The Touch of Infection

Chapter 51: Spreading

The banging got closer and Marnik's breath hitched, "Get in the other room." He whispered pushing them all slowly to the other room, closing the door behind them, locking it shut.

"What went wrong?" She asked, feeling Bavyn tighten his grip around her.

Marnik presser his ear against the door, listening in, "In short, the experiments had a small... mistake."

"Small, small how? Another I ruined the world one?" She asked.

He glared slightly, "No, a... kinda might finish ruining the world. There was a mistake in the testings..." he bit his lip, "Amil called me... everything was going fine, but then some plant tests got mixed with human infected ones and... the disease is more potent... an Alaois is the one rampaging outside." He said looking back at her changing expression, "There's only one infected so far... guards are already getting the situation under control-"

"But you... did that thing do that?" She asked pointing at the covered wound on his shoulder.

"No. As I said the guards are taking care of it, I got shot in the crossfire." Marnik saw how she had gotten Bavyn behind her, "We need to stay here until they announce things are under control."

Carisa nodded, "Do... want help covering that?"

Marnik shook his head, "I'll do it myself."  Bavyn pointer besides Marnik to a small box. Taking it, it had a few things to help cover the wound for the time being.

Carisa watched him wrap the fabric around his shoulder before a message lit up in the room. Words Carisa could barely make out until Marnik looked at her.

"We need to leave this room." He said, opening the door and looking both ways.

Carisa lifted Bavyn in her arms, "And go where?"

"Away, as far from HQ as we can." He looked down at Bavyn, "If you're taking him, hand him over."

Carisa looked at Bavyn and then at Marnik, when she was close to handing him Bavyn turned to wrap all his hands-on Carisa, shaking his head. Marnik growled and pulled him off her, covering his mouth from the scream he was about to let out.

She pressed her finger on her lips, "We need to be quiet." Bavyn whined and reached out to her, "Stay with Marnik, this is just for a little while."

Marnik repeated her words to him and slowly began opening the other door. Feeling Bavyn squirm around in his hands but stay calm overall. As soon as the door opened enough for Carisa to see she saw blood sprawled on the walls. Memories flooding her mind, shaking her head she tried to concentrate. It had been a while since she saw a scene like this.

Marnik took Carisa's hand and pulled her along with him. The halls had gone silent, no shots heard no growls either. Just completely silent. She'd look around paranoid, squeezing Marnik's hand tightly, and Bavyn small head poking out to look at her.

Hearing steps coming closer to them Marnik pulled her closer, looking behind him as he continued to walk. Stopping in his tracks to find an alaois limp on the ground, his insides sprawled around. Covering Bavyn's eyes and Turning down a different way so Carisa wouldn't see.

He sucked in a deep breath, he could almost see the door leading outside. But the quiet atmosphere only made him worry everyone had also thought heading outside was a bad idea. The message they sent had been to meet outside, but who knows how the infection messed with them.

When they were close enough to the door he could hear the growls and snarls on the other side. Guns being shot and alaois talking and screaming. Carisa looked up at him, slowly shaking her head no.

"There's another exit... right?" She looked him in the eyes, to then look at the door.

"Yes..." Marnik turned around to find Amil leaning against the wall in the hall. His eyes widening, "Amil?"

"Do not go through that door." Amil said, "Don't even open it." He slowly walked towards them, looking behind him once or twice, "So... I take it you saw the corpse?"

"Yeah... any idea what the plan is?" Marnik asked, walking closer but keeping Carisa behind him.

"Well." Amil sighed, "If it transmits the same as humans, there's more than enough infected... but none managed to get out of HQ so far... as much as we hate to do this... the commanders have decided to kill whoever is infected while we still can. That's what you hear outside. Turns out a few of us got the infection, I thought it was only one, but then a few more started rampaging... we don't know how many exactly got this."

"Did you get exposed to it?" Marnik asked.

"Not the main source... but I got a bit. Head to your room, you'll be safe there. The commanders have taken back their first broadcast... sent out a new one..." his eyes landed on Carisa, "I don't know what they'll decide now... but considering the problem, this has caused... they might kill her too." Amil walked past him, holding his hand tightly against his hip, blood pouring out slowly.

"I can't go to my room if that's even a possibility. We need to leave, you can come with us. Maybe the bite won't do anything to us. We work differently." Marnik grabbed Amil to stop him, "Come on-"

"No, we all work together Marnik. We look for the best choices, and right now, few need to die so the rest can live. One raging human is easy to deal with but one raging alaois is a time bomb... this disease needs to be brought to an end."

"You're the one that's dying, wont you think a little different when you're life is on the line?"  Marnik handed Bavyn to Carisa walking after Amil, "Just think for a second-"

"I did think Marnik." Amil looked him in the eyes before his head fell, "And when we see a plague we destroy it. We work together..."