Edwin quickly exited the police station, and ducked into the parking garage. Inside the car, he glanced around – the parking garage was empty. He rubbed his eyes, and ran his hands through his hair. He needed to make the call.

A tired female voice answered, “Dr. Flynn, is that you?”

“Yes.”
“And?” – the voice wavered hesitantly.
“I couldn’t get access to a body – the morgue is a zoo. But there’s no mistake – it’s a variant of Strain 253.” He paused “and Ellen… It’s mutated.”
“Mutated?” She sighed softly.
He continued, “Yes. It must have evolved a new host vector – it’s reproducing in the wild.”
silence…
then, “Get back to the lab.”
“I’m returning now.”

He’d been searching for Strain 253 on the assumption that it would be easily contained once found. Now, his own words grimly echoed in his mind – if it was able to sustain a life cycle outside of the lab… How did it spread? How fast can it spread?
He needed information. And getting it would mean getting dirty…

He started driving.