Taking Death (5 page)

"You mentioned taxes?"

"Yes, and I love the tax code. It's a dynamic animal and I enjoy keeping on top of the changes each year. And what those changes mean for my clients."

He reached across to hold her hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb. "I cannot imagine that being interesting, at all. Other than when my accountant gets me money back."

"I get to be the one who gets my clients money back. Legally."

"And I'm sure they'll be happy."

"As an added bonus, I get to keep bring Kelly with me. She gets a raise and a promotion also."

"Good, because where would you be without Kelly?"

"That was my thought also. Ken was a little hesitant, but I think Kelly's up for the job."

"So can we celebrate?"

"Champagne? Again?"

Donna smiled. She was enjoying this lifestyle and she wouldn't change her life for the world.

***

Jon hailed a cab outside the restaurant. Donna marveled that he could do that so easily. No matter where in the city that they needed a taxi Jon could find one.

"We can't walk home from here?" Donna asked.

"We aren't going home, yet."

Donna had forgotten that Jon wanted to show her something. "How could I forget that," she said when they were in the cab.

"Don't know," Jon said.

The cab too them to Brooklyn. Jon asked the drive to wait for them.

Jon led her out of the vehicle, walked her half a block away and pointed to a sign.

"Abot Labs?" Donna said.

"Abot Labs has developed strain of virus that has no anti-viral to combat it."

"Okay."

She really had no idea where this was going.

Her brain searched for the meaning of this.
"Did you invest in them?"

"No."

"Come on Jon. Give it up. Why are we outside of Manhattan at this hour?" She looked around expecting someone to mug them. "In this seedy part of town even?"

"I guess I better start at the beginning."

"Please do."

She hugged her coat closer to her but not just because of an external chill. Not one for leaving Manhattan, she wasn't comfortable here.

He took her hands in his, but she couldn't really see his face.

"When I saw you that day in Tribeca, I knew what you were doing."

Her mouth opened, but she sound did not come out? Did he really know what she was doing? How could he?

"You know what?"

"Donna, I know that you are a thief."

Donna had no idea what to say to that. She couldn't deny it. Her mouth moved because he seemed to be waiting for her to say something. No words formed. No sound came out.

Except that she could hear her world crashing around her.

He put a hand on her and she flinched. "Donna. It's okay. Damn, I didn't handle this well."

"Huh?"

The first sound she was able to make and it was unintelligible.

"No, you don't understand." He took her in his arms. "I'm telling you that I know about this part of your life and I'm okay with it."

She hesitated before putting her arms around him. Was he scamming her? He'd just told her he knew that she broke the law and he was okay with it.

"But."

"Shh, it's okay. I'm sorry. I didn't do this properly."

She pushed away from him. "I've given it up."

He didn't let go of her. "Donna, it's okay. I promise."

"No, I've given it up."

"I'm not asking you to," he said.

His words swirled around her brain as if he'd spoken them in another language. "What?"

"I don't care about your stealing. You've never stolen from me."

She took another step away from him, but he held her arm firmly. "I don't understand."

"Of course you wouldn't because I said this all wrong." He rubbed a hand down his face. "I don't care if you steal. Does that make it clear?"

"You don't care if I steal?"

Even saying the words out loud didn't have them make any more sense to her. There was more to this. All this acceptance was too easy.

She shook her head.

"That's right, Donna. I don't care."

"What's the catch?"

He frowned at the sidewalk then his gaze walked back up to her face. "Okay there is a catch."

"There always is."

"I have something I want you to steal."

Now she got it. Now it all made sense to Donna. "But I don't want to steal anymore. I want to stop."

"Don't be too hasty. I'm thinking that this is for a good cause."

"Doing something wrong for the right reason? I don't buy it honey."

"Just listen."

She crossed her arms. "Go ahead."

"They have research animals in there. I'd like to take them and give them to a shelter to be adopted."

She mulled that over. Seemed pretty simple. "Not really stealing and not letting them go to fend for themselves."

