The armed officer questions Alex upon this order with a look toward him, while Kev looks back and forth at the two men then turns his full attention toward Sam.
Sam stands there holding out her arm slightly and appearing to look over herself feeling the change now rushing through her body as she flinches.
Kev moves up between Sam and the officer with the instinctive thought of protecting her while he looks over her.
"Honey."
Alex sees the changes in Sam and shouts at the officer.
"Take her out God dammit!'
"But Sir!"
"She’s been bitten, just do it!"
As Alex moves looking to exit the lab, taking the visitors with him, the armed officer hesitates while very much unaware of the imminent threat upon him and everyone in the entire room.
Sam begins to fully turn with her eyes closed and eyelids twitching with Kev soon motioning slightly backward as he knows there is nothing he can do for her now.
Sam upon opening her bloodshot eyes, looks up toward him showing irises of black red and enlarged pupils as she then lunges at Kev who receives a bite although he manages to voice "Oh sh.." while pushing her to the side in defense with a swinging arm.
This spurs the officer into action moving to take his gun from the holster toward aiming out at Sam who then lunges at the board member while he struggles to hold down C.J and biting him on the back of his lower neck which enables C.J to break free in the process.
With C.J loose, she immediately turns her direction toward the armed officer. C.J lunges toward the officer who miss fires shooting the bitten board member in the back of the head, although getting bitten himself by C.J.
Mike ducks down somewhat from the gunfire during the panic, as the officer soon lets off another round into the ceiling before C.J appears to knock the gun from hand which forces the officer to fight against her by hand momentarily before throwing C.J off down toward the direction of the lab.
C.J moves on making her way into the lab with Alex turning slightly as he moves forward seeing C.J and turns to kick her away.
C.J jumps toward Alex dodging the kick, then grasping around his leg which causes him to swing it back and forth as he strikes down with his arms to remove the monkey, however receives several bites on his thigh and one to a swinging arm.
Sam then lunges at William to bite as Kev begins to turn himself. Mike immediately charges at Sam to defend William, knocking her back up against the bench and down to the floor.
Although Mike soon sees William has been bitten in his attempts to fend her off, as shots are heard being fired from within the lab toward a very agile C.J. with William looking over Mike.
"Mike! Get out!"
Mike appearing sorry, looks at William one last time before heading out toward the armed officer who is on the floor face down pushing himself up, yet appearing to be heading toward his gun although turning with every second himself.
Sam gets up from the floor with Mike in her sights, as William gets in between the two to try and hold her off for as long as he can while knowing his inevitable fate.
With Kev close by, who begins to rapidly change himself William gets a firm grip on Sam who begins to overpower him.
Mike runs out toward the exit, past the bitten struggling officer as the other soon passes Alex and approaching Mike with his gun drawn.
"Leave it! We’ve got to get out!"
Mike makes haste toward the lab, as the second officer continues on ignoring wise words soon gets jumped from both Sam and Kev.
Mike runs past a standing Alex who’s appearing somewhat dazed although flinching himself.
Mike seeing the commotion on entry of the main lab, as an aggressive C.J attacks another trapped visitor who frantically tries fending her off while some of the others appear to almost cower in the corner near John’s office.
As Mike comes further through noticing some also standing there twitching or looking at bites on themselves.
Mike shouts over to them as he takes his key card out ready to swipe the door asking.
"Who’s coming!?"
Mike looks on to them all for a response.
Out in the corridor John swipes his card to enter back into his office before moving over toward his desk, unaware of all which is taking place in the other room however hears the commotion.
"What the.."
Mike still in the lab swipes his card to open the door, with some of the members now fully turned moving on to attack others, with C.J quickly jumping off up and away from the infected humans to perch herself on top of a shelving unit watching over everyone as the events unfold.
John on his way to lab door from within his office, while also appearing to concentrate more on the swipe of his access card over anything else, which soon sounds off grabbing the attention of the turned close by on the other side of his office door.
As John begins to open the door, the infected slam up against knocking it shut and sending John backward to the floor in the process.
John looks up to the door as they then look toward him through the glass panel and looking to get in while proceeding to throw themselves at the door to gain entry.
The flash of the recurring nightmare John has been seeing comes into focus.
Mike witnessing John’s arrival, looks to a corporate sponsor who’s coming toward him at an open doorway with Mike firmly asking.
"Have you been bitten?"
Mikes question gains the attention of some infected, with the corporate sponsor who motions to push past with Mike stopping, forcing him back then shouting asking again.
"Have you?"
