The Deathlock virus

Chapter 3

Ryker pulled Valerie through the room packed with boxes, panic dusting across his features. "Go. Get down to Raven's."

"What about you?" She asks quickly, trying to get a calm facade but her panic was seeping through. She never panicked so seeing her like this was hard.

"I'm blocking the doorway in case anyone tries to get in."

She goes to protest but he pushes her towards the couch before running off. With a muttered curse, she runs over to the couch and pushes it out of the way. She stood on the ladder while she pushed the couch back over the hole, struggling far more than Ryker would. Without bothering to check the hallway she runs down it, holding her knife tightly.

However, she freezes when she hears a blood-chilling scream from down the hall. It sounded like Nessie. Without a second thought she books it down the hallway, running as fast as her legs can take her.

"NESSIE!" She yells, bursting into the room. Shock nearly stops her heart.

Raven was dead. A large chunk was taken out of the poor woman's throat, her blood pooling on the floor beneath her. Nessie was trapped beneath a Runner who was clawing at her, its teeth dug into her forearm. This time, Valerie's heart does stop for a split second. She quickly runs over and kicks her foot, her steel toed boots connecting with the Runners head.

The Runner falls onto its side, Nessie's blood dripping from its mouth. Blinded by rage she kicks the Runner again. And again. And again. And again...

She feels a hand touch her shoulder and whips around, ready to punch whoever it was. Until she realized that it was Ryker. Her breathing was heavy and panicked, her boot covered in Runner brains. Ryker goes to say something but Valerie pulls away from him, dropping to her knees next to Nessie.

"You're gonna be okay, Nessie. Just breathe." She takes off her jacket and presses it against Nessies forearm.

"Valerie- She's been Claimed, you can't help her..." Ryker puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Go get me a med kit. There's one in Raven's desk." She orders, giving Nessie a comforting smile. The girl was panicking, fear etched into her face.

"Valerie-"

"Do it now, Ryker!" She says sternly, turning to look at him. He goes to protest but runs over to Raven's desk, stepping over the poor lady's dead body. He searches the drawers and finds a med kit, moving back over and handing it to Valerie. She gently pulls her jacket away from the bite marks and grimaces at the sight.

Nessie tries to say something, her throat sore and dry. "Valerie...Raven told me not to say anything to anyone-"

"Then don't say it. You can just tell me later, okay?" Valerie has a panicked smile, wrapping gauze around the wound. She was terrified. Terrified that she'd lose another person she considered to be her family. But...It was too late. Nessie had been Claimed. She was going to turn into a Seeker. And Valerie was going to have to kill her when that happened.

Ryker watches as Valerie bandages Nessies arm, his brows furrowed. He knew that Valerie cared for Nessie. But if the young girl was going to die from infection, why was Valerie going to these lengths to try and save her from the inevitable?

"Val-" Nessie begins, sitting up with Valerie's help. "Raven told me never to tell anybody but...I'm immune. To the Death-lock Virus, the Seekers, everything related to it."

Valerie sighs, "This isn't a time for jokes, Nessie."

"I'm not joking!" She reaches down and pulls up her shirt a little bit, revealing a healed over bite mark on her side. Valerie's eyes widen and she backs up, her hand instinctively going to her knife. "I got this when I was eleven years old...I never got infected from it..."