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Chapter 1

The cold wind ripped at her face and through her thick Ralph Lauren camel coat. Kara quickened her pace, cursing under her breath, ‘Damn the fucking car.’ She rarely swore in public, but this freezing cold morning, she felt like screaming obscenities. The bus stop was a short distance and rather than wait for the AA man, she headed off, determined not to be late for work.

Just as she reached the end of her close, she noticed a woman, the same one she’d seen staring at her in Tesco yesterday. Dressed in a long black coat and black gloves, the tall fair-haired lady grinned. Kara was about to say good morning when the woman curled her lip and smirked. Baffled by the odd interaction, Kara looked away. She put her head down and continued.

As she hurried along the main road that separated the private development from the council estate, she pulled her hat down below her ears to stop the wind biting and giving her an earache. The bus shot past her, and her heart sank. She felt like crying. First, the car wouldn’t start, and now she’d missed the bus. She contemplated going home and calling in sick, but she’d had two days off last week with that excuse and it wasn’t going down too well with her manager.

The only other option was to cut through the estate and catch another bus; they were more frequent from the other side. She had only ever done this twice before and both times had been a nightmare. On the first occasion, she was almost in the middle of a war between two families hurling bricks at each other, and on the second one, she was chased by a pit bull. Luckily, the owner managed to stop the dog in its tracks before it sunk its teeth into her. Even so, it frightened the life out of her.

She stopped at the kerb and faltered for a second before crossing the road. None of the winos would be out this early, the teenagers would still be asleep, and so she made a decision to go for it. Besides, she was frozen to the bone, and waiting another half an hour would really cause her to spin on her heels and return to the warmth of her home. She stepped off the pavement, making her way through the estate. It was so gloomy and dingy, she felt as though she had entered a Mad Max film.

Why the council couldn’t help these people by adding a play area or fixing the broken windows was beyond her. It saddened her to think that the poorer members of society were shoved into homes like these. It reminded her every day that they had nothing.

She passed the first block and was almost knocked down. A woman pushing a buggy wasn’t looking where she was going because she had her neck craning over her shoulder, shouting up at the top maisonette, which was three storeys high. Kara looked at the baby in the buggy and smiled.

‘You’re a right no-good, a fucking wrong ’un, Billy Big Balls. I swear on me muvver’s eyesight, you’ll not fucking see me or the baby again, ya dirty cunt!’ screamed the woman. Then, she turned to march on and glared at Kara, looking her up and down and making no bones about it. ‘What are you fucking gawping at? Ya fucking snob!’

Kara was stunned. Before she could answer, the woman pushed past her, still shouting foul-mouthed insults. Glancing down at her expensive coat, long real leather boots, and Louis Vuitton handbag, she felt self-conscious and out of place. Again, she felt near to tears because she wasn’t a snob.

She looked up at the man hanging over the balcony with a white vest and his arms covered in tattoos. ‘Julie, get back ’ere, ya fucking stupid bitch. I ain’t gone anywhere near ya fucking sister!’

‘Go and fucking hug a landmine, ya rotten dirty scrot.’

Kara looked away and carried on ahead. The main road was now in sight, as she hurried her way through the rubbish, dirt, and debris. Luckily, the bus arrived a minute or two later. The heat hit her, as she stepped on the bus and paid the driver. Instantly, the warm air made her nose run and her cheeks tingle. She got herself comfortable and waited for the driver to pull away.

But there was a hold-up. Kara looked out of the front window to see the mother with the buggy running down the road waving her hands to stop the vehicle. Kara smiled to herself. The woman had so much nerve to run down the middle of the road, swearing at the drivers of the two cars that hooted at her. The doors flew open and she hopped on, dragging the buggy behind her. ‘Cheers, mate. Cor, it’s fucking taters out there,’ she said, out of breath.

The bus driver obviously knew who she was. ‘Off back to ya muvver’s, Julie?’ he asked half-laughing.

Still struggling to find her purse, she replied, ‘Yeah, that fat cunt has been sniffing around our Sharon again. I’m off up there to give her a fucking thump. Er, Tom, I think I’ve left me purse at home.’

Kara felt in her pocket for change, ready to offer the woman’s fare, but the driver replied to the woman, ‘Just get on, Julie.’

Kara watched as the skinny woman, dressed in a tight tracksuit and a body warmer, tugged the buggy and plonked herself onto the side seat. On the back of the buggy was a big bag that she dived into; she retrieved a dummy, sucked it clean, and stuffed it in the baby’s mouth. Kara noticed the woman’s hands were shaking and discerned the sores around her mouth. Her hair, tightly pulled back in a scruffy bun against her pale skin, did her no favours whatsoever. Two huge loop earrings dangled from her ears and a stud had been inserted through her eyebrow.

