Infected Realms

Chapter 14: Unveiling the Truth

The days following their escape from the facility passed in a blur. The three of them found themselves holed up in a small, rundown motel on the outskirts of a forgotten town, far from prying eyes. News of the facility's collapse had already started to spread, though the official reports were vague, framing it as a routine structural failure. But Evelyn, Maya, and Marcos knew the truth. What they had uncovered was too dangerous to be dismissed so easily.

Evelyn sat on the edge of the motel bed, staring blankly at the flickering television screen. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts—everything they had seen, the horrors they had barely survived, and the creatures that still haunted her dreams. She hadn't been able to sleep since they'd escaped. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw those glowing eyes and heard the guttural growls echoing in her mind.

"We can't let this die here," Maya said quietly from across the room. She was hunched over a cluttered table, papers and notes spread out in front of her, each one detailing the experiments and energy breaches they had uncovered. "Whatever they were doing, it's not over. The world needs to know what happened."

Marcos sat in the corner, his hands trembling as he held a cup of coffee. His face was pale, and the dark circles under his eyes told Evelyn that he, too, hadn't been sleeping. "Who would believe us?" he muttered, his voice shaking. "We barely understand what we saw ourselves."

Evelyn stood up, pacing the room. "There has to be someone—somebody who can help us expose this. We can't just walk away."

Maya looked up from her notes, her eyes hard with determination. "We don't need them to believe everything. We just need to show enough evidence to make people question the official story. Once we plant the seeds, people will start digging on their own."

"But the government... the corporation behind this... they'll bury it," Marcos said, his voice weak. "They'll make sure no one finds out."

Evelyn paused, her mind working through the options. "We need to act fast. Before they can cover their tracks. We've seen what they're capable of, and if they sense we're a threat... they'll come for us."

Maya nodded. "I've been working on gathering everything we have—photos, data, whatever I could salvage from the facility. It's not much, but it's a start. We'll need to get it out there, fast."

"But where do we start?" Evelyn asked. "Who do we trust?"

Maya leaned back in her chair, her eyes narrowing in thought. "There are journalists, whistleblowers—people who've taken down bigger conspiracies before. We'll start there. But we'll need to be careful. Once we go public, we'll have a target on our backs."

Marcos shifted uneasily in his seat. "Are you sure we're ready for this? Going up against people who've been hiding this... they'll do anything to keep it buried."

"We don't have a choice," Maya said firmly. "We've already seen what's at stake. Those creatures, the energy breaches—it's not going to stop just because the facility collapsed. This is bigger than us."

Evelyn's stomach churned with fear, but she knew Maya was right. They had survived, but the world was still at risk. Whatever had been unleashed in that facility, it was still out there, and it was only a matter of time before it spread.

Maya's phone buzzed on the table, breaking the silence. She glanced at the screen and her expression hardened. "It's happening faster than we thought."

"What do you mean?" Evelyn asked, her pulse quickening.

Maya turned the phone toward them, showing a news report. The headline read: "Mysterious Illness Sweeps Through Rural Towns—Authorities Baffled."

Evelyn's blood ran cold. "That can't be a coincidence."

"It's not," Maya said grimly. "Look at the locations. They're all near energy grids—places where the facility's influence could have spread. It's starting to affect the areas around it."

Marcos stared at the screen, his face pale. "We didn't stop it."

"No," Maya replied, her voice steady. "But we can still fight it. We need to get this information out now, before it spreads further."

Evelyn felt a surge of adrenaline. "Then let's do it. We can't wait any longer."

They worked quickly, pooling their resources, compiling the evidence they had gathered. Maya sent encrypted messages to contacts she trusted, journalists who had exposed hidden truths in the past. Evelyn and Marcos helped organize the data, ensuring that every detail was ready to be released.

As the hours passed, a sense of urgency filled the room. The weight of what they were about to do pressed down on them, but there was no turning back.

Finally, Maya hit "send" on the last message, leaning back in her chair with a sigh. "It's done."

Evelyn stood by the window, staring out into the night. The town was quiet, but she couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. "Now what?"

Maya closed her laptop, her expression resolute. "Now we wait."

They waited in silence, the tension thick in the air. Minutes felt like hours as they anticipated what might come next. Would anyone believe them? Would the evidence be enough to make people question the official story? Or would the corporation behind the facility move in to silence them before the truth could spread?

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Evelyn's heart skipped a beat, and she exchanged a tense glance with Maya. Marcos stood up, his face pale. "Who could that be?"

Maya motioned for them to stay back, her eyes narrowing as she approached the door. She peeked through the peephole, her face tightening.

"It's them," she whispered.

"Who?" Evelyn asked, her pulse quickening.

Maya turned to them, her expression grave. "We've been found."

Without another word, the door burst open, and a group of shadowy figures stormed into the room, their faces obscured by masks. Evelyn barely had time to react before she was grabbed, a strong arm pulling her toward the door.

Maya fought back, but the attackers were too well-prepared. Within seconds, all three of them were overpowered, their hands bound, and their mouths gagged.

As they were dragged from the room, Evelyn's heart raced. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. They had come so far, survived so much. But now, it seemed, the truth would die with them.

They were thrown into the back of a black van, the doors slamming shut behind them. As the vehicle sped away, Evelyn struggled against her restraints, panic rising in her chest.

But then, through the small window in the back of the van, she saw something—something that made her heart skip a beat.

In the distance, barely visible against the night sky, was the facility.

It was still standing.

The collapse had only been the beginning.

And now, it was coming for them.