Twenty-Five Percent (Book 2): Downfall

by Nerys Wheatley

  Micah’s eyes widened. “Did you think I’d kissed you because I... because I thought we were...” he huffed out a breath, “...a couple?”

  “I was reserving judgement until I’d spoken to you, but it did occur to me that maybe you had misconstrued our friendship.”

  “What about anything I’ve ever done since we’ve known each other would lead you to believe I wanted us to hook up?”

  “You kissed me. On the mouth.”

  Micah shook his head in disgust. “And you were a detective? Did you actually solve any crimes? And by the way, the stabbing is going on the list.”

  “Stabbing me is going on the list? Please tell me you’re joking.”

  “I saved your life.”

  “You stabbed me!”

  “It was a flesh wound.”

  “It was agony.”

  “I think you’re overreacting.”

  “There is no reaction to being stabbed that could be construed as overreacting. None.”

  Brian came back into the room with a red box marked with a white cross. He handed it to Hannah and she set about treating the wound. Alex hissed in a breath through his teeth as she applied antiseptic.

  She winced in sympathy. “Sorry. It’s a very clean wound. Doesn’t look like it’s too deep. I’d prefer to suture it, but even though I can’t, it should heal alright. If you’re going to be stabbed, this is pretty much how you want it to be.”

  “You’re welcome,” Micah said.

  Alex rolled his eyes.

  “You’ll probably have a scar though,” Hannah said.

  He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “You don’t mind looking at scars, do you?”

  She blushed and continued to dress the wound, darting glances at him and obviously trying not to smile.

  Oh yeah. He still had it.

  “We need a plan,” Micah said, “to get out of here and stop Boot and preferably stay alive through the whole process.”

  “If we had some way to destroy the laboratories, he wouldn’t be able to continue his twisted work,” Dave said.

  Alex and Micah looked at each other. “C4,” they both said at the same time.

  “There’s some in the armoury,” Brian said. “I think I can use enough to destroy the labs, but not bring the building down.”

  “So you’re really on our side?” Pauline said.

  Brian drew in a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “I didn’t do anything for too long and I saw good people die because of Boot. I’ve had enough. I’m with you.”

  “As long as it’s you handling the explosives and not Alex, I’m good,” Micah said.

  Hannah finished with the dressing and Alex buttoned up his shirt. “The least you could do is be polite to me. You did stab me.”

  “Let it go,” Micah said.

  “It’s too soon.”

  “I’m sure there are remote detonators in the armoury, so we can set the explosives off after we get out...” Brian stopped as the radio he was carrying attached to his belt crackled.

  “The cameras are down.” Chester’s voice sounded urgent. “Whoever is closest, get to the cell room. Now!”

  There was a collective moment of shock, then everyone leaped up.

  “Sshhh!” Brian said, taking the radio from his belt. Everyone became quiet as he spoke into it. “I’m at the cells. The prisoners are all secure in here.”

  “Good,” Chester’s voice came back. “Brian, you stay there. I...”

  A voice Alex didn’t recognise broke in. “I’m in the security office. Walker’s here, tied up. Hold on.” There were a few seconds of silence. “He doesn’t know what happened. Says someone hit him from behind. The screens are all blank.”

  Alex allowed himself a small feeling of satisfaction. He was good.

  “Try and get the cameras back up,” Chester said. “Hartley and Bish, get to the cells and give Brian some back-up. Everyone else, get your arses out of bed and find whoever is doing this!”

  A chorus of “Yes Sir”s emanated from the radio.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Micah said, going to the door.

  “Micah really kissed you?” Hannah said quietly to Alex as they left the cell room.

  Alex cleared his throat. “Yes.”

  The corners of her mouth twitched. “How was it?”

  Ahead of them, Micah turned his head, obviously listening.

  “It was a little dry,” Alex said, “and he didn’t really do much with it. To be honest, I’ve had better. I’d give it a two out of five.”

  Micah glanced back. “Your lips say that, but your eyes tell the truth; I have ruined you for everyone else.”

