Previously

A weaponized virus has surfaced on US soil, planned to be used against American citizens. Former federal agent Adam Black has been brought back to work to find and secure the virus before it ends up in the hands of terrorists. After being successful in retrieving the virus with his partner Gwen DuClare, Adam was betrayed by Gwen who was revealed to be after the virus herself, and was able to escape with it. As time is ticking, Adam and the Anti Terrorist Coalition ATC are attempting to track down the virus before it's too late. There is also personal conflict brewing between Adam and Paul, the husband of Adam's former fiancée Maria, which is interfering with their work.

November 1st, 2023. 3:56pm - Los Angeles

The White House

After receiving a call from the man claiming to be in possession of the Azrael virus, the President is scrambling to keep himself together. He's too nervous to sit down, and paces around his office. Palmer tries to calm him down, though he is also unsure of the situation.

"Mr. President, if I may."

The President opts instead to air his grievances first.

"If what that man said is true. I can not fathom the possibility of him releasing the virus at a high school full of kids."

"It is an unfortunate set of circumstances, Mr. President."

Morgan is on his second term as President, and make no doubt it, he is a hard boiled politician. But he does have a heart, buried beneath the suit and the bureaucracy. This makes feel uneasy about Palmer's apparent coldness regarding what has apparently just taken place.

"An unfortunate set of circumstances? This is a bit more than that, Palmer. Children exposed to that virus will die. I must say I find your lack of reaction unsettling."

Palmer, however, sees the President's strong reaction as a weakness, not befitting the nation's leader during a crisis like this. A conflict between the two seems to be on the horizon, one way or another.

"I share your sentiments, Mr. President, but right now we can't give in to the fear. We don't even know if what he said was true. We need confirmation before we know how to act."

"I'm calling Adam."

The President dials Adam's number on the phone. Adam and Paul are still driving to the school, unaware of the details of Dietrich's phone call to the President.

"Adam? It's me."

"Yeah, go ahead."

"Are you able to confirm that the man who called just now is indeed in possession of the Azrael virus?"

"Not for certain, but he had my number and knew to call me to get through to you. Since whoever has the virus seems to be working with Gwen, I'd say it's a high probability. Why did he want to talk with you?"

"He called me to inform me that I should pay attention to what is happening at the Los Angeles High School. And that more drastic events would occur should I not comply to his demands the next time he contacts me."

"Son of a bitch... Mr. President, we're currently on our way there. We're pursuing a student of that school, Samuel Parker, who was apparently used as a courier for the virus, likely unknowingly. In light of that phone call we now have reason to believe the virus has been released at the school."

"So, it's true."

"Appears to be that way, yes."

Paul then intercepts in the conversation.

"If the virus is out, we can't go in there. We need to ATC to provide a hazmat team to go inside."

Adam realizes that this was probably not a main goal for whoever has the virus. It was just meant as a message, and as a way to slow down the investigation since now ATC needs to provide man power to deal with the school.

"Yeah, you're right. Right now, Samuel Parker is our best lead. We need to find him. The school needs to be quarantined. If the infected people leave the school, the virus will be impossible to contain."

The grim realization of high school students being told that they will not be going home, ever, is hitting the President. Not to mention the parents who will not be seeing their kids come home. It is all quite much to take in.

"Adam. You do whatever it takes to find this man."

"I will, Mr. President."

---

Los Angeles High School

Samuel and Jennifer are covered in the white powder that was released from the briefcase, both confused and scared, not sure what to do. Jennifer understands that whatever the powder is must be the virus that was talked about. But what does the virus do, exactly? Is it lethal? What does it all mean? Samuel, on the other hand, is not aware of what is happening in the slightest.

The other kids have gathered in a circle around the scene, there's a lot of chatter and weirded out looks surrounding Samuel and Jennifer.

"What the... Jennifer, you okay?"

"No! No, I'm not okay! Everybody, stay away!"

The kids think Jennifer is simply embarrassed, and there's some slight giggling going on, since no one could ever guess that by standing there they are exposing themselves to a deadly virus.

"I'm serious! This stuff can be deadly! It's some sort of a virus!"

