Book #3 of the Roman Lee Series

A victim of an insect bite shows up in Memorial Hospital’s ER infected with a deadly virus thought to have been extinct. While investigating a fatal pedestrian accident Roman Lee discovers the two are related with the help of Dr. Marlene Scott. His pursuit of perpetrators behind a Global conspiracy will take him from the comforts of Kirkwood’s familiar streets deep into the dangerous depths of the Amazon.

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One

6:45PM

Seven- year old Riley Olk had been having the time of her life. Her father’s family reunion was winding down. The parking lot near the pavilion was nearly empty now. The Olk’s couldn’t have asked for a better day. There hadn’t been a hint of a cloud in the clear marble blue sky all day. The temperature never went above seventy-eight degrees with almost no humidity. Unlike the past week which saw torrential downpours that had left standing water almost everywhere.

Riley made her last jump off the swing set perfectly. The metal links of the chain that had supported her small frame were beginning to settle.

“Race you to the Scape Riley.”

Riley’s cousin Adrianna took off running ahead of her toward the wooden beamed structure filled with plastic tunnels and slides. The playscape finally abandoned by a large family of boys from Nebraska. Although related to them in some way they weren’t very nice. Despite many protests only boys were allowed onto it. The only other time it had not been occupied was when everyone had gathered to eat under the pavilion.

The girls clambered up the slide instead of using the stairs. Some residual dirt from previous occupants remained on the plastic making the footing a bit slippery as they made their ascent. Reaching the first tunnel Riley Olk found a small puddle of water trapped there from last week’s thunderstorms bringing intense flooding throughout most of the area.

Riley stared down at the greenish water. Teeming with life the water seemed to move on its own changing shapes every so often. She turned to warn Adrianna.

“We need to go back.”

“Why?”

“Owww.”

Riley looked down on her small right hand horrified to see a mosquito resting on top of her bluish veins. The damage had already been done. Six sharp needles retreated from her blood vessels having filled the abdomen of its owner. An Aedes Aegypti mosquito that had laid eggs just a few days earlier.

The girls backed out of the tunnel. Sliding down the green plastic slide they reached the ground. A small bird lay dead on the fringe of the sandy landing area with only a few flies circling over its remains. Both girls paused to stare at the lifeless form before running back towards their parents.

Riley Olk stopped momentarily to scratch her hand. It had swollen considerably in the last few minutes. Her skin itched something terrible. The girls finally reached the wooden picnic tables and sat down completely out of breath after the sprint.

Riley’s father Matt Olk had just returned from his final trip to the family’s Subaru after packing the red plastic Coleman cooler in the trunk.

“Ready Pumpkin?”

“Ready Daddy.”

“Ok, ready set 123 Go!”

Riley took her customary three steps back. Crouching down she sprang forward leaping into the air. Catching his daughter mid-flight, he swung her up and around onto his broad shoulders. Her hands now cupped underneath his chin, they started toward the parking lot.

“We have everything Matt?”

His wife of ten years Annette Olk stopped to check the pavilion once more before leaving on their trip back home.

“All set. I double checked everything.”

“It was nice to see your side of the family for once.”

“It sure was. I can’t remember the last one. I think I was Riley’s age the last time I saw most of them.”

Looking in the rearview mirror he watched his daughter fasten her seatbelt.

“What happened to your hand Pumpkin?”

“Skeeto got me. It was really gross Dad. There was this puddle that was moving inside the tunnel.”

“We’ll take a look at it when we get home.”

The Subaru reached the entrance of the expressway for the short forty -minute ride home.

“Ready for takeoff co-pilot?”

“All systems check Daddy.”

Matt Olk pressed firmly down on the accelerator and the car reached 80 miles per hour easily as they eased into the weekend traffic.

Two

2:30AM

Riley Olk stirred restlessly for an hour trying to get back to sleep. The itching on her hand had subsided a little. But she felt hot and sweaty. Her head ached something awful. The “Tambo” virus delivered inside her bloodstream had found its host environment ideal for wreaking havoc on brain cells. The deceitful pathogen eluded detection from Riley’s immune system altogether.

The virus had made its way inside Kirkwood’s city limits courtesy of a flock of Golden-winged Warblers who had flown over three -thousand miles during their migration from South America to Michigan. Tambo would earn its name from its origins back in the Amazon River. A tributary that once concealed an illegal diamond mine frequented by river pirates. The virus had grown unchecked in a broken vodka bottle that had served as a petri dish. Archaeologist’s that excavated the site found numerous skeletons along with artifacts indicating that a group of about twenty had perished there from some form of disease previously thought to be dengue fever.

Annette Olk’s eyes fluttered open and shut a few times. She thought she had heard something near their bedside. Finally, she opened her eyes to see Riley standing before her.

“Riley?”

“Mommy I don’t feel so good.”

Annette pulled her robe on from the end of the bed and walked with Riley into their bathroom. Flipping on the light switch it took a moment or so for both of them to adjust to the brightness. Placing her hand on Riley’s forehead. The skin was hot to the touch. Sifting through their medicine cabinet she found some children’s pain reliever with a fever reducing agent. She rinsed out the plastic measuring cap and then poured the pinkish liquid to the line of the recommended dosage. Annette was always cautious about dispensing OTC medication to her daughter. The effects of acetaminophen on the liver always in the back of her mind.

Just before turning the light off she noticed something else. A bright rash had developed on her daughter’s arms and cheeks. Looking at a raised welt on her hand she guided her over to the sink. Annette turned on the faucet running cool water on it gently washing the area with soap and water.

“Ok honey let’s get you tucked in again.”

They walked down to the end of the hallway and into Riley’s bedroom.

It wasn’t an hour later with Riley standing at the bedside complaining about her headache. Then something unexpected happened. She collapsed on the floor with a sudden thump.

“Matt! Matt!”

Annette sprang out of bed over to her daughter who was convulsing on carpet.

“Matt! Call 911 now!!”

The ambulance seemed like it took an eternity to get there. Actually, it had taken EMS personnel less than ten minutes to reach the Olk’s driveway. Red Flashing lights filled the windows penetrating through the curtains.