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  She opened the door just a fraction, and Erik gave her the envelope.

  “Thanks.” She immediately closed the door to keep from spreading any contamination from her work and looked at the envelope. The bright yellow color would be hard to miss in the mail. The flap was taped closed.

  She stared at it, uncertain about whether she wanted to open it and see personal information her mother didn’t want her to know about.

  “We won’t know what it contains if you don’t open it,” Erik said.

  “You’re right.” She glanced at him through the glass.

  Her fingers were a bit clumsy due to the turtle bite, and she was double gloved even when using the large gloves in the biosafety containment cabinet. As with everything in this lab, her precautions were probably overkill, but better safe than sorry.

  She took the envelope to a lab table and slit the top open with a scientific spatula. She looked inside and lurched back.

  No letter.

  “What is it?” Erik asked.

  “Power. White powder.” She looked up at him. “Stay there and don’t touch anything. There could be powder on the outside of the envelope, and you need to be decontaminated.”

  “What do you think it is?” His voice was strained and high.

  “Ricin maybe.” Heart pounding, she looked at him. “But my gut says anthrax. These are both the most common biotoxins sent through the mail. Either way, I feel certain we’re looking at a deadly substance sent to kill.”

  7

  Erik froze in place, his mind racing to remember what he’d touched. Had he put his hand by or on his mouth? Could anthrax or another biotoxin go through his skin? He had no idea, and he didn’t even want to ask. Better to wait for Kennedy to tell him what to do so he didn’t do the wrong thing.

  “I need you to shower,” she said. “But you can’t come in through this door without risking further contamination as it could be airborne.”

  He’d read about anthrax and the different forms. “So if it’s anthrax, it could be the inhalation kind.”

  “Anthrax is anthrax. There isn’t more than one kind, just different means of infection by the spores. We could be dealing with cutaneous—skin—infection if you touched it, or you could’ve inhaled it.” She removed one of her outer latex gloves and set a test tube on the table far away from the envelope. She wet a swab with water from a vial and stuck it in the envelope.

  “What are you doing?” His voice rose, worrying even himself. “You shouldn’t be touching that stuff.”

  She looked up. “We want to know what’s in here, right, and know on a timely basis?”

  He nodded.

  “Then we need to get a sample to the Veritas toxicology person. They have proper PPE to deal with this so it’ll be safe.” She sealed the tube then placed it in a screw-top canister and affixed a red biohazard label on the outside.

  The label and her precautions raised his concern even higher. “Is there a way to be tested for my exposure? Like a blood test or something?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing to determine if you carry the bacteria.”

  His heart dropped. “But I remember hearing about tests.”

  “Nasal swabs and environmental tests are done, but not to determine if an individual should be treated. They only determine the extent of exposure in the building. Same is true of ricin.”

  Oh, man. He could die. She could die. They both could. As could others who were exposed to the envelope before now. His head started swimming, but he balled his fists to control his emotions so he didn’t make this incident more emotional for Kennedy.

  She set the envelope on the floor. “Don’t want it to accidently spill and spread.”

  “Good thinking,” he said and meant it. He needed to put his trust in her and follow her directions. She’d been trained on infectious protocols, and she would do her best to keep him safe.

  “Okay, then, I’ll go first in the shower then let you in.” She removed the other outer glove and left it on the table then went to the sink to wash and wipe down the outside of the canister in a bucket. Then she cleaned her still gloved hands with soap and water.

  Seriously? This stuff, whatever it was, could be lethal, and she was using plain soap and water. Maybe it was a special soap. He wanted to know, but he didn’t want to distract her by asking. He clamped his mouth closed.

  He’d questioned her about the necessity of the suit and respirator when she’d put them on earlier, but now he could only offer a prayer of thanks for her protection, especially since she had open wounds on her hand from the turtle bite.

  She stepped into the shower and set the canister on the far edge then used a handheld showerhead to clean her suit. She took the canister into another small area and shed the suit, which she hung up. Then she grabbed the sample and moved into another portion of the space with a floor tray filled with liquid and a small sink. She sealed the canister in a large bag with a big warning label on the side and cleaned her feet and hands again.

  Finally, she put on a fresh mask and opened the door before disposing of her gloves in a biohazard bin. “You’ll need to go in this way and try to avoid the final decontamination bath on the way in. I think you can get in without touching anything by stepping on the sides.”

  “Sure. I can do that.”

  She clutched the sample to her side. “Then head into the shower and shed your clothing. Scrub down any area that was exposed, and be careful not to cause any abrasions where an infectious agent could gain access.”

  He nodded.

  She tilted her head. “You wouldn’t happen to have a change of clothes in the SUV, would you?”

  He nodded. “We all keep a set just in case we need it.”

  “Good.” She let out a long sigh. “Before you remove your clothes, I’ll have Clay give me your things to set outside the shower, and then I’ll step out with him.”

  Erik opened his mouth to object. He didn’t like her going outside and into potential danger, but he respected her need for decency, and the only real danger to her life would occur in the distance from the door to the SUV. “He’ll put you in the vehicle for safety. It has bulletproof doors and windows.”

