Mango smoothed things quickly. ‘I haven’t worked on a vaccine since I was in graduate school, but the technical documents the British government have released are comprehensive and designed so that any competent genetics lab can produce a working vaccine. But even with four of us, and no major foul-ups, we’re looking at a fourteen-hour shift.

‘We can make enough vaccine for a thousand people, but I’ve only got enough vials and syringes for a hundred and twenty doses. There’s no pecking order and no money involved. I want this to be about helping the people we love to stay alive. I want all disputes set aside and each of us will leave here with thirty doses to distribute as they wish. Agreed?’

‘Agreed,’ Charlie said as Veryan and Juno nodded.

48 TWELVE-PIECE BUCKET

The Helen Back story sat awkwardly in Harry’s mind. He could have run the details by Vegas Local’s media lawyer, typed a few hundred words and had it on the front page within a couple of hours. But Harry had done a lot of growing up since he’d last seen Charlie. The sexual jealousy over Brad seemed childish, and when he realised the hurt was no longer there Harry found himself feeling nostalgic for a friendship more meaningful than any he had now.

He’d left Charlie two phone messages, but she hadn’t responded. Her email had bounced and she didn’t do social media, because a lot of Rock Spring football fans still hated her guts.

Harry wondered if she’d changed her number as Matt stepped in the apartment’s main door holding a giant bucket of fried chicken.

‘Dig in while it’s hot,’ Matt said.

‘Took you long enough,’ Harry said, heading into their messy kitchen. ‘I put out plates and shit.’

‘The unit on Flamingo was closed,’ Matt explained as he planted the bucket in the middle of the dining table.

‘Beer or coke?’ Harry asked, peering in the fridge, then laughing as he noticed Matt’s swollen eye. ‘Lana clocked you good!’

‘Coke,’ Matt said, ignoring the comment about his eye as he pulled off his gloves and virus mask. ‘I got a call from Ethan.’

‘Fat Ethan?’ Harry asked. He popped the lid off the bucket and grabbed a pack of fries and two wings.

‘Nah, big-ears Ethan,’ Matt said, sitting down. ‘His ma works at the emergency coordination centre. She says fifteen people who were staying at the Red Spot have been taken ill.’

‘I didn’t step inside the casino,’ Harry said warily.

‘Gets worse,’ Matt said, popping a can of Pepsi and tipping fries on to his plate. ‘They’ve tracked down the person who brought the virus to Vegas. It’s Greg Rosenwein.’

‘Never heard of him.’

‘You’ve heard of Lee Rosenwein?’

Harry nodded. ‘Sure, tennis player.’