0373401965 (R) Read online

  Two doctors are on thin ice as they race to save the world from a deadly disease.

  Epidemic researcher Dr. Avery Thatcher has studied countless illnesses...but nothing prepares her for what she finds at a remote Antarctic base: the man she never wanted to see again and a mysterious ailment ravaging inhabitants. Avery will do whatever it takes to discover the illness’s cause, and she vows to keep her heartbreaking history with Dr. Grant Jones in the past—even if reignited passion brings them dangerously close.

  For Grant, ending this outbreak and regaining Avery’s trust are vital. As their hunt to contain a lethal pathogen escalates, he’ll put everything on the line to avert disaster. But will another insidious threat stop them both cold?

  “It’s your show,” Grant said, offering Avery a small smile.

  “Thanks,” she said softly. Her lips felt dry so she darted her tongue out to moisten them. Standing this close, she could see a flash of heat in the depths of his hazel eyes. Avery felt an answering warmth, a small coal of need that burned brighter the longer Grant watched her.

  How would he respond if she placed her hand on his chest and pressed her mouth to his? She knew what the boy would do. How would the man react?

  She never got the chance to find out. Quicker than thought, Grant dropped his head and kissed her, his lips warm and firm against her own. Avery inhaled deeply, the heady scent of Grant’s skin making her head spin. She sank into the comfort of his kiss, her body celebrating the rightness of this moment, this connection. The bad taste of her memories faded as she teased Grant’s tongue with her own, stoking his response as her own desire built.

  *

  We hope you enjoyed a sneak peek at the latest

  volume in Lara Lacombe’s exciting miniseries,

  Doctors in Danger!

  *

  If you’re on Twitter, tell us what you think of Harlequin Romantic Suspense! #harlequinromsuspense

  Dear Reader, People often ask where I get my ideas for a story. In this case, a scientific discovery made two years ago sparked my imagination. Researchers found a prehistoric virus trapped in the permafrost of Siberia, and when they thawed it out, they discovered it was still infectious! No need to panic, though—it only infects amoebas. As soon as I read that article, I knew the discovery would make a great premise for a book. Of course, I had to take a little artistic license here and there, but that’s all part of the fun.

  I hope you enjoy reading Grant and Avery’s story. And maybe it’s not so fictional after all—who knows what discoveries will be made in the future?

  All my best!

  Lara

  DR. DO-OR-DIE

  Lara Lacombe

  Lara Lacombe earned a PhD in microbiology and immunology and worked in several labs across the country before moving into the classroom. Her day job as a college science professor gives her time to pursue her other love—writing fast-paced romantic suspense with smart, nerdy heroines and dangerously attractive heroes. She loves to hear from readers! Find her on the web or contact her at [email protected].

  Books by Lara Lacombe

  Harlequin Romantic Suspense

  Doctors in Danger

  Enticed by the Operative

  Dr. Do-or-Die

  The Coltons of Texas

  Colton Baby Homecoming

  Deadly Contact

  Fatal Fallout

  Lethal Lies

  Killer Exposure

  Killer Season

  Visit Author Profile page at

  Harlequin.com for more titles.

  Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a FREE ebook!

  Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards

  http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010002

  For Mom, with love.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from Undercover in Conard County by Rachel Lee

  Prologue

  US Research Base, Fort Gilmour, Antarctica

  “I think I’ve found something.”

  There was a pause, and Paul Coleson imagined the man on the other end of the line mentally translating his words. The language barrier was one of the downsides of working with the Organization, a shadowy group of men and women that operated under the cover of an internationally respected charity. Four months ago, Paul hadn’t known they existed. He’d accepted their offer in good faith, seeing it as an opportunity to earn a little side money while working at the bottom of the world. But as time passed, their true intentions had become all too clear. Now he was just trying to make the best of a bad situation, cooperating in the hopes they would leave his family alone.

  “Tell me more.”

  He shoved his free hand in his pocket and swayed back and forth on his feet. He’d learned that if he kept moving, the infamous Antarctic cold couldn’t settle in his bones. Even though he spent most of his time inside, it was so damn cold in this godforsaken place he thought he’d never get warm again. “I isolated it from a core sample. So far, the results are promising.” He tried to keep the excitement out of his voice, so as not to raise their expectations. They’d all known from the beginning that he was basically conducting a fishing expedition. Results were desirable, but not guaranteed.

  Now that he had a potential lead, he didn’t want to misrepresent his preliminary findings—if they thought he had found a suitable candidate and it turned out to be a failure, things would not go well for him. And even though this was his first time working for the group, he’d learned enough about their operations to know that overpromising and underdelivering was not a sound strategy.

  Especially if he wanted to live.

  “What results?” The man’s voice was flat, with no hint of interest. They might as well be discussing the weather. But something told Paul that he had his contact’s full attention.

