“Unfortunately, it seems that the clinical protocols weren’t as strictly controlled as they should have been. In two locations, one in Nevada and one in Argentina, there were accidents that resulted in the deaths of both humans and livestock. I was called in to both locations, and my team gathered forensic data.

“To better understand what happened, we then recruited the physician responsible for the initial AgriMed research that had been stolen. He’s helped us to triage what we’re up against. And I’m sorry to say, it’s grim.”

Nate advanced the slide. The next one featured a photo of the devastation in Buenos Aires. “The medicine in these trials was mixed with ordinary water, and participants drank the medicated water several times a day. In both of the fatal incidents, this treated water was fed to some pregnant animals, evidently because they’d been sick. The animals received no deleterious effects from the medicine, but when they gave birth, their calves were toxic.”

“Toxic? What do you mean?” Sheila asked. Her lips were pressed together so tightly they looked like two horizontal lines.

“Well, as soon as they were born, every living thing nearby fell over and died. In Nevada, nearly a hundred head of cattle perished, along with one veterinarian and two first responders. In Argentina, over a dozen men died, along with over a thousand animals. The Argentine Federal Police asked through military back channels for assistance, and an SF team was sent to help with disposal. I lead a small team to do the forensic analysis.”

Franks clacked her fingernails on the conference room table. “So, if a pregnant cow drinks this water and gives birth to a monster that kills everything around it, what happens if a pregnant woman drinks the same water?”

“That’s the big concern, ma’am,” Jeff said. “And it’s a real concern we need to follow up on. Thanks to this encrypted drive, Agent Carrington has been able to compile a list of one hundred forty-three patients who have been treated with this medicine. Names and addresses. Forty-five of them are in the US. The rest are in South America or the UK.”

Franks slammed her fist on the table and shook her head. “This is a fucking nightmare. I’ll talk to the director, but this’ll probably have to get the president’s attention.” She turned to Jeff and said, “We may end up having to quarantine US citizens as well as foreign nationals for something the IC is responsible for. Look into procedures. And expand that list to families, at a minimum. Just in case someone else in the household infected themselves with this so-called ‘medicine.’”

“Understood, ma’am,” Jeff said. “My team will plan out the logistics. We’ll be ready to roll on your word.”