Someone broke into the high-level security section of USAMRIID (US Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases) at Fort Detrick, Maryland and steals vials of weaponized smallpox. Later, the individual is found at the Washington, DC train station. Jack Turner, Ph.D., is a chemist and the Coroner of San Sebastian County California. He is also a reserve officer (Lt. Colonel) in the Army Medical Service Corp and has a background in chemical and biological warfare from working for defense contractors and a stint at USAMRIID. When one of his Medical Examiners hits the HOT ZONE lock down button, while performing an autopsy, Jack is called to the morgue. The body the M.E. was examining died of smallpox. Not regular smallpox, but an unusual and highly reactive strain of the disease. Upon examination Jack realizes the strain is a man made chimera. The smallpox virus was released from inside the cells of an E-coli bacteria as the cells were killed by antibiotics and the dead man's immune system. Who made it? Where did it come from? E-coli is common. But, smallpox was eradicated decades ago. Dr. Turner receives orders from the U.S. Army Adjutant General activating his reserve commission and authorizes him to serve as a law enforcement special agent of the army. Will Jack and a health department officer, Nancy Cartwright, be able to find the Chimeras and the perpetrators before these terrorist trigger a pandemic. Somehow, Jack and Nancy must stop the attack that could be worse than an atom bomb.