“These… terrorists funded my work for some reason. Sent potentially dangerous material to my camp for years. I have to know why. And I might know something that we don’t even realize—something that could help when we get there. If there’s even a remote chance that I could help, I have to try. Billions of lives are at stake. I’m going. I know the risks. I accept them.”

Desmond looked to William for help, but the older man just shrugged. Apparently he, too, sensed that they were fighting a losing battle. They weren’t going to keep Peyton and Charlotte off the team, no matter how much they wanted to.

“Fine,” Desmond said. “Let’s assume that this island is our best shot at finding where the shipments of cure have been sent.” He looked around, watching the silent nods from the group. “So how do we even get there? We can’t exactly fly there—landing on the island would end our little adventure pretty quickly. And by the time we get there by sea, the world as we know it will be over.”

“I think I can help with that,” Avery said. She drew a cell phone from her pocket and affixed a satellite sleeve. Desmond watched her activate an app called North Star. She shot him a sly smile. “It turns out I didn’t trust you either.”

The app beeped once, a long drone. Then a man’s voice came over the speaker. “Ops.”

Avery smiled. “We’ve found it.”

Chapter 108

Chapter 108

Desmond was pushing the twenty-foot box truck’s engine to its limits, trying to keep up with Avery’s truck ahead. She was barreling down the deserted streets of Port Adelaide with reckless abandon. They hadn’t seen a soul, but Desmond was still concerned that they might hit a pedestrian. Peyton sat in the passenger seat, gripping the handle on the ceiling. She apparently was concerned too.

“I wish she’d slow down,” Peyton yelled over the roaring engine.

Desmond nodded, but he had to admit: time was not on their side. Every minute that passed, people lost their lives.

William sat behind the wheel of the truck behind them, keeping up as best he could. In the rearview, Desmond saw Charlotte in the passenger seat with an expression of terror similar to Peyton’s.

At the Citium warehouse, Avery’s NorthStar app had connected her to the Rubicon command center, who had quickly gotten in touch with the US and Australian militaries to coordinate the plan. They had directed Avery and the team to take as many doses of the cure as possible to the Royal Australian Air Force Base at Edinburgh, South Australia, and to expect details of additional arrangements by the time they got there.