Vasily was getting restless. She put a hand on his arm to stop him from speaking.

“This is madness,” she said.

“That may be,” Yevchenko said. “But orders are orders. Now, please don’t make this any more difficult than it needs to be. Is the bacillus ready for delivery?”

Sofia looked at Vasily, then back at Yevchenko.

“We’ve come a very long way,” Yevchenko said. “It would be a terrible shame to have to go back to Moscow empty handed.” He turned to his officers. “Terrible shame,” he repeated, grinning.

Sofia looked at them. She knew what this was. The life of every single person in the institute was in her hands.

“I can have the lab prepare it for you now,” she said.

Yevchenko nodded to his men and Sofia turned to Vasily.

“Do as they say, Vasily. Take them to the lab and make sure the sample is secured properly. The last thing any of us want is a leak on these fine officer’s flight back to Moscow.”

It was her turn to look smug.

The officers went with Vasily, leaving Sofia and Yevchenko alone in the office. Yevchenko went to the door and locked it. Sofia took a deep breath. She knew her ordeal wasn’t over. It was just beginning.

“Now that we’re alone,” Yevchenko said, “perhaps you’d like to give me an update on our little side project.”

“The virus?” Sofia said, her heart pounding in her chest.

“The virus,” Yevchenko said.

“Sir, this goes beyond the dangers of the bacillus.”

“I’m aware of that, doctor.”

“Anthrax is a bacteria,” she said. “It’s extremely deadly, but it’s not contagious. If it’s spread on a battlefield, it will kill only the soldiers on that battlefield.”

“And if it’s poured over a city,” Yevchenko said, “it will kill only the inhabitants of that city.”

Sofia had to take in a deep breath just to calm herself. She thought she was going to throw up.

“We’d never do that, would we?” she said.

“Have you no faith in your own government, Sofia?”

She looked into his gray eyes. For a moment she wasn’t sure if he was actually being sincere.

Then she said, “Anthrax won’t spread, sir. It will kill the target it’s used against, and then it will stop.”

“I’m aware of that,” Yevchenko said.

“But a virus is different,” she said. “A virus spreads like dye in water. It spreads from person to person with the least contact. You can’t control where it goes.”

“I know what a virus is, doctor,” Yevchenko said. “And I can assure you, the president would not have asked for one if it was not what he wanted.”

“A virus has no legitimate military purpose,” she said.

“Why don’t you leave the military planning to the experts?”

“The Geneva Convention, sir.”

“Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?” Yevchenko said.