  “Fancy.”

  “More like lifesaving.”

  She nodded. “Wait to strip down until I bring in your bag.”

  “And here I thought you were just trying to get me out of my clothes.” His joke barely cut the tension, but even with the mask on, he could see a smile in her eyes.

  The good mood immediately evaporated as she spun for the door. She poked her head out and explained the situation to Clay.

  Erik couldn’t hear his brother’s words, but his tone was sharp and pointed. A moment later, Kennedy brought Erik’s tote bag to the shower door.

  “Be sure to focus on your hands first,” she said. “And use lots of soap and water.”

  “No special liquid needed?”

  She shook her head. “Recent research says soap and water work as well as, if not better than, other chemicals. Just be sure to wash well, but again don’t break the skin.”

  “And your hands are okay? Especially the one with the punctures from the turtle?”

  She nodded. “No worries there, but if it makes you feel any better, I’ll get treated for exposure too.”

  “How bad is this?” he asked, unable to resist.

  “If you don’t have any open sores, washing it off should take care of any cutaneous exposure.”

  “I’ve always got a cut or two from the job, but I don’t think any of them are open.” He gave his hands a thorough inspection, finding nothing worrisome. “And if I inhaled it?”

  “Then the doctors will start you on antibiotics, and we’ll have to monitor you carefully for symptoms. If it’s anthrax, just a few spores inhaled is enough to make it replicate, as it likes the moist warm areas in the lungs.”

  He swallowed. “But I’m not going to die, right?”

  “Not if we get treatment for you right
away.”

  Her tone continued to hold concern, and her hands were trembling. Not a good sign.

  “You should get started. The sooner you disinfect, the better. And put on a mask before exiting, just in case.” She gave him a tight smile and marched to the door.

  She stepped outside, and he slipped through the footbath area and into the shower. As he shed his clothes, he hated that she wasn’t in view, and his gut ached to protect her. He trusted Clay. All of his brothers for that matter, but she was special. Far more special than he was willing to admit.

  He understood the physical attraction to her. She was a beautiful woman. But was it more? Was he still in love with her?

  He shook his head, sending water flying, and focused on cleaning his hands, arms, and face. Washing once. Twice. Three times for good measure and looking to see if he had any open cuts. He didn’t find or feel anything, but he couldn’t be certain a small one didn’t exist.

  With no towels in sight, he moved to the foot bath and washed his hands in the small sink too. Then stood to drip dry, trying his best to keep his mind off Kennedy, but she seemed to consume his brain.

  It had always been that way with her. She fired off senses and thoughts in him that no other woman had before or since. He knew he subconsciously compared all other women to her.

  The door opened a fraction, and Erik felt totally exposed. Not because he was naked but because he didn’t have his weapon.

  Clay, mask on his face from the SUV’s emergency kit, looked in. “Dude. Get dressed and let’s get out of here.”

  “Working on it.” Erik reached for his clothing, and still damp, he struggled to get the fabric over his wet skin.

  The moment he was dressed, he headed outside, making sure to give the desk a wide berth. This whole place would need to be decontaminated before Kennedy could work again.

  He huffed a laugh in his mask. He’d gotten his way. She wouldn’t be working in the lab after this. He just didn’t know coming here would potentially cost both of their lives.

  After a trip to the ER, Erik and Kennedy climbed the stairs at Veritas, heading for Nighthawk Security’s office. He was glad Kennedy agreed to take the stairs as it gave Erik a moment to take a few deep breaths before he met with his brothers. Wouldn’t do to let them see him so rattled. They might lose confidence in his leadership ability and ask him to step down as lead. No way he was doing that. No way.

  He blew out the bad air. He’d been stressed since Kennedy opened the envelope, and that increased with the arrival of patrol officers to secure the building. Clay had taken off with the potential anthrax sample for Maya to test for the biotoxin. He also took the food and drink containers from the lab’s reception area to Sierra to fingerprint and then give to Maya to test for poisons. She would pay special attention to protein drinks that Wanda loved.

  Aiden had arrived at the lab with a vehicle to transport Erik and Kennedy to the ER, and they’d been treated right away. Physically, he felt fine. The first round of antibiotics was administered via IV in the ER. He’d be taking tablets while they tested the powder. If indeed it was anthrax, he would stay on the antibiotics. For cutaneous exposure it required a course of seven days, but sixty days for inhalation, as anthrax could take that long to appear.

  The ER doctor started Kennedy on antibiotics, too, but they weren’t as worried about her exposure, not even with the open sores on her hand. She’d been well protected. He was thankful she was nearly in the clear.

  Nearing the fourth floor landing, he heard Kennedy stop behind him.

  “I’m glad we took the stairs,” she said. “Helped to release some of this terrible stress. I feel like I’m drowning with it.”

  He took a good look at her. “I was wondering how everything was affecting you.”

  “It’s not just me.” She rested a hand on his arm. “We might not be together now, but that doesn’t mean I’m not seriously concerned for your health.”

  “Yeah, I get that,” he said. “But I can’t spend two days worried about it. I just have to trust God and know that He’ll make sure whatever happens is the right thing for me. And the same for you too.”

