Forbes yanked hard on the choke collar around the neck of the two-year-old Lab-shepherd mix, snapping the dog’s head back. Whether from the rough corrections or the exertion of the two-hour morning walk, the mutt seemed to finally be learning. He made far fewer of his senseless lunges—at any person or dog coming in the opposite direction—than he had when Forbes first borrowed him from an animal shelter the previous evening.

Forbes had previously taken advantage of the various programs that allow people to bring animals home from shelters for a twenty-four-hour trial period. He could have just as easily bought the dogs, but in principle that offended his frugal nature. He had no intention of keeping the dogs—he wondered why anyone would—but he found the animals useful for providing cover, especially when staking out suburban neighborhoods in broad daylight.

At 8:25 A.M., after quickly circling the trail in Fairmount Park, Forbes jerked the dog back toward the street. He trotted the block and a half toward his target’s house, slowing only when he could see it. He was approaching the house in the middle of the street for the third time that overcast morning when he saw the dated brown Ford Taurus sedan pull out of the driveway. He squatted down and pretended to fawn over the dog, hiding most of his face in the mutt’s coat. But as the car passed, he saw that the driver didn’t even glance his way.

Forbes waited until the car turned the corner at the end of the street before straightening up. Then he pulled a packet from his jacket, tore it open, and removed the cleaning wipe. The sterile alcohol scent was a welcome change from the nauseating wet-dog odor. After wiping the dog’s smell off his face and hands, he turned and headed leisurely for the now empty house. After scoping out the house, he intended to drop off the dog. And then he would have the rest of the day to set up.

45 - Seattle, Washington

45

Seattle, Washington

Kilburn had just walked out of Harborcenter Hospital when his cell rang. Stepping away from Lina and Seth, he dug into his pocket and pulled out the phone. To dampen the traffic noise from the street in front of the hospital, he cupped a hand over one ear.

“Hey, Dr. Kilburn, remember me?” Louise asked gruffly.

“Vaguely.” Kilburn smiled. “Aren’t you the woman who tends bar at my office?”

She laughed. “I wish. How’s Seattle?”

“So-so,” he said. “How are things in Vancouver?”

“Not so hot,” Louise sighed. “There are a bunch more cases. Several people caught it outside of the hospital. Talk of the bug is everywhere,” she sighed. “People are scared, Dr. Kilburn.”

Though not surprised, Kilburn felt deflated. Louise was anything but alarmist. “Help might be on the way,” he said.

“You figure?”