  He took a deep breath. “As I said, I isolated the agent from an ice sample. It thawed beautifully, and I’ve been testing it in cells.” And now for the good news. “It’s killed everything I put it in.”

  More silence, but he could practically feel the man’s focus sharpening. “How long does it take to kill?”

  “Forty-eight hours.”

  The man made a noncommittal noise, and a creeping sense of unease made the hairs on the back of Paul’s neck stand on end. He stopped swaying, his feet rooted to the floor as if glued there. His contact didn’t sound too happy with those results. What more could the man want?

  “We had hoped for a slower process. To make it more difficult to assign blame.”

  “Ah.” He let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding and started moving again. “Well, keep in mind these are just cells in a dish. Once you start human trials, I think you’ll find it will take longer, since the systems are larger and more complex.”

  Another silence, this time tinged with...amusement? What the—

  “I think you mean when you start the human trials.”

  “What?” Paul couldn’t keep the shock out of his voice, and he glanced around reflexively to make sure no one had overheard. The room was empty, but the interior walls were thin, something he’d do well to remember.

  “That was not part of the deal,” he hissed, careful to lower his voice. “I was just supposed to find potential agents and pass them along after doing the preliminary testin
g. No one said anything about human experimentation.” His gut cramped even as he said the words, not because of any moral objections, but because of the increased risk of doing such experiments. He was already sticking his neck out pretty far, risk-wise. If they wanted him to start infecting people, he was almost guaranteed to get caught.

  “The terms have changed.”

  “No,” he snapped. “You can’t.”

  As soon as the words were out, he realized his mistake. The man on the other end of the line laughed softly, and the menacing sound wrapped cold fingers around his heart.

  “You are not in a position to bargain,” his contact said, his voice lethally quiet. “You will conduct human trials, or we will sever our agreement.” The tone of his voice made it clear that other things would be severed as well if there were any problems.

  “What about the risk of exposure?” It was a long shot, but the only one Paul had left. Perhaps he could make them understand that having him conduct the experiments simply wasn’t worth the risk involved. “If I’m discovered, the project is a failure.”

  “Then I suggest you work carefully.” The words were final, and he realized any further objections would only anger the man. It wasn’t a chance worth taking.

  Resigned to his fate, he sighed quietly. “How many?”

  “Pardon me?”

  “How many test subjects do you need?” Best to clarify things now, so he could take care of everything at once. There would be no second chances. If this agent acted like he expected it to, the effects were going to be dramatic. People were going to panic, and it was quite possible the base would be quarantined, making it even more difficult to collect the data the group wanted. Attention would definitely be paid to this research outpost, which meant he had to work very, very carefully. It had to look like a natural event. If there was even a hint of deliberation about it, the spotlight would shine so hot and bright on the base personnel that there’d be no way for him to escape.

  But maybe that was what they wanted... The thought made his blood run cold, and he almost missed hearing the man’s reply.

  “As many as possible.”

  Of course, he thought. They want me to assume all the risk and get caught for my troubles. The dawning realization lit a spark of anger, warming him from the inside out. He was the perfect scapegoat for them—once he’d been caught, people would stop looking for someone to blame, which meant the Organization would be free to continue operating as before.

  Why didn’t I realize it before?

  The answer was instantaneous: money. He’d been blinded by dollar signs, and had jumped into bed with these guys for the sake of his family. Now it seemed they were going to be his downfall.

  “Very well,” he said, needing to get off the phone before his epiphany made him say something rash. Better for them to think nothing had changed. He didn’t need their suspicion right now—things were going to be hard enough without worrying about the group coming after him.

  “Call when you have additional results.” His contact disconnected without another word, and Paul put the phone in his pocket with a sigh.

  “Now what?” he muttered.

  Two options loomed before him, neither one particularly appealing. He could lie and say he’d tried to infect people but the agent hadn’t worked. It was a possibility. And it would keep people from finding out he worked for the group, which in turn would spare him some rather uncomfortable questions and time in prison.

  Lying wasn’t without risks, though. If the Organization found out what he’d done, they wouldn’t hesitate to take their displeasure out on his children. Just the thought of his kids in the hands of those men... He shuddered and placed a hand on his roiling stomach to quell the incipient revolt. No, he couldn’t take that chance.

  Which meant he’d have to set up the human trials.

  He thrust a hand through his hair and began to pace, his mind whirring with possible options. He’d have to try out different routes of exposure, different doses of the agent. And then somehow keep track of how people felt and when and if they developed symptoms.

  No, not people, he thought. Test subjects. Best to start depersonalizing them now, since they were nothing more than a data point from here on out.

  And he’d do well to remember it.

  Chapter 1

  “Got a minute?”

