She starts to walk away.
I strike the window one more time in frustration. “Hey! Don’t leave!”
She vanishes down the hall.
I move away from the window and turn around. All I can think about is Cindy and Duke. Regardless of what’s happening outside, it doesn’t sound good, especially if it involves the chasers. I want them with me.
Lucas saunters in my direction with his arm swinging. He doesn’t seem as concerned or worried as Cassie or I. His body isn’t tense, but more at ease than anything. His arms swing as he saunters towards us. He doesn’t show any angst or a need to flee this confined space. He does grimace some in discomfort as his fingers adjust the shirt over the bandage.
“How are you so calm?” My voice is thick with agitation and worry as I pace back and forth. Cassie remains at the window with her eyes fixed on the hall. She continues to smack her palm against the window. It isn’t too hard, but enough to hopefully stop someone else passing by.
Lucas looks past me to Cassie. He cranes his neck and points over to her. “You might want to stop doing that.”
Cassie glances back over her shoulder at us.
“I’m just as worried as you two are, but banging on the window and yelling isn’t going to get us out of here any faster. They let us in, and we have to play by their rules. If we have to stay in here for the time being, then that’s what we need to do. Doing anything rash or pissing them off might get us kicked out into whatever crap storm is brewing outside. Do you want that? I sure as hell don’t,” Lucas says.
I sigh, then throw my arms up in frustration. “I just want to see my sister. I’m so close and yet, I feel so far away. Feels like I’m never going to see her. I can only imagine what she’s going through right now.”
Defeated, I plop down in a chair near me. The floor trembles under my feet once more.
Lucas comes up and places his hand on my left shoulder. He gives it a single pat. “Everything will be fine, James. For now, we have to stay patient, and let the soldiers handle whatever is going on outside. Before you know it, we’ll be out of here, and you’ll see your sister.”
“Hey, guys,” Cassie calls out.
I turn around in the chair and find nurse Debbie standing at the door with a soldier. I can hear keys rattling about as she grumbles something through quivering lips.
Any subtle vibration or tremor causes her to flinch and cower. She looks about for something, but I don’t know what it is.
I spring up from the seat and race over to the door. She finally unlocks it and pushes it open. Duke rushes in. He licks my hand as I rub the top of his head.
The soldier remains at the entrance with his rifle shouldered and his finger over the trigger. He peers at the door we came through a bit ago.
“Have the chasers breached the hospital?” Cassie worriedly asks.
Debbie glances at Cassie, but doesn’t answer. She skips any such pleasantries and gets right to it. “We’re evacuating the ground floor. Grab your stuff and follow me, now.”
CHAPTER FIVE
There is no such thing as being safe anymore. In a world where the dead roam free, and the living are an endangered species, the odds of survival grow slimmer with each day that passes by. In the end, we all have one foot in the grave, and the other foot is not far behind.
We’re funneled out of the lab by nurse Debbie. The soldier accompanying her trails us as we head down the long stretch of hallway to our left. No words are spoken. No questions are asked.
We stay mute.
Silent.
The most important thing right now is safety, which I’m doubtful even exists anymore.
I see no other hospital staff or military personnel within the vacant halls. It’s a ghost town. The rooms on either side of the floor are vacant. It feels as though we are completely alone, cut off from the rest of the military.
We pick up the pace. Debbie bypasses the elevator on our right, and heads for the stairwell a few doors down. She slings it open and continues inside. The hollow sound of heavy footsteps beating against the concrete landing of the enclosed space echoes around us.
One by one, we enter the stairwell, and make our way up the first flight of stairs. I glance back over my shoulder to find the soldier stopping and securing the door. He slams it closed, then grabs the silver handle. He tugs on it multiple times. He back peddles away, and dashes up the stairs after us.
We bypass the second floor and head for the third. Duke remains by my side as we round the next bend. Up the next flight of stairs, we climb.
At the top of the landing is another soldier, standing at the ready. He has his rifle shouldered, and the barrel trained in our direction. He diverts the weapon off to the right and motions with his hand for us to head inside.
We spill out into the dimly lit hallway, and move away from the entrance of the stairwell. We take a moment to catch our breath. I bend over, and place the heels of my palms on the lower portions of my thighs. I gasp for air, but otherwise am good to go.
Duke faces the stairwell with his ears standing on end. His body is taut, eyes focused dead ahead. Muttered growls escape his snout as he steps forward.
The soldier trailing us heads inside as the other remains stationed on the landing. He offers us a quick glance before he slams the door.
I stand up straight, and look down either side of the hallway. There are more people up here, both hospital staff and military personnel. I crane my neck, and try to see if I can locate anything useful that might tell me where they’re keeping Cindy.
From the way the nurse spoke while examining me, all infected would be quarantined in some manner. I spot no dense plastic barriers or biohazard signs restricting access.
“Do you know where they’re keeping my sister, Cindy, by chance?” I ask Debbie. “I’d really like to see her.”
Debbie brushes the light brown hair away from her damp face as Jacobson walks toward us. “I can’t say. It’s classified.”
