Pandemic Read online

  Table of Contents

  Praise

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER 1

  GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, D.C.

  CHAPTER 2

  DEPARTEMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, NEBRASKA AVENUE CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.

  CHAPTER 3

  DOWNTOWN CAIRO, EGYPT

  CHAPTER 4

  UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 640, EASTERN ATLANTIC

  WHO HEADQUARTERS GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

  CHAPTER 5

  GEORGETOWN WASHINGTON, D.C,

  NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

  CHAPTER 6

  HARGEYSA, NORTHERN SOMALIA

  CHAPTER 7

  JIAYUGUAN CITY, GANSU PROVINCE CHINA

  CHAPTER 8

  CIA HEADQUARTERS LANGLEY, VIRGINIA

  HARGEYSA SOMALIA

  CHAPTER 9

  JIAYUGUAN REGIONAL HOSPITAL GANSU PROVINCE CHINA

  DEPARTEMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY NEBRASKA AVENUE CENTER WASHINGTON, B.C.

  CHAPTER 10

  CAIRO, EGYPT

  HARGEYSA, SOMALIA

  CHAPTER 11

  COMMUNIST PARTY HEADQUARTERS, JIAYUGUAN CITY

  CHAPTER 12

  PALACE HOTEL, LONDON, ENGLAND

  CHAPTER 13

  POLICE HEADQUARTERS, CAIRO, EGYPT

  PARK TOWER PLAZA HOTEL, LONDON, ENGLAND

  CHAPTER 14

  GREAT WALL HOTEL, JIAYUGUAN CITY, CHINA

  CHAPTER 15

  ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, LONDON, ENGLAND

  HARGEYSA, SOMALIA

  CHAPTER 16

  COMMUNIST PARTY HEADQUARTERS, JIAYUGUAN CITY, CHINA

  HEATHROW AIRPORT, LONDON, ENGLAND

  CHAPTER 17

  DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, NEBRASKA AVENUE CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.

  YALE UNIVERSITY, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

  CHAPTER 18

  PEACE ARCH U.S.-CANADA BORDER CROSSING, WHITE ROCK, CANADA

  POLICE HEADQUARTERS, CAIRO, EGYPT

  CHAPTER 19

  SHERATON LONDON SUITES, LONDON, ENGLAND

  CHAPTER 20

  VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

  HARGEYSA, SOMALIA

  CHAPTER 21

  THE SHERATON SUITES, LONDON, ENGLAND

  CHAPTER 22

  CIA HEADQUARTERS, LANGLEY, VIRGINIA

  HARGEYSA, SOMALIA

  CHAPTER 23

  AIR CANADA FLIGHT 372

  VANCOUVER, CANADA

  CHAPTER 24

  POLICE HEADQUARTERS, CAIRO, EGYPT

  CHAPTER 25

  VANCOUVER, CANADA

  CHAPTER 26

  HARGEYSA, SOMALIA

  CAIRO, EGYPT

  CHAPTER 27

  CIA HEADQUARTERS, LANGLEY, VIRGINIA

  HARBOURVIEW HOTEL, VANCOUVER, CANADA

  CHAPTER 28

  HARGEYSA, SOMALIA

  CHAPTER 29

  HARBOURVIEW HOTEL, VANCOUVER CANADA

  CHAPTER 30

  HARBOURVIEW HOTEL, VANCOUVER, CANADA

  UNITED FLIGHT 3614

  WASHINGTON, D.C.

  GLEN ECHO HEIGHTS, BETHESDA MARYLAND

  CHAPTER 31

  HARGEYSA, SOMALIA

  CHAPTER 32

  GLEN ECHO HEIGHTS, BETHESDA MARYLAND

  THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON, D.C.

  CHAPTER 33

  HARGEYSA SOMALIA

  CHAPTER 34

  WASHINGTON, D.C.

  CHAPTER 35

  U.S. AIR FORCE BASE, YEMEN

  CHAPTER 36

  HARGEYSA, SOMALIA

  WASHINGTON, D.C.

  CHAPTER 37

  GLEN ECHO HEIGHTS, BETHESDA, MARYLAND

  CHAPTER 38

  ATLANTIC OCEAN

  WASHINGTON, D.C.

  CHAPTER 39

  GLEN ECHO HEIGHTS, BETHESDA, MARYLAND

  CHAPTER 40

  DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, NEBRASKA AVENUE CENTER, WASHINGTON D.C.

  CHAPTER 41

  WOODMORE, MARYLAND

  CHAPTER 42

  JESSUP, MARYLAND

  CHAPTER 43

  WASHINGTON, D.C.

