Jeremiah Crowell

He sees tiny, blue-stained bacterial rectangles all in a line. Imagine looking down on a train from high in the air.

He sees tiny, blue-stained bacterial rectangles all in a line. Imagine looking down on a train from high in the air.

In retrospect, now knowing how everything would play out, This is the moment that it all began. Right here, for the first time in 25 years, it seems that someone in America has anthrax in their lungs.

In retrospect, now knowing how everything would play out, This is the moment that it all began. Right here, for the first time in 25 years, it seems that someone in America has anthrax in their lungs.

Imagine you're him right now. You're the chief of staff for the whole hospital, and you're very sure that what you see is one thing. But that one thing is so rare and so deadly that when you tell people about it, they'll either not believe you or panic. My fear was creating chaos in the hospital. Chaos not just in his hospital, but also likely all of Florida and probably the nation.

Imagine you're him right now. You're the chief of staff for the whole hospital, and you're very sure that what you see is one thing. But that one thing is so rare and so deadly that when you tell people about it, they'll either not believe you or panic. My fear was creating chaos in the hospital. Chaos not just in his hospital, but also likely all of Florida and probably the nation.

After 9-11, the whole country was bracing for another attack. Larry's afraid that this could be it.

After 9-11, the whole country was bracing for another attack. Larry's afraid that this could be it.

He has to risk creating that chaos. So he does. Larry calls Dr. Jean Malecki, a friend and colleague who's the health director for all of Palm Beach County. But she was busy at that moment.

He has to risk creating that chaos. So he does. Larry calls Dr. Jean Malecki, a friend and colleague who's the health director for all of Palm Beach County. But she was busy at that moment.

Larry tells Gene he thinks Robert Stevens has anthrax. They both know more tests need to be done to prove it. So Jean calls up the Centers for Disease Control. But the CDC pushes back. They refuse to believe anyone could catch anthrax in suburban Florida.

Larry tells Gene he thinks Robert Stevens has anthrax. They both know more tests need to be done to prove it. So Jean calls up the Centers for Disease Control. But the CDC pushes back. They refuse to believe anyone could catch anthrax in suburban Florida.

Despite the CDC's hesitancy and the testing that still needs to be done, Larry and Jean have little doubt that it's anthrax. The real worry on their minds is that this could be the beginning of another attack by al-Qaeda. And what they don't know is that the FBI is worried about another attack, too.

Despite the CDC's hesitancy and the testing that still needs to be done, Larry and Jean have little doubt that it's anthrax. The real worry on their minds is that this could be the beginning of another attack by al-Qaeda. And what they don't know is that the FBI is worried about another attack, too.

FBI Special Agent Scott Decker is one of only a few agents to have investigated nearly the entire case. And he's got skills few other FBI agents have. A Ph.D. in genetics with a postdoc from Harvard. So that's why he's on the FBI's new hazmat team that was deployed at Ground Zero.

FBI Special Agent Scott Decker is one of only a few agents to have investigated nearly the entire case. And he's got skills few other FBI agents have. A Ph.D. in genetics with a postdoc from Harvard. So that's why he's on the FBI's new hazmat team that was deployed at Ground Zero.

And one reason they even had Decker and his team on site is because of something odd that had happened earlier that summer. In August of 2001, weeks before the Twin Towers fell or anyone got sick in Florida, the FBI uncovered something in Minnesota. And that discovery would ultimately set the stage for the entire anthrax investigation. One of Decker's FBI colleagues was right in the middle of it.

And one reason they even had Decker and his team on site is because of something odd that had happened earlier that summer. In August of 2001, weeks before the Twin Towers fell or anyone got sick in Florida, the FBI uncovered something in Minnesota. And that discovery would ultimately set the stage for the entire anthrax investigation. One of Decker's FBI colleagues was right in the middle of it.

Colleen Rowley was an FBI agent in Minnesota at the time.

Colleen Rowley was an FBI agent in Minnesota at the time.