Dr. Everett Barnes
El Doctor Everett Barnes era el Director del Centro para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades y Eph y Nora eran sus subordinados directos.
Desde el inicio de la crisis iniciada por el aterrizaje del vuelo 753, es claro que las prioridades de Barnes están impidiendo el desorden público y la defensa de la imagen del CDC, en lugar de la verdad.
Por esa razón, insiste en que Goodweather de una rueda de prensa en menos de 24 horas después del aterrizaje del avión, para asegurar al público que el peligro (Sea el que sea), ha sido contenido.
Más tarde, cuando Goodweather y Martínez insisten en que algo peligroso está sucediendo a las víctimas del avión y sus familias, Barnes acepta a regañadientes ordenar una cuarentena en Manhattan.
Un típico burócrata, él dice que el proceso llevará tiempo, ya que requiere una orden del Presidente, y Barnes a sí mismo, no está dispuesto a actuar sin la sanción oficial.
Cuando Goodweather y Martínez están enmarcados por el asesinato del capitán Doyle Redfern, Barnes lidera un grupo de agentes del FBI para la detención de ambos, advirtiendo a Goodweather de que si continúa propagando acusaciones sin fundamento sólo se le hará daño a él, y advirtiendo a Martínez que, a menos que ella abandone a Goodweather inmediatamente, su carrera médica se verá mermada.
En lugar de ello, se escapan, con la ayuda de Setrakian. Barnes débilmente suplica a Goodweather que sea razonable y este responde que él sólo está haciendo el trabajo por el que fue contratado: Informar al público de un riesgo para la salud catastrófico.
Barnes está presente cuando Eichhorst y Palmer llegan a tratar de convencer a Margaret Pierson de no poner en cuarentena a Nueva York.
Cuando ven que no pueden convencerla, Palmer habla con ella en el balcón y la lanza al vacío. Palmer luego viene hacia él y Eichhorst le da a Barnes una simple elección: Cooperar con ellos, o morir allí.
Barnes es demasiado acobardado para hacer otra cosa que ayudar, a partir de anunciar a los medios que Pierson se suicidó, en lugar de decir la verdad y acabar asesinado.
Barnes sigue siendo un esclavo de Palmer y Eichhorst y él acaba en el Tren hacia Washington cuando Eph, haciéndose pasar por Jonathan Crowley (Otro funcionario del CDC con experiencia médica) se encuentra con él. Allí se intercambian algunas palabras.
Barnes afirma su reconocimiento por Goodweather y se somete a la amenaza de este para dejarle pasar a Washington sin notificar a la policía de la presencia del mismo, ya que él está acusado de varios delitos graves que no ha cometido y por lo tanto es un fugitivo.
Goodweather no confía en Barnes y le golpea por la Espalda. Barnes se las arregla para defenderse antes de ser golpeado de nuevo.
Esto lleva a considerar a Goodweather saltar del tren, pero el tren viaja demasiado rápido. Saltar desde el tren es un suicidio.
Barnes se las arregla para levantarse de nuevo y se enfrenta a Goodweather por última vez. Barnes se acopla a Goodweather en un último enfrentamiento y termina siendo lanzado fuera del tren antes de su llegada a Washington…
Goodweather logra bajar del tren completamente desapercibido y disimula tiempo después, cuando descubren el Cadáver y los Objetos que llevaba Barnes.
En particular, el papel crítico de Everett Barnes se ha vuelto superfluo o redundante en la Concejala de Staten Island, Justine Feraldo, que fue presentada en la temporada 2 de la serie de televisión.
Los esfuerzos de contención organizados por Feraldo precede con suficiente antelación a las llevadas a cabo en una escala más masiva por Barnes en el último libro de la serie de novelas, la Trilogía en la que está basada la Serie.
Dr. Everett Barnes is the Director of the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention and Ephraim Goodweather and Nora Martinez’ are his direct reports.
Starting his medical career as a country doctor, Barnes deliberately affects a folksy, «down-home» image in keeping with this background. This, combined with his insistence on wearing a Navy-style uniform (in homage to the CDC’s origins as a successor to the Navy’s program to control malaria in occupied areas after World War II), makes him look like «a combat-decorated Colonel Sanders.»
From the outset of the crisis begun by the landing of Flight 753, it is clear that Barnes’s priorities are preventing public disorder and upholding the image of the CDC, rather than the truth.
For that reason, he insists that Goodweather give a press conference less than 24 hours after the plane’s landing, to assure the public that the danger (whatever it is), has been contained. Abraham Setrakian, watching this conference, thinks to himself that «only an elected official would declare a thing contained when he doesn’t even know yet what it is.»
Later, when Goodweather and Martinez insist that something dangerous is happening to the plane’s victims and their families, Barnes reluctantly agrees to order a quarantine of Manhattan. A typical bureaucrat, he says the process will take time, since it requires an order from the President, and Barnes himself is unwilling to act without official sanction.
When Goodweather and Martinez are framed for the murder of Captain Doyle Redfern, Barnes leads a cadre of FBI agents sent to arrest them, warning Goodweather that continuing to spread unsubstantiated accusations will only hurt him in court, and warning Martinez that unless she abandons Goodweather immediately, her medical career will likewise be over.
Instead, they escape, with the help of Setrakian. Barnes feebly pleads with Goodweather to be reasonable, and Goodweather retorts that he is only doing the job he was hired to do: inform the public of a catastrophic health risk.
Barnes is present when Eichhorst and Palmer arrive to try to convince Margaret Pierson not to quarantine over New York. When they see they cannot convince her, Palmer tricks her into speaking with him on the balcony.
Already unnerved by Eichhorst’s cold manner, Barnes is flabbergasted when the elderly Palmer (recently invigorated by an infusion of the Master’s «white») picks up Pierson in his arms and throws her off the balcony.
Palmer then comes inside and he and Eichhorst give Barnes a simple choice: cooperate with them, or die there. Barnes is too cowed to do anything but help, starting with announcing to the media that Pierson committed suicide.
Barnes is still a thrall of Palmer and Eichhorst and he happens to be on the train to Washington when Ephraim Goodweather posing as Jonathan Crowley another CDC official with medical expertise runs into him.
They exchange few words. Barnes states his appreciation for Goodweather and submits to Goodweather’s threat to let him pass to Washington without notifying the police which would end Goodweather’s work since he is framed for several felonies and thus a fugitive.
Goodweather does not trust Barnes however and strikes him down as soon as he turns his back towards him. Barnes manages to fight back before being struck down again. This prompts Goodweather to consider jumping of the train, but the train travels too fast. Jumping off the train is like sucide.
Barnes manages to get up again and faces Goodweather one last time. He confirms his submission by stating that «we» humans have been on the wrong side which reveals he does not really believe in humans having any chance to survive and thus he has no qualms about continuing caring only about himself.
Barnes engages Goodweather in one last confrontation and ends up being tossed off the train before its arrival in Washington. His survival is uncertain at best. Goodweather manages to get off the train unnoticed and witness his executive assistant asking for Dr. Barnes and complaining his absence while his personal items have been found in the train left behind.
Notably, the critical role of Everett Barnes has been rendered superfluous or redundant in the person of Staten Island councilwoman, Justine Feraldo, who was introduced in Season 2 on the television series. The containment efforts organized by Feraldo precedes well in advance of those conducted on a more massive scale by Barnes in the final book of the novel series.