With no response from the corporate sponsor, with twitching also coming into effect while he looks up toward Mike who notices the change in the iris and pupils of the sponsor.
The skin which also begins to discolor and veins begin protruding from infection.
Mike pushes him back closing the door just in time as both Kev and Sam come bounding from his side crashing up against the door knocking the turning corporate sponsor down in the process.
Mike heads off up the corridor toward John’s office door, knowing of his arrival with John now frantically at the computer in his office to safely remove the USB backup drive with the turned now bashing at both doors to get at him and Mike.
Mike bangs on the door of John’s office to get him to come.
"John! JOHN!"
Mike looks back to the main door of the lab hearing the pounding of the infected up against it, deciding to head down to the lift banging on the lab doors for everyone to get out as he passes while looking back several times on his way and pressing the lift button to go up upon his arrival.
Meanwhile up on the ground floor level, the two scientists who had met John on his departure the previous night return through the foyer toward the lift to start their last shift for the week in G3.
The doors to the second lift open moments later for them to enter, before holding open for another scientist they see who’s on her way across the foyer.
A scientist on the underground level 3 opens the last door which is almost directly opposite the two lift shafts where Mike is standing waiting for the doors to open on either one.
"Mike? What’s up?"
"There’s been a breach!"
"What, but..?"
Mike interrupts the scientists who begins to question.
"Seriously, get everyone out! I’ll hold the doors!"
The scientist calls through his lab to colleagues telling everyone in the room to motion out quickly, as two come out then one by one intermittently toward the lift.
The lift door soon opens, the two scientists enter the lift with Mike holding the doors open while looking down toward John’s office door hoping he is okay and will come out as himself.
John still in his office removes the USB drive, grabs his cell phone and car keys off the desk while moving toward exiting the office.
&
nbsp; As he makes his way toward the door, an infected board member smashes his hand with arm through the glass which shatters through and over the floor causing John to drop the USB drive which skids across toward the main lab door.
John hesitates looking down at the drive with a flash back of his recurring dream then looking up at the lab door.
Moments later however while knowing the importance of the information on the drive, he quickly goes and retrieves it, picking it up then moving to swipe his card to get out before looking back again.
The door releases from the swipe, he pushes it open then closes it shut in time as the infected break through the lab door into his office.
John runs down to an awaiting Mike, who looks on down toward John with relief as it appears his boss is himself with the main lab door beyond where Mike had left bursts open from the continued battering by the infected moments later.
Mike presses the ground floor button with John running toward the lift doors as the infected race on after him while gaining at the same time.
The scientist holding his open door also sees what is approaching, then quickly deciding to leave his colleagues who are left in the room and heads into the lift leaving them behind.
The scientist crashes into John while departing as he is too focused on the lift with the two of them both falling over.
John gets up quicker than the now bruised older man, with John then helping him to his feet and moving him into the lift while Mike releases the doors as the infected come crashing up against them moments after the closing doors meet.
A panicked and winded older scientist looks to the two men as do the others in the lift asks the question.
"What was that? What were you guys doing in there?"
Mike looks to John as a younger scientist mentions.
"Now we know why it was so secret."
John and Mike look at each other realizing what they had helped create with Mike looking to the floor as John looks at the scientists who appear to all want an answer.
The second lift now on approach to their floor G3 with the three scientists inside. The doors begin gliding open on arrival for them to motion partially out before seeing the infected, although are immediately attacked and being pushed in toward the back of the lift with screams coming from them all during the struggle.
John in a form of shock and coming to terms turns to Mike.
"What happened?"
"Sam got bitten."
"C.J?"
Mike nods, as John shakes his head clearly distraught, knowing also his wife Sue and Sam were quite close friends with Mike going on to say. "I don’t think C.J was really under?!"
"What to you mean?"
The younger scientist looks over the two men.
"Come on guys, I think we’re past the stage of secrecy?!"
John looks at the scientist, then back to Mike.
"William, the anti.."
"It all happened too quick." as Mike interrupts speaking over the apparent question while shaking his head.
John sighs and looks at the Scientists.
"We were working with a strain that was found three years ago. The monkey which arrived yesterday, well all I know is there was something else in her blood. The cells upon introducing the agent modified."
The lift doors soon open, and as they begin to motion out while the younger scientist asks as the older listens close.
"So, they asked you to further develop an organism, and it’s now met the right host to become one with making it even stronger?"
Mike answers "Yes" for John, who looks to the Scientists although moves on out ahead from the lift toward security near the main entrance.
CHAPTER 10
Escape The Compound
As they all disembark the lift, John slightly ahead moves up fast while shouting to the security on approach toward the main entrance and reception area.
