cell phone from the table. “From this,” he said and then pointed to Emma’s phone. “We managed to get approximate location data before your phone died. It matched with one other phone—Ms. Rice’s. We were able to follow your path here.”
He approached Simmons with his hand out. “I apologize we had to meet this way. You're a hard man to find. We didn’t want to miss you again. I’m Colonel David Young.”
Simmons shook Young’s hand. The soldier’s grip was firm but not crushing. “What do you want?”
“Your help, Professor.”
“With what?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not at liberty to discuss it right now.” He looked from Simmons to Emma.
“Is this about the hospital in New York or the one in Scotland?” she asked.
Young stared to her, his brows raised in surprise. He spoke tersely. “What do you know about the hospital, Ms. Rice?”
“That it was—“
Simmons interrupted her. He didn’t want her involved any further. “We were just talking about how bad it must be,” he said and motioned at the television. “It’s all they’re talking about.”
Young ignored him and fixed his gaze on Emma. “What do you know about the hospital in New York?” he asked again, his voice harder this time.
She looked at Simmons before answering. He pursed his lips. “Ah…not much,” she said, getting his message. “I saw the article in the Wall Street Journal. My dad said it was pretty bad.”
“Who is your father?”
She repeated what she had told Simmons. “Samuel Rice. Maybe you know him, he’s a colonel too.”
Upon hearing the name, Young relaxed and offered up a slight smile. “Small world. I went to Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning with your father. That was a long time ago. We lost touch over the years. Please say hello for me when you see him.”
She smiled. “I will.”
“Good. I’d heard he was in New York. I hope he’s alright.”
“Why wouldn’t he be?” Her brow wrinkled in a furrow of concern.
Young looked at her for a moment, hesitated and then turned his attention back to Simmons. “We have to get going, Professor.”
"Where are you taking us?" he asked.
"Just you, I’m afraid,” Young answered. “Ms. Rice will have to stay here.” He walked to Emma and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about your father. The army looks after its own, but you should get some supplies, stock up, and stay inside. Okay?”
He turned to Simmons. “Time to go, Professor. You’re needed at Fort Detrick.”
There was only one reason they would be taking him to Fort Detrick.
Fort Detrick was the US Military’s main center for bio-weapon defense research. Work had supposedly stopped in the 70’s, but there were rumors. Publicly, all the government would say was everything done at Detrick was purely defensive in nature.
“Was this caused by a biological weapon?”
The colonel’s face was a mask. “We need to go, Professor—Now.”
“Not without her.” Simmons folded his arms across his chest defiantly. The two soldiers stepped forward, prepared to help him leave if necessary.
Emma stepped in front of them. “Thanks, Professor Simmons, but I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me. If your friend calls, I'll tell her where you are.”
He looked at her hesitantly. It didn’t seem right.
“Go with them,” she implored. “I’ll be fine.”
She’s right. He nodded and reached out to shake her hand. She laughed and wrapped her arms around him, surprising him with a hug. After an uncomfortably long second, he pulled away from the awkward embrace. He could feel the blood rushing to his face.
She laughed. “See you soon, Professor.”
“ T raffic ahead , Sir,” the soldier who was driving yelled to Colonel Young.
“Move to the shoulder,” Young directed.
Simmons bounced around in the back of the Humvee as it veered off the highway onto the grassy shoulder. The line of cars in front of them stretched as far as he could see, an immense,
He approached Simmons with his hand out. “I apologize we had to meet this way. You're a hard man to find. We didn’t want to miss you again. I’m Colonel David Young.”
Simmons shook Young’s hand. The soldier’s grip was firm but not crushing. “What do you want?”
“Your help, Professor.”
“With what?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not at liberty to discuss it right now.” He looked from Simmons to Emma.
“Is this about the hospital in New York or the one in Scotland?” she asked.
Young stared to her, his brows raised in surprise. He spoke tersely. “What do you know about the hospital, Ms. Rice?”
“That it was—“
Simmons interrupted her. He didn’t want her involved any further. “We were just talking about how bad it must be,” he said and motioned at the television. “It’s all they’re talking about.”
Young ignored him and fixed his gaze on Emma. “What do you know about the hospital in New York?” he asked again, his voice harder this time.
She looked at Simmons before answering. He pursed his lips. “Ah…not much,” she said, getting his message. “I saw the article in the Wall Street Journal. My dad said it was pretty bad.”
“Who is your father?”
She repeated what she had told Simmons. “Samuel Rice. Maybe you know him, he’s a colonel too.”
Upon hearing the name, Young relaxed and offered up a slight smile. “Small world. I went to Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning with your father. That was a long time ago. We lost touch over the years. Please say hello for me when you see him.”
She smiled. “I will.”
“Good. I’d heard he was in New York. I hope he’s alright.”
“Why wouldn’t he be?” Her brow wrinkled in a furrow of concern.
Young looked at her for a moment, hesitated and then turned his attention back to Simmons. “We have to get going, Professor.”
"Where are you taking us?" he asked.
"Just you, I’m afraid,” Young answered. “Ms. Rice will have to stay here.” He walked to Emma and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about your father. The army looks after its own, but you should get some supplies, stock up, and stay inside. Okay?”
He turned to Simmons. “Time to go, Professor. You’re needed at Fort Detrick.”
There was only one reason they would be taking him to Fort Detrick.
Fort Detrick was the US Military’s main center for bio-weapon defense research. Work had supposedly stopped in the 70’s, but there were rumors. Publicly, all the government would say was everything done at Detrick was purely defensive in nature.
“Was this caused by a biological weapon?”
The colonel’s face was a mask. “We need to go, Professor—Now.”
“Not without her.” Simmons folded his arms across his chest defiantly. The two soldiers stepped forward, prepared to help him leave if necessary.
Emma stepped in front of them. “Thanks, Professor Simmons, but I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me. If your friend calls, I'll tell her where you are.”
He looked at her hesitantly. It didn’t seem right.
“Go with them,” she implored. “I’ll be fine.”
She’s right. He nodded and reached out to shake her hand. She laughed and wrapped her arms around him, surprising him with a hug. After an uncomfortably long second, he pulled away from the awkward embrace. He could feel the blood rushing to his face.
She laughed. “See you soon, Professor.”
“ T raffic ahead , Sir,” the soldier who was driving yelled to Colonel Young.
“Move to the shoulder,” Young directed.
Simmons bounced around in the back of the Humvee as it veered off the highway onto the grassy shoulder. The line of cars in front of them stretched as far as he could see, an immense,
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