Chapter 3

Once that mutant virus spread everywhere, there would be no stopping it.

The whole county's livestock industry would be wiped out.

I put on my straw hat.

Slung the wicker basket onto my back.

And slipped quietly out the back door of the clinic.

Straight for the back hills over in the neighboring village.

I had to stop the virus before it broke out.

For that I needed one detox herb that grew only on those hills, to use as the base for the antibody medicine.

The mountain path was rough.

Choked with thorny brush.

My arms came away with a dozen bleeding scratches.

The kind that burns down to the bone.

I crouched at the edge of a steep cliff face.

And dug up two herb plants with their root systems still intact.

I'd just tucked the herbs into my basket.

When a figure flickered through the trees deeper in.

It was Jeremy Clayton, Meg Lawrence's informant.

Hiding behind a tree in the distance.

Sneaking shots of me with his phone.

I pretended not to see him.

Went quickly back down the hill to the makeshift testing shed behind the clinic.

I'd barely rinsed the herbs and set them in the clay pot to simmer.

When a loud crash split the air.

The wooden door of the shed was kicked open.

Meg Lawrence stormed in with a dozen villagers, all of them gripping clubs and shovels.

"Well, well, you little thief! You've got the nerve to steal from me!"

Meg jabbed a finger at me, cursing.

"Jeremy just saw you with his own eyes, up on my back hills,"

The fat on her face quivered as she pointed right at my nose, spitting insults.

"Those hills belong to me now. I leased them."

"Every last blade of grass up there is mine, and you actually dared to steal my herbs!"

I stood guarding the workbench.

"Those are wild hills. The village council never leased them out to anyone. Quit spouting nonsense."

Meg gave a cold snort.

And swept her hand through the air.

"Smash it all!"

Jeremy swung the shovel up.

And with one blow shattered the clay pot I'd just brought to a boil.

Herbs and mud splattered across the floor.

The other villagers joined in.

Smashing every jar and pot in my shed to pieces.

"Stop!"

I shouted in a fury.

And moved to rush in and stop them.

A round of coughing came from the doorway.

Mayor Lambert walked in with his hands behind his back.

He glanced at the wreckage all over the floor.

And let out a theatrical sigh.

"Bertram, son, why can't you learn to bend a little?"

"Meg here is one of the biggest taxpayers in this town. How could you go and steal from her?"

"Just bow your head and apologize to Meg, and we'll let this go. Don't blow it up into something bigger."

The mayor was plainly smoothing things over.

Taking the side of Meg, the village's big money.

That only puffed Meg up more.

She walked over to the pile of crushed herbs.

Raised her foot and ground it down hard.

"Anybody within ten miles who dares call you out for their animals is going up against me, Meg Lawrence!"

"I'll make sure you never land a single job in this town."

"I'll make sure you starve to death right here!"

With that.

She swaggered out with her people.

I clenched my teeth.

Wrapping gauze around my bleeding forearm.

Watching their backs disappear.

The phone in my pocket chimed with a crisp alert.

I pulled it out.

It was the weather service, a red alert for extreme heat and humidity, just issued.

Over the next three days.

The area would face relentless extreme heat and humidity.

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth.

The catalyst had finally arrived.

The show was about to begin.