SECRET AND LIES [5]

'measures that would be met with widespread horror and condemnation if their existence were made public. Suffice to say that a pandemic with no foreseeable cure – such as the one currently rampant on Banoi – would ordinarily trigger the execution of security protocols, resulting in the nuclear cleansing of the infected area.'

'Nuclear cleansing?' sneered Sam. 'You mean they'd blow the fucking place sky high? Murder thousands of innocent people?'

'In order to protect the majority, yes,' said Charon. 'But I'm only the messenger boy, not the instigator here – so let's not get bogged down quibbling about the moral issues.'

'You said "ordinarily",' said Purna, 'which I'm guessing means that because of these "precautionary measures" you mentioned, what was supposed to happen hasn't happened in this case?'

Charon nodded.

Purna looked as though she was about to ask him another question, then her eyes widened. 'Oh my God.'

'What?' asked Sam.

Looking intently at Charon, Purna said, 'Let me take a wild guess: Ryder White would be the man in charge of ordering the nuclear strike on Banoi, right?'

Charon's smile was confirmation enough.

'Don't you see?' said Purna to a still bemused Sam. 'The reason Banoi hasn't been wiped off the face of the earth is because Ryder White's wife is sick, and he's delayed the order because he thinks the cure might be on the island. But the question is, why did she get sick in the first place?'

Sam felt like the kid in class who doesn't get what everyone else seems able to grasp – and then all at once he did get it. 'Because they made her sick,' he said, nodding at Charon.

'Exactly.'

Sam shook his head in disbelief. 'Bastards.'

'Oh, please,' said Charon wearily, 'less of the bleeding heart bullshit. It was purely a practical decision. The Organization simply needed a way to buy some time. It was discovered that Ryder White's wife was the physician here, so the infection was planted in the prison. As the doctor treating the sick prisoners it was inevitable she would contract the virus sooner rather than later – and hence the nuclear threat, luckily for you, was allayed.'

'So where are White and his wife now?' asked Purna.

'In the sick bay, waiting for news that you've arrived with the vaccine. As soon as your friends wake up, I'll give him a call, whereupon he will radio for a helicopter to take us all far, far away from here.'

'And what happens then?' said Purna. 'What happens to us?'

Charon patted his pocket. 'You're my insurance,' he said, 'in case the vaccine doesn't work.'

Insurance. Purna was growing to hate that word. The men in the police station had kept Jin as 'insurance'. 'And if it does work?' she said.

'You'll still be assets,' Charon replied. 'Once news of the virus gets out, I'm sure there will be plenty of factions desperate for immunity.'

'So what you saying?' said Sam. 'That you'll sell us like cattle to the highest bidder?'

'Maybe. But don't worry, I'll see that you go to a good home.'

'I thought you worked for the Organization?'

'That doesn't mean there isn't room for a little free enterprise.'

Purna gave him a disgusted look. 'You're nothing but a chancer, are you, Kevin or Charon or whatever your name is?'

'I prefer to think of myself as an entrepreneur,' Charon said.

'Dealing in human lives?' asked Purna.

'Why not?' Charon replied. 'Is there a product more precious?'

Before anyone could answer, there was a groan and Yerema leaned back in her seat, screwing up her eyes in an attempt to open them.

'Ah, and here's Patient Zero,' he said, 'the most precious asset of all.'

Suddenly, briskly, he strode across to the line of chairs on which they sat and shook first Logan and then Jin roughly by the shoulder.

'Wake up,' he barked. 'It's time to go.'