"Right. Exactly."

Studying him, she rolled that over in her mind. She wasn't an animal activist, but she didn't like the idea of testing on animals. "I'll do it."

Jon's grin might as well have lit up the whole street. "See. It is the right thing to do. Those animals deserve a better life."

She hoped that was all he was doing. He'd never expressed any interest in animals one way or the other. But he had no reason to lie to her. He'd never lied to her before this. Still. Something was not completely right.

Shaking herself, she thought, this was Jon. The man she loved.

"I need some plans and some idea of the layout and security systems."

"I can get you that," he said. "How long do you need to plan this?"

Donna surveyed the deserted street then looked over the squat building. "Two nights."

"So we can do this three nights from now?"

"Yes."

***

Three nights later, Donna and Jon entered the facility. The alarms had been easy to bypass and now they slunk down dark hallways towards the lab where the animals are kept.

A noise stopped them.

"Security guard?" Donna said.

"There aren't supposed to be any."

"Someone working late."

"No cars in the lot."

"Probably took public transportation."

"Would you want to be waiting for a bus in this neighborhood?" Jon said.

They continued down the hallway. The lab door had no security on it. Everyone in the facility had access to it.

Pushing the door open, Donna reached for a light switch. With no windows no one would see the light from the outside. Cages lined one wall. Empty cages.

"What?" Jon said. "I was sure there were animals."

"They must have moved them. Too bad. Let's get out of here."

She'd been unsure about the whole thing since she woke that morning. Something still didn't sit right with her, but she had to trust Jon.

"No, there's something else I want."

She stopped in her tracks. "This wasn't about the animals."

He put a hand on her arm. "Of course it was. There's just something else we can steal and then destroy."

"What?"

"They keep a virus here that's deadlier than just about anything out there."

"I don't want to mess with that."

"But if we take it and destroy it, no one will be harmed."

"And how does one destroy a virus?"

"I know some people."

She studied him in the harsh light of the lab. His gaze never wavered. She frowned. "I don't like this."

"It'll only take a few more minutes. It'll be fine. I promise."

Chewing the inside of her mouth, she thought about it. "Okay."

"There's a safe. In the back."

She followed him to the back of the lap. In a few minutes she had the safe cracked. Inside was a vial of some liquid. Not frozen.

"I don't want to just carry that vial out of here. We need to pack it in something," she said.

"Good idea." He found a box that had an insert shaped for the test tube. Jon placed in the box then put the lid. "Feel better now?"

"Not completely, but I'm trusting you on this Jon."

"You can, honey. It's the right thing to do."

***

At work the next day, Donna had to pack up her office for her move to the tax department. With a lack of sleep and the virus on her mind, she wasn't capable of much else.

"You look pretty tired," Kelly said when she paused from her own packing.

"Late night."

"I'll blame that fiancé," Kelly said. "Can I get you some coffee?"

"That would be great."

Kelly returned with two cups of coffee in paper cups. Donna sat down with her assistant for a needed respite.

"I'm not a fan of moving and this is the second move in a month."

"You all moved into Jon's place?"

Donna sipped her coffee let the warmth of it soothe her. "Yes. My apartment is sublet. I had a sale to get rid of some of my furniture."

"You guys staying in his place?"

"For now. I like the location and the atmosphere."

Kelly laughed. "You like the penthouse."

"Yes, I do."

Donna smiled, but it was bittersweet. The virus weighed on her mind. What exactly was Jon going to do with it?

Her phone rang.

Kelly stood. "My cue to get back to work."

Donna didn't recognize the number on her screen, but she picked it up anyway. "Hello."

"Donna, it's Fred."

Fred was Jon's best friend.
She didn't even realize he had her cell number. Not that she minded. Fred was a good guy.

"Hi, Fred."

Why would he be calling her?

"I wanted to thank you for your procurement last night."

He knew? Why had Jon told him?

