CHAPTER TWELVE
It was half past midnight before Adrian returned to the flat. He had been working tirelessly the entire day on completing the RNA restructuring to prepare the rest of the variola major samples, and now he shuffled through the door, his feet dragging. The batch was nearly ready, but exhaustion and hunger had set in. He assured himself he would finish tomorrow.
Claudette was not yet home; she worked at a local bar, often late into the night. Adrian casually flicked on the television and then went into the kitchen to pour a glass of wine.
He heard the news report before he saw it. The mere mention of a deadly outbreak sent him dashing back into the living room, nearly stumbling, and skidding to a halt on the carpet in his socks.
He held his breath as he watched the Spanish
