Free Risking the World by Dorian Paul Page A

thrilled by the three-course meal that stared back at her:  green salad, mashed potatoes with mystery meat, and a fruit cup. Starter, entree, and dessert.
    Of course – beginning, middle, and end!  That's how she'd start her team off.  Brainstorming ideas into three categories: quick hits to put in place right away, approaches that were doable but would take a little time, and long shots that would kill Tivaz TB for certain – if they worked.
    She scooped the maraschino cherry off the top of her fruit cup with a plastic spoon.  She could get this team started . . . and Don would be here soon.
    As for living with a beautiful tiger in a London safe house, that was another thing altogether.  If only she had a mentor to guide her through that, she'd put up with paper plates and plastic silverware.

Chapter 10
     
    Bobby grabbed a guest office at the American Embassy and called James while his computer booted up.  "Dr. Ashe is on board.  She'll stay at Sherborne House with David and head up research at Sandra Cook's lab. But seems like Tivaz TB's gonna be a tough nut to crack."
    "I am told it's difficult to weaponize."
    "Hate to pin my hopes on the other guy failing." His computer signaled it was awake, and a string of e-mails confirmed the world's other threats hadn't stood still because he hopped over to London for this crisis.  There was even a message saying his mother had phoned a bunch of times – about Johnny.  "James, we're better off staying on offense."
    "David is seeking actionable intelligence through his North African connections."
    He closed the e-mail window.  This was no time to multi-task, especially when he was about to pass judgment on his best friend.  "I don't think David should run point on this operation."
    "Why ever not?  He's been inside Tivaz, knows the players."
    "Yep, and Varat and Black would be in our hands now if David kept his eye on the ball when he was in there."
    "The guard's attack on Dr. Ashe put him in an impossible position.  I'm not defending him, but what would you have had him do?"
    "Activate his GPS from inside the compound.  We might 'a got there before Varat and Black cleared out."
    "If Varat picked up the signal, he would have killed David and Dr. Ashe and fled in any case."
    "We'd be no worse off than we are now."  Except he'd have his dead friend on his conscience. 
    "Perhaps, but David freed Dr. Ashe, and right now she's our best hope for an antidote."
    "If he didn't blow the mission we wouldn't be worrying about a fucking antidote."  Even as he said it he knew he was being a hard-ass, but his job was on the line too.
    "We do not know that for certain.  Varat may well have stockpiled the germs elsewhere."
    James was defending David, and that's what you wanted your boss to do when shit happened in the field.  And he wanted to cut his friend a break too.  But that was the problem.  David was his friend, which was all the more reason not to cut him slack with other lives at risk.  "I'm still not convinced David's right for this job."
    "Why?  Surely you agree no one has a greater interest in bringing Varat to justice than he."
    "Yep, he's definitely obsessed with Varat."
    "Such feelings, properly channeled, can sometimes pay handsome dividends."
    "Or make a man lose his edge."  God, it sucked to say that about somebody he'd risked his life for and would do so again if necessary.  "Look, Bouchta was a U.S. lead.  I handpicked Tiger for the job.  He screwed up, and I'm in the hot seat."
    "I appreciate your situation with the powers-that-be, but we are all under pressure and I see no reason to relieve David of his responsibilities at this time."
    There was a soft knock and he decided it wasn't worth it to push James anymore on this.  He'd just have to be mighty careful he kept David on short leash.  He paused to open the office door, and the girl he tasked to buy clothes for Dr. Ashe smiled and gave him thumbs up.  Guess she fell for Claire Ashe too.  The