Before she could say more, Fred went on. "It was the last piece in our plan. I never thought you'd be on board with this."

On board with what?
What plans did Jon and Fred have?

She decided to play along like she knew. "So what is the time frame?"

"Surprised Jon didn't tell you."

"We've been two ships passing in the night."

"We'll let it loose when you guys are on your honeymoon. By the time you get back the deed will be done."

"Right and you'll be leaving town, too."

"Of course."

Donna figured she wouldn't get more information out of him if she tipped him off that she knew nothing about this plan. So
she stopped asking questions and after a few pleasantries, they hung up.

Holy crap.

What she discerned from her conversation with Fred was that he was going to release the virus when she and Jon were on their honeymoon.

They were going to release it in the New York City subway system.

She hopped onto her phone and searched the internet for what she could find about the virus. It was transmitted via the air and had been developed for warfare. Not surprising. Next she learned death occurred within twenty four hours. An antiviral drug has not been developed for it.

She sat back, closing her eyes. She couldn’t let this happen.

But how would she prevent it?

Using her office phone, she dialed into the local FBI office. She thought they could trace it to the building, but not her office.

“I want to give an anonymous report,” she said.

“Hold on.”

“Keller,” someone answered after a few minutes.

“I want to report that I’ve heard about an attack on New York City.”

“Ma’am this isn’t funny. We don’t take pranks lightly. We will be tracing this call.”

She hung up.

“Shit.”

“What’s wrong,” Kelly said when she entered Donna’s office.

Donna took a deep breath while she shook her head. “I need to take a break. I’m going for a walk.”

Striding out of her office, she left Kelly standing there with her mouth open.

***

Donna sat on the bench in the small park by her office contemplating her next move. If she told the FBI, she’d have to explain how she knew.

Maybe she could talk Jon out of it. She decided to find him.

He was in his office at the gallery. His smile lit up the room when he saw her. She lingered the doorway, not sure how to react to him now.

"Hey, no kiss?"

He met her halfway across the office then planted one on her lips.

She really loved him and hoped she could talk sense into him. He stepped back and studied her. "You look worried. What can I do to take that worry away?"

"I had a conversation."

"With whom?" he said. He returned to his desk, but Donna was unable to sit down.

She paced. "With Fred."

"About?"

She took a deep breath. "About what you are going to do with that virus."

Jon didn't flinch, but his smile fell off his face. "What did he tell you?"

"That the virus is going to be released in the subway system. While we're on our honeymoon."

"He shouldn't have said anything to you."

Her heart sank while a chill ran down her spine. "So it is true."

"Honey, this is part of a bigger plan. One that has major implications and in the long run will help the world?"

She put her hand on his desk, her face on level with his. "How does releasing a deadly virus into New York City help the world?"

"It gets the government's attention."

"Isn't there a better way?"

He shook his head. "It's complicated."

She straightened and settled in the chair there. "Explain it to me."

Jon frowned. A sigh escaped his lips. "I'm not sure I can."

"Then don't release the virus."

"We can't do that. There are things in motion. We have to go through with this."

She shook her head. "I don't agree. Just stop. Stop whatever it is. Don't do this."

"I wish Fred had never talked to you."

"Then at least try to make me understand what I was unwittingly a part of."

"You'll just have to trust me."

"Why Jon? Just tell me. Tell me what you are involved in?"

"I can't. Fred never should have said anything. And I need you to trust me."

She stood. "I'm not sure I can."

***

Jon left the apartment after dinner that night. Donna didn't bring up the obvious topic before he left, but she was pretty sure he was going to meet whoever was involved in what would probably
be deemed a terrorist attack.

She gave him a few minutes' head start, then followed him downstairs.
Jon walked down the block when Donna reached the street. Enough people roamed this part of the city for her to blend in and not be noticed. Jon didn't turn around so she figured she was being stealthy enough.

He turned the corner and so when she
got to that corner, she paused, glancing around the building. Jon was still walking with purpose. He hadn't noticed her.