Several CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) staff members, dressed in hazmat suits, were examining bodies within the red-alert perimeter they had set up. Jack observed the scene while Hanna continued her questioning.
"Any updates from the hospital? What symptoms did the victims show?"
Danny Reagan flipped through his notebook. "Nothing concrete yet. The symptoms vary widely: full-body paralysis, ataxia, difficulty breathing, arrhythmia, coma. Some of the milder symptoms are dizziness, numbness, and abdominal pain."
"Are there any Japanese restaurants nearby?" Jack suddenly asked.
"What? Maybe… but why are you asking?" Danny Reagan was surprised, unsure of Jack's reasoning.
"Because these symptoms sound like they could be caused by a neurotoxin. In New York, the most likely sources of such a toxin are pufferfish or certain types of marine snails, which you typically only find in Japanese restaurants."
With that, Jack lifted the red tape and stepped into the restricted area. Hanna quickly followed suit.
"Hey! You can't go in there!" a CDC worker rushed over to try and stop him.
Jack pulled on a pair of rubber gloves and shrugged. "If it were radiation strong enough to kill, your Geiger counters would be going off like crazy. And if it were an airborne biological toxin, this whole street would be littered with bodies, not just a few people dropping here and there. So, are you still going to try to stop us?"
The CDC worker sighed, raising his hands in resignation. "Your reasoning is hardly foolproof, but consider yourself warned."
"So you think it's food poisoning? I didn't realize Japanese restaurants had take-out salad," Danny Reagan quipped. Known for his brash approach, he put on rubber gloves and joined in, already rummaging through the takeout containers scattered by the bodies.
"Salad?" Jack frowned, crouching down to sift through the disposable boxes and plastic bags. "Looks like this might be a poisoning case. Can you confirm where this was bought?"
"It seems to be from a Korean deli," Danny Reagan replied, holding up a receipt. "Korean Deli—about three blocks from here."
Jack couldn't help but chuckle. "South Korea isn't part of China, dear Danny."
"Isn't it?" Danny Reagan looked puzzled. "I thought we had troops stationed there. Why else would the Chinese hate us so much?"
Jack rolled his eyes. The misconceptions were too many to address, but he let it go. After all, plenty of Americans couldn't tell Japan and China apart or thought they used to be the same country.
"Wanna ride in my new car?" Jack said, changing the topic as he gestured to his Dodge Hellcat.
"I still prefer your old Suburban for fieldwork," Danny Reagan muttered, struggling to pull himself out of the cramped back seat with Jack's help.
The Hellcat, like the Firebird, was a two-door, four-seat model. While the backseat could technically fit people, the space was tight, forcing a grown man like Danny to awkwardly fold his legs to fit. Though he was rough around the edges, Danny was a gentleman at heart, and he had politely ceded the front seat to Hanna, resigning himself to the cramped back.
During the short drive, the CDC confirmed Jack's hunch: the culprit behind the mass poisoning was tetrodotoxin.
But identifying the toxin didn't help much, as there was no antidote. All the hospital could do was perform gastric lavage, administer atropine to speed up metabolism, and put the victims on ventilators, hoping for the best. Naloxone might offer slight relief, but the main remedy was letting the body metabolize it naturally. Once the toxin cleared, survivors would suffer no lasting effects.
Tetrodotoxin (TTX), a compound of the aminoperhydroquinazoline type, is one of the most lethal neurotoxins in nature. It selectively and powerfully blocks sodium channels in nerve cell membranes, disrupting neural transmission and causing paralysis, often leading to death. In layman's terms, it shuts down the nervous system, leaving the victim conscious but forcing all bodily functions to gradually stop, leading to respiratory and cardiac failure. A mere 0.5 milligrams is enough to kill.
In ancient Egypt, this toxin was used in fake death potions, and in voodoo rituals, it was mixed with herbs to induce "sleep paralysis," creating an illusion of supernatural possession.
Jack couldn't fathom why anyone would use TTX to poison people. While it's colorless, odorless, and lacks a cure, it's extremely difficult to extract or synthesize. Granted, drying and grinding the organs of a toxic pufferfish technically counts as "extraction." Some wild species of pufferfish carry enough TTX in a single fish to kill 20 adults.
When the three arrived at the Korean deli, the CDC had already cordoned off the entrance. Inside, the frightened diners glanced out the windows, unaware of what was happening.
"Is the salad bar self-serve?" Jack asked, grabbing a skinny Korean man who was angrily arguing with the CDC staff.
"Yes, we have a self-serve salad bar. What's going on?" the man asked, his eyes lighting up with relief now that someone was talking to him.
"Hanna, stay with him," Jack directed, releasing the man and gesturing for her to keep an eye on him while he turned to speak with the CDC team.
"Anyone who ate salad needs to be made to vomit immediately. Let's hope we're not too late. Also, we need access to the store's surveillance footage."
Within ten minutes, ambulances began arriving, bringing medical-grade copper sulfate to induce vomiting. After this emergency treatment, all the diners were taken to the hospital for observation.
Back at the operations center, Jubal was coordinating the response, as usual. He spoke to Jack over the comms, "Your guess was spot-on. How did you figure it out?"
"If I said I'm a master chef with expertise in handling toxic ingredients, would you believe me?"
Jack's remark left Jubal scratching his head. Only the BAU team members had tasted Jack's culinary skills, and they knew he wasn't joking. Hanna could vouch for it, too.
"Whatever. I've got a tech specialist on his way to your location to handle the deli's surveillance footage. I'm also tracking down everyone who ate at that place today. CDC says this stuff can have a delayed onset."
Jubal's voice sounded harried, his words spilling out quickly.
"Yes, it can take four to six hours to kick in, and it's still deadly by then. We'll take care of things here. See you at the ops center later," Jack replied, ending the call as he approached the elderly Korean deli owner, whom Hanna was keeping close by.
"Sir, there has to be some misunderstanding. This is one of the cleanest places in the city. Some of the brightest and most powerful people in the country work nearby and eat here. My family has run this deli for 36 years; everyone in the community trusts us," the elderly man pleaded, tears welling in his eyes.
"Maybe that's exactly why you were targeted," Hanna muttered. "Have you recently changed suppliers or received any threats?"
"No, this is the city center! Even the gangs don't collect protection money here," he answered, wiping his tears, looking utterly distressed.
Jack looked over at Danny, who nodded. "This is the financial district; the gang members around here usually keep a low profile."
Sensing that further questioning wouldn't yield much, Jack motioned for one of the waitstaff to help the owner away. The three waited outside for a while until a van pulled up at the curb.
An Indian technician jumped out, carrying a laptop. He rushed inside the deli and came back out shortly, holding a flash drive, which he held up for the trio. "Security footage secured."
Hanna climbed into the back of the van to review the footage while Jack and Danny lit cigars and began puffing on the sidewalk.
"Looks like someone's handed us a serious problem. The hospital just reported that the death toll has risen to 10 and may keep climbing," Danny muttered grimly.
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