"We have to lock down, evacuate the building and stop these lifts coming from G3!"
Mike, with the younger scientist tell others waiting ready to enter the lift to leave the building for the breach.
Then they themselves head over to the immediate offices opposite security to tell all to leave.
Some of the other Scientists head toward the location of the canteen.
John reaches security, continues advising and trying forcefully to get security to do as he says for the breach from his own lab.
"We’ve had a breach on our level and we have to evacuate the building!"
The older male, somewhat on a power trip due to his position raises his eyebrows at John.
"Hold on what?! Then why are you here, why didn’t you press the magic button?"
"Press yours, there was no time! We might not have long!"
The Security Officer motions backward somewhat on the way John is behaving, while not realizing the danger as John looks back and forth toward the lifts while getting very annoyed before turning back to the officer sternly.
"Press the button, and lock it down!"
The security guard looking to John briefly with a look, thinking who does this guy think he is, before moving on mentioning to John.
"Okay then, but it’s your head."
The security officer turns, moves across while reaching in for his keys from his belt, places one in the key hole then flips the lid to press the alarm as the siren sounds throughout the building.
"Thank you, and now the lifts! Please!"
The older scientist on his approach to the Canteen on hearing the alarm sound, then taking it upon himself to leave immediately without any further delay for what he had witnessed coming out toward him from John’s lab.
As he comes back soon passing the lifts, the second lift doors glide open with the infected scientists.
With Sam, Kev, among them with the three scientists who come bursting out preying on those in the immediate vicinity.
The security officer sees the infected scientists voicing to himself. "Holy shit!"
John turns his attention toward the lifts to watch them pouncing from the open lift.
"Ah no!"
Attacking from one to the next and then jumping the older scientist as he runs by from the direction of the canteen.
The security officer quickly forgets about lock down, and moving forward focused while drawing his gun aiming up to shoot at the infected.
John goes into the security office while hearing shots fired and looks but is unable to lock down or disable the lifts due to security holding master keys.
The security officer empties the clip of his hand gun, taking down an infected scientist and soon becomes under attack himself by another before drawing a batten and swinging wildly toward his attackers.
An infected scientist moves in snatching the batten from his grasp while using the other arm in the process and knocking the security guard to the ground.
The security guard appearing dazed from the knock looks to get up, with bites to his forearm from the other, he soon appears to succumb to the strain while he holds position on his hands and knees with the infected scientist looking down on him with batten in hand.
The infected individual standing there for a moment, looks back to the dead body of the infected scientist, turns again looking at the batten, then toward the Security Guard now twitching on his hands and knees.
The infected scientist quickly raises the batten a little, then strikes down on the head of the security guard killing him instantly then looks around with a few primitive sounds of mixed grunts with snorts before dropping the batten then moving off toward others.
John begins to head toward the main doors shouting over to Mike who is on his way toward him already.
"Mike!"
Mike soon comes along side him as they take one last glimpse for a brief moment then moving out together, as the two men race over toward Johns car a hundred meters or so across the car park as people, with the infected sprawl out from the buil
ding behind them as more shots are heard coming from inside.
The pair make it to Johns car as he unlocks disabling the alarm, quickly getting in then with John placing his phone in the center console and locking the car doors behind them.
John reverses quickly out of his park and heads off through up toward the exit past the main entrance with people and infected throughout the car park while trying not to hit the uninfected along the way as Mike shouts through.
"Out the way!"
John drives swerving back and forth looking while voicing to himself which Mike appears to hear.
"Oh my God, what have we done?!"
As they move on around toward the main exit of the building, an infected soon charges at the passenger window where Mike is sitting busting through, shattering the glass sending it throughout the car while trying to get at him with another close behind.
John launches the car with his foot to the floor swerving aiming his car away from civilians and more toward any infected with Mike struggling while fending off his attacker.
John with one hand reaching under the seat, soon hits one who appears infected along the way as it falls down with the vehicle running over the body slowing the car a little.
Mike a moment later sees a handgun being drawn from under the seat by John, he leans down further toward John as he points the gun up and over then shooting the infected attacker in the head which sends it sprawling across the asphalt.
An infected witnessing the two go down to ground watches on toward John and Mike in the vehicle speeding toward the main gate then follows in hot pursuit.
"That was close. You okay?"
Mike checks over himself while breathing heavily and straightening in the seat as he checks looking at his hands moving his attention up his arms.
"Yeah, shit yeah thanks, that was a lot closer."
Viral Evolution (Book 1): Retrovirus Page 6
