“The temperature on Rum Cay would be in the eighties at this time of year,” said Toby.
“Then let us hope, Mark, that no one has been infected,” Marsh replied. “Almost twelve hours have passed since impact. What we are discussing could well be purely academic.”
At that moment, the telephone rang next to the president. He lifted the receiver, listened for a few seconds, then replaced it. “It’s confirmed, the super bug is on the island and several of the locals have been infected. Two have already died.”
Everyone looked at each other in shocked silence.
After a short while, the president spoke again. “Well, that settles it. We have no alternative now but to use the vaccine the British brought out of North Korea.” He looked at the British Naval Attaché. “Robert, get London to deliver immediately what vaccine they have available, by the fastest possible method, directly to the island.” Then to Knight, “Should we be unable to contain the virus and it spreads to the other islands, it will only be a matter of time before reaching our shores. If the vaccine fails, then we will resort to obliteration of the island and all those left on it.”
“As I understand,” said Sumner, “we are still testing but have managed to manufacture small amounts since we obtained the vaccine less than a week ago. Although the preliminary results look promising as tested on monkeys, we have yet to try it on humans.”
“Well what have we to damn well lose?” shot the president. “Certainly those poor bastards on Rum Cay have everything to lose if we don’t.”
“We should’ve listened to the Brits when they first warned us; we could’ve blasted the hell outta this Pyorha-ri place,” said Cox.
“Quite so, Sam. Let lessons be learned. Make sure something like this doesn’t happen again on my watch,” admonished the president, glaring at those around the table before continuing. “None of the networks are to know what we have on the cay until things are under control. Is that clear?” They all nodded. “So make sure your people, and the Bahamians,” he glanced at Sumner, “and the British press keep a lid on the whole thing. If this gets out, all hell will break loose.”
The president continued briefly discussing matters of protocol before he finally adjourned the meeting and returned to his office to face yet another day in the harsh world of geopolitics and power.
49
A week after the missile was shot down over Rum Cay, Frank Ryder parked his Harley Davidson in the side yard of Omega Unit’s Lots Road headquarters and entered the building. He climbed the stairs to the first floor office where the director’s PA waited.
“Hi, Frank; nice to see you back. You’re looking good, considering,” she smiled, eyes twinkling behind frameless glasses. With plenty of rest, he felt he was coming right. His wound had been superficial and was now healing well. “He’s expecting your debrief.”
He held up a folder and followed her to the boss’s office.
“Frank, glad to see you on the mend,” said George Conway, coming around his desk to shake Ryder’s hand. “Take a seat.”
Ryder asked how Grace was doing.
“At the Queen Elizabeth in Birmingham, recovering slowly. Another month or two and she’ll be up and about. They say she was lucky the bullet just missed her spine; an inch further left and she would probably never have walked again. Muscle contraction most likely helped to deflect the bullet.”
“Muscle contraction?”
“The doctors thought that a bit unusual, too. Anyway, they considered the snake bite might have had something to do with it. Mild venom they said can sometimes cause localized muscle spasms. Maybe the snake did her a favour.”
Ryder had to admit he’d been altogether wrong about the captain; she had shown a level of courage and determination beyond the call of duty and he greatly admired her for that. He could not deny she had something special about her, something that had stirred his feelings. But as much as he felt drawn towards Grace, he did not want to get emotionally involved. Their lives were so different and he knew the life he led was not good for a settled relationship. His revolved around different places, different time zones, with mainly short, tranquil interludes to afford any kind of security. He lived too much on the edge and there was always the danger of his life coming to an abrupt end. He would not put her through that regardless of his feelings towards her.
“You did a good job, Frank. All of you played your part,” Conway said.
Ryder placed the detailed written report on the desk, confirming the brief verbal one he gave immediately on his return. He thought about Campbell Chol. “Cam was a good man. Hope next of kin will be looked after.”
“Arrangements are being made with Cam’s family; they will be looked after,” said Conway quietly. “You well know, Frank, anyone who dies serving Queen and country in this Unit or Special Forces operating under its jurisdiction are suitably compensated. It’s a pity they cannot receive the full recognition they justly deserve.”
“And Greg: how’s he doing?”
“Okay. As soon as he’s able, he will return to his squadron,” Conway replied, leaning back in his chair. “We’re thinking of bringing Dan into the Unit. What do you think?”
Ryder nodded. “He’s up for it. He’s a good man.” And Song was. He would trust him any day with his life, despite the little episode of insubordination.
Conway changed the subject. “That missile shot down over the Bahamas was apparently heading for America. The bio-warhead shattered on one of the cays.”
“How’d we know it was a bio? No mention of that in the media.”
Conway hesitated; what he knew was classified, but what the hell – in his book, his operative had the right to know. “All the media know is that a missile was taken out. Our info is direct from Langley. They report it was the suspected IL-4 super-strain smallpox virus, but that it has been contained. The vaccine you brought back, even though not fully tested, was hurriedly sent out by fighter jet to a U.S. carrier anchored off the cay. The Americans administered it to everyone on the island in desperation within hours of receiving, hoping it would work, and, as yet, no one else has contracted the disease. Those infected also appear to be recovering. Fortunately, the vaccine seems to be working. The missile was fired from a Russian rogue sub.”
“Did they get the sub?” Ryder asked, shocked.
“Yes. One of ours engaged and sunk it north of the Dominican Republic.”
“What was the Russian response?”
“Silence as usual. However, we believe they sold a Delta, the K449, to the Koreans. That was the sub that fired the missile. I doubt if it had a Korean crew, but I guess we’ll never know now. We suspect the Koreans supplied the warhead. Our network channels have it that the sub was commandeered by terrorists.”
“Al-Qaeda?”
Conway nodded. “More than likely. They would be the only organization capable of doing it. We could easily have been the target. Had that missile hit London, or anywhere else in our islands for that matter, it would have been devastating.”
Ryder agreed. A number of al-Qaeda’s hierarchy believed the British were as much to blame as the Americans for combating Islamic jihad. “No point in threatening the Koreans, then. Kim Jong-Un, as young as he is, seems to thrive on provocation.”
“The Americans have told the Koreans in no uncertain terms that they know they bought a sub from the Russians, including missiles, and then on-sold to terrorists, together with a bio-warhead.”
“How do we know it was terrorists?” asked Ryder.
“We don’t, other than from the sketchy surveillance of North Korean and al-Qaeda agents, but it is highly unlikely the Russians would attempt it. And if they did, it would be a nuclear warhead, not bio. We also told them, through the Americans, that we know about the bio-weapons facility at Pyorha-ri and the smallpox super virus and that we have the vaccine. Apparently that shocked them somewhat when they realized where we got it from. Of course they denied everything at first, then bitterly accused us and the Americans of violating their sovereignty, until finally they agreed to close down the facility at Pyorha-ri on the threat it would be obliterated along with other WMD facilities if they didn’t. The Americans also pushed hard on the sub and warhead question, but they stood firm and denied all knowledge.” Conway paused. “So, Frank, that’s the story most of the media would like to get their hands on.”