“Good morning, Dr. Reitherman,” the deputy director greeted him solemnly. “Please have a seat.”
“Thank you, Madam Director,” said Dr. Reitherman. He glanced around at the faces studying him. “Um, my apologies if I got the meeting time incorrect.” He reached for his cell phone and scrolled through his text messages. He knew he was on time. He just wanted someone to admit he had been misled.
“You’re fine, Doctor,” said the deputy director. “We had other matters to discuss. I’ll get right to it.”
“Okay,” he mumbled.
She continued. “In about an hour, we’re going to be facing a media shit storm. Communications has already prepared a preliminary statement as to the CDC’s role in the governor of Nevada’s decision. Your conversation with the state was relayed to us a little while ago.”
“Quite frankly, Madam Deputy Director, the CSELS had no role in the decision. If anything, I advised the Nevada’s public health people that a quarantine, much less a lockdown, was not warranted at this time.”
The deputy director pursed her lips and locked eyes with Dr. Reitherman. Her agenda was coming to light. “What role did Dr. Randolph play in this decision?”
Dr. Reitherman noticeably gulped and immediately chastised himself for doing so. It was an uncontrolled, spontaneous act as his mind debated whether to tell the truth or try to protect Harper. He studied the deputy director’s body language, and then he recalled a statement he’d heard on a television program once. A prosecutor rarely asks a question they don’t already know the answer to.
He scowled. That was what this meeting was shaping up to be. A prosecution. A witch hunt in search of someone to scapegoat for the governor’s draconian actions. He’d have to come clean but stick to only what he knew.
“Dr. Randolph had just arrived back in Las Vegas at my direction. The CDC jet was inexplicably rerouted to McCarran from its preplanned destination in North Las Vegas. Based upon my conversation with Dr. Randolph, it’s readily apparent to me as to why.”
“I’m listening,” said the deputy director.
“She was met as she exited the plane by Secret Service personnel, who insisted she come alone with them at the request of President Taylor.”
“Was she flying alone?”
“No. She was joined by her assistant, Dr. Elizabeth Becker. Dr. Becker was prevented from accompanying Dr. Randolph.”
Dr. Reitherman paused to gather his thoughts, prompting the deputy director to urge him to continue. “Go ahead, please.”
“She met with the president in Air Force One. He peppered her with questions regarding the CDC’s activities in Las Vegas.”
“Why would she remotely consider that to be appropriate? Those types of conversations should be conducted with someone much higher on the organizational chart, such as myself or the director.”
“I agree, Madam Deputy Director. That said, with all due respect, the president knows this as well. I don’t have the means, nor the time, to look into why the CDC jet was rerouted to McCarran. It’s obvious, however, that President Taylor, his chief of staff, and therefore, the Secret Service were aware of it. They may have, in fact, been responsible for the diversion.”
The deputy director furrowed her brow and pressed her back into the chair. “What you are suggesting is quite conspiratorial, wouldn’t you agree?”
Dr. Reitherman had opened up this door, and he intended to do everything he could to protect Harper from being railroaded. He’d been around long enough to know that before the directors of any agency got their precious résumés soiled, they’d find someone to throw under the bus first.
“I mean no disrespect. I’m simply stating the facts supplemented by my observations. I had a conversation with Dr. Randolph about this, and she assured me that nothing was said by her that would lead to the governor’s use of the National Guard to institute a cordon sanitaire. If anything, she, like me, specifically advised against it.”
The deputy director took a deep breath. She let out a long exhale and leaned forward in her chair. “Ten years ago, COVID-19 changed the lives of everyone in this country. The concepts of social distancing, self-quarantine, and wearing face masks became a part of everyone’s vernacular.
“I also recall how the American consciousness shifted from awareness to concerned to fearful. Simple routines like going to the grocery store or filling up their cars with gasoline potentially put themselves and others at risk of contracting the disease.
“It was the first time in a hundred years we’d faced a global pandemic. Years later, when the vaccines were proven to be successful and the death toll finally subsided, the public breathed easy. The presumption was infectious diseases would take a break for another millennium.
“That was naïve thinking. We learned from studying the events leading up to those first cases in America that COVID-19 was never containable. Why? Frankly, because we never knew what hit us. By the time the first indications of community spread became apparent, it was too late.”
She took a deep breath and studied the attendees. “What I’m about to say cannot leave this room. Let’s face it. As medical professionals in the field of infectious diseases, we know the challenges the CDC faces as an agency. We’re always placed in an untenable position—open to second-guessing and twenty-twenty hindsight.
“Like COVID-19, from Dr. Randolph’s initial analysis, it is difficult to distinguish this emerging disease from other viral infections. The symptoms, even if they manifest, which is not always a guarantee, are identical to influenza. To an overworked medical system, even the common cold can be indistinguishable.
“I don’t want to address any conspiracy notions that Dr. Randolph was set up by the President of the United States to obtain cover for the quarantine placed over downtown Las Vegas. I’ll leave that up to Congress to ascertain.
“At this juncture, I’m not even sure we are in a position to take a stand against the cordon sanitaire. The proverbial train has left the station on that one. Do I believe the Nevada governor has overreacted to the information received from Dr. Randolph, or even you, Dr. Reitherman? Yes. Do we have sufficient evidence from our initial investigation to strongly urge him to reconsider? No. For that reason, the first thing I’m going to say is the quarantine can remain in place until we have more facts.”
Dr. Reitherman expected as much. At this point, he was more interested in getting his personnel released and back to work. “May I interrupt?”
She gestured with both hands to continue.
“I would like to increase our personnel on the ground in order to conduct contact tracing. Further, I need to pull our internal EIS scientists to focus on this outbreak. People are being held against their will and deserve a speedy response.”
The deputy director nodded. “Do it. However, I want all personnel decisions to be run by me first. No exceptions. I promise a quick turnaround with my input.”
“Yes.” He glanced over at his boss. “We will.”
She continued. “I will reach out to the governor’s office directly to get our personnel released. The governor has to understand that we can’t help his constituents by locking up the CDC team in a hotel.”