Read Pestilence (Jack Randall #2) for Free Online Page A

“You’re good with this kinda stuff, can’t you disable it for me or something?”
    “No, not without somebody asking me why.”
    “Please?”
    “Could be an adventure,” Eric coaxed. “Who is it?”
    Larry frowned at Eric. “You’re a big help.” He looked down at the offending device and reluctantly pushed the button. Eric watched his face and unexpectedly saw a smile.
    “Not Africa?” he asked.
    “No, it’s Africa all right.”
    “So why the smile?”
    Larry held up the pager for Eric to see. “It’s Jack’s number.”
    “He’s back?”
    “Evidently. You have a passport?”
    Eric frowned. “Yeah, but no page for me.”
    Larry’s reply was interrupted by the pager buzzing again. He snatched it off his belt and read the screen again. He handed it to Eric with a smile before turning to lock all his cabinets.
    Eric looked down at the little screen: “Bring Eric with you. Jack”
    “Hurry up, kid. Jack’s back. Let’s not keep him waiting.”
    Eric scrambled to lock his cube and follow.
    •      •      •
    “All right, let’s quiet down people!”
    Deputy Director Deacon’s voice carried to the rear of the briefing room and silenced the multiple conversations. He scanned the room as everyone found a seat, ticking off names against the list in his head. Satisfied that everyone was present, he moved to the front of the room and waited till all eyes were on him.
    “Okay, as you all know, the US Embassy in Tanzania was bombed today. The current numbers we have are 24 dead, 102 wounded, mostly Tanzanians working in and around the building. I’m told that the ambassador was among the dead, as well as FBI agents Bill Goecker and Steve Park. Both were working in the embassy at the time. Some of you knew these men. My hope is that we can bring some justice to the people who did this. That said, I give you your team leader.” Deacon stepped aside and Jack took his place.
    “For those of you that may not know me, my name is Jack Randall and I’ve been assigned to lead the team that’ll be investigating the attack. The goal of the investigation is to find evidence leading to the identity of the attackers and the people who supported them. Following this briefing you’ll be excused until nineteen-hundred to pack. You will then report here and we’ll all depart for Andrews where we’ll board planes to Africa. I don’t know how long we’ll be gone, so pack accordingly. Security is very tight, people, refrain from telling anyone where you are going. The press will be on us soon. Anyone found commenting to the press, on or off the record, will earn a ticket home and you can explain your comment to the Director.”
    Jack paused to let his comment sink in.
    “You’ve all been chosen for your expertise in your field, your experience, and your ability to operate on no sleep.” Jack got a courtesy laugh, even though they all knew he wasn’t kidding. “You’ll need all of it in the coming days. I’ve asked a few of you to intro yourselves and cover some key points, so let’s get started. Syd?”
    Sydney rose from her seat against the wall where she had been scanning some documents. She walked to the front as Jack retreated to a corner where he could watch her speak and observe those listening.
    “Hello, my name is Agent Sydney Lewis and I head the forensics team. I’m here to give you an idea of what type of environment we’ll be going into medically. A brief is being prepared covering all the other basics and will be available for the plane ride. I’m giving you this in person because it’s important. East Africa is one of the most dangerous places on earth for disease. This doesn’t mean you may be exposed, it guarantees it. Typhoid, leprosy, yellow fever, blackwater fever, cholera, tuberculosis, amoebic dysentery, tick borne fever, malaria, bilharzia, elephantitis, ancylostomiasis, Marburg, Ebola, and AIDS just scratch the surface of what can be acquired in Tanzania.”
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