Sam forced herself to look up from her clenched hands and noticed that the sky outside the window had turned a sickly gray.
“We’re being given instructions to put down,” the pilot called back to Sam and Tom.
Sam risked a peek at the ground. “That isn’t New York City.”
“No. Still seventy-five miles away.”
“What’s up?” Tom asked.
“A line of thunderclouds straight ahead. Always a problem in September. But you’ll need to drive from there. State cops will meet you.”
“Damn,” Tom said. “What about going around?”
The pilot shook his head. “The line goes all the way to Connecticut.”
Sam felt a vibration in her pocket and it took a moment for her to realize that it was her phone. She pressed the phone hard to her ear, but it was still nearly impossible to hear the voice on the other end over the propeller blades.
“… rabies virus used for the vaccine is self-limiting.”
“Dad? I can barely hear you!”
“… important! Listen, the VetMed documentation… the dogs that received the original vaccine are no longer shedding the virus. The virus is out of their systems and the immunity…” Daniel’s voice faded into static.
“Say again, Dad.”
“I said that the sick dogs at the shelter should have developed a blood serum immunity to the rabies virus. That part of the vaccine actually worked. The immunity they’ve developed may be critical to figuring out an antiviral to reverse the effects in the infected children.”
“Do you have proof?”
“… working on it. The serum is…” More crackling.
“What?”
“… you need to save those dogs. We need those antibodies from live animals. I’m trying to get through to the CDC now, but you must tell the mayor. We need those dogs alive.”
“No one’s gonna believe us without proof,” Sam said.
“Be persuasive!”
An explosion of thunder rattled the helicopter and Sam’s connection went dead.
“What?” Tom asked as soon as Sam lowered her phone.
Sam ignored him and called to the pilot, “Is there any way you can take us straight through the storm?”
“In an emergency I might be able to get permission.”
“Get it. Please. We have an emergency.”
“OK,” the pilot said. “But I hope you both brought a change of underwear.”
She turned to Tom. “You need to get the mayor on the phone. Now!”