Isolation-#Wattys2015

Excerpt 14- Escape Attempt

The four of us were greeted back at the lounge by a new face. The man was in his late seventies. His hair and beard were a light grey color and his eyes were an icy, cold blue color with flecks of silver threaded into them. The man was wearing tan cargo pants and a white long sleeve shirt with a black center with a "Blaze Bio Science" logo on it and had a shotgun in a scabbard over his back. There was a holster strapped to his leg that was carrying what looked like a silver plated Desert Eagle with synthetic Ivory grips and gold parts. He also had a few scars on his face, from getting mauled on a few occasions by my guess.

"The sample?", Sarah asked holding her hand out.

"Here", Mike said handing her the bag.

"I'll get on it right away", Sarah said disappearing around a corner.

"Thanks for the save", I said turning to Allen and Matt.

"No sweat", Matt said, acting as if he was a combat hardened veteran, which amused me a little. Allen and Matt went back to the lounge as Mike and I turned to the old man.

"You must be Skyline", he said holding out his hand, "James Ryan. Nice to finally meet you in person."

I shook his hand, "you to."

"Mike Taylor", Mike said shaking James' hand, "I worked security down in the desert section of the Biome's."

"One of the most dangerous areas", James answered, "you guys were doing a damn good job for what I was paying you,"

"The pay was good sir", Mike said, "the job was just hazardous, but of course, I was a jarhead marine, so what do I know about hazards?"

James laughed, "good point, so bring me up to speed, I've been shut up in the control room for these past few weeks and don't know much other than were in a quarantine."

"Were in a Class 1", Mike said, "Allen said they won't disengage until every specimen in the lab has been terminated."

"He's wrong", James said, "I made that change after Rhino 23 got lose and nearly killed everyone, now any quarantine protocol can be disengaged from any terminal with out the permission of CHDISK."

"Can you do it from ours?", I asked.

"Probably", James said as we arrived at the lounge. Jacob and Tyler were sitting at the table playing cards, Matt was reclined on the sleeping bag and Allen as always was hunched over the monitor in the security room.

"Well shit I thought Dr. Frankenstein in the tower would have killed you by now", Jacob said.

"Not like he hasn't tried", James answered, "how did the Project on the Synthetics come?"

"Pretty good", Jacob said, "in fact, Matt back there was the first prototype that didn't...you know...explode."

James shook his head and walked back to the security room. Allen took notice and immediately stood up.

"Director James", Allen said, "I would have thought something would have gotten to you by now."

"You and me both Chief", James said, "let me have a crack at these protocols, go back and get your people ready to get out of here."

Allen nodded as James sat down at the console. He and I walked back into the lounge.

"Listen up guys", I said, "James said he can bring the quarantine down. When he does, were making a mad dash for my ship. If you have a backpack, stuff it full, even with Warp drive it's still a long ass trip to the Confederate border."

Without saying a word everyone jumped up and produced military grade backpacks, probably lab surplus. It scared me a little with how well armed everyone in this lab was. I assumed that they probably needed it with all the shit here that could melt your eyeballs out of your face if so much as looked at them sideways. I went back to the lockers and pulled out everything I had left in them before slinging my FAL over my back in favor of the High-Power. While I was in the middle of that I heard James talking.