Chapter Twelve
Everyone at the hospital liked Abisali, the gentle caring doctor who was well spoken, courteous and always had time for the hospital staff. Available to help others, giving advice when called upon and involved with several charities. He had written numerous articles for medical journals and was a successful, compassionate and thoughtful man. A picture representation of a good hard-working Muslim. Born into a wealthy Arab family in Saudi Arabia and educated in the best schools, his inherited wealth considerable, rich beyond most people's dreams, never needing to work, donating his salary to charity while working to help those less fortunate than himself. The outside world saw a gifted, contented, philanthropic, humanitarian giving of himself to save lives. He had cultivated his persona well and hid under its cloak with impunity, a perfect façade in which to carry out his intention to bring into existence a world caliphate where strict Sharia Law took precedence over man-made artificial, transient laws, knowing this could only be achieved by violent jihad.
There resided his problem. The powers to be were far too strong to overthrow. A war fought using conventional weapons could never be won against the blasphemers. The alternative, to cause mayhem and panic, terror and chaos, discourse and destruction; to sweep away democratic institutions, powerful hierarchies, traditional values and the nuclei family. To hit the heart out of their false values by destroying their futures, killing and training their children to hate and kill all who stood in the way of the right path; to terrorise the world into submission and bend its will to Allah. He had his plan, had his solders in Islam and had the weapon to give it light, life and form.
Tenerife would be the start of the great war by unleashing upon the world a virus so deadly it would surpass the Black Death of 1346 to 1353. With a world population, back then of only three hundred and seventy million people, it was estimated that at least seventy-five million died, with some estimating the figure as high as two hundred million, heralding in a world changing event as populations adjusted to the new order where labour cost increased tenfold, and where the general population started to question serfdom across Europe and the strangling existence of the current political system.
Reflecting on his plan he wryly smiled to himself. He had studied the 1918 flu pandemic after the First World War lasting from January 1918 to December 1920 involving the H1N1 influenza virus; with a world population of one billion eight hundred thousand, five hundred million people around the world were infected. No area stayed untouched, remote islands in the Pacific and even the Arctic suffering its deadly blast. Deaths were estimated to be around three percent of the population and life expectancy plummeted across the world; in the United States alone it dropped by twelve years as a direct consequence. The flu took a heavy toll on human populations and economic wellbeing, wiping out entire families and leaving countless widows and orphans in its wake, forcing many into poverty and starvation resulting in crime and violence. Funeral parlours were overwhelmed and bodies piled up waiting to be buried with many having to dig graves for their own family members.
Most influenza outbreaks disproportionately kill the young and the elderly, weakening a patient's tolerance through illness whose immune systems were weak to begin with, but the 1918 flu pandemic also killed young healthy adults, the virus invading lungs causing pneumonia. What Abisali had planned would surpass these pandemics. With a world population of seven and a half billion people, and the virus airborne, the damage would be catastrophic and cause mass panic and he would have the only effective vaccine; granted, he wasn't sure of its potency but that mattered little. Allah would protect him and if he died, he would die by poison and enter paradise taking his place in the halls of virgins for eternity.
The following week he would travel to Tenerife purportedly on a mercy mission where he would attend a function and work with an orphan charity on a pro bono basis discharging medical attention to the neediest. He would meet with his team and outline his plan and when he had completed the work, would fly back to the UK leaving his lieutenant Ghaziyah to bed down the final details.
Chapter Thirteen
John continued to improve but tired quickly and Carolyn took over a lot of his care while her mother pandered to his every wish. When her mother was taking her afternoon nap the three of them got together.
"Love, don't get annoyed but I need to go back."
She gave out a sigh and seemed to shrink in her chair when she heard those words. "I'm not happy about it," she groaned, "I wish you'd never found that gateway."
He looked at John for tacit support but it never came. "We know who the murderer is and I need to make sure he pays for what he's done."
"We tried that and look what happened."
"I was careless, and I should have realised the danger. Come on sis, we must bring this guy down or he'll carry on killing."
She sighed. "I feel wedged between a rock and a hard place. If anything happens to either one of you... Can't you find another way James, can't we forget about it? We know what happens over there by default because of the gateway. We are but accidents of nature."
John stared at her for a long while knowing how much his sister was hurting. "If that's what you want, let him carry on raping and murdering and we'll just turn our backs and say it has nothing to do with us," his voice neutral, without intonation or feeling.
"Stop it, John, I know that tone. I hate myself for saying it, but..." turning to James, "you must go back and nail him, that is what my brain tells me, but my heart says the opposite." Tears formed at the corner of her eyes, "I'm scared of losing you," looking at the two of them and using her sleeve to wipe her eyes. "The thought is paralysing me after what has just happened and I am frightened for the both of you and for our future."
