There were gasps around the table. ‘Nine out of ten will die?’
‘If the very worst comes to the very worst.’
‘The key to dealing with the problem is isolation,’ said Lees. ‘And the key to that is preparation. We must be on the look-out at all times. The merest suspicion of people going down with flu must be acted upon and the victims kept in isolation to contain spread of the disease. There’s no treatment for the virus and as yet — although we are hopeful — no vaccine against it, so the only way to stop it is to prevent people getting it in the first place. Warnings are being sent out to all hospitals, clinics and doctors’ surgeries. Vigilance is the key.’
Vigilance is the key, thought Steven. Another bloody sound bite. Did the whole world speak in them these days?
‘How much time do we have?’ asked a woman from the General Nursing Council.
The question was passed to a man identified as a microbiologist attached to Defence Intelligence Services. ‘That rather depends on who the opposition are and how well they are organised.’
‘So you don’t know for sure that it’s al-Qaeda?’
‘Far from it, all we have to go on is that one is named “Ali” and they all look Indian or Pakistani. Even that’s not reliable as the witness wasn’t capable of that degree of identification.’
‘Ye gods,’ said someone and there were sighs of agreement.
‘The fact that they would need decent lab facilities and the wherewithal to isolate and grow up pure virus from the escaped monkey tends to work in our favour,’ said the microbiologist. ‘Even if they’ve got suitable premises, it will still take some time to obtain enough pure virus to mount an attack of sufficient magnitude to ensure an epidemic. It has to be grown up in fertile hens’ eggs.’
‘Strikes me that not too many people order up fertile hens’ eggs,’ said Steven. ‘That might be a way of getting to them.’
‘DIS are on that as we speak,’ smiled the microbiologist.
‘You don’t think they’ll just infect a few people and let nature take its course?’ suggested someone else. ‘It is highly infectious.’
‘We think not. The newspaper stories will have alerted them to the fact that we didn’t fall for the animal rights motive at the Crick so they know that all GPs and hospitals will have been warned to be on the look-out for flu in the coming months. We think they’ll hold off and go for the big hit — always assuming that they have the lab facilities.’
‘If they do go for the big one, any idea what form it might take?’
‘Aerosol attack in a crowded place, rail station, department store, something along those lines.’
‘And if things should get that far?’
‘If things should get that far and no vaccine protection has been made available… an epidemic would be unavoidable.’
‘Supposing a vaccine was available, how long does it take to become effective in preventing infection?’
‘Thankfully, not long at all, two or three days should be sufficient.’
‘Nothing more has been mentioned about a 9/11 style attack on Canary Wharf,’ said the officer from the Metropolitan Police. ‘Can we assume that this has now been discredited?’
‘I rather think we can,’ said the Home Office Minister. ‘It seems as if the scepticism of DIS expressed at our last meeting was justified. It was a diversion.’
‘To divert attention from an attempted Cambodia 5 virus attack?’
‘That may well be the case.’
‘It didn’t stop certain government sources claiming success for smashing a planned attack on Canary Wharf though, did it?’ said someone.
The Home Office minister looked uncomfortable. He said, ‘Sometimes those at the interface between government and the media interpret things differently…’
‘Spin doctors,’ said the same person with obvious distaste.
‘I think such an interpretation is called lying in your own interests,’ added the London Fire Brigades officer.
‘I think internal explanations and apologies, where seen fit, have already been made,’ said the Home Office minister. ‘Although it would be fair to say that no deliberate intent to deceive was involved.’
Perish the thought, thought Steven.
‘When the first reports from DIS came in they had to be treated as a genuine al-Qaeda threat. It was only after interrogation that DIS started to suspect they were being fed erroneous information.’
‘Perhaps Colonel Rose would care to give us an update on what DIS obtained from the suspects under interrogation?’ suggested John Macmillan.
‘Not a great deal,’ admitted Rose. ‘The truth is they didn’t know much to begin with — that’s why we were led to them in the first place. They were low level people, sacrificed by al Qaeda in order to send us on a wild goose chase. The best we’ve managed to get out of them is a few more names, which we’re checking out, but it’s odds on they’ll be low level operatives too.’
‘Thank you, Colonel.’
‘Well, ladies and gentlemen,’ said the Home Office minister, ‘if there are no more questions or comments, I think I’ll call this meeting to a close. Perhaps the Sci-Med people would stay behind for a few minutes.’
Steven and Macmillan looked at each other. Macmillan’s shrug told Steven that he didn’t know either why they’d been asked to stay.
‘No need to look so worried,’ said the Home Office minister when he rejoined Steven and Macmillan after seeing the others out. ‘Sherry?’
The two Sci-Med men sat sipping what Steven expected Macmillan to call ‘a decent amontillado’ although he didn’t, while the Home Office minister took a phone call. ‘Nothing I couldn’t handle, Home Secretary… Absolutely, Home Secretary… Nice of you to say so, sir… I certainly will, they’re with me now.’
‘The Home Secretary sends his regards and his congratulations to you Dr Dunbar for seeing through the animal rights ruse.’
Steven gave an ‘all in a day’s work’ nod.
‘I thought it only right to keep you chaps abreast of our efforts to clear the decks for Dr Martin’s vaccine if and when it becomes available. We have reached agreement with the FDA in the USA and with our own people at MHRA. They have both agreed to give her vaccine their seal of approval subject only to routine tests for bacterial contamination before distribution — understandable I think in the circumstances, when that’s what caused all the problems last year at Auroragen.’
‘So it’s all coming down to a simple race between Dr Martin and al-Qaeda,’ said Macmillan.
‘I saw her yesterday,’ said Steven. ‘The vaccine seed strain has been constructed. It’s growing up in fertile eggs as we speak. It’s just a question of whether it grows up in time to be handed over to Auroragen.’
‘Latest possible date is February 21,’ said the Home Office Minister. ‘Any later than that and the company will revert to using the three strains recommended by the World Health Organisation.’
‘Has WHO been made aware of the situation?’ asked Macmillan.
‘Of course, but they can’t recommend incorporation of a vaccine seed strain that doesn’t as yet exist. They say they’ll have to advocate use of the best three known strains for the preparation of next year’s vaccine.’
‘And if Leila’s strain is ready in time?’ asked Steven, immediately wishing he hadn’t used Leila’s first name.
‘Then, like the FDA and MHPRA, they are prepared to nod it through with the minimum of paperwork.’
‘Good.’
THIRTEEN
‘A patrol car has just radioed in with some information, sir,’ said Sergeant Mark Morley. ‘They’ve been called to a flat in Sefton Road. Neighbours have been complaining about a smell…’