The Fight to Survive

Chapter 10: The End

Chapter 10

Nick fell to his hands and knees as he was thrown back into the cell that held him for weeks. Kelsey was instantly on him, wrapping her arms around his large body and pulling him close. He had been gone for a week, and Kelsey had been back for two days already. After hearing his agonizing screams days before, she had begun to lose hope that she would ever see him again. But as soon as he looked at her with his blue eyes, she knew he still had some fight left in him, and this wasn't over yet. After an hour of rest to let the disorientation caused by the experiments pass, Nick was ready to talk and explain everything that the doctor had told him before subjecting him to some of the worst pain he had ever endured. He explained what all of the experiments were for, and he also explained that this gave them an opportunity to escape.

"We all survived the initial injections, so the Doctor is probably going to test us on our immunity to the disease. Now, unless they have synthesized a new strain of it, that means biters, We all know how to handle biters, and we've seen them manipulated by people for an advantage. We can do the same. Cause chaos, get biters in the middle, and then we can-" Nick's plan was cut off by the sound of a door opening. The group turned to see that the Doctor, followed by more guards than usual. Nick knew this was it. They were going to be tested. And Nick knew that either it would mean they all died, or this was their chance for freedom.

"Alright everyone. I hope you are all prepared for the grand finale of my testing" the Doctor said.

"Why don't you go test it on yourself, you psychopathic son of a bitch" Noah exclaimed with a cocky smile.
"Because that's what we have you for" the Doctor spoke in a dark tone, filling the air with a weight that rested on everyone's shoulders. Everyone was silent as the armed men walked into the cell. Nick's group was only outnumbered by one man, and that was the Doctor. However their enemies were all armed and were most likely well trained, so this would prove to be difficult.

"Bring them to the courtyard" the Doctor ordered, and the men obliged. They took them through the building, however this time they didn't bother to put bags over their heads. It would be a waste of time being that everyone in Nick's group would soon be dead. On the way through the building, Nick noticed quite a few things. First off, the building didn't appear to have anyone but the soldiers in it, which wasn't a surprise. Second, the group passed a well stocked armory as they walked, and there didn't appear to be any type of lock on it. Lastly, the walls were covered in detailed maps and plans which showed both hotspots and safe zones throughout Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire. Nick made a mental note of the maps, knowing they may prove useful if the group managed to escape. Nick didn't let his eyes linger for too long on the map, as he didn't want the soldiers to catch on, and he continued walking obediently. Once they reached the exit, a different one than the door they came in originally, the Doctor pushed it open and everyone's nostrils were instantly filled with the stench of decaying corpses. Jarret reached to plug his nose, but the soldier accompanying him hit his hand away.

"Keep your fucking hands to your sides, understand?" the man ordered as he shoved Jarret forward and out the door. The space outside was small. IT should have been nice, a green clearing which could have held a garden or an area to picnic. Instead, it was littered with blood and bodies were piled up in one of the corners.

"Holy shit" Jack said as he looked over at the bodies. There appeared to be at least three dozen of them, and most of them looked as if they had been there a good while.

"On your knees, please" the Doctor ordered. Before any of the group could react, the soldiers were shoving them down to the ground. Nick looked around as he, and the rest of his group, were on their knees. He was in the middle of the line up. At the left end was Jarret, who looked clearly panicked. His eyes looked back and forth between his friends and the bodies. Next to him, Jack stood tall. He would not let fear get the best of him, and if he was going to go out, it wouldn't be like a little bitch. Next to Jack, Kelsey was on her knees. A tear was rolling down her cheek as she thought about the child growing inside her, and of everything that led them to this. Nick was next to his girlfriend, observing the situation at hand. He wasn't ready to give up. He wouldn't just die. He had a child he wanted to meet. A woman he wanted to spend forever with. And friends he did not want to say goodbye to. He wasn't going to let this be the end. On his right, Noah was doing the same thing he was, analyzing the situation. Anger was visible on his face and Nick knew that if given the opportunity, Noah would tear these soldiers apart. That anger may help them survive this. Next to Noah, Zac was contemplating everything that had happened. He knew that he'd made mistakes, as had everyone here, but he had also begun to realize that this was his family. And even though he's had arguments with Nick, the man was doing his best and he couldn't say that he would've been able to do any better. The last person in the lineup was Brian, who sat there numb and not really focused on anything. Ever since abandoning the group during the sacrifice, he had completely shut down. He didn't care what would happen to him, he just wished they would get it over with already.