  CHAPTER 44

  GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL ICU, WASHINGTON, D.C.

  More Early Excitement for Pandemic

  “Pandemic is a totally compelling novel, one of those rare thrillers that lays out a scenario that is not only possible, but terrifyingly probable.”

  Douglas Preston, author of Relic and The Codex

  “Pandemic is fast, fierce and frightening. Kalla delivers a shot of adrenaline in a medical thriller that really thrills.”

  Don Winslow, author of California Fire

  and The Life and Death of BobbyZ

  “At last! A new thriller writer worthy to join the Ludlum, DeMille, LeCarre club. Not just a great read, a real treat.”

  —Beverly Swerling, author of

  City of Dreams: A Novel of Nieuw Amsterdam

  and Early Manhattan

  NOTE: If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  PANDEMIC

  Copyright © 2005 by Daniel Kalla

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.

  A Tor Book

  Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC

  175 Fifth Avenue

  New York, NY 10010

  www.tor.com

  Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

  ISBN 0-765-35084-X

  EAN 975-0765-35084-8

  First edition: February 2005

  Printed in the United States of America

  0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

  For my girls ... Cheryl, Chelsea, and Ashley

  Acknowledgments

  It’s a long and occasionally bumpy road from glimmer of idea to published novel, but I can’t imagine a more fun ride. Along the way, so many people have generously lent their time. ideas, and moral support that I haven’t the space to name everyone, but I do need to recognize a few in print.

  I am fortunate to be blessed with several good friends-cum-readers, but I would like to single out the most dedicated and burdened of the bunch, including Dave Allard, Rob King, Duncan Miller, Geoff Lyster, Kirk Hollohan, Bin Lim, Jeremy Etherington, Jeff Jacobs, Alisa Weyman, Chiara Hnatiuk, Brooke Wade, and Alec and Theresa Walton. For the medical background, I relied heavily on the advice of an excellent microbiologist, Dr. Marc Romney. And I am so grateful to have found terrific mentors in Beverly and Bill Martin (of agentresearch.com) and Michael McKinley, whose generous advice proved invaluable. Of all the readers in my corner, though, the one who went farthest above and beyond the call was Kit Schindell. Her tireless reading and re-reading, insightful feedback, and gentle steering ensured that I got the story as right as I could. Thanks, Kit!

  I would like to acknowledge Susan Crawford for bringing my manuscript to Tor, where thanks to people like Paul Stevens, David Moench, Seth Lerner, and especially Tom Doherty—a publisher whose hands-on approach exceeded all expectations—I was made to feel very much at home. A special thank you goes to my marvelous editor, Natalia Aponte, who has patiently guided this neophyte through the process of publication while helping to make the novel that much better.

  Finally, I could not have done this without the unwavering support of my family. My wife Cheryl’s hon
est feedback and resolute belief in me kept me balanced and focused as I wrote. My brother Tony has been a key advocate for this book. My brother Tim and sisters-in-law, Becca and Tammy, along with the rest of my extended family and in-laws all provided much needed encouragement and support. And none of this would have been possible without the guidance and love of my parents, Judy and Frank.

  PROLOGUE

  NORTHERN GANSU PROVINCE, CHINA.

  The SUV rattled along the dusty road, twelve miles south of Jiayuguan’s city limits. There was little to see in the unvarying dirt hills rolling past. Besides, Kwok Lee was too agitated to take in the scenery. He cringed with each rock that pinged off the windshield, and he cursed every pothole that rocked his precious new vehicle. Where was all the money the State Council promised for infrastructure ? In their pockets, Lee thought miserably, never considering that as an inveterate black marketer he fueled the province’s systemic corruption. He consoled himself with the thought that in a few hours he would be able to replace this vehicle with ten more like it. Not that he needed a fleet of SUVs, just one for his girlfriend. Maybe that would quell some of her nagging, the way it had his wife’s.

  Lee glanced in his rearview mirror at his two backseat passengers. Since loading into the car, neither had spoken. Two hours driving, and not so much as a word out of them in Mandarin or even their native tongue, which they had claimed was Mongol though Lee knew better. Dressed in cheap suits, the men had darker skin, rounder eyes, and broader noses than the local Chinese. They could have passed for brothers, except the one who answered the questions was half a head taller than his colleague. Lee considered the possibilities, concluding they must be Malays. He guessed they were reporters. Why else would they want to see the godforsaken place? But their identity was of no concern to Lee. What mattered were the wads of crisp American bills that he’d seen in the briefcase of the shorter one.