The woman noticed her staring and glared back. ‘Do you know me or what? Ya keep staring, ya nosy prat!’

Kara looked away and stared out of the side window. Her intention wasn’t to be nosy; she actually felt sorry for the girl.

As they approached the next stop, another young woman was waiting; she was so much like Julie, they could have been sisters. As soon as she hopped on, she plonked herself next to Julie. ‘All right, Jue, where ya off to, then?’

Julie was searching through her tatty-looking fake Prada bag. ‘Me muvver’s, to see that skanky sister of mine. I found fat boy’s phone with text messages on it, and I swear, it’s her again. Well, she’s gonna get it this time.’

The other girl was chewing gum and smiling at the baby. ‘Jue, why don’t ya just leave him? I mean, if it ain’t ya sister, it’s some other slag.’

Julie sighed and looked at her friend. ‘Diane, where the fuck am I gonna go, eh? I can’t live at me ol’ gal’s. My flat is all I ’ave, and that fat cunt won’t get out. I wish he would get so pissed, he falls over the balcony and kills himself, or, I swear, one day, I’ll give him a helping hand.’

Kara couldn’t look at the girls; instead, she stared out of the window and listened to them talking about a world far removed from her own. She counted herself lucky that she had a job and money. Her life could have been so much worse. She had worked so hard though to get to where she was. Constantly studying – while everyone else her age was having fun enjoying parties, clubbing, and sports – had been a huge personal commitment but a necessary one to have the options in life she both wanted and needed.

Fortunately for her, the next stop was just ahead. So, as soon as the bus came to a halt and the doors flung open, she jumped the two steps and instantly threw up, luckily missing her coat. Where had the time gone? she wondered. She should have waited for the AA man.

Eventually, she was through a security gate and inside her lab, ready to get to work. Her lab was the biggest in the building and situated at the end of the corridor; opposite was the office that her manager occupied. She knocked and entered, as she always did, but was surprised to see two men dressed in dark suits in the middle of a conversation with Professor Roger Luken.

‘Ahh and here is Kara Bannon,’ said Roger, swinging on his swivel chair that had almost worn down to the sponge cushioning. His ruddy complexion was stark against his pure white mop of thick hair. He was a fit-looking man for fifty-eight, and yet, with his white lab coat and red spotted bow tie, he did appear to be every bit the mad professor.

Kara smiled nervously, not aware of who the visitors were.

‘Kara, this is Dr Chan and Professor Naughton. They flew in early this morning. They are here to discuss moving the research project over to Denmark. I have told them all about your work and they are eager to see the set-up.’

Nervously, she smiled again and her hands felt clammy. She wasn’t used to working alongside strangers or being unprepared. Roger knew what she was like: she was meticulous, well planned, and organised. Her boss must have known weeks ago. Under normal circumstances, he would have given her plenty of notice, but after the horrendous blunder she caused a few months ago, their relationship had changed. He wasn’t so accommodating or friendly. She missed the banter and how he used to treat her with care and father-like kindness.

‘Oh, I wasn’t expecting … er … I mean, I haven’t prepared.’

Roger waved his hand. ‘Oh, don’t be silly. They just want to see a dummy run. Besides, you will be leading the project in Denmark yourself.’

Kara raised her eyebrows and forgot herself. ‘What do you mean, Roger?’ Her eyes darted from the visitors back to the professor.

It was Dr Chan who spoke up first. He could see how uncomfortable she was. ‘It’s lovely to meet you, Kara.’ He put his hand out to shake hers. Flat and subdued, she returned the gesture.

‘We think the assay that you have designed will fit in very well with our research and we would be honoured if you would work with my team to ensure we have the system operating at its maximum potential. There are always teething issues, and so, it would save us time if you were to initiate the project.’

Kara tried to take it all in, but her sickness was back again, and the waves of nausea were washing over her and filling her with dread.

Roger firmly got up from his chair and turned to face the two men. ‘Would you excuse us, gentlemen?’ He guided Kara out of the room and into her lab. ‘What’s the matter with you? You look as if I have asked you to go to the gas chamber.’

Kara studied his concerned face and felt a twinge of guilt. She let out a weary sigh, as her eyes fell to the floor.

‘I’m sorry, Roger, I didn’t mean to appear so ungrateful. I just don’t like surprises. You know me, Miss Fussy Pants.’ She attempted to laugh it off.

For the first time, she saw the annoyance spread across his face. ‘Kara, if you turn this down, then I am afraid you won’t be able to continue with your research, including your own project.’

Those words were enough to wake her up and bring her back down to earth. ‘Of course, I’m happy to go to Denmark and help set the project up. I was just shocked, that’s all,’ she replied, with forced cheerfulness.