“Is this everyone from the first floor?” Jacobson asks the soldier.
“Yes, sir. No more civilians were spotted on the lower levels. I think we’re good.”
Jacobson nods. “Well done, private. Go meet up with your unit. I’ll take care of our guests from here.”
“Sir!” The soldier snaps to and salutes Jacobson. He turns sharply to his left and heads toward the stairwell. He tosses open the door and vanishes within the dimness of the space.
Jacobson turns to Debbie. He gently cups her elbow with his hand. “Do we know how much longer until we have the results back from their blood samples?”
Debbie pulls the loose strands of hair back over her head. “Shouldn’t be much longer. Given that none of them were running fevers or had any bite marks, I don’t see any reason that they would be infected, but we will know for sure soon.”
“Excellent,” Jacobson says.
A subtle vibrating looms in the air. Debbie glances down as her hand retrieves a small, black, square device from her hip. She brings it up and stares at it for a second.
“If you’ll excuse me, sir, I’m needed elsewhere.” Debbie turns to her left and heads down the hallway at a brisk walk.
“Thanks for letting us out of that room. It’s much appreciated,” I sincerely say. “I can tell you right now we aren’t infected.”
“It was a precaution that we felt we needed to take,” Jacobson says.
A low humming sound plays from the lights overhead. They continue to flicker. Seems like the hospital is on the verge of losing power. To be honest, I’m surprised the building has any power at all considering most of the areas we’ve traveled through have been without any form of electricity.
I point up to the lights while looking at Jacobson. “Are we going to lose power soon? Seems to be doing a lot of flickering all over the building.”
Jacobson tilts his head back and stares at the lights. “Eventually, yes, but we should be good for now. That is, as long as we don’t have any more iss
ues with the generators in the basement, and the infected outside don’t get in.”
Lucas steps up next to me. “Is that a possibility?”
Jacobson nods. “We’ve been seeing an increase in their activity over the past week. They were showing up in small numbers, stragglers for the most part that were easy to manage. For some reason, more are arriving daily. We’re struggling to maintain our hold on this facility. That’s one of the reasons we evacuated the bottom floors of all civilians.”
Listening to Jacobson speak of the declining situation with the chasers, and they’re decision to evac everyone to the upper floors, I’m concerned for her safety.
Since, for the time being, we aren’t considered a threat, I throw out the question again as to when I can see her.
“Is there any way I can see my sister now? Even if it’s just for a moment? After that, if you want to lock us in a room until you’re completely satisfied that we aren’t infected, then we will go with no issues. I just need to see her.”
“That’s actually another reason why you were brought up here. The commander would like to speak with you.”
CHAPTER SIX
I swallow the large lump of fear that forms inside my throat—a mass that refuses to go down easily. My mind instantly conjures up a plethora of possible scenarios that ends the same way. That Cindy is dead, or has fully turned into my worst nightmare. A chaser.
Lucas rests his hand on my shoulder, and I look back to him. He offers me a reassuring smile. I force one back through the uncertainty and angst swirling inside of me.
Jacobson leads us through the halls of the third floor. Hospital staff and military personnel race past us in both directions. The tromping of their shoes rapping against the tile floor plays in my ears.
We hook a right, and head a bit farther down the hall. Off to the left stand two heavily armed soldiers who are positioned on either side of a door. Clutched in their gloved hands are automatic rifles.
They offer sharp, crisp salutes as we approach the door.
Jacobson salutes them back. The soldiers lower their arms, and remain fixed at their posts. They don’t offer us a single look, as they keep their attention focused dead ahead.
We’re led through the single door into a large office. Standing across the room, on the other side of a cherry wood desk, is an older gentleman who’s peering out of the window. His arms are fixed behind his back, hands clasped within each other. He’s dressed in the same tan, brown, and gray fatigues as Jacobson.
His short, silver hair is buzzed close to his head. The sleeves on his shirt are rolled up just past his elbows with the camo facing outward. Thick veins snake down from underneath the fabric, and run the length of his muscular forearms. He looks away from the window and stares at us with an intense gaze.
Jacobson snaps to and offers him a crisp salute.
He offers a single nod in return. “At ease, sergeant.”
Jacobson lowers his arm. He steps off to the left and turns to the side. “Commander Reynolds. This is patient 2468’s brother and his companions.”
The commander’s eyes shift from Jacobson to us. He turns sharply to the right and walks around the desk. His arms stay clutched behind his back as he levels the same stern expression as the other soldiers at us.
I gulp as he tromps across the carpet and stops just before us. He looks directly at me, then back to Cassie and Lucas who are just as quiet. Duke groans, which sends his attention down to him.
“This must be Duke,” he finally says. “I’ve heard much about him, and you as well, James.”
The lump finally clears from my throat. “So, Cindy is ok, then?”
“She’s as well as can be expected given the circumstances. That’s a brave sister you have there.” Commander Reynolds cuts his gaze over to Jacobson. “How are we holding up against the infected outside?”
“We’re keeping them at bay, for now, but we’re running low on ammo and have sustained some losses.”
