First, Jack eliminated the possibility that the rows of conspicuous bottles and jars on the shelves could contain the antidote. Even if he opened them, the yellow and black biohazard symbols wouldn't reveal their true contents.
Instead, Jack focused on finding something unassuming, unexpected, and easily accessible in an emergency. He scanned the scattered items on the desk, including pens, dismantling everything that could possibly be used as a container.
Finally, his gaze fell on the body on the floor. He realized he had been too hasty and should have first checked the deceased's belongings.
"Garcia, can you check if Nichols' medical records indicate he had asthma or any other respiratory conditions?"
"No, he was in good health, not even hypertension," Garcia quickly replied through the radio.
"Got it. I think we've found the 'antidote.'" Jack showed the nebulizer in his hand to Dr. Kimura.
At the same time, Dr. Kimura made a new discovery.
"The 'notes' you asked me to look at appear to be a draft of a thesis, complete with references and a table of contents. There are also annotations in red ink, as if a teacher were reviewing the paper."
"So Nichols was indeed mentoring a student. We were on the right track." But Jack quickly felt a sense of frustration.
"However, Garcia already cross-checked the personnel records of the bookstore, and none of them are connected to biochemistry or microbiology. That bookstore mainly sells literature and first editions."
"Damn it, no name on the thesis either. How are we supposed to track this down?"
"No, let me finish. I don't think this thesis was written by a natural science or biology student. It seems to be a social sciences paper, discussing the establishment of triage systems and mobile emergency units."
Dr. Kimura showed Jack a few relevant pages, and some familiar phrases caught his eye.
"Unfortunately, this country is woefully unprepared. Every household should stock at least a two-month supply of ciprofloxacin, and hospitals need to establish Level 4 biosafety purification departments..."
A light bulb went off in Jack's mind. They had been limiting their thinking to science students, but what if the culprit was a damn humanities major?
"Garcia, cross-reference the list of all local universities' social sciences, urban planning, and public policy students with the bookstore staff."
Soon, an excited response came through the radio from Garcia.
"Bingo! We got him. There's a guy named Chad Brown, a public policy student at the University of Maryland, who matches the former bookstore employee, Chad Brown."
"That's our guy!" Jack handed the nebulizer to Dr. Kimura.
"Reid, it's up to you now, Doctor. Analyze the contents of this as quickly as possible. Those four patients might still have a chance."
He hurried out of the lab and entered the decontamination tent.
When Jack and Hotchner returned to the command center, Garcia had already sent over Chad Brown's detailed information.
As JJ delivered the compiled report to the conference room, General Whitworth entered with his own set of documents.
"Chad Brown has been pursuing a Ph.D. in public policy at the University of Maryland on and off for five years. He doesn't have stable employment, and his ex-girlfriend even filed a restraining order against him."
"He was arrested twice during protests in Washington and applied four times for an assistant position at Fort Detrick, all of which were rejected."
As JJ finished speaking, General Whitworth opened the file he had brought.
"Here's Chad Brown's job application. He was rejected because he failed the psychological evaluation. The experts deemed his thoughts too extreme and his mental state unstable."
A hint of relief crossed General Whitworth's face.
"He was obsessed with getting into Fort Detrick, desperate for validation, so he reached out to Nichols," JJ continued.
"I contacted his thesis advisor. His proposal discussed how to easily manufacture anthrax, which likely resonated with Dr. Nichols, leading to their collaboration."
"And there's Chad Brown's sister. I just spoke with her. They haven't been in touch for years, but she mentioned something about Stillwater Park, where he once proposed to a girl and was rejected."
"After that, he worked at the bookstore to pay for his studies, but he was eventually fired for frequently arguing with customers."
"So the bookstore and the park both symbolize rejection for him. That's his motive," Hotchner said as he dialed Emily's number. "Rossi and Emily should be at his house by now."
"I was just about to call you. We didn't catch him, but I think I found out how Chad Brown plans to release the anthrax. He's putting the powder inside light bulbs. When they break, they act as anthrax bombs," Emily quickly reported over the phone. "I found broken test bulbs in the trash, and Rossi discovered a subway map with marked routes."
"So what's our next move?" JJ asked anxiously.
General Whitworth raised a finger, signaling for silence as he made a phone call. After a few quiet questions, he hung up with a grave expression.
"Dr. Nichols was commissioned by the Senate to write a confidential report that simulated an anthrax attack on Washington's subway system."
"He specifically noted that the main line, the Red Line, is the most vulnerable to attack due to the strong winds in the tunnels and the high passenger volume, which would maximize the impact."
"I recommend immediately deploying personnel to monitor all the mainline stations closely."
Hotchner thought for a moment, then shook his head, disagreeing. "We can station people in the subway, but I don't think the Red Line is his target."
General Whitworth, who had been warming up to the BAU team, began to bristle.
"You were the ones who said he and Nichols shared the same views and that he might be trying to prove this theory. Isn't that what he's doing?"
"We also said his chosen location has personal significance to him. We found that significance—it's about rejection and denial."
Hotchner looked the general in the eye, speaking with certainty. "There's one more place that rejected him over and over. Where is it?"
"Fort Detrick!" Rossi's voice boomed from the phone.
"There's no way he can get in," General Whitworth retorted loudly. "Not even a fly could get in without my authorization."
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