Feeling my cheeks flush bright red, I made my way back to the lab, limping occasionally. Once there, I searched for Bethany.
I didn’t see her.
“Amy!” Hitching my pants up, I walked carefully toward her. The last thing I wanted was to face-plant in front of my co-workers.
Her eyes widened. “Meghan! What the heck are you wearing?” Her gaze alighted on my cheek. “And what happened to your face?”
“No time to explain right now. Do you know where Bethany is?”
Amy shook her head. “No, I thought she was with you.”
I groaned in frustration. “I need to find her. I promised her I’d be here when she arrived.”
Before Amy could ask any further questions, I left the lab and went in search of Bethany. It took over twenty minutes before I finally found her with Ian and Dr. Dornhoff in the Director’s office.
“Dr. Forester. We’ve been wondering where you were.” Dr. Dornhoff’s gaze widened as he looked up and down my frame. He’d obviously never seen a researcher in MRRA cargos before.
“I’m afraid there was an incident.” I smiled sheepishly at Bethany. She lifted her head only long enough to nod in understanding. After that, she dropped her gaze back to the floor.
I frowned. Her ebony skin was barely visible in the layers of clothing she wore. Once again, she seemed intent on hiding her appearance from the world.
I stepped closer to her. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to meet you at the front door like I promised.”
Bethany nodded while Ian’s eyebrows drew together. He gave me a baffled look.
It suddenly occurred to me that I would probably have to explain why I was late and why I was dressed the way I was. “Somebody was in the Production Room. A report is being written about it.”
Dr. Dornhoff’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
I eyed Bethany and gave him a pointed look.
Luckily, he seemed to catch my unspoken concern.
“Perhaps we can step out for a minute to discuss it?” He pushed up from his chair. His large belly brushed against his desk.
Ian stood too. Bethany barely seemed to notice when we stepped out.
Once in the hall, Dr. Dornhoff crossed his arms while Ian waited with his hands on his hips. Ian’s gaze drifted to my burned cheek.
“What happened?” the Director asked.
Annoyance flashed through me that the Director hadn’t been alerted to my concerns. I quickly filled them in.
“You’re saying somebody was unattired in the Production Room?” Ian’s brow furrowed.
“I can’t be certain, but that’s what it appeared to be. And whoever it was, may have also shoved me to the ground.”
Ian’s jaw clenched and unclenched as he processed my words.
Dr. Dornhoff’s expression looked just as grim. “Thank you for informing me. I’ll look into it.”
I nodded in relief. “Good. I’m glad to hear it.”
Ian dipped his head down. “Would you like to accompany Bethany and me to the Experimental Room? She’s ready to begin the drug trials.”
“Yes, of course.”
Bethany was twisting her hands when the three of us entered the room again. Fear filled her eyes as her gaze shuffled between me, the Director, and Ian. “Is everything okay? Can I still take the drug?”
“Yes, everything’s fine.” I smiled for good measure which made my cheek tingle in pain, but I could tell she wasn’t convinced. “And of course you can still take the drug. If you’d like to come with Ian and me, we can get started.”
The loose skin under her arms flopped against her knees as she followed us into the hallway. Despite her cloak, it was still visible.
Her posture stayed folded and hunched over as we traveled through the halls. The few times we passed other MRI employees, she kept her gaze averted or on the floor.
My heart sank at how dejected she looked. I had no idea if that had been her personality before she contracted Makanza, but it certainly seemed to be the person she was now.
I stepped closer to her when we rounded a corner. “How’s Makayla doing? And how’s the baby?”
A smile lit her face as she finally looked up. “They’re both doing so good. Little Oliver was over ten pounds when he was born, and he’s already gained another two. Makayla said he came into the world ready to eat.”
I laughed. “Do you have any pictures?”
Bethany fished her cell phone out of her bag and proceeded to show Ian and me photos as we walked down the halls.