  She gave him careful study. “You always were so much better at trusting Him than I was.”

  She was giving him too much credit.

  “I don’t know about that. I’m obviously not trusting Him about relationships.” He started up the stairs again.

  He heard her footsteps behind him. “Are you avoiding all relationships?”

  He looked back at her. “Our breakup was bad. Left me reeling. I didn’t date for a long time. Then when I did, I had a girlfriend cheat on me. Kind of lessens your faith in women.”

  “I hope you know how sorry I am for my part in fueling that distrust.”

  “I do now.” They reached the sixth floor, and he opened the door to the hallway. “I also know you were doing what you had to do, and you couldn’t tell me. I get that. But it also tells me that something like this could happen in another relationship. Not WITSEC per se, but something that would cause a woman to step back after I was fully invested. Not sure I could handle that.”

  “You’re very strong, Erik.” She stopped in front of him. “You could survive that and so much more.”

  “Shh. Don’t let God hear you say that or He might give me more things to handle.” He chuckled, trying to lighten things up and end the conversation too. It did no good to speculate on what might happen if he got involved because he wasn’t going to be getting involved. Period. End of story.

  They walked to the office in silence. His brothers’ voices carried from the inner room, and their receptionist, Stella, shook her head, her shoulder-length hair swinging with the motion. “They’re in rare form today.”

  “Just today?” Erik chuckled and introduced Kennedy.

  “Nice to meet you,” Stella said. “The guys will fix whatever problem you’re facing.”

  “I sure hope so,” Kennedy said, not sounding all that sure of their skills.

  Erik could understand that. After all, he was the one who’d suggested she open the envelope, and even if she was wearing the proper protective equipment, he felt bad for her potential exposure.

  “After you.” He led her into the conference room and glanced around the table. He wasn’t surprised Drake was missing, as he was still in Texas.

  “You don’t look like you’re on death’s door,” Aiden grinned. “When do you find out if you’re infected?”

  Erik appreciated his brother’s lighter tone that downplayed the seriousness of their exposure. “Maya will know what we were exposed to tomorrow or the next day.”

  Aiden shifted his gaze to Kennedy. “And you’re sure you’re fine?”

  She nodded. “Thanks to Erik, I opened the envelope when I was wearing my PPE, and it very likely saved me from exposure. I’m on an antibiotic, too, just in case.”

  Wow. She didn’t blame him at all. Guilt ate at him anyway. “Go ahead and have a seat.”

  She took a side chair, and he went to one of the whiteboards and wrote the word anthrax with red marker. “Okay let’s discuss the envelope to see if we can figure out who sent it.”

  Clay faced Kennedy. “Question is, was the envelope meant for your mother or for you?”

  Kennedy rested her hands on the table looking relaxed, but Erik could see the strain in her eyes. “It was addressed to her but mailed after she died.”

  Brendan arched his eyebrow. “The sender might not have known she died.”

  “He would if he’s her killer,” Clay said.

  “True that,” Brendan said. “But maybe she made more than one person angry.”

  Kennedy’s fingers tightened into fists. “That’s entirely possible with the number of counterfeit drugs she was threatening to expose.”

  “My question is”—Erik tapped his marker on the whiteboard—“who would have access to anthrax or other biotoxins?”

  “Terrorists are a given,” Aiden said. “But I see no in
dication that we’re dealing with terrorists here.”

  “So someone in the scientific community,” Kennedy said.

  “How is that even possible?” Brendan asked. “Anthrax has to be highly controlled by the government, and so are other deadly toxins, right?”

  “Yes and no.” Kennedy rested her injured hand on the table. “Getting a sample isn’t as hard as you might think. A scientist engaged in legitimate research can apply for a certificate of registration with the feds. Once this person is designated as the Responsible Official, they can legally request samples of toxins and agents on a Select Agents list.”

  “Select Agents?” Brendan asked.

  “Sounds like law enforcement, but it’s not.” She smiled. “We’re talking about a list of biological agents and toxins that the Federal Special Agent Program determined to have the potential to pose a severe threat to human, animal, or plant health or to animal and plant products. To be approved to handle these agents, a security risk assessment is done by the attorney general, and then the applicant still needs approval by the HHS secretary or administrator.”

  “That doesn’t sound easy,” Aiden said.

  “It’s not, but once they’re approved, they can order the microbe from wholesale supply houses. We call them reference laboratories. They keep large inventories of some of the deadliest organisms known to man. Those materials are normally shipped as freeze-dried samples via regular U.S. mail or through a commercial shipping company from the reference labs to the scientists.”

  “So, the shipment could be intercepted,” Erik stated.

  “Yes, but I’ve never heard of that happening. The more likely route to obtaining it illegally would be stealing some of the freeze-dried samples that are converted into live organisms and stored in sub-zero freezers until needed. An employee could simply use a cotton swab to scrape a minute portion of the culture from a stored vial, then start the process of multiplying the bacteria or viruses themselves.”

  Erik shook his head. “That’s something I wish you hadn’t told us.”

  “Sorry,” she said. “Scary stuff, but I thought you should have the details.”