Contagious

Chapter 100

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Sanchez looked at the gloves in Ridders hand as he continued to wipe his skin. Thats not going to f.u.c.king help me now, you a.s.shole.

Ridder took a step back. Well, I dont want AIDS.

You said AIDS doesnt have blisters!

I dont f.u.c.king know, okay?

The burning sensation grew. Sanchez had vacationed in Jamaica once, with his second wife, and while swimming had put his left hand through a jellyfish. Thats what this felt like, a persistent stinging/burning pain that steadily increased.

Oh man, Sanchez said. That was so G.o.dd.a.m.n sick. s.h.i.t, this burns.

Ridder stared at the hand. Uh, Chez, he said. Remember this mornings

Ridder stared at the hand. Uh, Chez, he said. Remember this mornings briefing? About that s.h.i.t in g.a.y.l.o.r.d?

Sanchez stopped wiping. His eyes widened in fear.

Flesh-eating s.h.i.t? You think I got that flesh-eating s.h.i.t?

I dont know, man, Ridder said. Just relax.

You f.u.c.king relax!

Look, Ridder said. Weve got that test kit, that swab thing. Go use it on that guy.

Me? I think Im f.u.c.ked up enough here.

Well, if hes got it, then you already got it, Ridder said. Why the f.u.c.k should I get it?

Flesh-eating disease . . . was that supposed to burn? If not, what did burn? This came out of a dead mans skin, for G.o.ds sake.

Dude, this hurts, Sanchez said. Youve got gloves on, just check him!

No f.u.c.king way. Let the paramedics do it, theyre trained for that stuff.

Sanchez could already hear the sirens. The ambulance would be here within minutes, but he couldnt wait. He had to know now. Come on, man, he said. Just do the test.

He took a step toward Ridder. In the blink of an eye, Ridder was backpedaling, drawing his weapon and pointing it at Sanchez.

You stay the f.u.c.k away from me, Ridder said. Stay right there!

Sanchez did just that. His own partner, drawing down on him. This was messed up. This was how people got shot. Okay, he said. Im not moving. Just relax, Ridder, and stop pointing that gun at me.

Ridder didnt stop, not until the ambulance arrived and the paramedics took over.

PUTTIN ON HER WALKIN SHOES . . .

Margaret and Dew sat in the computer room, watching the flat-panel screens. Note to self, Dew thought. Never let the sentence How can it get worse? enter your mind again.

Murray had just sent the live feed from Detroits Channel 7 News Eye in the Sky. The screen showed a road that ran parallel to a strip of snow-covered trees. Looked like an abandoned railroad track that had long since grown in. Near an area where the old track ran under an overpa.s.s, Dew saw a pair of unmarked blue semi trailers.

Another MargoMobile. Parked in the open. In a major city. s.h.i.t on a saltine wouldnt have tasted this bad.

The caption at the bottom of the screen said, POSSIBLE CASE OF FLESHEATING DISEASE IN DETROIT.

Dew put Murray on speakerphone.

Okay, Murray, Dew said, weve got the picture. Whats going on?

Be quiet and listen up, Murray said. Ive got something else going on over here, something big, so I dont have much time. We have a positive cellulose test in Detroit, but it is notI repeat, not a triangle infection. This might be similar to the Donald and Betty Jewell case. No ID on the man, fingerprints came up negative. Right now hes a John Doe. As you can see, the story has already leaked, so were in damage-control mode. Im sending a chopper for Margaret and her team.

But I cant leave now, Margaret said. We killed that woman to get hatchlings, and now weve got them.

I dont have time for your opinion, Murray said. Just listen. The man didnt die from the disease. He was shot in the throat sometime last night. He has notI repeat, has not decomposed. The cop who found the body was checking for a pulse when some kind of blister popped. Paramedics didnt go near the body, but they tested the cop a few hours later, and he was positive.

Its contagious, Margaret said quietly. It finally happened.

Thats why I need you there ASAP, Murray said. The math is simple. We have triangle hosts killing people in g.a.y.l.o.r.d, so Ogden stays. Dawsey is the only one who can talk to the captive hatchlings, and since Im not about to move those things across the state or let Dawsey out of Dews sight, they both stay. This Detroit case doesnt have a triangle infection that we know of. No triangles means no gate, so we need to evaluate before we take any drastic action.

I agree, Dew said.

I didnt ask for your opinion, either, Murray said. Margaret, it will attract too much attention to drop you right on the site, so were landing you at Henry Ford Hospital a few miles away. Youll drive in. The Margo-Mobile crew already has the John Doe and the cop loaded in. They will move the rigs someplace secure.

You cant move them, she said. At least not far. We need to check the area, see if the contagion vector is still there.

Margaret, Murray said, youre looking at feed from a news helicopter. We have to get the trailers out of sight.

Then move them someplace close, Margaret said. If theres one case, others could be in the same area.

Fine, Murray said. Ill get someone on it. Dew, get Dawsey to talk to those hatchlings again. I dont care what it takes. Cut off his finger if you have to. I need to address something else, so neither of you call me unless you have actionable information.

Murray hung up.

Wow, Margaret said. Ive never heard him like that before.

I have, Dew said. It means hes been up all night working on something big. What you just heard was the normally calm, cool and collected Murray Longworth stressed out to the max.

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