The Plague of the Immune

Chapter 7

Michael

I scrubbed the dishes clean and tried some small talk with Lydia, but my mind kept circling back to the boy in our hallway. Griffin, I think his name was. I couldn't wrap my head around the syringe and the fact that they just disappeared. My plate slipped out of my hand for the third time and clattered into the dirty dishes again.

"What's on your mind? That's the third time now." Lydia asked from behind me. The kitchen was a tight fit, but they managed two large sinks facing each other. This meant the lucky kids on chore duty had to stand back to back with someone else. I forgot Lydia was there about thirty minutes ago, when everyone else should have been in bed already. But we were still here... Scrubbing.

"Nothin', just tired." That was a big lie and I hoped Lydia wouldn't catch it. I had told her I had a plan for what we could do to save that kid. But honestly, I don't think it'll ever happen, it was a very in-the-moment thing. But I had hoped that we could maybe fit through the kitchen vents which lead out of the building, if that's where they took the boy in the first place.

"You better not start drowing over there, there's not enough room for me to save you." Lydia teased.

"I don't need saving, if anyone it's you. I can hear you stumbling with the pots back there you know." I said back with some distinction. I realized just gow mean that was after a moment. I just made fun of her chains which I could tell she hated, even though she never complained.

"Sure, sure. What ever you think." Lydia voiced faded softly, that's how I knew she was lost in thought. She was a quiet girl, but that didn't stop her from scareing me sometimes. Expessially knowing that she did something in her last that made her deserve those chains.

The water on her side turned off suddenly and then I felt her turn back to me. I felt her getting closer, like she was leaning over my shoulder. Even though I'm a good half a foot taller than her, she managed.

"Turn the water off. Now." Just the urgency in her voice was enough for me to become frightened. I turned off my water and the patter of footsteps sounded outside in the serving area. She leaned down to grab the chain holding her ankles together and ruslted to the serving window stealthily. I rushed after her as quietly as I could and crouched down as well. No one was supposed to be out here, not even the officers, the floors were just polished.

When I looked up between the tubes of ketchup and mustard, two men in camo and with large guns in their hands stepped out. I knew they weren't our supervising officers because they didn't have the regular black uniforms or rifles on their backs. How Lydia had heard them before even coming in, I have no idea.

"Thought I heard something in here, like water. Do you think its another one of the super kids?" A deep voice spoke a little jumpy.

"Hush! We can't speak of that in here! You know the drill." Said a horse voice. "We need to find a kid with the document of 20-07. They should have it on their arm when we scan them, like this." I saw the taller man show the other guy a small device that sent off a little red laser.

"Got it. Let's go." The men walked out and Lydia was already up and moving as well. She walked into a dark corner of the kitchen so quickly and quietly, she vould have passed as a shadow.

"Lydia!" I whispered. "Where are you going?" I raced after her and she ramed her shoulder into a blue door that lead to the cooking part of the kitchen. "Why do you need to go in there?"

"Oh just get over here and help me!" She whispered loudly. I ramed my shoulder and the door flung open under the pressure. She fell forward, catching herself on the edge of a table. She started going through the cabinets quickly in such a rush she was almost to the other side of the kitchen. I slapped the wall until I found a light switch that turned on the lights below the the cabinets, not the main ones.