Free Dogs by Nancy Kress Page B

all might just be Jess himself. His own prejudices. He didn’t like politicians.
    â€œMs. Flaherty, I don’t know what I can tell you that Dr. Latkin hasn’t. I think it’s only going to get worse here. There are a lot of dogs in Tyler, and I hear a lot of them snarling and barking, shut up in garages and basements. People will call for us to go get them, or the dogs will get loose, or the owners will get bitten when they try to feed them. We’re running out of room to put the ones we have rounded up. I think—oh, shit!”
    Ms. Flaherty and Dr. Latkin both looked startled by Jess’s outburst, as well they might. A television sat in one corner, volume on mute, and Jess had seen Billy walk on screen, pounced on by the blonde KJV-TV reporter. Jess said, “Excuse me, that’s my assistant, he shouldn’t be talking to reporters, I didn’t tell him that because I never thought he—”
    â€œSaul,” Dr. Latkin said to a young man hovering nearby, “get that animal control officer away from that reporter. Now.”
    â€œNo, it’s all right,” Ms. Flaherty said, surprising both Jess and Dr. Latkin, who stared at her from his pale eyes. “Media attention on this is inevitable, I’m afraid. Mr. Langstrom, Dr. Latkin said it’s your recommendation that we quarantine Tyler. Is that true?”
    She leaned forward slightly on the balls of her feet, Jess noticed, almost like a fighter ready for a bout. She wanted not only media attention but a quarantine—why? It was almost enough to turn him away from the idea, but that was dumb. He said carefully, “I think it would be very difficult to do, but things will be more difficult if any of these dogs infect animals from Flatsburgh or Linville and the infection—is it an infection, Doctor?”
    Latkin said, “We haven’t isolated the pathogen from any of the dogs’ brains yet, but we’ve only had nine hours so far.”
    Joanne Flaherty said, “Do you want more people on this, Doctor?”
    Latkin blinked. Of course he wanted more people, Jess thought—government agencies always wanted more people on their projects. More people meant more support, more budget, more importance.
    â€œIf you think that’s possible, Joanne.”
    â€œIt may be. And once again, Mr. Langstrom, do you agree with Dr. Latkin that a quarantine is necessary here?”
    â€œYes,” Jess said, at the same moment that Latkin said, “I’m not sure I’m ready to go on record at this point as definitely—”
    â€œGood,” she said. “Doctor, may I see the mobile lab now? I have to be back in Washington in an hour and a half. The White House is expecting me.”
    Which, again, could mean anything. Jess didn’t like Joanne Flaherty. Not that it mattered; he would never see her again. He walked to the TV and turned up the volume just in time to hear Billy say, “Got her right between the eyes, Annie. At least one ol’ bitch won’t be biting any more kids. And your pretty little self is safer, too.” Billy grinned lasciviously and Jess groaned.
    â€œPlease tell me who’s in charge here,” another voice said, and Jess turned to see another woman stride into the room, followed by a furious and very young sheriff’s deputy that Jess didn’t recognize.
    â€œI’m sorry, sir, she just kept on walking and I didn’t want to…says she’s FBI.”
    â€œNo, I said a ‘former FBI agent’ and now a citizen of Tyler and a dog owner, so naturally I want straight information and not rumors,” the woman said. She had short black hair with gel-goop in it; the hair looked even blacker against her pale skin. Her gaze passed dismissingly over Joanne Flaherty and lighted unerringly on Latkin, which amused Jess. “Are you the principal investigator from the CDC?”
    â€œDr. Joseph Latkin. But this is a