This being the first Samuel hears about this, his mood changes from confusion to even more severe confusion, mixed in with worry.

"A virus? What are you talking about?"

"The woman who gave you the briefcase was talking about a virus, I called the police, and they're looking for this, and..."

"You followed me?"

"Yes! You should have told me! Samuel, how could you do this! You've been working with these... these criminals! Spreading a VIRUS"

This stops the chattering and the giggling among the other students, as they are replaced by a dead silence that fills the room.

"I swear I didn't know, Jennifer, I..."

Tears fill Samuel's eyes as he is starting to realize the ramifications of what was supposed to be, at worst, a small crime to make some extra cash.

"They didn't tell me, I never asked, I just..."

The other kids start getting anxious, and the silence that occupied the space a moment ago turns to chaos as students start to run away from the school.

"Samuel, the cops are arriving, I need you to..."

"The cops are coming here?! I... I'm responsible! I can't! Jennifer, I'm sorry, I can't!"

Samuel disappears in the crowd of students, while Jennifer tries to catch up.

"Samuel!"

---

Still a few minutes out, Adam is calling the school to inform that everyone exposed to the virus are to be kept inside.

"My name is Adam Black, I'm working for the Anti Terrorist Coalition of Los Angeles, and right now we have reason to believe that your school has been exposed to a deadly virus. I can not express the importance of keeping everybody inside. We have a hazmat team on the way. This is not a drill."

What he just heard is not something that the school principal was expecting to come across when he woke up to go to work that day.

"Are you serious?"

"Dead serious! You need to make sure no one leaves the school! If people spread the virus around the city once it becomes infectious, the consequences will be disastrous! I repeat: this is not a joke, this is not a drill!"

"Very well."

Upon hanging up the phone, the principal is notified of the chaos going on in the school by a co-worker. He quickly goes on the school radio to make an announcement.

"Everybody! This is the principal! I have just been informed of a viral threat that has hit this school. It is absolutely necessary for everybody to stay inside the building! Otherwise what has struck this school will spread throughout the city. It will spread to your friends and loved ones. You don't want to be responsible for that. I am as scared as all of you, but we must do what we can to stop this from getting worse. Please."

The possibility of infecting their loved ones stops most of the students to stop for a moment, though there were those already outside of the premises who did not hear the announcement.

Adam and Paul arrive at the scene just in time to stop their car in front of the crowd of students. Adam jumps out of the car and fires his gun up in the air, which freezes the students.

Adam then points his gun at the crowd. Never would he ever actually shoot innocent high school students, but in order to control the situation, he has to bluff and make it seem like he would. Paul doesn't have it in him to even bluff something like that, and even though he understands the situation, he is quite appalled at Adam's willingness to go that far. Though he understands what's at stake.

"Federal agent! Anyone takes another step and I will fire this gun! I don't want to, but I will! A virus has been released inside this school, and I can not allow you to venture into the city at the risk of infecting the entire city. I'm sorry."

Looking at the defeated faces of the students who just an hour or so ago had their entire lives ahead of them fills Adam with almost unbearable hatred towards whoever is responsible for what has taken place.

He then whispers to Paul.

"So help me God, I'm gonna kill whoever did this."

The gravity of the situation makes Paul forget any beef he may have had with Paul. It makes you reconsider a lot of things looking at high school students who will be dead in a couple of hours.

"Not if I kill him first, Adam. But we need to find Samuel Parker."

"Well, we can't go inside right now, and we don't even know what he looks like. I'll try to contact his girlfriend."

---

The White House

The President is not sure what to do, or if there is anything that he can do, besides wait. He has not left the oval office since receiving the phone call. All he has done is contemplate the lives of the students in the high school.

"What could possibly compell someone to do something like this?"

Collins remains rational and pragmatic.

"I could not tell you, sir. But I must ask you. Are you planning to negotiate with this man?"

"What do you mean?"

"Right before hanging up, he said that if you fail to comply to his wishes, he is prepared to release more of the virus. Sir, this would mean that he could hold the entire country hostage."

The President is conflicted. It's national policy never to negotiate with a terrorist, but the thought of more events like the one that is taking place at the school is tearing him apart.