  24

  Being the more familiar with the building’s layout, Brian led the way towards the armoury.

  After they’d been walking for a minute or so, Frobisher’s voice emanated from his radio.

  “Chester, I’m at the cells and the prisoners are gone. Brian’s not here either.”

  “Brian!” Chester’s voice barked. “Brian, where the hell are you? Someone get me those cameras!”

  They reached the armoury a couple of minutes later. Walker had told Alex that there were thirty-two of Boot’s personal security left, which was a lot, but it was a very big building and they couldn’t cover all of it. The group didn’t meet anyone on the way. With any luck, they would concentrate their search around the cells.

  The doctors, including Hannah, flat out refused to take any weapons, insisting they were healers, not killers.

  Sam shook his head when Alex held a pistol out to him. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

  “It’s not to hurt anyone,” Alex said. “It’s to stop them from hurting you. And to protect you from eaters.”

  When he still looked reluctant, Claire took the gun and smiled at him. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  It was all that was needed to wake up Sam’s male chromosomes. He held a hand out to Alex. “Maybe I should have one, just in case.”

  Hiding a smile, Alex loaded a magazine into another gun and handed it to him.

  “I have no idea how to use it,” Sam said, holding the pistol as if it would bite.

  “Point, pull trigger,” Micah said, “but not at anything you don’t want to hurt or kill. And keep your finger away from the trigger until you’re sure that’s the case.”

  Sam nodded, still looking nervous, and pushed it into his pocket.

  Brian was loading the box of C4, along with blasting caps and small, electronic devices that must have been remote detonators, into a black canvas bag.

  “Are we going to need that much?” Alex said.

  “Not for the labs, but better safe than sorry. There are a lot of eaters out there.”

  “May I have your attention, please.” Using the building’s public address system, Boot’s voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. “I have opened the gates to allow my eaters into the compound to prevent escape. Please ensure that all external doors are secure. There is now no way out of the building so I suggest, to prevent bloodshed, that Doctors Sanderson, Stine, Vincent and Cranbourne, and our other guests, give themselves up to my security. You have my word you will not be harmed.”

  They looked at each other.

  Brian broke the silence. “Boot’s word is worth less than nothing, believe me.”

  “Let’s get to the labs,” Alex said, “then we’ll work out how to get past the eaters.”

  They left the armoury and ran back in the direction of the laboratories, more concerned with haste than avoiding detection. Letting the eaters in smacked of desperation. Who knew what Boot would do next?

  It didn’t take them long to run into someone.

  A man stepped from a side corridor ahead of them, raising his rifle. “Don’t move!”

  The group skidded to a messy halt.

  “Brian?”

  Brian stepped to the front of the group. “None of us needs to get hurt, Tim.”

  “What are you doing?�
�� Tim’s eyes darted around the group. “You’re helping them?”

  “You know what Boot is doing. This is our chance to get out. Come with us.”

  Tim shook his head. “You’re crazy. I’m not going up against Boot.”

  “And I’m not letting you take them back.”

  Alex stepped up beside Brian. “You can’t shoot us all.”

  Tim frowned. “I thought you were dead.”

  A panicked voice suddenly shouted in stereo from both Tim and Brian’s radios. “They’re inside! They’re in the building! The door was open...” The voice dissolved into screams, then cut off.

  “Jessup?” Chester shouted from the radio. “Jessup?!”

  Alex started at the sound of gunfire, the acoustics of the maze of corridors making it impossible to tell where it was coming from.

  “Sod it.” Tim lowered his rifle, turned and ran.

  “Idiot,” Brian huffed.

  More gunfire sounded.

  “Maybe we should just get out,” Micah said.

  “The pheromone guns,” Brian said. “If we can get to those, we can stop the eaters. There are two in the security office at the front entrance. It may be our only way out.”

  The sound of moans and shuffling feet came from somewhere. How far away they were was impossible to tell.

  “Let’s go,” Alex said.

