Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
“But she did,” Sam protested. “I watched her dump the nebulizer and everything with it into the trash. It was exactly like we pictured.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt what you’re saying.” Dan’s heart was still racing, due in part to the way he’d had to run to find Nathan, Gary, and the others who had gone off in search of Sam, but also to what his gift had revealed.
By now, the concourse was fairly empty, but for the cluster of operatives drawn there by Nathan’s call. Bosman’s men had left the same time he did.
“Then you know we haven’t got time to stand around discussing this,” Sam protested. “We need to act now.”
“But we don’t,” Dan yelled. He strove to breathe evenly. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. In fact, none of us even needed to be here.”
The group of people gathered around him came to a dead stop, and all eyes were on him.
“Explain,” Nathan demanded.
Dan pointed to Winter. “Ask him.”
Except Winter appeared too stunned to speak. He gaped at Sam. “But… you’re dead.”
She glared at him. “We can discuss this later. What’s Dan talking about?”
Winter couldn’t tear his gaze off her, so Dan inserted himself between Winter and Sam, forcing him to break eye contact. “Mr. Winter, you need to tell them.”
Winter shuddered out a breath. “The pathogen entered South Africa in a biosecure flask. It’s still in it, in the safe in my hotel room. What Michelle discharged was an identical-looking vial filled with distilled water.”
Nathan gaped. “You swapped them? Why?”
Winter regarded him calmly. “That information is on a need-to-know basis, and frankly, way above your pay grade, even if you are in intelligence.”
Dan wasn’t done. “And what you all need to know is that this guy is not ex-CIA. He’s still active.”
“Can you prove that?” Nathan asked Winter.
He nodded. He raised his bound hands, reached awkwardly into the front pocket of his overalls, and removed a black wallet that he held out to Nathan, who flipped it open.
Nathan expelled a breath. “Yup, he’s CIA.” He handed it back but made no move to free Winter’s wrists.
Sam looked as if she was ready to explode. “If you are working for the government, why in the hell would you let it get this far? Why not nip this whole nightmare in the bud before it left the US?”
Winter shrugged. “We had to know the extent of the situation. The only people we knew for certain who were involved were Professor Martin, his wife, myself, and Richard Powell.” He frowned. “Where is he, by the way?”
Nathan aimed a hard stare at him. “He’s none of your concern anymore. In fact, he’s no one’s concern.”
“I see.” Winter’s brow furrowed. “Frankly, I’m surprised he survived as long as he did.”
Sam rolled her eyes. “Of course there are more people involved. Whoever approached Robert in the first place to get him to design bioweapons, for one.”
Winter stared at her, his eyes wide. “No one approached him. This was all his idea.” He paused, glancing at his cuffed wrists. “Look, could you maybe take these off? I’m going nowhere. And although you might not believe it, we’re on the same side.”
Nathan gave a nod to Wulf, who unfastened them.
Winter rubbed his wrists. “What you need to understand is, this was no mass terrorist event—it was a trial event.” He looked down at his cleaner’s overalls and grimaced.
“But I’m not going to discuss this here.
Frankly, I’ve seen enough of this stadium to last me a lifetime.
Take me to the US Consulate, find me a clean set of clothes and a lot of coffee, and I’ll tell you everything. Well—nearly everything.”
Nathan tapped his earpiece. “Greg? Bring the minivan to the upper-level parking lot. We’re on our way out.
” He glanced at Winter. “The consulate is a no-go, however. It’s closed on the weekend.
So we’re going to our accommodation—after we stop by your hotel and collect whatever’s in your room safe, along with a fresh set of clothes. ” He paused. “Deal?”
Winter nodded. “Deal.”
Nathan led the way, everyone following in his wake, Sam included.
Dan tried to follow them, but Gary stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.
“What did I say about not scaring me?” His tone was light, but Dan heard the undercurrent and knew the root of it.
Gary had been scared to death.
He looked into Gary’s eyes. “You knew I was okay, didn’t you? I heard Wulf tell Nathan, so you knew I wasn’t in any danger.”
Gary gripped his shoulders, so tightly that Dan winced. “What am I going to do with you?” Then he pulled Dan to him, holding him close. “That was a foolhardy thing to do, chasing after Winter. That guy is a killer.”
Dan waited until Gary had released him before speaking.
“No, he isn’t.”
Gary stared at him. “Excuse me? He killed Leo, Eddie, Jonathon.”
Dan shook his head. “That was Powell. I knew that when we were in the restroom together. And when I saw Winter trying to get out of the stadium, I had to do something.”
“Hey, lovebirds.” Johan waved at them from the exit. “Save the canoodling for when you get back to the house.” He grinned.
Dan laughed and quickened his pace, Gary walking briskly at his side.
The minivan was parked across the exit, and two seats at the front had been left vacant.
“We thought you’d want to sit together,” Wulf said with a twinkle in his eye.
Dan gave up. “Any more comments? Maybe I should sell tickets.”
Johan snorted. “I might not be into guys, but I’d watch that.”
Nathan guffawed. “What did I tell you?”
Gary gazed at Nathan with narrowed eyes before giving Johan a sweet smile. “Well, it sucks to be you, then, because we don’t do performances.” More guffaws rebounded around the interior of the minivan.
Sam made an impatient noise. “I appreciate the levity, now that the danger has passed, but—”
“There was never any danger,” Winter said from his seat next to Nathan.
Sam threw her hands up in the air. “This is exactly what I’m talking about. I want answers, and I don’t think I can hold out until we reach the house.”
“She was never any good at waiting,” Nathan muttered. “Even when she was a kid.”
That earned him a glare.
Winter pushed out a long breath. “Okay. Here’s something to mull over while we’re on our way to wherever it is you’re taking me.
” He met Sam’s gaze. “Robert Martin wasn’t on some mission to eradicate US enemies on their own turf.
His problem was with mankind in general.
And he wasn’t trying to wipe out mankind either. ”
“So what was he trying to do to it?” Gary asked.
Winter’s voice was flat.
“Cull it.”