"Truth be told, Palmer. I don't know."

"Sir, with all due respect, you can not let this man control you. You give in once, when is he going to stop?"

"I would be condemning thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, if not more, American citizens to death at the hands of this virus."

"Sometimes, when sitting in the chair you're sitting in, hard decisions must be made. For the integrity of the nation, as well as the presidency."

The President simply does not come up with a reply.

The phone rings again.

It's immediately picked up and the President already knows who it must be.

"I will assure you. You will pay for what you've done. Not a promise, a guarantee."

Dietrich is not at all scared by the empty threat made by the President.

"No, Mr. President. Today is the day your country pays dearly for the crimes it has commited for the past several decades. You are no longer in charge of your country."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"In fifteen minutes, you will be holding a press conference."

"A press conference about what?"

"You will be informing the American public that they are no longer safe in their home country. You will let them know their country is under attacked. You will not disclose the nature of the threat. You will simply tell them that an attack is happening. Let them know what it feels like to live in fear. To know that wherever you go, you can never safe. And you will also tell them the following: this attack is the direct result of the politics of the elected leaders that the American public has chosen for themselves, time and time again."

The President feels there is no way he can disgrace himself like this. But he also knows that if he doesn't, more civilians will pay for it with their lives.

"That is an obscene suggestion!"

"You have fifteen minutes to think about it, Mr. President. Failure to comply will result in the release of more of the Azrael virus. The school was a warning shot. The next target will be far deadlier."

"You're insane! You condemned innocent children to death!"

"Let me remind you, Mr. President, that killing children has been part of the foreign policy of your government for years. I didn't do anything your government hasn't done. Tell me, Mr. President. How does it now feel when someone actually has the power - to push back? Fifteen minutes."

Dietrich hangs up.

The President simply turns to Palmer.

"In God's name. If ATC doesn't find this man, what am I going to do?"

Los Angeles High School

The President phones Adam to let him know about the latest development.

"Go ahead, Mr. President."

"Do you have any new leads on the man holding the virus?"

"No, we don't. We're at the school, trying to locate Samuel Parker. His girlfriend Jennifer Lynch is on her way to talk with us, we'll try to get a lead on where Samuel is."

"The man called back just now."

"What did he want?"

"He told me to hold a press conference, stating that the country is under attack. And the government is to blame, with American citizens paying the price."

"That will lead to widespread panic."

"I know. And that's what he wants."

Adam ponders the situation for a second. He knows the political and societal ramifications of making a statement like that with the President himself stating that the government is to blame for the country being under attack. Adam knows that it's a hard sell for the President to follow through.

"Mr. President, I think the best play right now is to play along."

"You really think so, Adam?"

"Yes, I do. We need to buy some time. Try to stretch the press conference for as long as you can. Use my involvement."

"I'm not sure what you mean by that?"

"This man will not be making his next move until the press conference is over. Bring up my name, and there will be questions. Take as long as you can."

He does not like any of this one bit, but the President understands that Adam is probably right; he and ATC need to buy time in order to find the man responsible, and currently there doesn't seem to be an alternative for doing so.

"Very well. I will hold the press conference. But you better find this man before it's too late. I can not allow him holding this country hostage."

"I understand the situation."

"Find him."

"I will."

---

ATC Headquarters

Richard has briefed the ATC staff about what took place at the school, and Maria is leading a hazmat team to the site.

Theodore Clark, a quiet, fairly recent employee on the tech team, who usually simply stays out of everybody's way and keeps to himself, leaves his desk, telling his co-worker he's heading to the bathroom.

But instead of heading to the bathroom, he goes behind a corner to make a phone call.

"Some of the virus has been released at LA High, ATC is tracking down the courier of the virus, some kid who probably doesn't even know what he's involved with. But if ATC can track his phone calls, maybe they can find the guy who has the virus."

The voice of a male is on the other end.

"Is Adam on the field right now?"

"Yeah, he's at the school with Paul Douglas."

"Alright, keep me posted. I can't let Adam see me. Let me know when you know something, alright?"

"I'll keep you posted."

"Is your cover intact?"

"Should be."

"Good."