el who were directly responsible for the safekeeping of the smallpox samples。 The first of the two inner shells was a 〃hot〃 area that contained animal cages； specially designed labs for work with pathogens； and giant； sixteen…ton fermenters。 The second shell； the actual kernel； held not only the vaultlike refrigerator where the smallpox was stored； but rows of stainless steel centrifuges and drying and milling machines。 There； experiments designed to ferret out the mystery of Variola major were conducted。 The nature of the tests； their duration； the amount of smallpox used； and the results all were tabulated in a puter that only the international inspection teams could access。 Such safeguards had been designed to prevent unauthorized use of smallpox in experiments such as gene splicing or replication。
The inspection teams had never found evidence of anything other than approved research in Building 103。 Their reports praised the Russian scientists for their attempts to discover whether or not smallpox might hide the key to diseases that still plagued mankind。 Finally； after reviewing the formidable security arrangements… which relied almost exclusively on electronic and video surveillance； and so kept the need for human beings to a minimum… the inspectors signed off on the integrity of Building 103。 After all； not so much as a gram of variola had ever been unaccounted for。
Russian President Potrenko's call to the Special Forces training unit outside Vladimir was logged in at 1：03 A。M。 Six minutes later； one of the duty officers was knocking on the door to Colonel Vassily Kravchenko's cottage。 At half past the hour； Kravchenko was in his office； listening to Potrenko's detailed orders to install an undetectable quarantine that would seal Bioaparat from the outside world。
A short； stocky man； Kravchenko was a veteran of Afghanistan； Chechnya； and other places where his Special Forces had been sent。 Wounded in action； he'd been relieved of active duty and sent to Vladimir to oversee the training of new recruits。 After hearing what Potrenko had to say； the timing of the call gratified him： he had two hundred soldiers who had just pleted their field exercises。 With them； he could seal off the entire town of Vladimir； much less the Bioaparat plex。
Kravchenko answered Potrenko's questions quickly and succinctly； assuring him that within the hour； he could have his men in position。 No one inside the pound or in the town would be any the wiser。
〃Mr。 President；〃 he said。 〃What are my exact orders if someone attempts to exit Bioaparat after the quarantine is in place？〃
〃Give one warning； Colonel。 Only one。 If he resists or attempts to escape； use of deadly force is hereby authorized。 I need not remind you why。〃
〃No； Mr。 President。〃
Kravchenko was all too familiar with the hellish concoctions stored in the ultrasecret holds of Bioaparat。 He had also witnessed chemical warfare in Afghanistan； and its results were indelibly printed on his memory。
〃I will execute your directive as ordered； Mr。 President。〃
〃And I will expect to hear from you when the cordon is in place； Colonel。〃
While Kravchenko and Potrenko were finishing their call； Lieutenant Grigori Yardeni of the Bioaparat Security Detail （BSD） was in his office in Building 103。 He was watching the bank of closed…circuit television monitors when the cell phone in his pocket went off。
The voice was garbled by a synthesizer and sounded like a strangled whisper。 〃Do it now。 And prepare to use the Option Two。 Do you understand？〃
Yardeni managed to get the words out； barely： 〃Option Two。〃
He sat there for a moment； frozen by the implications of what he'd just heard。 So many nights he had imagined receiving the call that now； having e； it seemed unreal。
You've been waiting your whole life for this chance。 Get on with it！
There were sixty cameras situated throughout Zones One and Two； all of them hooked up to video players。 The machines themselves were in a fireproof cabinet equipped with a time lock that could be opened only at the end of a shift； and only by Yardeni's superiors。 In addition； the video players were absolutely tamperproof。 Yardeni had long ago realized that he had no options as to how to carry out the theft。
The lieutenant was a strapping young man； well over six feet； with curly blond hair and chiseled features。 He was a favorite at the Little Boy Blue cabaret； a male strip club in Vladimir。 Every Tuesday and Thursday； Yardeni and a few other BSD officers rubbed baby oil over their bulked…up frames and gyrated in front of screaming women。 They made more money in those few hours than in a month working for the state。
But Yardem had always had bigger ambitions。 A fanatical devotee of action films； his favorite star was Arnold Schwarzenegger； except that he was getting a little too old。 Yardeni thought there was no reason why someone with his looks and physique couldn't replace Arnold。 He'd heard that Hollywood was a mecca for tough； goodlooking hustlers with attitude。
For the past three years； Yardeni had been scheming to get to the West。 A problem he had in mon with thousands of other Russians was money： not only for the prohibitive exit taxes and air tickets； but enough to live on afterward。 Yardeni had seen pictures of Bel Air； he had no intention of arriving in Los Angeles penniless； forced to live in the Russian…immigrant ghetto。
The lieutenant checked the clock above his desk and rose； his military…style tunic straining across his chest。 It was after one o'clock； that time of night when the body is in its deepest slumber； when it is most vulnerable to death。 Except for the human and animal patrols outside and the security inside； Bioaparat； too； slept。
Yardeni reviewed the procedures he already knew by heart； then steadied himself and opened the door。 As he made his way through Zone One； he thought about the man who'd approached him almost a year ago。 Contact had been made at the Little Boy Blue； and at first he had thought that the man； one of the very few in the audience； was a homosexual。 That impression lasted only until the man revealed just how much he knew about Yardeni's life。 He described his parents and sister； detailed his high school and army careers； how Yardeni had been his division's boxing champion only to be cashiered when in a fit of rage； he had almost killed a fellow soldier with his bare fists。 The man had mented that for all intents and purposes； Yardeni's career would flatline here in Bioaparat； where he would sit daydreaming about what might have been while baby…sitting those who actually got to go to the shining cities。
Of course； one could always change one's destiny。。。。
Trying not to think about the cameras； Yardem proceeded to Zone Two through a corridor that was referred to as a 〃sanitary passageway。〃 It was really a progression of small； sterile rooms linked by connecting doors equipped with coded locks。 The locks did not hinder Yardeni； he had a key card and the master codes。
Entering the first cubicle； a changing room； he stripped and hit the red button on the wall。 A fine decontamination mist enveloped him。
The next three cubicles held separate items of the antiplague suit： blue socks and long underwear； a hood and cotton smock； the respirator； goggles； booties； and safety glasses。 Before leaving the last changing room； Yardeni reached for something that he had put in a locker at the beginning of his shift： a brushed aluminum Thermos…type container； the size of a flask。
He lifted the container in his gloved hand。 It was a marvel of engineering。 From the outside； it appeared to be nothing more than an expensive Western toy； functional but overly extravagant。 Even if one unscrewed the top and looked inside； nothing would seem amiss。 Only when the base was twisted counterclockwise would the container reveal its secret。
Carefully； Yardeni inched the base around until he heard the click。 Inside the double walls； tiny canisters released their contents of nitrogen。 Immediately； the container became cold to the touch； like a glass filled with shaved ice。
Slipping it into the pocket of his antiplague suit； Yardeni opened the door to the Zone Two lab。 Inside； he