Silent Assassin(71)

“I’m almost afraid to ask,” said Morgan, “but how do you know so much about how this fungus affects humans?”

“We didn’t intentionally infect anyone, if that’s what you’re asking,” said Pope. “Most of it we extrapolated from our animal models.”

“Most of it?” said Bloch, raising an eyebrow.

“One of our lab technicians, George—good lord, I only just realized I never knew his last name!—was attacked by an infected chimp, much like this Novokoff, and contracted the fungus. It . . . wasn’t pretty. The effect of the fungus is quick. We knew it was so in animals and we confirmed it in humans. In a few hours, he went from an introverted, gentle man to a beast. We had him restrained, and did our best to treat him. I won’t lie, we also collected what data we could. Tragic as it was, we weren’t going to squander the opportunity of testing the fungus’s effects on humans.”

“What happened to the infected technician?” asked Bloch.

“He died within a day from self-inflicted wounds.”

“Suicide?” asked Bloch.

“No,” said Pope. “Head trauma. From slamming his body into the door trying to get out of the containment room.”

There was a moment of silence, then Morgan broke in. “This could be good news. It might be Novokoff kills himself without us having to lift another finger.”

“Is there a cure?” asked Bloch.

“We developed a serum. The leader—Novokoff, you called him?—he took a sample of it when he left.”

“Will that prevent or cure the disease?” asked Bloch.

“No,” said Pope. “It will deter the effects of the infection. At least it did in the chimps. We developed it after George died. It should keep the disease from progressing as quickly as it usually does. We were in the process of studying the fungus. Our work was still unfinished.”

“So Novokoff will be suffering from partial effects of the disease?” asked Bloch. “What can we expect?”

“Diminished impulse control, risk-taking behavior, intermittent bouts of aggression. In addition to bodily pain and splitting headaches.”

“So he’ll be impulsive and aggressive,” said Bloch. “That can be a blessing or a curse. He’s likely to get sloppy, and attract attention to himself. But I can’t help fearing what he’ll do to catch our attention.”

“Is this thing infectious?” asked Morgan.

“Moderately,” said Pope. “Not airborne, I can say that for certain. Bodily fluids seem to be able to transmit it. And the fungus can survive outside the body, in dry media.”

“So if it were released in the general population . . .” began Morgan.

“I wouldn’t expect a global epidemic,” said Pope. “But if enough people were infected . . . it would be carnage. Blood running in the streets. It would spread enough to cause panic and kill a lot of people.”

“High impact, high visibility,” said Bloch. “A familiar style.”

“Do you think he’ll use it?” asked Pope. “Against the general population, I mean. Is he the kind of person that would really do such a thing?”

“That’s a definite yes,” said Morgan.

“Which brings me to the next order of business,” said Bloch. “We need to find Novokoff, and we need it done yesterday.”

“What about Novokoff’s goon, the one we took at the yacht?” asked Morgan.

“We got him talking, but he didn’t tell us anything that we can use. Looks like Novokoff was careful about the information he shared with the people that work for him. Pope, tell me exactly what he would need to deal with this fungus,” Bloch said.

“We’re assuming this guy has a lot of money behind him, right? He’s not some two-bit criminal, right?”

“We know that for a fact,” said Bloch. “After the operation he ran on the Montauk Project, we know that he knows precisely what he’s doing.”

“Well then,” said Pope. “He’s going to need a lab. You know, if he intends to produce the fungus.”

“What’s he going to need?”

“Well, some space to start with,” he said. “Airtight, with negative pressure capability. There are relatively few companies that can do stuff like that. Also a HEPA air filter—that’s High-Efficiency Particulate Air. Keeps stray funguses from getting out.”

“Can’t find those in your corner store,” said Shepard.

“What else?” asked Bloch.

“Lots of equipment. Centrifuge, PCR instruments, serology supplies . . .” He threw up his hands. “The list goes on.”