Project Apollo

Chapter 7

"What do you mean by that?" Jacobs interjected.

"If you have bacterial infection and you are typing on your computer, and I use your computer, I could contract the pathogen by touching the same keys you have." Fernandez continued the lesson.

"So you are saying that this bacterial pathogen that was taken from the NIH has a cure." Powers added the tone of optimism to the grim scene.

"It can be cured, via an antibiotic, but that does not mean that a cure has been found. To culture an antibiotic, one would have to retrieve the naturally built antibodies from a subject whose body had beaten the infection. So far, everyone that we know of has died from contact with it," Fernandez said.

"Can it be altered?" The Vice President asked.

"Yes, a bacterium can be manually altered, it can be intensified or lightened, that is a way that we try to develop cures in the lab," Fernandez responded.

"Wait... so the terrorists who have this bacteria can be changing it as we speak?" Jacobs's tone grew frustrated. Fernandez silenced, she raised her eyes from her notes.

"Yes..." The room paused for tense reflection.

"Okay... what I want you to do Ms. Fernandez is to make sure this bacterial infection is not spreading out from the Congo," Fernandez nodded to her orders.

"Alright, Janet what do you have for me?" Hooper turned to his National Security Advisor.

"We have Captain Axle on satellite; he says that he and his team have a lead on the suspect," Powers briefed him.

"How does he know about this?" Jacobs exhaled.

"They are Spartans..." A shrug and a grin came over Powers while a grimace came over Jacob's.

"Mr. President, are you sure we want to involve Project Sparta in this?" the Chief of Staff asked.

"Why not?" Hooper bumbled.

"They are vigilantes. Uncontrollable. They chaff against authority every chance they get. Their errant behavior is nothing to be trusted in a time like this," Jacobs unleashed a history of anger.

"Do you have a better plan, Marty?" Hooper ignored the lashing out and remained calmed and calculated. Jacobs shifted in his seat and responded only with silence. After a few moments, Hooper turned to Powers.

"Alright... Patch them through." She touched a monitor in front of her to bring a satellite feed up on the monitor. Axle's face appeared aimed at the camera set up in Tobias's warehouse.

"Good morning, Mr. President." Axle's militaristic bark reported through the feed.

"James! Good to see you. What do you have for me?

"We have the identity of your suspect." His terse response gave the assembly some relief.

"James, the NSA, CIA and FBI are all searching their databases for this man and there hasn't been any progress. Can you explain why that is?" Vice President Johnson spoke up.

"You wouldn't find him there. He's a ghost." A digital file came through the feed with the grainy image of the man from the NIH's surveillance footage. "His name is Mohammed Azir. He is a low level entry member of the Skeptics." The room froze in confusion.

"I thought you guys took care of the Skeptics," Vice President Johnson accused.

"We cut the head of the snake off, but the tail is still wiggling," Axle responded.

"What do you mean?" Powers asked the monitor.

"I mean this man's only known associate is Ezra Gonet, also known as Agent Zero." The name struck an ominous note in the room. "After our capture of him over the summer, the other Skeptics associated with his cell went underground. They disappeared without a trace – until now. It appears that there is more at play here," Axle answered. A few moments of reflection came over the President. The attendees of the meeting awaited his move.