Well, not entirely clear. But visible. That should be enough. That should be enough to allow him to continue through this. The last thing he wanted to do in the middle of a packed room full of reporters was have a panic attack. He’d always managed to stave them off. He’d always managed to talk himself out of them, even when all the symptoms and sensations had been there, he’d recognised them and tried to rationalise things in his brain. A team leader with panic attacks in enclosed spaces would be no use in the DPA. You never knew what situation or set of environmental circumstances you could end up in. Doctors in the DPA had to be able to deal with everything. Team leaders? They had to deal with the impossible. He couldn’t let his childhood traumas interfere with his present-day life. He had no time for this. It didn’t make sense. Not even to him. Sure, six hours trapped in an elevator was terrifying for a child. But it didn’t really feature as traumatic. In his experience he’d met lots of people who’d had a million experiences more terrifying than his. It almost had him feeling embarrassed that his body reacted this way—in a way he couldn’t control. He took a few long deep breaths, letting the air hiss out slowly through his lips. He’d read his DPA-agreed statement around thirty minutes ago. It had been hastily written on an unused chart then faxed to the department. He’d thought he could be in and out of here in ten minutes. But he should have known better. The reporters had other ideas. They were out for blood. And by the look of it—his. The questions were coming thick and fast. ‘Have you identified the source?’ ‘Marburg virus has been known in the past to come from the African fruit bat. While we’ve identified bats before in Key West, that type of bat has never been found here. We have, however, identified Jamaican fruit bats in the area. Further investigations are taking place.’ ‘But weren’t all the kids that were affected on a kindergarten trip to the national park? Should the park be closed?’ He shifted in his seat. This was where things got difficult. ‘Our investigators are taking detailed histories from all people who have contracted the virus. We are looking at any and all commonalities. Until the investigation is complete I can’t make any further comment.’ What I really mean is the park authorities still haven’t let us in there. It was beyond frustrating. All establishments had their own protocols but nothing was supposed to get in the way of a DPA investigation. Federal law stated they had jurisdiction. It just didn’t seem apparent right now. For some agencies the wheels of time seemed to move slower than shifting sands. ‘What can you tell us about the first victim? The woman who died? We heard she called the DPA on a regular basis.’ How on earth did they know that? He did his best to smile sweetly, while racking his brains. Someone from the DPA must have leaked the information. There would have to be an investigation. ‘The first confirmed case of Marburg virus was Jessie Tanner, age sixty-seven, from Northwest District in Florida. She has phoned the DPA in the past, but I can confirm she never reported any clinical signs that were related to Marburg virus.’ This was a nightmare. The sooner he could get out of here and on the phone to the Director of the DPA the better. ‘Is it true that there was another kindergarten trip at the same site the day after this one?’ His skin started to prickle as a chill swept across his body. That was the absolute last thing he wanted to hear. He kept his face as bland as possible. ‘We’ve not yet been notified of that possibility.’ He wanted out of there. He wanted out of there as soon as possible to check those facts. He wanted to make sure another thirty kids weren’t at risk. The door at the side of the room burst open. ‘Donovan! I need you, now!’ In any other set of circumstances he