  Brian took the lead again, jogging ahead, his long strides meaning the rest of them had to run to keep up. They’d gone around two corners when Alex grabbed Brian’s arm, forcing him to a halt.

  “What?” Brian said.

  “I smell eaters,” Claire said, her eyes wide with fear.

  Micah jogged to an intersecting corridor ahead and peered round the corner. “Fifteen or so,” he said, looking back. “Coming this way.”

  Alex swung his rifle around to hang at his back and took two of the brand new skull-spikers he’d picked up at the armoury from his pockets. “Stay here,” he said to the group. “We’ll take care of them.”

  “Why don’t you just shoot them?” Brian said.

  Alex looked at the spikers. “Um... these are cooler? And we don’t want to attract more eaters with the noise.”

  He walked forward to join Micah. The small horde was fifty feet away now, arranged shoulder to shoulder across the breadth of the corridor as they had in the Sarcester lab what felt like a lifetime ago. It was intimidating.

  “Do we really need to worry about the noise now?” Micah said quietly.

  “Nervous?”

  “Little bit.”

  “But you’re immune now. It doesn’t matter if you get bitten.”

  “That doesn’t mean I want it to happen. First, pain. And second, what if I get bitten by someone with hepatitis or something? They could be carrying any number of unpleasant diseases.”

  That thought hadn’t occurred to Alex. He looked at the still healing teeth marks he’d received after falling into the horde in Sarcester visible below his rolled up sleeves and hoped he hadn’t already picked up something.

  “That’s a good point,” he said.

  “So, guns?”

  “I...” A wave of pheromones surrounded Alex. Before he could wonder what was happening, cries erupted behind them.

  Alex spun round to see the group scattering as eaters lurched in amongst them. He ran back to them, vaguely aware of Micah beside him, and plunged into the melee. He stabbed a spiker into the skull of an eater struggling with Brian.

  “Get back there and stop the horde,” he said as he moved past.

  “Got it,” Brian replied.

  As Alex took down an eater grabbing at Pauline’s shoulder, the sound of rapid gunfire echoed around them.

  He saw Micah stab an eater struggling with Dave off to his left. In front of him, another eater flew backwards, slamming into the wall.

  Claire lowered her foot, yelling, “Take that, bitch!”

  Alex plunged a spiker into its forehead and it slumped to the floor. He looked around, trying to see Hannah amongst the chaos. A cluster of five eaters had Larry and Sam backed against a wall.

  “I’ve got them,” Micah said, heading in their direction. “Find Hannah.”

  Alex ran past, leaving him mopping up the remaining eaters. The corridor beyond was empty and he still hadn’t seen her.

  Then he heard a sound that made his stomach drop - Hannah crying out.

  Alex sprinted for an open doorway up ahead, his heart hammering in his chest. He slammed one hand into the frame, using it to change direction at speed, and burst into the room. Hannah was against the window opposite him, two eaters in front of her. Alex roared, throwing himself across the room and plunging a spiker into the head of the first eater he reached. The second turned in time to receive a hole through its temple. It let go of Hannah’s arm and fell.

  She looked up at Alex, breathing rapidly, her face filled with terror. Alex dropped his eyes to the arm she held out in front of her.

  Blood oozed from the tooth marks in her hand.

  “No,” he whispered, panicked. “No.”

  The spikers clattered to the floor as he took her hand, looking around desperately for something to wrap around the wound. When he found nothing, he bunched up the end of his shirt and pressed it to her reddening skin.

  “Alex,” she whispered, tears flowing down her cheeks.

  She raised her free hand to his chest and he wrapped one arm around her, clutching her trembling against him while he held the material around her hand.

  “You’re going to be alright,” he said. “We’ll get the cure. You’re going to be alright.”

  Her shaking subsided a little and he felt her nod against his shoulder.

  “Alex?”

  He looked back to see Micah at the door. “She’s been bitten,” he said. “We need to get to the lab, now.”

  Micah nodded in understanding and disappeared back into the hallway. Alex led Hannah to the door to find the others waiting for them.

