Executive orders - Tom Clancy [480]
In between were the President's staff members. They were all smiles, or nearly so.
Well, I finally saw his temper, Arnie told Callie Weston. Big-time.
And I bet he saw yours, too.
And mine won. Arnie sipped at his drink. You know, the way things are going, I think we have a pretty good President here.
He hates it. Weston had one of her own.
Arnie van Damm didn't care: Fabulous speeches, Callie.
There's such an engaging way about how he delivers them, she thought. Every time, he starts off tight, embarrassed, and then the teacher in him takes over, and he really gets into it. He doesn't even know it, either.
Honesty. It really does come out, doesn't it? Arnie paused. There's going to be a memorial service for the dead agents.
I'm already thinking about it, Weston assured him. What are you going to do about Kealty?
I'm thinking about that. We're going to sink that bastard once and for all.
BADRAYN WAS BACK on his computer, checking the proper Internet sites. Still nothing. In another day he might start worrying, though it wasn't really his problem if nothing happened, was it? Everything he'd done had gone perfectly.
PATIENT ZERO OPENED her eyes, which got everyone's attention. Her temperature was down to 101.6, entirely due to the cold packs that now surrounded her body like a fish in the market. The combination of pain and exhaustion was plain on her face. In that way, she looked like a patient with advanced AIDS, a disease with which the physician was all too familiar.
Hello, I'm Dr. Klein, the professor told her from behind his mask. You had us a little worried there for a minute, but things are under control now.
Hurts, she said.
I know, and we're going to help you with that, but I need to ask you a few questions. Can you help me with a few things? Klein asked.
Okay.
Have you been doing any traveling lately?
What do you mean? Every word she spoke drew down on her energy reserves.
Have you been out of the country?
No. Flew to Kansas City ten days ago, that's all. Day trip, she added.
Okay. It wasn't. Have you had any contact with someone who's been out of the country?
No. She tried to shake her head. It moved maybe a quarter inch.
Forgive me, but I have to ask this. Do you have any ongoing sexual relationships at the moment?
That question shook her. AIDS? she gasped, thinking that was the worst thing she might have.
Klein shook his head emphatically. No, definitely not. Please don't worry about that.
Divorced, the patient said. Just a few months. No new men in my life yet.
Well, as pretty as you are, that'll have to change soon, Klein observed, trying to get a smile out of her. What do you do at Sears?
Housewares, buyer. Just had big show McCormick Center lots of paperwork, orders and things.
This was going nowhere. Klein tried a few more questions. They led nowhere. He turned and pointed to the nurse.
Okay, we're going to do something about the pain now, the professor told her. He stepped away so as not to crowd the nurse when she started the morphine on the IV tree. This will start working in a few seconds, okay? I'll be back soon.
Quinn was waiting out in the hall with a uniformed police officer, a checkerboard band around his cap.
Doc, what's the story? the cop asked.
The patient has something very serious, possibly very contagious. I need to look over her apartment.
That's not really legal, you know. You're supposed to go to a judge and get-
Officer, there's no time for that. We have her keys. We could just break in, but I want you there so that you can say we didn't do anything wrong. And besides, if she had a burglar alarm, it wouldn't do for them to be arrested. There's no time to waste. This woman is very sick.
Okay, my car is outside. The cop pointed and the doctors followed.
Get the fax off to Atlanta? Quinn asked. Klein shook his head.
Let's look at her place first.