“They’re watching the box with a camera.”

She nodded. Lance was watching. It made her breathe a little easier.

“I’ve got to go, but watch that box. If anyone comes, anyone at all, I need to know.”

She hung up and scanned the terminal. No one.

She fed the remaining change back into the phone and called her operator in Moscow. The devil was in the details. If Igor ever asked why she’d used a pay phone in Helsinki, this was the reason.

The operator answered and Tatyana identified herself.

“Proceed,” the operator said.

“Tell the boss my flight’s been delayed in Finland,” she said.

22

Laurel and Roth were in the back of the Escalade on their way from the airport when Roth got a call from the head of the lab at Ramstein. He put it on speaker.

“Sir, there’s been a leak. All four technicians are dead,” McKinsey said.

“Listen to me,” Roth said. “Seal the lab. Under no circumstances is anyone to go in there. You’ve seen the numbers on this virus.”

“Yes I have, sir.”

“Just stay there. And stay by the phone. I’ve got to figure out what we’re going to do.”

Roth hung up and looked at Laurel.

She said, “Sir, you need to shut down the base.”

“It’s one of the largest in the world,” Roth said. “They run half of Europe out of that place.”

“Call the president, sir. Do it now. If this thing gets out,” she said, tapping her briefcase which contained the virus analysis, “it’s going to be on us.”

Roth nodded. He called the president immediately. They had to wait a few minutes while the operator handled the authorization and then the president’s voice came on the line.

“Mr. President,” Roth said. “We have a situation.”

“That doesn’t sound good, Roth.”

“We need to lock down Ramstein Air Base.”

“That’s impossible, Roth.”

“I’m sorry, sir. This is a level five threat.”

“Roth, come on.”

“I’m serious, sir.”

“You better be deadly serious, Roth. Level five is an existential threat.”

“I assure you this is justified, sir.”

The president was silent for a few seconds. “You got everything under control, Roth?”

“Yes, I do, sir. Shutting down the base is a precautionary measure. But it’s something that has to be done. No one can be allowed in or out. No one at all.”

“The Germans are going to be all over my ass,” the president said.

“I’m very sorry about that, sir.”

“All right,” the president said. “I’ll make the order. But I need you to come in and explain what’s going on.”

“I’ll be right there, sir.”