Designated (Book 1): Designated Infected (33 page)

The water bubbled and steamed as he watched the bath
fill, the hot cloying fog of water vapour rolled about him, shrouding
the walls from his view as he stood there. His scarred body ached
with the tiring strain of his world, the pressure of his life bore
down on him like the shadow of death as he lifted his foot and
stepped into the water.

The heat struck him like a hammer as he sank deeper into
the pool beneath him. The liquid rising, enveloping him as it washed
away the worries of the day and let him finally sink into the calming
quiet of his home.

The warmth soaked into him, lulling him as he sunk
deeper into the fatigue that all but drowned him completely. His eyes
slowly drifted closed as he faded deeper into himself and before he
could even register the need to sleep his eyes had closed completely.

A slim hand shook his shoulder, the water rippling and
collapsing in on itself as his eyes slowly, almost sluggishly,
opened. A pair of smiling emerald green eyes stared down at him. They
sparkled and danced as he blearily looked up at them, a feeling of
warmth and light drenched his soul as they held him in a trance.

'Sleepy there soldier?'

Baker smiled as he lifted a wet bubble coated hand and
caressed her cheek, her soft slender digits encircled his hand as she
turned her head and kissed his open palm.

'You get yourself washed and dried, dinner is almost
ready.'

Her smile seemed to bathe him in light as she stood and
walked from the bath room. A soft contented sigh escaped him as he
let his head fall back against the cold tiles of the wall, smiling he
pushed himself up and stepped free from the bath tub, his feet
splashing ever so slightly in the minuscule puddles he left in his
wake as he walked from the bathroom in search of a towel and fresh
clothing.

The sound of bare feet slapping gently on the hard wood
flooring of the hallway drew Janet's attention as she set the table.
Looking up, she smiled warmly at the sight of her husband as he
entered the room. The image of the food adorning the plates made
Baker salivate, he sat down heavily, the oak dining chair creaking
under his weight as he plucked his fork from the table.

He stared greedily as the steel utensil speared a
prostrate piece of broccoli, within a few minutes both of them were
lost in the comfortable loving silence.

3
6

The ringing in her ear was the first thing she
remembered of reality as her sleep soaked eyes slowly opened, the
room blurring and swirling as she struggled to focus on her
surroundings.

Janet scratched at her scalp as she looked around the
darkened room, Derek's slumbering form rumbled softly beside her, his
mind deep in the bowels of sleep.

'Git.' She elbowed his side as she levered herself from
the bed, a short grunted complaint issuing forth from her sleeping
partner as he rolled away and shifted himself into a more comfortable
position.

Padding through the hall, she drew her fingers through
her tousled hair as she reached for the phone.

'Hello.'

The line crackled slightly causing Janet to frown,
asking again a small feminine voice answered.

'Mrs. Baker?'

Janet's brow furrowed further as she heard the soft
questioning reply.

'Yes.'

'Good, I am glad I have the right number. Derek is
required at the centre at once, we have had a rather urgent
development and I didn't want to put it through the usual method of
contact, just please tell him to hurry'

'Who is this?'

A soft lilting sigh rolled through the receiver, putting
Janet's teeth on edge as she struggled to contain her slightly
irrational anger at the intrusion into her somewhat peaceful rest.

'Anastasia.'

The name rung a small bell in the depths of Janet's
mind, the peeling echoed through her as she struggled to recall
exactly where she had heard that name before.

'You're the biologist.'

A soft echo of a chuckle jangled against Janet's already
anger frayed nerves.

'That is one of my skills, yes.'

'Fine I'll tell him, but you do realise what time it
is.'

Anastasia sighed again.

'I do, and I am deeply sorry for the intrusion, but
unfortunately these things never happen at hospitable times and Derek
did ask me to notify him of any and all changes. Between me and you
Mrs. Baker, this is something he needs to hear about'

Janet sighed deeply knowing she had been a little too
sharp with a woman who was only doing her job. As if sensing the
regret Anastasia spoke again.

'And do not worry about your reaction to my call, I
understand completely; please rest assured I am nothing more than a
colleague of your husband's, things of a more personal nature are
harder for a person in my position to come by. Now please tell him to
hurry'

'I will.'

'Thank you.'

Janet hung up wondering just what she meant by her last
comment, she scratched at her head once more as she padded back
towards the bedroom, stopping short of the door way as Derek stepped
through it already dressed. A look of hurt tinged surprise echoed
across her features as he stepped by her.

'I felt you get up, when you didn't return for more than
four minutes I figured something was wrong. I'll be back as soon as
possible huni, I love you.'

Planting a soft kiss on her lips he walked down the
hallway towards the stairs his boot covered feet echoing. Janet's
slim form leant against the door frame, tears tugging at her eyes as
she listened to the door shut.

****

Sipping sharply at a Styrofoam cup, Derek walked into
the base laboratory's sterile corridors, the harsh halogen strip
lights' glow bouncing about like a laser, his tired and over stressed
eyes making him wince as the light hit them.

'What's the problem? It better be a good one, this was
the first time in five weeks I actually slept in my own bed.'

Anastasia looked up from the microscope in front of her
as Baker strode through the doors. Marcus hurried past, his head
turned away in a pale and weak attempt to hide the livid deep purple
bruising garnishing his right cheek, eye socket and upper lip.

Anastasia sighed deeply as she rolled towards Baker, a
remote in her hand clicked softly as she activated a large VDU on the
wall.

