I was going to reply when he cut in.
“Someone is missing. I counted twelve when you all entered the lab,” he stated, searching the lab frantically.
“Sir,” One of the armed guards stepped forward, “The rooms are sealed. Perhaps you miss counted.”
“Perhaps,” he glanced around the room not convinced.
Gabe took a step forward and I knew immediately he was going to teleport and things were going to get messy. Addy also advanced and lightening fast grabbed a gun out of the hands of the closest guard. She then moved around the room in a matter of seconds and before the guards had a chance to react. Addy had disarmed every soldier and replaced the guns in each of our hands. I looked at the gun placed in my hands and quickly aimed it directly at the gaunt man. The soldiers and man stared in disbelief.
“What the hell just happened?” The man asked.
Clear puzzlement spread across his face.
“I believe we will be taking what we need and we will be leaving,” I stated firmly and couldn’t help but smiled.
The man tried to speak again but Mike hit him on the back of the head with the butt end of the rifle. The man collapsed to the floor with a loud thud. The soldiers surrendered quickly and the beefy guys from our group lined them up against a wall.
I walked up to one of the soldiers and ripped his mask off, much to my surprise it was a young women. No more than twenty years old. She was beautiful, her red hair fell and hugged her face. Her emerald eyes locked with mine. I felt a strong and instant connection with her.
“My name is Layla, what is your name and are there any other people here?”
“My name is Zola and yes there are others here but they have been injected with whatever the doctor gives them. They are not safe anymore and you do not want to free them,” Zola rushed her words and tried to explain everything quickly.
“Everyone take your masks off,” Mike ordered.
They all obeyed and took their masks off. The strange thing was they all had red hair and emerald eyes. They were all beautiful, even the men. I noticed they each had a numbered tattoo on their necks. Zola had the numbers 009. Another had 002 and another 005.
“What do the numbers on your necks mean?” Silas asked.
Sometimes I wondered if he could read my mind. It kind of freaked me out.
“I am not authorized to say?” Zola stated coolly
“All of you have a numbered tattoo on your necks,” I pointed out.
Before Zola could reply the door we entered through slid open and small figure darted in. It lunged at one of the beefy guys in our group. The small figure looked to be a child and it was extraordinarily fast. It screamed out before biting into the neck of the guy. It was a little boy no older than five, even though he was a screamer, he was adorable. He jumped off the beefy guy who was now convulsing on the floor and lunged at a guard. He repeated these steps two more times before I took Addy’s gift. Addy fell to the floor convulsing. I lifted the gun and aimed at the boy. The rifle let off a loud bang and everyone covered their ears a second too late. I watched the boy fall to the floor next to the guard he had bitten. I stood and stared at the little boy I just killed. I couldn’t help but wonder who the real monster was. The little boy or me? I released Addy’s gift and within moments she was up and moving. She walked right up to me and slapped me in the face.
“I was going to shoot him!” She yelled at me.
“Really, cause all I saw was you standing there watching him attack three people!” I yelled back.
“Don’t you ever take my gift from me again!” She commanded.
“I won’t if you do what you are suppose to and not stand there doing nothing,”
“Guys!” Silas yelled over us.
“We need to get out of here, now!”
We all stared in shock as the three men that had been bitten convulsed on the floor, their skin started to turn grey. Blood exited the eyes and nose first, followed by the ears and lastly the mouth. The beefy guy spat blood and screamed out. It was clear they were changing into screamers. We hadn’t known you could be infected if bitten. I shot the first one in the head. Silas shot the next and Gabe shot the third infected before they could fully turn.
The children in the cells became agitated and smashed against the glass. I had seen this before and knew it was time to leave. We invited the guards to come with us but they declined and chose to stay. I believed they were more frightened by us then by the screamers. With help from the guards we quickly gathered the supplies we came for and loaded everything into the trucks. Zola pulled me aside as we were finishing loading the trucks.
“You and your friends can’t come back here. This is our side of the city now and we don’t want any trouble. Will you agree to this request?”
“Yes, we will agree to this if you can promise the doctor doesn’t hurt anyone else?” I replied.
Zola put her hand out and I closed mine around hers. I felt an odd sense of coldness coarse up my arm. I quickly let go and stepped back. I stared into her eyes but didn’t say anything. She stared back at me and gave me the slightest smile. The sense that I knew her was strong. Silas touched my still tingling arm bringing me back to the present.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you; we are ready to leave,” he stated and glanced at Zola.
“Is everything alright?” Concern spreading across his face.
“Yes,” I replied.
We loaded into the trucks and headed back to the warehouse. We didn’t have much time before night was upon us. It was a gloomy ride back. Everyone was deep in their own thoughts. I kept looking back to make sure we were not being followed. We were going back with all the supplies we needed but we were also going back with two dead men. Gabe, Silas and Mike had wrapped the bodies in blankets and had placed them in the back of one of the trucks.
We were over half way back when terrifying screams echoed around us. It wasn’t night yet but dark clouds covered the sky in a thick blanket. It was too early for the screamers to come out or so we thought.
“Hurry up!” I yelled.
Movement in nearby buildings caught my eye, followed by screams that sent chills down my spine. I knew we were being stalked. We had to get to the safety of the warehouse but we weren't going to make it. I didn’t want to lose anyone else.The truck weaved around big potholes and debris. The roads were littered with trash and a strong wind had picked up. Screamers appeared in the doorways and windows now. I watched a couple step out onto the street as we passed. Their heads turning in our direction as we drove by. A splash of rain hit the windshield and then another. I had never been so thankful in my whole life as I was in that moment. Soon the windshield was covered in a thick stream of water. Addy turned on the wipers and washed raindrops away from the windshield. We made it back to the warehouse before complete darkness consumed the city. I felt the built up stress lessen as we unloaded all the supplies. That was until a woman came up to Mike looking for a man name Tim. I felt my stomach knot and then sink. I examined the truck bed with the wrapped bodies in it. I grimaced when I realized the women was looking for her husband. Mike tried to put his hand on the woman’s shoulder but she wasn’t having it. She slapped it away and started yelling out for Tim. Quinn stepped in and this seemed to help momentarily until the woman saw the bodies in the back of the truck. She let out a loud cry and ran to the dead men in the truck. I didn’t want to stand there and watch her grieve for her husband. I turned and walked away my mind and ears trying to block out her pain.