Page 9 of A Ballad of Blackbirds and Betrayal

“But all with just enough exposure to become collateral damage,” Jade added.

“Exactly.”Sabrina pulled up detailed microscopy images.“What caught my attention wasn’t just the unusual symptoms, but the pattern of organ failure.It wasn’t consistent with any known pathogen, yet followed a precise progression that suggested deliberate engineering.The cellular destruction shows markers of a designer toxin targeting specific protein receptors found primarily in neurological and cardiovascular tissues.”

Sabrina paused, weighing how much to reveal.“Three weeks ago, after the second victim, I contacted Dr.Elaine Cho at BioGenix.”She traced the edge of her tablet with one finger.“We’d collaborated briefly at a research symposium on trauma response to chemical agents.Given the symptom presentation and the victims’ connections to BioGenix, I thought she might offer insights.”

“And?”Cal prompted, leaning forward.

“Her response was telling.Initially helpful, requesting detailed lab reports.Then—nothing.Radio silence.”Sabrina’s expression hardened.“When I followed up, she suddenly cited patient confidentiality protocols.For a research scientist with no direct patient contact to invoke HIPAA restrictions was more than unusual.A week later, the third victim arrived in my ER.”

“She was warned off,” Eden observed.

“Precisely.The next day, I received a formal cease and desist letter from BioGenix legal, threatening action against my medical license for harassment of their staff.”Sabrina pulled up the microscopy images again.“That’s when I knew.No one responds that aggressively to a standard medical consultation unless they’re hiding something catastrophic.”

She turned back to the scientific evidence.“Whatever they’re developing at BioGenix, it’s unlike anything I’ve encountered.The precise tissue targeting is…remarkable, in the most horrifying way possible.”

Cal whistled softly.“They’ve engineered something that can target specific tissues while leaving others intact?”

“That’s my assessment,” Sabrina confirmed.“Which makes it ideal for weaponization.It could be calibrated to cause maximum casualties or chronic disability without destroying infrastructure or creating environmental contamination.”

“The perfect weapon,” Nate said grimly.“Devastating but contained.”

“And nearly impossible to trace back to its source,” Sabrina added.“Without specialized testing that most hospitals lack, it would present as an unusual but not immediately suspicious cluster of deaths.By the time anyone connected the patterns, the damage would be done.”

Atticus had remained silent during her presentation, watching her with that unsettling intensity.Now he leaned forward, fingers steepled.“Your professional assessment of BioGenix’s progress?”

“They’ve moved beyond theoretical research to practical application,” she said without hesitation.“These deaths weren’t just accidents—they were field tests.Observing how the toxin affects different demographics, exposure levels, and progression timelines.They’re fine-tuning it.”

“For deployment,” Max concluded.

“Or sale to the highest bidder,” Cal added.“Mitchell’s financial records show increased communication with several international contacts known for arms dealing.”

Atticus nodded, absorbing this information with measured calculation.“We need to infiltrate BioGenix, access their research directly, and destroy their samples before they can be weaponized further.”

“And we need to develop a treatment protocol,” Sabrina insisted.“Something that can be rapidly deployed if they’ve already distributed samples.”

“Both will require someone with medical expertise on the inside,” Eden said, her gaze settling on Sabrina with speculative assessment.

“I’m a trauma surgeon, not a spy,” Sabrina said.“I’d compromise your operation before I took two steps into BioGenix.”

“Not necessarily,” Atticus countered.“Your medical credentials would give you legitimate access and reason to ask questions that would seem suspicious coming from anyone else.”

“And we’d provide the necessary training and backup,” Nate added.

Sabrina looked around the table at these people who moved in shadows she’d never navigated, who dealt in violence and secrets as comfortably as she wielded a scalpel.“This is insane.You’re asking me to risk everything—my career, my license, possibly my life—on an unauthorized operation against a United States senator.”

“We’re asking you to help us stop a bioweapon that could kill millions of people,” Jade corrected, her voice soft but implacable.“Isn’t that why you became a doctor in the first place?To save lives?”

The question hit its mark.Before Sabrina could respond, Atticus stood.

“Dr.Wells has given us enough for today,” he said, his tone brooking no argument.“She needs time to consider her options.”

The others exchanged glances but rose without protest.They filed out of the conference room one by one, Cal with a cheeky salute in Sabrina’s direction, the others with the silent acknowledgment of professionals who recognized a tactical retreat when they saw one.

When they were alone, Atticus turned to Sabrina.“Let me show you something.”

He led her through the quiet executive floor to his private office—a corner suite with the same panoramic views but furnished in a way that balanced functionality with understated luxury.Unlike the sleek modernity of the conference room, this space contained elements that spoke of the man behind the corporate façade—bookshelves filled with military history and strategy texts, a wall displaying framed photographs, and a desk that looked as though it had witnessed the planning of campaigns that never made the history books.

“You’re asking them to back off,” Sabrina observed as he closed the door.“Why?”

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