Rains Of The Dead: The New Mission

Chapter 3: ACE

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟑: 𝐀𝐂𝐄
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*On The Radio*

I immediately took my walkie-talkie and contacted Augustine.

"Augustine," I said. 

"Scarlett, are you okay? Where are you?" Augustine asked, sounding worried. 

"I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm in an unfamiliar place; I'm not sure where exactly, but I'll find a way out," I replied.

 "What happened?" Augustine asked. 

"I don't know. The last thing I remember is Poppy leaving me for a moment. Someone pulled me and covered my mouth, and then I woke up here in this empty room," I explained.

 "Okay, so what should I do?" Augustine asked. 

"Nothing for now. I'll find a way out and contact you when I've managed to leave this place," I said.

 "Are you sure?" Augustine asked. 

"Yes, don't worry about me," I assured him.

 "Copy that. Augustine out," he responded.

"Wait," I said before he could end the transmission. "What?" Augustine asked.

"Don't leave them. They need you. Help them," I urged.

Augustine fell silent.

"Last night I overheard you and Clayton talking. You need to help them. They need you. Scarlett out," I finished and cut off the communication.

***

Augustine walked back towards the others.

"Scarlett is okay. She said not to worry about her. Let's continue what we were doing," Augustine said.

"Is she really okay? Where is she?" Poppy asked, her concern evident.

"She said she doesn't know where she is but will contact me again. For now, let's move forward," Augustine answered.

***

I walked cautiously toward the door, trying to avoid making any noise. The door wasn't locked, so I slowly opened it and checked both sides before stepping out. Once I confirmed it was clear, I closed the door quietly behind me and began to explore, staying as silent as possible.

As I turned a corner, someone covered my mouth again. I struggled, but the grip was too strong—just like before. The scent was the same, and I realized that the person who took me to this place was also the one covering my mouth now. The person pulled me back to the room and locked the door behind us.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" I yelled, but the person put a finger to his lips. "Shhh," he said, silencing me. "Why should I be quiet? Who are you? Where is this place? Why did you bring me here?" I demanded. "Calm down. I'm not a bad guy," he said. "Not a bad guy? You suddenly pulled me and brought me here. I don't even know this place!" I retorted. "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to protect you," he said. "Protecting? What are you talking about?" I asked, confused. "I thought you were lost near the rail," he explained. "What? Is that why you pulled me here? Because you thought I was lost?" I asked. "Yes, I thought you were genuinely lost. I'm sorry," he said.

"What's your name? And where is this place? Why is it so quiet here?" I inquired. "I'm Ace Weston. This is my place—just where I live," he explained. "This isn't a home. So why must I stay quiet? Why does this place look like this?" I asked. "It's not a home. This is just where I live. We need to stay quiet because if we're caught, we're in serious danger," Ace said. "What do you mean, 'in danger'?" I asked, puzzled.

Suddenly, Ace collapsed. I stepped back, alarmed. "What's happening?" I asked nervously. Ace didn't respond and continued to collapse. "Hey, I said, what's happening?! Are you infected?" I asked, preparing to draw my gun.

Ace staggered towards me, still collapsing. I aimed my gun at him. "Please... get... that... for me," Ace said weakly, pointing to something in a cabinet. I approached the cabinet cautiously, still keeping my gun trained on Ace. I opened it and found several antizens. "The antizens?" I said, grabbing one and examining it. "Give me that," Ace said, taking the antizen from me and injecting it into himself. "How did you get this antizen? Where did it come from?" I asked, bewildered.

Ace took a deep breath, his condition stabilizing as he finished administering the antizen. He let go of the syringe and sighed. "Too many questions. Let's go. I'll get you out of here," Ace said, grabbing my wrist. I pulled away. "Wait, before we leave, promise me you won't make any noise," Ace said.

I looked at him, unsure if I should trust him. Ace seemed suspicious, and I had many questions. How did he have antizen? I didn't know if he was a friend or foe. But I decided to nod in agreement. "Good. Let's go," Ace said, opening the door carefully and checking both sides before stepping out. "Just follow me," Ace instructed, and I followed him.

After a while, Ace suddenly stopped. "Hey, why are we stopping?" I asked. Ace looked around cautiously.

"Come here," he said, pulling me into another room and locking the door behind us. He sighed in relief after securing the lock. "What happened? What's outside?" I asked, my confusion growing. "It's too dangerous out there," Ace replied. "What do you mean? I'm really confused right now. I have no idea what's going on," I said, desperate for answers.