Footsteps drew Baker's attention away from the
flickering screen as he watched Colinson and Davies both enter as
well. A weight settled in Derek's stomach as he watched his
co-commander and second in command enter the room.

'It isn't good news is it, Anna?'

She shook her head softly, 'I am afraid not.'

Davies stared at the screen on the wall, his mind
turning as he looked at the images filtering past.

'My guess is, it's mutated again and is working on a
vastly accelerated scale.'

Anastasia's chin dropped as she looked at the soldier
who now stood beside Baker.

'How, how did you guess that?'

Davies smiled, 'I didn't, it's no different to
battlefield progression, when you're sure you have the enemy on
enough of a wrong foot and he can't consolidate his units fast
enough. You push forwards and press your advantage while you still
have it; this virus is no different.'

Anastasia looked at him coyly, 'I like you.' Davies
grinned at her, 'Get to know me better, and I'm sure you will like me
even more.' A wry smile played across his face as he winked at Anna,
a soft groan emanating from Baker as he rolled his eyes.

'Will you two cut it out, everyone here knows you have
been dating for the past four weeks, what I want to know is what the
damned virus is doing now? I know it reacted differently to each test
subject and mutated at a base level within them, but what's so urgent
now that warranted the three of us being here?'

Anastasia's smile faltered as she motioned for the three
of them to follow her, Davies stepped forwards and grabbed the
handles on the rear of her chair as she moved past him.

She opened her mouth to protest, but her arguments and
protestation died on her lips as she met his gaze.

'Thought you could do with a little bit of rest.'

Anastasia smiled at him.

'I would say that it's a way of sweeping a girl off her
feet, but, I guess that doesn't really apply here.' Davies snorted
with laughter as he pushed her towards the cells at the back of the
laboratory.

'Guess not.' As the chair tilted forwards at the top of
the ramp, Davies gently released the handles and let her move out of
his path.

A shadowed groan and flickering movement made all three
men pause as they watched the cell in front of them flicker into
life.

'This is Subject Z. He was injected with a strain from
one of the samples recovered from a previous subject, and he, I must
tell you is not the first one to react this way. After subject O,
they have all reacted pretty much along Z's lines.'

'Anna cut the bullshit what is going on?'

Derek's stern gaze gave her pause, seeing the look
simmering in his eyes she nodded.

'Subject Z was injected six hours ago and as you can see
is already well past a stage four infection, also it has developed
the ability to temporarily inhabit non-living tissue, although it is
only while it still retains some semblance of blood-flow, or in
extremely rare cases; body heat.'

Davies nodded, 'Saw that about eight months ago in South
East London, Infected munched on some kid's mother. Jones had to drop
her in front of him; after she got back up. Tried to use her son as a
breakfast bap.' Anastasia looked at him shock registering on her face
as the words sank in. 'You saw that happen?'

Davies shook his head, 'Nah love, not me it was Jones,
my second in command, but sounds the same as you just described,
although none of the others matched, fast fuckers they were. Wouldn't
stay put long enough for you put a hole in their head. They looked
fresh, well I say fresh, a lot them weren't even sporting the acne
from hell you mentioned in the files; most of them were clean
skinned. Only thing that tipped you off was when they tried to tear
you face off.'

'But how, unless...' Her face fell in upon itself as she
thought through the ramifications of what had just dawned on her.
'There is more than one mutable variation.'

Baker smiled, 'That's obvious Anna.'

Waving a hand to quiet them she carried on. 'No...what I
am saying is that it's a completely different virus, same effects but
a completely new form, look'

She rolled past them to a console and motioned at the
monitor still flickering away on its own.

'The virus, as we know it, still contains key traits in
any variation we have encountered, see?'

She used the consoles mouse to highlight key locations
on the screen. All three men stood there quietly waiting for the
punchline.

'Do we have any samples drawn from the mission Sergeant
Davies is referring to?'

Baker nodded, 'That we do, the sterilisation team sent
in after us was kind enough to keep them on ice until the situation
had been nullified, we received them about a month ago.'

Anastasia's face went deathly pale which made all three
men cringe, she spun to face Colinson and Baker; the pair
instinctively stepping back a pace as she seethed. 'Why in God's name
am I only just being told now?'

Davies stood there smirking at his commander's reaction,
until she turned her ire onto him. Holding his hands up, he back
peddled rapidly. 'Don't look at me love, I just shoot shit.'

Baker pulled the hand-held radio from his hip and spoke
rapidly before he turned, clipping the radio back on to his belt as
he did.

'Four minutes.'

Anastasia nodded her thanks and moved away as a rapid
vibrating buzz filled the room. All three men pulled a small pager
from their hip and collectively groaned.

'Catch you later, we got to go shoot something.'

Davies flipped her a cocky wave as he, Baker, and
Colinson sprinted from the room.

37

Baker stood in the back of the van, a headset clasped in
his hand as he held the earphone to the side of his head.

'This is command, you are cleared for go, but be advised
there are civilians still on site we have not been made aware of the
situation.'

Davies raised an eyebrow as he watched Baker issue the
command, the screens in front of him flickered as they bounced
between the CCTV cameras in the building. He ran a hand over the back
of his neck, the sweltering heat of the van making his skin run alive
with sweat.

'You sure this is a wise thing to do Chief? I mean,
don't get me wrong, they're good soldiers, excellent in the field and
aggressive as hell when it comes to storming any fortification or
holding a beach head but they ain't that well versed in close
quarters warfare, especially room clearance.'