  In the distance, a building burst through the dust cloud. A bleak concrete structure, fenced and gated, it could have been one of a million such in China. It wasn’t until Lee slowed for the approaching gate that he noticed a difference. If not for the semiautomatic rifles slung over their shoulders, the. soldiers manning the gate could have passed for surgeons. All three wore gowns, plastic caps, gloves, and surgical masks.

  One of the soldiers leaned his head through the open driver’s window and eyed Lee’s passengers suspiciously.

  “Missionaries,” Lee explained cheerfully. “They’ve come to pray for their brother.” He laughed and waved his documents in the soldier’s face. “Like prayers will help the poor bugger!”

  The soldier grunted a humorless chuckle, and then grabbed the documents. A few moments later, Lee slid his filthy car into a parking spot in the gravel lot. Outside the building’s entrance, Lee and his passengers went through a similar security screen. And again one hundred meters down the corridor, but this time their papers were more thoroughly scrutinized by soldiers who wore lab hoods. At each checkpoint closer to the patients, Lee sensed a higher degree of disquiet among the guards. Inside the building, the tension in the air was palpable.

  A guard led the three of them up the stairway to an office, where a small, balding, bespectacled official sat at a huge desk, which accentuated his diminutive size. He introduced himself only as Dr. Wu, but Lee knew he was the associate director of the regional hospital.

  Wu studied Lee’s silent companions for a few moments. “You are aware of the risks?” he finally asked.

  Both men nodded.

  “And yet you still want to see the patient?”

  More nods.

  “To pray for him?” Wu said with a raised eyebrow.

  “He is our brother, sir,” the taller man said in halting Chinese, leaving it unclear whether he meant the patient was a blood relative or a member of the same religious order. “We can’t offer our blessings unless we see him in person.”

  “I see.” Wu nodded, but his frown questioned the man’s sanity. “By protocol, no one, not even family, is allowed to visit.”

  Lee shifted in his chair. What is this nonsense? he thought. Was this tiny bureaucrat renegotiating his price at the eleventh hour? Lee reached into his case and pulled out the thick envelope. “Doctor, I think these papers explain everything.” He slid it across the desk allowing the envelope’s flap to flash a glimpse of greenbacks.

  In one motion. Wu swept the envelope into an open drawer and pushed it shut. He rose from his desk without gaining much height. “You will have five minutes. No more. Do not touch anything. You will wear full protective gear. You will need to decontaminate—” Seeing the confusion on their faces, he rolled his eyes and said, “You must shower after the visit.”

  The men nodded. Lee bowed his pudgy form toward the. associate director. “Thank you, Dr. Wu. You are most accommodating.”

  Wu’s eyes narrowed in disdain. “Five minutes” he reminded them. “One of my men will stay with you. He will tell you when—”

  The shorter of Lee’s customer, though much taller than Wu, spoke up for the first time. “No. Doctor. This is between our brother and God,” he said in near-perfect Mandarin. “We need a few minutes of privacy.”

  Before Wu finished violently shaking his head, the man had his hand extended, offering another fat envelope from his briefcase.

  Wu hesitated. For a moment it seemed as if he might refuse the offer, but he snatched the envelope and scrambled back to his desk. He dropped the envelope as if it were on fire in the same drawer he’d deposited the other. “Five minutes, not a second more,” he said.

  Another guard led them into the changing rooms. After gowning and gloving, they passed through two sets of doors that served as a makeshift hermetic seal. On the other side, they changed into yellow biohazard suits before donning particle-filtrating hoods. Lee thought they resembled three misplaced beekeepers, but he kept the thought to himself. He was gripped by sudden foreboding,

  Following the soldier, they walked through another set of airtight doors and onto the hospital ward. The similarly garbed staff paid little heed as the three men headed down the dingy corridor, but with each step Lee’s anxiety rose. He struggled to breathe in the suffocating hood. Beads of sweat ran down his face and pooled at his collar. No one had told him that he would have to join the others in the patient’s room!

  Their soldier escort stopped at the last door in the hallway. He knocked. A nurse emerged from inside and shut the door behind her. After a brief exchange, she nodded and walked off down the hallway. The soldier held up five fingers to the others.

  The tall one entered first. Lee hesitated, but the crisp shove from behind left him little choice but to follow. Inside the cramped room, surrounded by machines and IV drips, a patient lay on the bed. At least, Lee thought he was the patient but wasn’t certain since the form on the bed was entirely swaddled in plastic bundles. The beeping machines and the occasional rustle of the plastic sheets suggested someone might be alive under the sheets. The whirring from the life-support system’s ventilator by his head obscured most other sounds. But the longer he stood, the more aware Lee became of a harsh gurgling sound. Appalled, he realized it emanated from the patient, not the machine.