Roger gave her a cold stare. ‘Kara, you know how this works. You must be ready to work overseas at a minute’s notice. These projects are not for us to run. You know they are designed here and used at the company’s other sites. You are in a very privileged position. Many others would chew my right hand off to have the opportunities you’ve been given. Now, don’t mess it up.’ He shot her a warning glare that sent a shiver down her spine.

Kara was upset that he was teetering on being angry with her. She felt the burning vomit rising again, and without a word, she fled to the toilets and threw up. Ten minutes later, she returned to the lab to find Roger, with a pipette in his hand, already setting up the assay. He glanced over his shoulder with a look of disdain and she felt gutted to have disappointed him. The only thing she could do was put a smile on her face and take over.

‘Right, where have we got to?’ She squeezed past Roger and the two visiting researchers, before pulling on a pair of rubber gloves.

‘I have just coated the bottles with T12 cells. Are you happy to take over?’ He gave her a false smile.

Kara nodded and mouthed the word ‘Sorry’.

By lunchtime, she felt exhausted and was glad Dr Chan and Professor Naughton were ready to head back to the airport. She much preferred to work alone. It was even harder making polite conversation with two strangers. She loved her job but liked peace and quiet to concentrate. Part of her work involved designing routine tests to identify various strains of viruses that may have mutated. She used tissue culture, a layer of human cells, to coat the flat-bottomed bottle, and then she added the viral samples, before further contaminating the bottle with various bacteria.

The results were promising, as they demonstrated whether the virus had the capability to infect the specific bacteria or attack the human cells. This determined the level of mutation. As the most senior bacteriologist in the team, with the exception of course of Professor Luken, it was also her job to test random samples of vaccine batches. Holding a position of great responsibility, she was also allowed to do her own research, which was funded by the company. It was a project that would hold her in high esteem among the top scientists.

The tearoom at the other end of the corridor was quiet. Most of the staff had gone to the main canteen. Kara pulled sandwiches from her bag and examined the limp cheese and bread, which had been made soggy by the overripe tomatoes. She threw them back into the box and pulled out an apple. Kara was startled by her mobile phone, which vibrated in her back pocket. She’d forgotten she’d had it on silent. As she struggled to answer it before it rang off, she didn’t look at the number, assuming it was Justin, her boyfriend. ‘Hello?’ She tried to sound upbeat.

However, the voice that greeted her was anything but upbeat. In fact, it was chilling. ‘Kara, Kara, perfect Kara, how’s dearest Justin?’ A cold, sickly chuckle ended the call.

The apple fell out of her hand and rolled under the table, as Kara stared at the number. The voice was unrecognisable but the call had come from her mother’s phone.

Before she had a chance to call back, Roger popped his head around the door, and as soon as he saw her there alone, he came inside and sat opposite. ‘So, what’s going on, Kara? You have been offish for weeks now.’

Her face was blank. She seemed to be staring aimlessly.

‘Kara, are you listening to me?’ he growled.

His raised voice snapped her out of her daze. ‘Weeks?’ she mustered.

He ran a hand through his long wiry hair and nodded. ‘Yes, Kara, weeks. You have messed up three tests. Luckily, I realised and corrected your mistakes before the results went out. And I haven’t forgotten the serious cock-up with the pigbel drugs.’

She bowed her head in embarrassment. That really was a huge mistake and one she would never repeat.

‘It’s not like you. Usually, you are meticulous, and to be perfectly frank, you’re faultless, but you cannot afford to mess up. These are safety class four bugs and you are trained in this area because you are so good at your job. If this keeps happening, Kara, you will have to go back to quality control.’

‘I am really sorry. Look, I will go to Denmark and sort myself out. I’ve just been feeling unwell. It’s some dodgy virus I picked up from Papua New Guinea. When do I go?’

Roger stood up to leave. ‘Tomorrow night. The flights are booked. A car will pick you up at seven o’clock, and you will be away for two weeks or longer, if need be.’ His words were flat and not his usual endearing tone. Kara then heard him outside laughing with Sam James, the lab technician. Her heart sank. Roger usually laughed with her, but not today, and in fact not for a while now. She couldn’t really blame him. It was her own fault – she was the one being distant. However, her pride wouldn’t let her confide in him the reasons why she was not herself.

After making a cup of tea, she sat back on one of the mismatched chairs and sniffed away the tears that were ready to tumble down her face. The thought of going to Denmark for two weeks left her desolate. How could she sort things out with Justin, if she was away in another country?

But there was also something else bothering her – that weird phone call. The only other person who ever answered her mother’s phone was Lucille, the carer. But the caller’s voice, although somewhat similar, had such an unearthly tone to it.