“He’s a beautiful boy.” Ian’s dimple showed through his beard when we reached the Inner Sanctum. “And I’m sure you’ll be the best aunt he could ever have.”
Bethany dipped her head. “I’m certainly going to try.”
When we were in the Inner Sanctum and walking toward the Experimental Room, I said to her, “The drug we’ve been working on is showing great potential, as I’m sure Ian’s told you. All of the Kazzies have shown a significant decrease in physical Changes. Many of them have begun reverting back to their prior forms.”
A glimmer of hope shone in Bethany’s eyes when we reached the Room. “That’s what the Director and Mr. Gallager said. I hope it will work for me.” She grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly. “I don’t know what I’ll do if it doesn’t.”
I frowned at the desperation in her tone and led her into the Experimental Room.
I spent the rest of the afternoon with Bethany while Ian managed her entrance to the trials. I stayed with her despite the lab techs taking over. I knew I didn’t have to, but each time I stepped out of her view, she watched to see where I’d gone.
When I assured her again that I would stay, the tension in her shoulders eased.
“Does this drug hurt?” she asked as the tech hooked her up to the monitoring equipment.
I shrugged helplessly. “To be honest, for some it does. For others, not as much. We won’t know until it’s administered to you.”
She nodded tightly. “I don’t care if it hurts. I still want to do it.”
I hoped that the process would go smoothly for her. It certainly wasn’t going that way for Garrett. At times, his screams could be heard through sealed doors.
21 – SABOTAGE
I told Amy about the Production Room incident on our drive home that night. Her eyes widened more with every sentence.
“You mean somebody intentionally pushed you to the ground?” Outside, the setting sun set the desert aglow.
I nodded. “I saw them run past me after I fell.”
“Do you have any idea who it was?”
An image of Monica standing in the corner of the room flashed through my mind. She’s the only one who hates you.
I bit my lip. Hating me didn’t mean she’d intentionally hurt me. But then I remembered how she’d shoved me a few weeks ago.
Coincidence?
Sighing heavily, I replied, “I’m not one-hundred-percent certain who it was, but Monica was there when I left the room.”
Amy angled her body to face me better. “Seriously? So is anything being done about it?”
“Dr. Dornhoff said he’ll look into it. I can only hope he does.”
Amy’s cheeks were flushed in anger when she turned her attention back to the road. The desert shimmered in the fading sun, sending the sandy hills aglow. “The whole situation is crazy. And Monica is such a bitch to you. It totally could have been her.” She sneered. “You could’ve been really hurt.” She eyed my cheek. The skin was bright red and raw. “Davin’s gonna flip when he sees that.”
I sighed. “I know.”
Sure enough, after we stepped into our small rental home and Davin scanned my cargos with a raised eyebrow, his gaze immediately fell on my burned skin.
“What happened?” He stepped closer and reached for me.
I eyed Amy. She merely mouthed good luck and retreated to the kitchen.
Pulling at the uniform I wore, I tried to say casually, “I was exposed at
work today.”
“Exposed to what?”
“We’re not entirely sure.” I knew his questions would continue until I divulged every detail so I added, “There was an incident in the Production Room.” I pulled him to the couch and explained what happened.
With every word I uttered, his expression grew darker and darker as if a storm cloud brewed just above him. “You mean somebody purposefully attacked you?”
“It seems so.”
“And do they know who it was?”
“Not yet.”
“Meghan . . .” His large hand settled on my thigh. The heat from him penetrated the thick MRRA pants. “Maybe you should stay away from the Compound until they figure out who did it.”
I shook my head. “I can’t do that. Besides, there’s no reason to believe whoever it was targeted me directly. I may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. If somebody else had gone searching for who I saw, they may have done the same thing to them.”
Davin sighed harshly and ran an agitated hand through his hair. His cobalt eyes flashed. “What are they doing to prevent something like that from happening again?”