"I'll inform the authorities there and let them handle it. I'll see he is caught and come straight back. He'll be locked away for the rest of his life and then we can deal with him here. How does that sound, love?"
"I will deal with Davidson in my own way."
It went over James's head but not John's and he gave her a sharp, disconcerted look. "Not what I wanted to hear, sis."
"You're in no position to do anything," she grouched.
"I'll go tonight but it may take a few days."
That night James stepped through the window, went straight to his flat and text Debra and Jennie asking to speak with them. The following morning over breakfast he read the papers each one having the same front page. Articles and news on the outbreak of Ebola in Tenerife and recommendations from the World Health Organisation. There were thirty confirmed cases with more expected over the coming days. Holiday traffic to the island had be suspended but most holidays had been cancelled, either by the tour operators or by those planning to their holiday, including the smaller islands of the Canarias. The international community had rallied together to bring in medical supplies and trained medical personnel. Speculation was rife about how the pathogen had spread so quickly to all parts of the island. Most islanders stayed indoors, neighbour fearing neighbour. Isolation units were set up and cordoned off under armed guard. People wore masks as the panic spread with naval and medical ships moving into place off the coast.
James linked into the internet for more up to date news. Two new cases in Las Palmas, one in San Sebastián and more reported in Puerto del Rosaria. The considered opinion gaining credence by the international community was full isolation of the Canaries. Breaking news flashed: ten children from the same school in Los Cristianos had developed symptoms and another five from a school at the other end of the island. Even James could see this was no random outbreak, it had the hand of human intervention written upon it. Pictures showed areas with medical staff in full protective clothing being sprayed with disinfectant before moving into isolated treatment centres to attend to the infected. Speculation filled the airwaves and theory after theory abounded, but those in the know knew this was an attack against the free world by persons unknown.
James phoned Jennie and asked to meet with her and, if possible, Debra later that day and went back to watching the news. Twenty minutes later his phone rang and Jennie asked if they could meet over lunch at a restaurant at the end of the High Street. When he arrived, they were both there and he took a seat facing them.
"Your voice sounded urgent. Do our bodies affect you that much? laughed Jennie, giving him a lustful stare.
"No," he sharply retorted, quickly realising his abruptness and softened his voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean how that sounded."
"I had to rearrange my schedule to be here at such short notice. What's so important? Jennie sounded as if it was a life or death situation."
"In a way it is, but I'm only here for a day or so and I needed to pass on vital information to Jennie mainly about the serial rapist and murderer. I know who he is and where he lives." Also, I wanted to speak with you about the Ebola outbreak in Tenerife.
Jennie gave him a hard stare. "We've had teams on this and have turned up nothing definite. How come you know or is it speculation, a best guest scenario? We've got cabinets filled with files on who it is, but they all lead to nothing."
"I know his name, his wife's name, address and that he has two children."
Jennie started to feel uncomfortable, she had trusted James in the past, but this... this was hard to accept unless he was in some way connected. "You have the answer when we have over fifty detectives working on it?"
James picked up on her unspoken insinuation. "I have nothing to do with the rapes or murders and do not know the person." He emphasised. "I have come across the name through my other work. Do you have any DNA information?"
Jennie tightened her body back against the chair and her eyes become more focused, a classic distancing manoeuvre when distrust creeps into the conversation. "I shouldn't be saying anything until you tell me how you know?"
"We have been through a lot together so you know you can trust me," giving her the name and address of the person and where he worked. "That's your guy. I can't tell you how I know but you know my undercover work," he lied. "If you have DNA evidence his will match, guaranteed."
Jennie softened her response. "Yes, we have that on file and a lot more information."
"It'll match. The only thing I ask is that you don't mention where your information came from. Can you do that?"
"If you are right on this... Can you just tell me, it'll go no further?"
"Check it out first and if I am wrong I'll tell you, if not, it stays with me," holding out his hand for her to shake.
She smiled at him feeling a lot more relaxed. "I can't get a handle on you," she replied, shaking his outstretched hand. "I need to go back to the office and get this started."
"Hold a bit longer. I need you both to tell me what you know about the pandemic in Tenerife."
"It started about a month or so ago. We have been told to be on our guard and what the symptoms are. From what I've gathered they think it's been introduced deliberately by some mad group of religious fanatics."
"The reports state it's the Ebola virus. I know how virulent the virus is but from what I gather it can only be passed forward after the body shows symptoms, is that also your take on the way it's spread?"
"Yes, we've been made aware of the disease and how it's spread when at medical school. It's not new, it's been around for quite a while, but the talk is that this has mutated into a more virulent strain."
