d it； and watched the door begin to close。
e on； e on！
The door seemed to inch its way toward her。 As soon as Megan could reach the grips on the wheel； she began pulling。
She saw the flash of the saw as it sliced through the opening； only inches from her suit sleeve。 As Reed drew back for another strike； she managed to close the door and spin the wheel。 The locks set and Megan pulled the emergency lever to freeze them in place。
His rasping voice made her heart jump into her throat。 〃What a clever girl you are； Megan。 Can you hear me？ Did you fix your inter too？〃
Megan pressed a button on her unit and heard a faint crackle。
〃I can hear you breathing；〃 Reed said。 〃Or more accurately； hyperventilating。〃
〃And I can hear you； but not too well；〃 she said。 〃You'll have to speak up。〃
〃I'm glad you haven't lost your sense of humor；〃 Reed said。 〃Very slippery； what you did back there。 You were playing possum； weren't you？ Waiting for me。。。〃
〃Dylan。。。〃 She didn't know where to begin。
〃You think you're safe； don't you？〃 he said。 〃As long as the emergency locks are set； I can't get in。 But if you think about it； Megan； put aside your panic and really think； that's not true。〃
Megan struggled to understand what he was referring to but nothing came to mind。
〃No matter what you think you can do； you'll never leave this craft alive；〃 Reed continued。
Suppressing a shudder； she replied： 〃You won't win either； Dylan。 I'm going to destroy the horror you made here。〃
〃Really？ You have no idea what I did in there。〃
Oh； yes； I do！ 〃I'll find it！〃
〃With less than sixty minutes from touchdown？ I don't think so。 It'll be all you can do to stay alive when we go through the last stages of reentry。 And Megan？ Even if you found it； what would you do… dispose of it through the waste portals？ Not a bad idea… if we were still in space。 But since you have no idea what I was working on； how can you be sure that it would die once we're in the earth's atmosphere？ To jettison it would mean running the risk of possibly spreading it。〃
He paused。 〃You didn't see the bodies； did you？ Just as well； really。 But if you had； you wouldn't even think of dispersing a virus。〃
Reed chuckled。 〃Now you're asking yourself； where would I have put it？ How would it be disguised？ So many questions； and no time to find the answers。 Because we've just about reached our next bumpy ride。 If I were you； I'd find something to hang on to… fast。〃
Megan heard the click of the microphone as Reed signed off。 Then she felt a tremor race through the ship as the orbiter cut through another layer of the earth's atmosphere。 Without looking back； she began pulling herself down the tunnel toward the Spacelab。
Reed climbed back up to the flight deck and managed to strap himself into the mander's chair as waves of turbulence hit the shuttle。 The orbiter shuddered； then yawed。 Checking the instrument panel； Reed noted that the orbital maneuvering system engine had fired； slowing the craft just enough so that gravity could take effect。 If all went well； gravity would pull Discovery out of orbit and into a gentle glide to earth。
The shudders became a series of vibrations as the craft's speed dropped from twenty…five times to two times the speed of sound。 Then the buffeting ceased altogether and Discovery turned into its glide path。 The munications blackout had ended and Reed heard Landon's urgent voice。
〃Discovery； do you read？ Dylan； can you hear me？〃 After a pause： 〃Our instruments registered an onboard explosion。 Can you confirm？ Are you all right？〃
I don't have time for this right now； Harry。
Reed closed the munications channel and glanced over the instrument panel until he found what he was looking for。 He'd told Megan that she was mistaken in thinking that he couldn't get past the locks on the door to the tunnel。 He wondered if she'd figured out how。 Probably not。 As bright and as capable as Megan was； she was still a novice。 She couldn't have known that a switch on the flight deck could override the locks on the tunnel door。
There wasn't much to hang on to inside the Spacelab； so Megan improvised。 In the center of the lab was a metallic object that looked like something between a modern…day torture rack and a high…tech recliner。 Its technical name was a Space Physiology Experiment。 The crew called it the sled chair。 There； crew members； lying on their backs and strapped in securely； underwent tests on joints and muscles； the effects of gravity on the inner ear and on the eyeball； and various other experiments。
Having strapped herself into the sled chair； Megan managed to ride out the turbulence。 Now she undid the straps and； with substantial effort； got to her feet。 Light…headedness； caused by decreased blood volume； hit her immediately。 Megan knew it would take at least a few minutes for the volume to increase as the orbiter approached earth。 The process would have been faster if she'd had some water and salt tablets。
But you don't。 And you're running out of time！
She looked at the dozen racks that served as stations for Spacelab experiments。
Think！ Where would he have put it？
Megan's gaze traveled to the space accelerator measurement system； then to the critical point facility。 No。 She started to move to the microgravity vestibular investigator module； then stopped。
A virus。。。 Reed rearranged the order of the experiments。 He put himself first； taking my place！ He needed the Biorack！
Megan stepped over to the Biorack and fired up its systems。 The LCD was blank。
Whatever he did； he erased the records。
Looking into the Glovebox； she discovered it was empty。
This is where you did your work； you son of a bitch。 But where did you put the results？
Megan checked both incubator units； the access and control panels； and the power panel。 The latter had been on even before she'd touched the Biorack's operating system。。。
。。。because the cooler is on！
Megan opened the cooler and checked the contents。 Everything was in place。 Nothing had been taken out or added。 That left the freezer。
Pulling down the panel； she quickly inventoried the contents。 At first glance； everything could be accounted for。 Not satisfied； she pulled out one rack of standard test tubes； checked their markings； and set the rack back。 She repeated the process with two more racks。 In the third； she found a tube with no markings。
As soon as the shuttle's flight had stabilized； Reed unbuckled himself from the mander's chair。 He entered an override program into the puter； set the timer； and activated the sequence。 If his judgment was correct； he should reach the door to the tunnel just as the program released the emergency locks。
Climbing down the ladder； Reed entered mid…deck and plodded his way to the door。 He had only a few seconds to wait before the locks popped open。 Working the wheel； he pushed open the door and began crawling through the tunnel。 Reaching the end； he pulled open the door to the Spacelab。 There was Megan； standing by the Biorack； searching the cooler。
Reed came up behind her。 His right arm caught her across the chest while his foot swept her legs out from under her。 Gravity did the rest。 Megan fell back； landing heavily on her shoulder and rolling over。
〃Don't bother getting up；〃 Reed said into his microphone。 〃Can you hear me？〃
He saw her nod； then opened the freezer and pulled out a rack of test tubes。 He knew exactly where he'd placed the one containing the variola and there it was。 Tucking it into a pocket with a secure Velcro flap； he stepped back。 Megan had rolled over so that she could look at him。
〃You can still stop this； Dylan。〃
He shook his head。 〃You can't put the genie back into the bottle。 But at least you'll die knowing that it's our genie。〃
Reed never took his eyes off her as he backed away toward the door。 Stepping into the tunnel； he closed the door and locked it。
The overhead clock read twenty minutes to touchdown。
CHAPTER THIRTY
A little over an hour had passed since Air Force One had landed at Groome Lake； Nevada。 Escorted by a pair of F…15 Eagle interceptors； it had e in on the same runway that； a decade earlier； had been built to flig