She stepped a little closer to him, slightly inside his perimeter. In her pocket, she switched on the recording function of her cell phone.
And she knew that she had backup. He was hidden and he was an excellent shot.
"Yes, I have a problem, and yes you can help me with it. Let me tell you what Priyanka thought, and what I think. I think Bill weaponized H1N1, made it fast-acting and even more lethal. And then I think you used our CRISPR-Cas9 to splice specific DNA to the virus so it would only affect one person, or one person and his or her family. Or an ethnic group or tribe. And I think you did that as a service to be sold. For money. And I think you are despicable beyond words."
Frank's expression didn't change, except for a slight narrowing of his eyes. "Well," he said, rocking back on his heels and putting his hand in his pocket. "That's-that's quite a series of accusations. Do you have any proof?"
"Yes," she said, happy to see him pale.
He'd stopped smiling. "You don't."
"I do. On Priyanka's data. Clear evidence of use of the CRISPR, at night. Unrecorded, unregistered, but she has proof."
"Experiments," he said. "Nothing wrong with that."
She edged closer to him. "Maybe. Maybe not. But you're going to find it hard to explain the accounts in Panama and Aruba. Worth millions of dollars. That's impossible on a CDC salary."
His face splintered, then rearranged itself, only this time the affable good guy was gone and Kay's heart beat faster, because she was looking into the face of pure evil.
"You little bitch. You and that Indian whore, meddling in things that are none of your business."
"Oh, but it is my business, and it was Priyanka's. We didn't dedicate ourselves to science to have scum like you spread disease and corruption. You've defiled everything science and the CDC stand for."
"Spare me the sermons, you bitch. Whatever you think you have on me can't touch me. And you won't be alive anyway."
He pulled his hand out of his pocket, lifted a cylinder, and sprayed her with a liquid. It coated her face, dripped down off her chin.
Kay gasped. Held out a hand to keep her protector at bay. She had this.
Frank's eyes glittered with malice, with triumph.
Kay gasped again, stumbled, grabbed on to his shirt front. With every ounce of strength in her body, she jerked him toward her until they were nose to nose.
Snaking her hand around his neck, she brought his face closer, closer still …
And kissed him full on the lips, lingering. Rubbing her face against his.
She could feel surprise in his body. Could feel something else, too-his lungs starting to heave.
Kay pulled away just enough to be able to speak, watching him so carefully. She wanted to see every expression, every nuance. Her heart was pounding but it wasn't with fear. Oh, no.
"The DNA was switched. The wrong DNA was flown out to you, so when you worked the CRISPR you also had flown out-you were working on your own DNA. You matched your DNA to the weaponized H1N1 virus. You're dying, Frank."
His eyes bulged. She was so close, she could feel his heart beating hard in his chest. Hear his lungs struggling uselessly for air. "No!" he wheezed.
It would be the last word he ever spoke.
"Yes." Kay smiled right into his eyes, her face an inch from his. "Oh yes. It's filling your lungs with fluid right now. You can feel it, can't you, Frank? Such a vicious little virus you and Bill created. But effective, very effective."
He was turning blue, choking. Kay was holding him up by his shirt front as his feet scrabbled for purchase. He was falling, but before he fell, she had something else to tell him.
"This is for Priyanka, you son of a bitch. And Mike Hammer. Die, you bastard."
His face was below hers, now, desperation in his eyes. The choking sounds grew loud.
"Kay!"
She turned, letting go of Frank. He fell at her feet, hands desperately scrabbling at his throat.
And suddenly she was in Nick's arms, held tightly, his head buried in her neck. "Oh God, oh God!" He pulled back, lifted a finger to her face and looked at the liquid in horror. "God no!"
Frank's heels were drumming on the floor. Neither of them paid him any attention.
"Is this-is this the virus?" Nick asked hoarsely. She could see the whites of his eyes around his dark pupils. He looked like a madman.
"Yes," she said, and he flinched. "But I'm not the one who will die here. He thought the virus was tailored to me, but Felicity and I switched the DNA so he designed his own death."