The Zombie Chronicles - Book 6 - Revelation (Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series) (39 page)

“
You realize this sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie,” I said.

“
Yeah? Well, so did zombies just a couple years ago, right?” He clapped my shoulder. “We have to lock the facility down and isolate the virus.”

“
The zombie virus is already out there,” I said.

“
Not this one. This particular strain will infect every animal out there. It’s a mutated form that was developed down here quite literally by accident. We can’t let it out. Any of us could be a carrier, and if that virus gets out, there’ll be no hope for mankind. If those hybrids or any of those infected animals escape, it’ll be a curse greater than zombies. The world will be doomed.”

“
I hate to break it to ya,” I said, “but some of those infected animals are already out there, running the streets.”

He smoothed out his white lab coat. “The first batch of animals was from Test Group A. They escaped when Charlie’s minions were transporting them to another research facility.”

“
Huh? There’s another place like this?” A shiver shot up my spine when my suspicions were confirmed.

“
Are they breeding more hybrids there?” Kate asked.

“
It’s just been opened. Our first batch of test subjects didn’t even make it there. A driver not familiar with FairportFrank accidently took a wrong turn and crossed past the danger zone. The bus got attacked by a herd of zombies on the outskirts of the city.”

“
And now all those infected animals are running loose,” I said.

“
Unfortunately yes.”

“
Was there a bear?”

“
I had heard that Charlie secured some larger species from the local zoo. Perhaps there was a bear.”

“
No perhaps about it. We ran into that thing, and it nearly killed us,” I said. “What if the virus spreads?”

“
The animals weren’t given the bileng serum when they escaped.”

I arched a brow, indicating my confusion.

He continued. “They’ll die off in a week or two, and they are not capable of spreading the virus. However, those running loose now are carrying the stronger, tougher strain. They are contagious, and they have no expiration date. The only way to stop it from spreading is to kill them right along with the hybrids. We can’t let anything out of this facility.”

One of the computers beeped, and Jonathon rushed over. I followed him and watched him hit a series of buttons. I wondered if he could open the doors or even shut down A, B, and C Blocks so our enemies would be basically quarantined off while we made our escape. “Can you get us out of here?” I asked. “We were thinking about taking the elevator.”

He put in a code. “There. We’re all set.”

“
Can you override the system and get us out of here or not?” I asked again.

“
No. It’s too late for that.”

I noticed some kind of countdown blinking, and I gulped. “What did you do? What’s the countdown for?”

“
Yeah! What’s going on?” Asia demanded.

“
What did you do, Jonathon?” I repeated when he wouldn’t answer.

Jonathon stood and casually ran a hand through his hair. “I know how dangerous the infected test animals and hybrids are. We have to do this…for the greater good.”

“
Do what?” I asked.

“
I activated the self-destruct sequence.”

“
What!?” My pulse raced, and my palms grew sweaty. I breathed deeply, trying to calm myself, realizing it was not the time to panic. I peered at him, hopeful. “Please don’t do this. I beg you to reconsider.”

“
This isn’t how I’m supposed to go out,” Asia roared, “not from some skinny little dweeb pushing a button on a computer, blowing us all to smithereens. How dare you decide who lives and who dies?”

He glanced up. “We don’t have any other choice. Can’t you see that we’re out of options?”

“
There’s
always
an option!” she shouted back. “Do you have any idea what I’ve been through? I’m a fighter, a survivor. We all are.” She looked around at the others. “We can get out of here. We just have to make it to the elevator shaft. So what are we waiting for, people? Let’s go!”

“
No!” Jonathon shouted. “We’re all contaminated now. I can’t let anyone leave.”

“
I’m afraid you’re a little outnumbered,” Kate snapped, glancing from one person to another. “Because we have an escape plan through the elevator shaft.”

“
I’d rather be blown up than eaten or gutted,” a man said. “Did you see what they did to Harvey back there?”

A husband wrapped his arm around his wife. “If there’s a way out, I’m all for it.”

“
Me too,” a woman wailed.

Jonathon glanced around. “This isn’t up for discussion. Nobody is leaving.”

“
Oh yeah?” Asia said. “I’d like to see you try to stop me!”

I pulled her back as she lunged toward him.

“
Get off of me, Dean!” she screamed. “I’m gonna snap his scrawny—”

“
Asia,” I said, “we’ve gotta talk about this calmly.”

She let out a long breath and eased down.

“
I haven’t been bitten or scratched,” I said. “Nobody here has been compromised. except Asia, but she has the unique ability to heal from the bite, complements of the miracle serum. Of course, now I’m not so sure the serum is a miracle, because it allowed Charlie and his goons to create that army.”

“
Sacrificing all like this is just…it’s sick,” Kate said. “We’re leaving with or without you.” She motioned everyone over and explained the plan.

“
We’ll head south and turn down the second corridor,” a man said.

“
But that’s the wrong way, Frank,” a woman said. “The elevator is back the way you came.”

Kate looked at me. “That’s where the hybrid went.”

