“I know we haven’t had a chance to get to know each other but I need you to trust me. This baby is a test subject and holds the cure,” she explained.
“Why not round up some screamers and inject them? Why send an innocent baby to slaughter?” I fumed.
“The virus will only be able to active fully if they feed from live meat. The cure is not only the medicine in the syringe. It is in the infant itself. The cells and live tissue in the baby is how it spreads,” Julia explained.
“Did you seriously refer an innocent baby as, “live meat?” I swallowed. “When do you plan on murdering the baby?” I asked.
“It is a,“Test Subject” nothing more, nothing less. As soon as Dr. Mills finishes logging his findings,” Julia stated, “We will put the baby outside of the gate.”
I couldn’t let this happen. I had to save this baby. Didn’t I? Was one sacrificed life really that important? If it meant saving millions or billions of humans? It was unfair. Anyway I looked at it. I inspected the now calm baby in Dr. Mills arms. It was so little and innocent. Could it sense its demise approaching? I looked at Silas and Gabe. Really looked at them. They stood frozen in a state of shock. I knew they were contemplating their options as well. Their faces drained of all color. I wondered if I had the same expression on my face.
“Escort Layla and her friends out of the lab,” Dr. Mills ordered.
Four soldiers approached. One of the soldiers gripped my arm tightly.
“Wait,” I said, “I want to watch what you are going to do.”
“I’m afraid that is not a good idea,” Dr. Mills replied.
The soldiers pushed Silas, Gabe and me out of the lab. Gabe shoved back, they directed us down the hallway. We were pushed into the living quarters where we found our group waiting. The group was pacing around the large makeshift living room.
“Where were you guys?” Quinn asked.
“You don’t want to know,” Gabe said, sitting on one of the sofas. He put his head in his hands.
“Dr. Mills cured an infected infant,” I explained.
“What?” The group closed in a tight circle around me. I wanted to step back but stayed planted to the spot.
“It’s not a good thing… Not really,” Silas added.
He stood next to me and I felt better knowing he was here.
Quinn asked, “If they have a cure then there is hope for the screamers and the humans.”
“They have to…” I couldn’t finish my sentence. I didn’t want the others to know the horror that these walls held and the sacrifices that had been made and were being made.
“We can’t stay here,” I said instead.
“Why not?” Hannah asked, her eyes puffy from the tears she had cried.
“We just can’t,” Gabe roared.
“Stop asking so many damn questions. This place is bad news and we are leaving when the sun comes up. Everyone should get some rest,” Gabe ordered.
With that everyone parted and found a quiet corner. Some paired into small groups and some sat alone.
Gabe made his way to Silas, Quinn, Lucy and me. We spoke quietly by the door. I turned the knob to exit into the hallway but the door was locked. I raddled the knob but stopped when Quinn whispered to me.
“They locked us in here. Let’s not upset the others,” he nodded his head. We made our way to a quiet and unoccupied corned.
“What is happening out there?” Quinn asked.
“They have to feed the baby to the screamers in order to release and spread the new virus. The virus being the cure that is,” I explained quietly.
“My god!” Lucy sobbed, her hands automatically covering her mouth.
Quinn pulled her into him and the simple gesture seemed to ease the worry on Lucy’s face.
“Why can’t they inject…”
Gabe cut Quinn off, “We already asked the same thing. You really don’t want to know the answer to that.”
Quinn swallowed hard.
“What can we do?” Quinn asked puzzled.
“We leave in the morning. If they won’t let us leave, we will teleport.”
Quinn stared at the floor.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“Quinn can’t teleport with us again,” Lucy stated.
She lifted his shirt and to my horror there were blackish blue bruises along his chest and stomach.
“He isn’t like us and whatever happened during the teleportation process, it damaged his body… severely,” Lucy cried.
It was only then I realized his skin was a sickly green and a thin line of sweat traced his forehead. His eyes dull and his breaths were short quick pants. I saw it wasn’t Quinn supporting Lucy but Lucy was supporting Quinn. She helped to keep him in an upright position. How had I not noticed when I entered the room?
“It will be ok. We will get help for you,” I cried out.
Quinn smiled his cheerful smile and nodded his head.
I stood and paced the room. I felt myself shaking, the walls closing in around me. Nothing was fair and everything was out of my control. I had to breath and center myself. Silas sensing my unease approached.
“We will get out of here,” he said placing a hand on my arm.
“Should we save that baby?” I whispered.
“I don’t know. I don’t think we can. Not without the help from the group. What if that baby saves humanity? One life lost to save endless lives,” he swallowed.
“Then why does it feel wrong? I can’t sit here and do nothing. It maybe one life but it is alive and shouldn’t be ended that way,” I stated, my mind made up.
“Sara,” I called.
“I need you to break down this door,” I ordered.
She didn’t ask why. She simply smiled, swished her hand towards the door, it flew open. Ripping off the hinges and landing in the hallway with a loud thud. The group gathered and I explained what was going to happen. Stunned expressions filled the room. I quickly summed up what had already unfolded and what I was planning. The air grew thick with apprehension but no one argued. Lucy stayed behind with Quinn. The rest of us made our way to the lab. The laboratory was empty. We did a quick search but I knew Dr. Mills and his group were outside. We exited the building through the main entrance and in the distance could make out a group of bodies at the gate. We hurriedly approached the group but upon arrival I saw we were too late. The baby was whaling just outside the gate. They had placed it on the cold damp ground. The familiar sound of screams echoed in the night. I ran to the gate placing my hands through the holes. The soldiers raised their weapons in my direction.
“Open the gate!” I bellowed.
“I’m sorry Layla we can’t do that. You should have stayed inside,” Julia said sadly.
“What kind of monsters are you?” I yelled but my words were lost by the screams that closed in.
I glanced to where Gabe stood and shook my head. I knew he was going to teleport to the baby, but it was too late. We were too late.
“My god!” Hannah screamed.
I couldn’t look. I closed my eyes and covered my ears like a child. Even covering my ears couldn’t keep away the tortured cries from the baby’s plea. It was over quick but not quick enough. The baby was gone and all that remained were a few drops of blood. I slowly opened my eyes and saw tears were falling from both groups. Even the doctor’s eyes were glassed over. I wondered if I was the only one that hadn’t watched the horror unfold.
The screamers that had attacked the baby were laying on the ground jerking and moaning. They no longer screamed wildly and I thought maybe just maybe Dr. Mills had been right.
“What’s happening?” Sara cried.
“The screamers are changing,” Dr. Mills stated.
Timed lights came on around the facility and the screamers at the gate slowly came to an eerie still. We all held our breath, waiting. Time ticked by and I wasn’t sure how long it had been before one of the still screamers stirred and pushed their way to their feet. It was a female and amazingly she looked almost human again. Her eyes were the only indicator that she was different. They had a thin red line straight down the center. Shortly after she rose the other screamers awoke.