The Cure

TONY AND BRUCE WERE ON THEIR private plane which was quickly heading back to base. Their leads in the south had all dried up, and Carter was gone. They had no idea what part of the country he fled to and what rock he was hiding under. This near miss with Carter really got on Tony’s last nerve. He was so close to the fugitive that he could taste the arrest, but Carter got away because he made a mistake. It was something Tony was going to have to live with for now, but it didn’t mean he had to like it. He was trying to slouch into a nap like mode when his cell phone started to buzz. He glanced down at it and almost considered not answering it, but it would just keep ringing. He put the phone on speaker so Bruce could enjoy this as well.

“Wilson,” Tony started, “This had better be good. I was trying to nap.”

“Well, I’m sorry about that,” Wilson replied, “But I think we need to talk about this new angle.”

“What new angle?” Bruce asked as he leaned in. This was going to be his first-time hearing of this, so he was curious.

“You’re going to find this interesting,” Tony said, taking a deep breath. “For the last time Wilson; our job is to bring Carter in. We are not here to make judgments on his innocence or guilt. We can’t be prejudiced in any matters, as we must keep our eyes in the prize.”

“What kind of judgments are we talking about here?” Bruce asked.

“Wilson thinks Carter is innocent.” Tony replied with a lot of sarcasm and doubt in his tone. “Thinks he was set up by the man.”

“Really, Wilson?” Bruce said as he sat back, waving his arms up in disbelief.

“It’s not just me,” Wilson retorted, “Dr. Zaun claims that Carter cured her and stated that is exactly why they were at that hospital in Florida. To cure the Senator and save his life.”

“Do we have any proof to back that up?” Tony asked.

“You mean besides the fact that the Senator is no longer at death’s door?” Bruce asked, which caused Tony to sit up in his seat.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Wilson answered. “We got Dr. Zaun’s blood back and it turns out she’s clean.”

“What do you mean?” Tony asked. “Clean of what?”

“A few years ago, Dr. Zaun was diagnosed with AIDS.” Wilson replied, “She was infected by a dirty needle when trying to treat a homeless man on drugs in the ER. We just took her blood a few hours ago and she’s negative. Cell count is perfect, it’s like she never had it.”

“He cured AIDS?” Tony called back into the cell. “How is that possible?”

“I don’t know, but Dr. Zaun claims it’s a serum of some kind,” Wilson replied, “One that adapts and cures whatever is ailing you. It’s complicated shit, but Zaun claims it was the same serum that saved the Senator.”

“Why are you telling us this now?” Tony asked. “Couldn’t this wait until you we get back to headquarters?”

“That’s what I’m calling.” Wilson asked. “What if Carter really is innocent and running around the country saving lives?”

“That doesn’t change our job which is to bring him in,” Tony answered, “If Carter wants to fight these charges, that’s what lawyers are for.”

“That’s not what I mean, boss.” Wilson continued, “Carter came out of the woodworks to save the Senator. He risked capture to do the right thing.”

“You’re thinking if we pretend someone else’s life was in danger.” Bruce started to surmise. “That Carter might come back out and into our hands?”

“I don’t think we have to pretend,” Wilson paused for a moment. “You guys haven’t been watching the news at all, have you?”

Tony paused for a moment and then scrambled to grab the nearest remote and turn on a television that was onboard the plane. News of the smallpox outbreak was on every major network, especially now that there were concerns this could possibly bio-logical attack on the United States. Tony knew what Wilson was thinking.

“If Carter really is running around the country saving people,” Tony started, “Then odds are he’s going to b-line right for this place to save the day, isn’t he?”

“If he was innocent and playing the good Doc, I’d bet on it.” Wilson concurred.

“That’s all I needed to hear.” Tony disconnected the phone and walked into the cockpit to inform the pilots to change course. They were going to the nearest city to where that outbreak was going on.

Once they turned and plotted the new course, Tony came back to his seat and buckled in. He looked over at Bruce and could tell something was off about him.

“You alright?” He asked.

“I was just thinking about what Wilson said,” Bruce answered, “About Carter running around and testing this new cure on people.”

“Do you really think he was set up by the man?” Tony asked. He was joking but he could tell by how Bruce was composed that he wasn’t.

“I’m not sure about the man, but how about a woman?” Bruce asked, as he sat back in his chair. “Especially that Ms. Black bitch from that pharmaceutical company that Carter used to work for. I wouldn’t put any of this above her cold heart.”

“Even the smallpox outbreak?” Tony asked.

“Especially the smallpox outbreak,” Bruce declared.

“I don’t like her either,” Tony said, “But why would she do that? Where the hell would they get smallpox to begin with?”

“You don’t think they have their own stash of diseases?” Bruce replied, “I’m willing to bet all these companies have samples of them all to test their stuff on. So, it wouldn’t be hard for that bitch to get her hands on anything.”

“What exactly are you getting at, Bruce?” Tony inquired, but it was a rhetorical question. He already knew where Bruce was going with this.

“If Carter really is the good doctor trying to save lives,” Bruce surmised, “That means he really was in Florida to save the Senator.”

“I was thinking that too.” Tony concurred.

“If Ms. Black knows that,” Bruce continued, “Then she must know he’ll crawl out from wherever he’s hiding to stop this outbreak.”

“You think she’s trying to flush him out.” Tony said clearly on the same page. He didn’t like that witch or her drug pushing company from the very beginning. “She doesn’t seem to care who dies to order to get her man.”

“Seems that way, doesn’t it?” Bruce asked.

Tony paused for a moment.

“How much money would companies like hers stand to lose if this cure was for real?” Tony asked.

“Billions,” Bruce answered. “Most of these companies reply on people coming back repeatedly for multiple treatments. A cure would cut into their bottom line by at least fifty percent, if not more.”

“Billions,” Tony repeated as he thought about it. “More than enough motive to burn down a building and kill a few people, right?”

“A lot more motive than Carter.” Bruce confirmed.

Tony sat back and took a deep breath.

“Even if this is true,” Tony said, regardless if he believed it or not, “That would mean Carter is safer in our custody than he is on the run. If it turns out that what he’s working on really is this miracle cure, I know the agency would love to get their hands on that stuff. Ditto for homeland security and the military.”

“Everyone would want that stuff,” Bruce agreed, “Which is why we need to get to ground zero before Carter gets ambushed trying to save the day.”

“Agreed.” Tony said, checking his watch. “We should get there in a few hours. That will give us time to set up an ambush of our own.”

Tony looked out the window, watching the small plane head towards its new destination. They were heading north but were now going northeast towards the place where all hell is breaking loose. Not the ideal place to be now, considering the outbreak that is currently ongoing, but that’s where Carter will be. Tony accepted that it was worth taking any risk for. Cure or not, Carter was going to be brought in one way or another. As much as he didn’t like Ms. Black and her evil company, Tony also thought that if Wilson was on the right page, the best way to piss her off would be to secure Carter first and keep him and his cure safe.