“
We have to take them on,” I said. “We have no other choice.” When I heard Ralph’s name, I walked over to him. “Are you Max’s nephew, by chance?”

“
Yes.”

“
He thinks you’re dead.”

“
All the more reason to get out of here alive. I bet Uncle Max is worried sick.”

“
Grief-stricken is more like it,” I said.

“
We have to hurry!” a man said from across the room, pointing to security cameras. “Zombies can’t march, so I’m assuming those are hybrids.”

“
There are groups of them running around,” I said.

The man sucked in a deep breath. “There are tons. You’d better check this out.”

When I walked over, I was stunned. There were security cameras everywhere, and every single monitor revealed that we were virtually surrounded by an army of hybrids flooding the corridors, marching in organized fashion, as if on a warpath. I watched one group come across two females in the corridor. There was no sound, but I could see the blood squirt as they ripped into the women.

“
We’re as good as dead anyway,” Jonathon said. “We might as well go out with a bang and send them back to hell.”

“
I’m not going to hell,” Asia said, “and I’m not dying here.”

My throat tightened, and I could barely speak. Beating those hybrids to the elevator shaft had to be our top priority. It was our only chance. “We can escape through the elevator shaft,” I said, “but we have to go now.”

Kate pulled me aside and whispered in my ear, “Make sure the whack job comes with us. If we leave him, he might just set off that self-destruct before we can get out of here.”

I rushed over to Jonathon. “Let’s go. It isn’t gonna do anyone any good for you to die as a martyr down here. If you won’t do it for me, just think of Steven and Rachel. You need to live, for them.”

“
I-I want to,” he said, with a tear in his eye.

“
Then come with us.”

“
I can’t. It’s my duty to keep this virus contained. The strain in those hybrids and animals is far more dangerous and aggressive than anything out there.” And with that, he reached over and clicked the enter key.

Beeps began to echo from speakers in the hall, followed by a message in a British female voice: “The emergency destruct system is now activated. The facility will destruct in sixty minutes.”

My heart thundered at the revelation.
Bottom of Form

Bottom of Form

Kate’s face contorted into a grimace. “Disarm it!”

Asia’s expression twisted into one of anger, almost hatred. “Disarm it now, before I disarm you!” she said, reaching for the axe. “And I mean that literally, you selfish son-of-a—”

Chapter 37

“
Asia, don’t,” I said, stopping her in her tracks. “I’m sure Jonathon will come to his senses.” I held my breath, waiting for Jonathon to nod and fix everything, but he didn’t budge from the spot. A deep frown crossed his features, and when it did, something dropped in the pit of my stomach. I knew in that moment that he’d die before he deactivated the device. Realization was kicking in, and I didn’t like it one little bit.

“
We’re so screwed,” Kate said, her voice wavering.

I drew a ragged breath, knowing the impact of that statement. The odds of us surviving were slim to none. Hybrids lined the hallways. They could think and reason, and I was sure they were hungry. Their insatiable lust for flesh would drive them to hunt and feed at all costs, and it would be difficult, if not impossible, to outsmart them. We also had to keep our eyes peeled for their dumber cousins, as well as the carnivorous viral vermin. All of that, coupled with the self-destruct, meant everything was stacked against us.

“
Turn it off!” I screamed at Jonathon, cursing him to hell and back. My voice wavered in frustration, anger, horror, and fear. I clenched my teeth, and heat rose in my cheeks. My shirt stuck to my back from my sweaty, damp skin. I refused to lose control, no matter how much I wanted to tear the scientist apart for doing that to us.

I wasn’t the only one who was enraged. One of the men lunged at Jonathon, knocking him on the ground and throwing punches. I couldn’t blame the guy, because many of us wanted to do that or worse. It took two other men to pull the man off of the scientist.

Gasping, Jonathon looked up. “I know you all hate me now, and I understand, but this is the only way to save mankind.”

It was at that moment, when I saw another tear fill his eye, that he wasn’t the mastermind behind that house of horrors. It was Charlie, as he said, because there was a tinge of remorse in Jonathon’s voice, and he was willing to sacrifice his own life to keep the virus contained.

“
Turn that countdown off!” Asia yelled again, growing more furious with each tick of the clock. “Quit being so selfish!”

“
Selfish? We have to save humanity, and this is the only way I know how,” he answered.

Asia’s scowl deepened, and she repeated her demand in a more threatening tone.

Jonathon just stared at her, refusing to say another word.

Fed up with him, Asia sucker-punched him, and he went down in a trembling heap.

My mouth pressed into a thin line as I gazed from one face to the other. “If we hurry, we can make it before the herd gets to this side of the facility.”

“
Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Kate shouted.

My hands felt clammy, and a dull, painful panic tugged at me. It truly would be a race against time. If there was one slip-up, or if anything held us back, we’d be goners. The building was going to explode, and we had to reach the elevator before the army of hybrids did. My mind raced as I bolted down the corridor, backtracking the way we came. I felt naked without my gun and muttered a curse underneath my breath. I absolutely loathed being without firepower, but the axe would have to do.