The Coward's Way of War by Christopher Nuttall Read Free Book Online Page A

on how to confront them.  They were the best-prepared group in America.  Across the continent, other teams would be being briefed and warned to prepare for possible outbreaks in their area, but New York would have to take the lead.
     
    “We have sent a representative to Washington to meet with the President,” he continued.  “We believe that the President will issue the order to lockdown New York – if not the entire country – within the day, but we do not have time to wait.  It is our duty to stop the outbreak as quickly as possible, regardless of the risks.  We all know what to do.
     
    “I want Miss Henderson’s activities over the last week dissected down to the tiniest detail,” he said, looking towards the two representatives from the New York branch of the FBI.  “I want to know when she was infected and by who.  I want to know who she knows, who are her friends and family, who she works with...they may all be infected by now, running around like viral time bombs.  There is no way that this is a natural outbreak.  We are dealing with, at the very least, a case of biological terrorism.”
     
    There was silence.  New Yorkers took terrorism seriously.  Terrorists had struck the city on 9/11, killing thousands of people and damaging the city’s famous skyline.  Since then, there had been a constant series of minor terrorist plots against the city, most of them nipped in the bud.  The NYPD and the city’s government had no intention of resting on their laurels, however; the city had the best-trained emergency response staff in America, outside the military.
     
    “I want all hospitals and other medical centres alerted,” he continued.  “Smallpox is known to cause flu-like symptoms; doctors may have deduced flu without realising that they were dealing with a disease believed to be non-existent within the wild.  I want any suspicious disease patterns tracked down and all suspected infected people held for testing, if possible.   Miss Henderson is almost certainly the tip of the iceberg.  There will be more cases within the week, perhaps within the day.”
     
    He spoke as if it would be easy.  It wouldn't be; New York’s medical profession wouldn't take kindly to such heavy disruption.  All non-essential operations would have to be postponed indefinitely, perhaps permanently.  Hospital beds would have to be emptied in preparation for thousands of smallpox victims.  Doctors and nurses would have to be briefed on smallpox, and then immunised against the disease before they could be risked while treating their patients.  McCoy had studied hundreds of smallpox outbreaks over the years and had been terrified; the disease spread rapidly, just like a wildfire burning through dry wood.  The irony was not lost on him.
     
    “One final point,” he concluded.  “The President will doubtless make a statement to the nation.  Until then, there is to be no contact with the media.  I will personally blacklist anyone who speaks to a reporter out of turn; in fact, I want all contacts with reporters reported to me at once.”
     
    There was no argument.  Most of them were familiar with how the media could distort and misrepresent the truth.  A single leak could result in massive panic, with the disease being spread further by the mobs and causing far more deaths before it finally burned itself out.  McCoy would have suggested closing down the media for the duration of the crisis, but he was experienced enough to know that the President – or even New York’s independent Mayor – wouldn't go for it. 
     
    “Good,” he said, finally.  “I have to brief the Mayor in twenty minutes.  You know your duties, gentlemen; report to me the minute there are additional developments.”
     
    He watched, grimly, as the team filed out of the room.  Outside, New York looked normal, although he was sure he could sense an edge in the air, a faint sense that something was not quite right.  Or perhaps