Commander Reynolds nods. “Deploy any additional personnel as needed, and keep me posted on any new developments. I’ve informed HQ about our situation here and am waiting for a response from them. Hopefully, it shouldn’t be too much longer. That will be all, sergeant.”
“Sir!” Jacobson salutes him before walking behind us and exiting the room. The door slams, leaving just us and Commander Reynolds in the room.
Commander Reynolds points out of the window in the direction of the brown haze that clings to the sky. “I tell you what, those damn infected are relentless. Doesn’t seem to matter how many we kill, they just keep coming and coming. I’ve never seen anything like it in all of my years.”
Duke plops down on the floor. His tongue hangs from the left side of his snout as he yawns. Cassie sits down in a chair near him, and strokes the back of his dirty coat.
“They are for sure. You have to get them with a headshot, anything else is basically a waste of time,” I say.
Lucas takes a step forward and stands alongside me. He glances around the space with his arms outstretched. “If I may ask, what exactly is the military doing in a civilian hospital? Doesn’t seem like a typical military installation you’d use. That, and it looks as though you’re pretty well cut off from any sort of reserves or reinforcements who would be able to provide support.”
Commander Reynolds lowers his arm. “There are a number of units stationed throughout the country working on possible cures and trying to find more out about the infected. This particular location was found to not have as much activity from the infected as other locations. Plus, the hospital itself was already outfitted with enough equipment and space for us to study and research the virus. We only had to bring in a minimal amount of equipment to suit our needs.” Commander Reynolds looks to me. “That’s one of the reasons that we brought your sister here from Portland.”
“Do you know why more of the chasers are coming here now?” Lucas inquires.
Commander Reynolds shrugs slightly. He looks as though he doesn’t have a firm answer to provide to Lucas’s question.
“It’s only been recently that the influx of the infected has increased dramatically within the area. Some theories suggest that they’re searching for possible food sources. Gathering in larger herds and attempting to overtake any strongholds that might house non-infected.”
Lucas strokes the black beard that is coming in thick around his chin and jaw. “Depending on how much of the population has been infected, or is dead, then I could see this. A lot of the chasers we’ve seen look meager and frail, as if they’re going hungry. Too bad we can’t just wait them out.”
Another explosion rattles the building, followed by black smoke that plumes into the air outside the window. Commander Reynolds glances back over his shoulder. His lips grow taut. He rubs the back of his neck and sighs in frustration. He turns back to face us.
“One of the saving graces that we’ve discovered through this mess is your sister, James. It seems as though she has some sort of immunity to the infection. Even though she’s been bitten, she hasn’t turned, or shown any signs of transitioning into the creatures. We’re trying to figure out why that is. She’s one of a few who have been located who have shown a resistance to the virus.”
“So, there are others here who are infected but haven’t changed?” Cassie inquires.
Commander Reynolds confirms with a nod. “We’re the only unit that has gathered any survivors who are immune. There was a survivor recovered, from the plane crash in New York when this all first started, but the injuries she sustained were too great, and eventually she passed. Out of the ones we have, your sister is doing the best. Hopefully, some of the tests we are running on them will give us some idea what is keeping the virus from progressing within them.”
Duke scoots closer to Cassie and lies around her feet. He lowers his head down onto his front paws as he looks up to me with wide eyes.
I bet he’s a bit anxious and scared from all of the commotion happening outsid
e. It probably has him on edge.
I turn to the side, and kneel down next to him. I rub his head, and give him a kiss. He tries to lick my face in return.
“It’s going to be all right, boy,” I softly whisper to him.
Commander Reynolds approaches us, which brings Duke’s head up from Cassie’s shoes. I twist back and look up at him as well.
“Are you ready to go see your sister now, son?” Commander Reynolds asks.
Those words play like a hopeful tune in my ears. I spring up from the floor. “I am, sir.”
Commander Reynolds turns his attention away from me to the others. “I’ll need for your companions to wait here, though. We want to minimize the number of unauthorized personnel on that floor as a safety precaution.”
I look to Lucas and Cassie who offer me a smile, then a nod.
“Go see your sister, James. We’ll be here waiting for you when you get back,” Lucas says. I turn to walk away when he grabs me by the arm. “Watch your back, though, and stay alert.”
“You got a bad feeling about this or something?” I ask.
Lucas glances to Commander Reynolds, then back to me. “No. Just pays to be cautious is all. They seem pretty straight, but you never know. I’d prefer us all to go, but that isn’t going to happen.”
“Copy that.”
Lucas releases my arm as I look to Cassie.
She continues to love on Duke who looks up at me. I’d love to bring him, but I know that’s not a possibility at the moment. Seeing Duke would make Cindy’s day. She loves him just as much as I do. I guess that reunion will have to wait.
I shift my gaze back to Commander Reynolds. For the first time in a long time, I have something to be happy about.
“Let’s go.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
I have lost so much to get to this point. The journey through this world has pushed me beyond my limits. It has tested me to the point that I thought I had lost myself completely. For a moment, I had.
I’ve killed without remorse.
Dead State (Book 4): Immune Page 3