“I imagine the first thing they’re going to do is figure out who it was. There are cameras in the Production Room. Surely, they picked up something.”
He growled and pulled me closer to his side. I sighed in contentment at the feel of him so close.
“They better. If anything happens to you, they’ll have to answer to me.”
THE NEXT DAY, I hurried to the Inner Sanctum as soon as I entered the Compound. Amy had stayed in our lab, saying she was going to nap on the lab bench since I’d woken her so early. Since we shared a car, she didn’t have much choice other than to come in with me.
Even though I felt a twinge of guilt about getting her out of bed at the crack of dawn, I was glad we came in early. So much was happening today, and I’d been unwilling to wait at home while Amy slept.
Bethany had just spent her first night in Compound 3’s Inner Sanctum, Dorothy would receive another injection, and Ian was busy arranging for more Kazzies to enter the trials.
With any luck, Dorothy would be Makanza-free by the end of the week and Bethany would be on her way to looking more human.
Tapping from my feet echoed in the large, wide hall as I raced through the corridors. It was still early. Not many scientists were around, but that would change soon.
An access door appeared at the end of the hall when I rounded a corner. I lifted my badge to have it ready to scan. Only two more doors to the Inner Sanctum.
I grinned. I’d soon be able to hear how Bethany was fairing after her first injection.
Hurrying forward, I held up my badge, but I never made it to the scanner. A loud BOOM rocked the walls and knocked me off my feet. Shrieking, my hand instinctively reached for the wall as dust fell from the ceiling.
On the floor, I looked around in a daze. What the hell was that?
For a moment, the lights dimmed before flickering back on. My heart thudded as I gazed around the empty hall. Slowly, I pushed to standing as adrenaline pounded in my veins.
Tapping in the back of my mind indicated my reaction hadn’t gone unnoticed. I opened up to Sara. I’m okay, but something just happened here at Compound 3.
What?
I have no idea. Whatever it was knocked me over. Can I let you go so I can find out?
Her nod penetrated our bond. Sure, I’m just glad you’re okay. The reaction I got from you . . . It was pretty powerful.
The price of telepathy, eh? I tried to joke, but it fell flat. My heart still pounded with whatever had caused that event.
We shut down our connection after I promised to talk with her soon. Guilt flooded me that I’d been so consumed with work that we hadn’t spoken more often. Luckily, the twin seemed to sense my busy schedule. She’d only been in touch a few times a week since Davin and I moved here.
Pushing my guilt away, I hesitantly stepped toward the access scanner again. Whatever had caused the boom had been so loud and powerful that it shook the walls. Dust coated the floor. It seemed the ceiling material had loosened in the blast.
The blast? I shook my head. Was it really a blast?
But that didn’t make sense. It had to be something else.
An earthquake?
Fear made my stomach flip. Earthquakes could be deadly. I waited for rumbling and shaking, but it never came. Whatever it had been, seemed to have been a singular, powerful event.
With an unsteady hand, I lifted my badge to the scanner and then laid my palm against it. Green light flashed. The door hissed open.
On shaky legs, I stepped through it and rounded the corner. A voice carried to me from the end of the corridor. Ahead, a guard was frantically speaking into a hallway emergency phone.
I caught the end of his conversation just as he was hanging up. “Yes, sir. I’m on my way, sir.”
“What happened?” I asked as he started to rush past me.
“It seems there was an explosion, maybe two. Please evacuate immediately. It’s not safe.”
He ran down the hall before I could ask anything further. His heavy pounding footsteps filled the quiet until he disappeared from view.
With wide eyes, my mind raced with what he implied. An explosion? Possibly two explosions?
I had no idea where an explosion could have occurred, but considering thousands of gas lines ran throughout the Compound, an explosion was feasible. And an exploding gas line would be powerful enough to shake the entire building.
That must be what it was.
A female robotic voice suddenly sounded through the hallway speakers as the lights dimmed. An emergency red light flashed overhead. “Please head to your nearest exit. Mandatory evacuation has ensued.”
