Twenty minutes later, Ash left the facility’s parking lot, driving her Alfa Romeo at high speed. It had snowed earlier, so the roads were slick but not impassible. As soon as she left, she made a sharp turn toward the autobahn, which put her into a controlled slide. She loved driving fast vehicles.

Best to slow down. I don’t need to get into an accident now!

She called Jeremiah, who picked up on the first ring.

“We have a problem. My charms have failed, so you need to brute force your way in,” Ash said.

“Head back to Edinburgh and prepare the antechamber. I’ve been told that April is in bad shape, but my team is at the ready,” Jeremiah said.

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“Understood.”

Ash headed for the airport. She called her travel agent and booked the next flight to Scotland. First class. She parked in the short-term lot of Munich International Airport, fetched her “go” bag from the trunk, and headed to international departures. With any luck, I will be in London in a few hours. She glanced at her watch. Forty-five minutes before boarding—plenty of time.

She picked up the phone one last time before she would throw her burner phone away.

“Code?” a young voice answered.

“Delta five-one, autumn five-zero protocol,” Ash said.

“Well, hello, Dr. Williams. Should we prep the lab?” the technician said.

“Secure the incoming samples. We cannot let them spoil.”

“Of course, Dr. Williams.”