jack went up to them and asked.

"We were supposed to discourage people from going into the hospital," one officer said. "There was some kind of epidemic in there, but they think it's under control."

"We're really here more for crowd control," the other officer admitted. "They were expecting trouble earlier when they were toying with the idea of quarantining the facility, but things have settled down."

"For that we can all be thankful," Jack said. He started forward, but one of the officers restrained him.

"You sure you want to go in?" he asked.

"Afraid so," Jack said.

The officer shrugged and let Jack pass.

The minute Jack entered through the door he was confronted by a uniformed hospital security officer wearing a surgical mask.

"I'm sorry," the officer said. "No visitors today."

Jack pulled out his medical examiner's badge.

"Sorry, Doctor," the officer said. He stepped aside.

Although calm outside, the inside of the hospital was still in a minor furor. The lobby was filled with people. What gave the scene a surrealistic aura was that everyone was wearing a mask.

With the sudden cessation of new meningococcal cases some twelve hours earlier, Jack was reasonably confident that a mask was superfluous. Yet he wanted one, not so much for protection as for disguise. He asked the security officer if they were available. He was directed to the unmanned information desk, where he found several boxes. Jack took one out and put it on.

Next he located the doctors' coatroom. He entered when one of the staff doctors was exiting. Inside he took off his bomber jacket and searched for an appropriately sized long white coat. When he found one, he put it on, then returned to the lobby.

Jack's destination was central supply. He felt that if he was to learn anything on this visit, it would be there.

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