My breath caught in my chest. They’re evacuating the entire building? But what about the Kazzies? They were still locked within the Inner Sanctum. Surely an emergency evacuation means their cells will open.
But what if they don’t?
For a moment, I waffled. I knew emergency protocol dictated that I immediately travel to the outer wing and exit the building, but something made me rush toward the Inner Sanctum. When I reached the unmanned access door to head deeper into the Compound, I scanned my palm.
The scan flashed red.
Red.
I just stared at it before trying again. The same color appeared.
That’s never happened before.
The overhead voice again penetrated the air as the red light flashed. “Please head to your nearest exit. Mandatory evacuation has ensued.”
I gritted my teeth in frustration. It seemed the access doors leading into the interior of the Compound had been closed. I could only hope that my friends were being evacuated safely.
Turning around, I picked up a jog as I headed toward the exit. The halls grew more crowded the closer I got to the perimeter. A flash of bright red hair caught my attention just as a frantic researcher bumped into me.
“Amy!” I yelled to my co-worker.
Her green eyes were as round as saucers when I finally reached her side. I’d had to push through a dozen scientists to catch up to her.
“Oh, Meghan, I’m so glad to see you. What the hell is going on?”
I shook my head as more and more employees joined us on our walk to the exit. It became so crowded in the singular hallway, that we were all pressed tightly together. I took a deep breath as my heart pounded. I was surrounded on all sides by dozens of people. Stay calm, Meghan. Just stay calm.
In a shaky voice, I replied, “There was an explosion, apparently. A guard told me.”
“An explosion?” Amy moved closer as we were funneled through a door in the hall. She yelped when someone stepped on her foot. “Watch where you’re going!” she yelled after him.
“What else do you know?” she asked.
I didn’t get a chance to tell her as guards appeared ahead. They began directing people and issuing orders. Their voices drown
ed out ours.
It didn’t help that the female robotic voice continued above—repeating over and over to head to the nearest exit as mandatory evacuation had ensued. I swore I was going to have dreams about that robotic voice for the rest of my life.
It was only when we stepped out of the Compound into the parking lot, that I was able to take a deep breath. Cool air filled my lungs. The temperature felt like it was in the high fifties. It was still so early that the daily warm temps hadn’t set in.
A shiver struck me, then another, but thankfully my anxiety abated. Even though my heart still pounded from how close I had stood to everybody, it no longer felt like the world was closing in.
I searched for any Kazzies in the parking lot. None. I swallowed the lump in my throat.
Amy grabbed my arm. “Meghan! Look!”
I turned back around to the Compound and gasped. Black smoke rolled into the sky from the center of the building. The outer Compound appeared intact, but the interior was another story.
Murmured whispers erupted in the crowd as everyone became aware of the damage. Amy grabbed my hand as the guards yelled for us to retreat farther into the parking lot. “Let’s not lose each other.”
We followed the other scientists and Compound employees as flashing lights and sirens wailed in the distance. They sounded far off. With a start, I realized they came from outside of the Compound’s walled perimeter. It occurred to me what I was hearing. Emergency responders.
“Do you know anything else about what happened?” Amy wrapped her arms around herself and stepped closer.
“No, nothing more than what I’ve already told you. I was on my way to the Inner Sanctum when the explosion occurred. It shook the walls.”
Amy’s hair brushed my shoulder when she nodded. “I was in the lab and the same thing happened. My lab bench shook.”
I circled my arms around myself to ward off the chill and told her about the guard on the emergency phone. “He’s the one who told me about the explosions.”
The sirens grew louder as a fleet of firetrucks reached the Compound’s perimeter. In the distance, the large gates opened to emit the emergency personnel. Never had I ever thought to see something like that happen. The Compounds had always been so indestructible. So formidable.
The Complete Makanza Series: Books 0-4 Page 108