  “Okay, let’s go,” Micah said.

  The group surrounded Alex and Hannah, forming a human shield around them as they walked quickly along the corridor. Alex kept his eyes on Hannah, his arm around her waist. She walked pressed against his side, her eyes forward. They hadn’t gone far before her steps began to falter and she sagged against him. Not missing a stride, he scooped her into his arms and broke into a jog, the others keeping pace around them.

  Rounding another corner, a horde of eaters blocked the way ahead.

  “I’ve got it,” Micah said, striding forward.

  “We’ve got it,” Brian said, joining him.

  As gunfire echoed around the corridor, Alex held Hannah against him, staring at her face.

  “How is she?” Pauline said.

  “Hannah?” Alex whispered.

  She shifted her head against his shoulder and looked up at him with glassy eyes. “It’s hard to stay awake,” she said, her voice slurring.

  Alex swallowed the lump in his throat. “I know, but you have to fight it. We’ll be there soon then we’ll get you the cure. You’re going to be fine.”

  The small smile that curved her lips pierced his heart. “I know you’ll look after me.”

  The gunfire stopped.

  “We’re good to go,” Micah said.

  They started off again, running as fast as they could until they finally reached the laboratories. Micah burst through the doors and Sam followed, holding it open for Alex carrying Hannah. Larry, Pauline and Dave ran for the glass fronted refrigeration unit.

  Alex gently lowered Hannah into a chair and knelt beside her. She opened her eyes and lifted one hand to touch his face, wiping at a tear he hadn’t even noticed rolling down his cheek.

  “Don’t be sad,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  He tried to keep the tremor from his voice. “I’m not sad, because you’re going to be alright.”

  She smiled, her hand still on his face. “I’m glad you’re here. You make me feel so safe. I wish
...”

  Her eyes slipped closed, her hand dropping into her lap. Alex caught her as her head lolled forward, holding her to him. He looked up through a fog of tears at Dave walking up to them.

  The expression on his face sent a dagger through Alex’s chest.

  “It’s not there. None of the treatment vials are there.”

  Alex looked from him to Pauline and Larry behind him, searching for hope. “Are you sure? Not one? Nothing hidden at the back?”

  “We checked every vial,” Pauline said, her voice on the edge of tears. “There aren’t any.”

  Alex dropped his eyes to Hannah’s face leaning against his chest, unable to think past the pain and despair welling up inside him.

  “Boot,” Micah said.

  Alex looked up.

  “He has to have them.”

  Boot.

  Sam knelt next to Alex. “You go. I’ll look after her.”

  Passing Hannah to him, Alex stood. “Get the C4 set,” he said as he headed for the door with Micah. “Then get to the foyer with Hannah. We’ll meet you there with the cure.”

  They sprinted for the lifts they’d taken to meet Boot the day before, making it there in less than thirty seconds. As they passed, several groups of eaters turned to follow, but they ignored them. A group of at least twenty were milling by the lifts, several banging mindlessly on the steel doors. A few bursts of automatic fire and they were just obstacles on the floor to step over. Alex’s rifle clicked empty and he threw it aside. Micah hit the call button and the lift made its way far too slowly down to them.

  Alex stared at the hardwood floor of the lift as they rode up, bouncing on the balls of his feet and trying to put Hannah’s unconscious face out of his mind. He needed to focus. Her life depended on him.

  Feeling a hand squeeze his shoulder, he looked up. Micah nodded wordlessly and Alex understood everything he didn’t say. He nodded back.

  When they reached the outer office, Valerie’s desk was unoccupied. Alex didn’t slow, barrelling through the doors to Boot’s office.

  It was empty.

  “Hear that?” Micah was looking up at the ceiling. A low rumble seemed to be coming from above them. “Over there,” Micah said, running for a door in the corner of the room.

  Pulling it open, he stumbled backwards into Alex as eaters poured into the room. Alex spotted stairs beyond the door as he pulled Micah out of their reach.