To The Shucking End

Chapter 37

Tanya had absolutely no idea where she was going.

After she'd separated herself from her friends, she realised how stupid she had been because she had no idea where Thomas or Ava Paige was.

Her hope that she was going in the right direction though was answered when she jogged down a corridor lined with windows to see Thomas lying on the ground with his eyes closed, looking rather dead, next to Ava Paige who was definitely dead as blood stained the front of her white clothes, her eyes still wide open.

And who stood over them?

Janson.

Janson stood over her brother's body with a gun in his hand and Tanya's heart sank as she aimed her weapon.

The gunshot rang out in the empty hallway as the bullet went clean through his arm, forcing the gun to fall from his hand as Janson groaned in agony. He clutched his limb to his chest as he turned to face his shooter.

"Tanya," he chuckled coldly. "I should've known. And I should also thank you for bringing me your blood."

"Get the fuck away from my brother," she demanded. "We're leaving."

"Oh no. I'm afraid you're wrong about that," he said. "In fact, I was just about to wish you a warm welcome," he sneered as he reached for something in his pocket, the tears in her eyes obscuring his actions until it was too late.

Until he'd pulled the tranquiliser gun out and fired a needle that landed directly in her chest.

Tanya flinched backwards at the impact as her gun went off, Janson ducking as the weapon fell from her hand and eventually, she fell too, joining her brother in the realm of unconsciousness on the floor.

Except this time, as Janson approached her, he didn't sneer the slogan that WICKED was good. This time he just laughed maliciously as if he'd just gotten everything he'd ever wanted.

And he had.

He had them – he had the cure.

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Thomas woke first.

He woke to the feeling of pain as his vision cleared and he saw Teresa sitting at his bedside as she drew blood from his arm. He was still disoriented when he heard Janson's voice and he stretched his head back to see the man standing at the window, his arm wrapped in a bandage.

"Do you know what this place is, Thomas?" he asked as he watched a building catch alight and crumble. A lot of buildings were doing that as Lawrence's Crank army invaded. "It's a lifeboat. And the whole world might be sinking, but that doesn't mean we have to go with it," Janson rambled as Teresa moved away from Thomas and he realised that he was strapped down to the padded examination table he was lying on. "How much longer?" Janson questioned Teresa who had moved to her lab desk as she turned Thomas' blood blue.

"It's almost done. I just need to add Tanya's blood," she revealed, and Thomas' eyes widened in horror as he looked to the right of him to see his sister in the exact same position as he was, except she was still unconscious.

"Oh, please. Allow me," Janson said as he took the needle from Teresa and began to take slow strides towards Tanya's body. "I want to see if Subject A-1 is as impressive as Ava made her sound."

"Janson! You stay the fuck away from her! Leave her alone!" Thomas bellowed as he fought against his restraints and the man only smiled.

"What brotherly love," he remarked as he pushed the sleeve of the shirt she wore up her arm, her guard uniform having been stripped from her body to leave her in leggings and a grey top that seemed a little too large for her. "Dr Paige knew that love would be problematic to the trials, which is why she had your memories of Tanya permanently removed. It's a shame you found out too late," he grinned smugly as he stuck the needle into Tanya who began screaming as her eyes snapped open.