  Dr. Avery Thatcher glanced away from her computer monitor to find her boss, Dr. Harold Jenkins, standing in the doorway to her office. She waved him in with her free hand and swallowed her bite of yogurt before placing the spoon back in the container and pushing it to the side of her desk. Harold was a writer by nature, and every time she met with him he wound up jotting stuff down on a small notepad that she suspected was permanently attached to his palm. She’d learned early on in their working relationship to clear a space for him to use, and after five years the action was pure reflex. It was almost like a little dance, she mused now as she completed the familiar choreography.

  He shut the door, then sat and patted his jacket pocket for the ubiquitous accessory, but his hand came up empty. That was odd. Had he forgotten it?

  Avery took a closer look at her boss and for the first time noticed the fine lines of strain around his eyes and a subtle tightening at the corners of his mouth. Something was definitely up, and Avery had a sinking feeling she wasn’t going to like what he had to say.

  “How are things?” He asked the question mechanically, and she could tell he was merely trying to observe conversational formalities before diving into the bad news. Her heart picked up the pace as she tried to imagine what he was going to say. The latest round of budget cuts had hit her division hard, and some contractors had been released because of the shortfall. Had the Centers for Disease Control cut the funding for her position?

  The thought made her blood freeze. She loved her job as an epidemic investigator. Avery had made the unfortunate discovery during medical school that she was more interested in the diseases themselves than the actual patients. Working at the CDC had turned out to be the perfect way to combine her interest in infectious illnesses with her desire to help people. And since outbreaks occurred all over the country, she’d been sent to some pretty interesting places. It was the perfect job for her, and if she lost it... She shuddered, not even wanting to consider the possibility.

  “Harold,” she said, her voice calm despite her frayed nerves. “Please just tell me what’s going on.”

  He frowned slightly. “Am I that obvious?”

  She nodded and swallowed hard. “Do I need to update my resume?”

  Harold blinked at her, clearly taken aback by the question. “No,” he said slowly. Then understanding dawned. “Oh, it’s nothing like that.”

  All the air rushed out of her in a gust, and Avery sank back against her chair. “Thank God,” she said, closing her eyes. “You had me going there for a moment.”

  “Sorry about that,” he said, sounding rueful. “You know you’re my best investigator. There’s no way I’m letting you go, even if I have to pay your salary myself.”

  His words went a long way toward quelling her anxiety. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “That means a lot.”

  He waved away her gratitude and leaned forward. “There is something I need to talk to you about, though.” He glanced back at the closed door, as if to reassure himself they weren’t going to be overheard. “There’s something going on in Antarctica.”

  “Are the penguins in trouble?”

  Harold didn’t even bother to smile at her lame joke. “The US has a research base there, Fort Gilmour. It’s staffed year-round, believe it or not. Something strange has popped up.”

  “What kind of something?”

  He shook his head. “Unclear at this time. But there have been several cases of an upper respiratory infection with some unusual symptoms.”

  Avery felt the familiar tingle of curiosity that came every time she heard about an outbreak. “Such as?”

  “It star
ts as an uncomplicated respiratory infection—cough, congestion, the usual. Some people recover, but those who don’t go on to develop strange hemorrhagic symptoms.”

  Avery’s eyebrows shot up. “Strange?” she echoed. What exactly did that mean?

  He nodded. “Rather than the diffuse, systemic symptoms we see with something like Ebola, these patients only bleed out into their lungs. They essentially wind up drowning in their own blood.”

  A wave of sympathy washed over her as Harold’s words sank in. What a horrible way to die. She could picture it all too easily and shuddered. Harold saw her reaction and nodded. “I know. I feel bad for them, too,” he said.

  “How many cases?”

  “Ten so far, of which four people have progressed to the hemorrhagic phase and died.”

  “Damn,” she said softly. “This bug isn’t messing around.” A 40 percent mortality rate was serious business, high enough to make any self-respecting doctor lose sleep.

  “It’s bad,” Harold confirmed. “And to make matters worse, the hospital on the research base is having to handle everything alone. Normally, they can send critical patients to South America or Australia for treatment. But given the nature of this disease, those options are closed. No one wants these patients, especially since we don’t know anything about this bug.”

  “That’s terrible!” Outrage stiffened her spine and Avery sat upright. “How can they deny advanced medical care to people who desperately need it?”

  Harold shrugged. “They’re happy to air-drop supplies, but no one wants to be responsible for exporting this disease. The major fear is that bringing the patients off-base would allow the agent to enter into the commercial air travel system, and then we’d have a real problem.”

  He was right, Avery realized with a growing sense of horror. Even though she hated the idea of sick patients being cut off from the potentially lifesaving technologies of a major hospital, the last thing anyone wanted was a global pandemic of a hemorrhagic respiratory illness. Better to keep the sick all in one place, away from the general population.