“Agent, I’m happy to help, but you realize, DNA analysis is not really what I do. I’m sure your own analysts—”

“Darwin algorithm version 3.4. Does that ring a bell?”

Juan’s eyes widened.

Nate nodded. “Yeah, I thought so. We suspect that these samples may be the product of your algorithm.”

Anger bubbled up inside Juan. Someone was toying with what he’d created?

“That algorithm should never be used without careful safety procedures,” he said. “My God, if someone just used it as is, without regard for the proper procedures…” He shuddered.

The agent nodded. “That is why you’ve been read into this. We’ve got what we believe to be nefarious activity using technology stolen from your company.”

Juan sputtered with indignation.

“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it looks like that may be precisely what happened.”

Juan shook his head. “You do understand, the goal of my research is to fight cancer. I’ve put in four years of hundred-hour weeks, sleepless nights, no vacations. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is that someone is abusing all my hard work.”

“I get it,” Carrington said. “As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t just be frustrated, I think I’d have a murderous rage.” He chuckled dryly. “And trust me, I pray that your work on cancer is successful, and I want to get you back to it as soon as possible. But for now, we need your help containing… whatever’s going on.

“In particular, we share your concern about this technology being used imprudently. What if something they’re doing gets out of their control because they aren’t applying the same rigor you do?”

Juan blew out a breath. “It would be a disaster.”

###

The FBI’s special-access lab was smaller than the one Juan used at work, but it was stocked with modern equipment and they’d put in some especially high-end computers to speed up some of his calculations. Four heavy-duty workstations were cranking away on some simulations he’d begun running earlier in the week.

At one end of the lab, a sealed door led to the outer chamber of the level-four biocontainment unit. The latest collected samples were stored in there, inside a refrigerated class-three biosafety cabinet. Despite having been here for three days, Juan hadn’t gone in there yet. He wouldn’t deal with the positive pressure suit, the showers, and all the other safety measures unless he needed to.

Instead he’d spent most of his time poring over the research that the FBI analysts had already done. He was annoyed to find that some of the passages were blacked out—especially when talking about names and locations—but so far it seemed as though he had access to everything scientifically relevant.

At Agent Carrington’s request, he now sat down to dictate some summary information on his research.