Lockdown Nation Page 14

  Assunta’s gaze stilled on Mandy and Carlisa in turn before she picked up her phone. “I’d better tell Dr. Lijiang Wei about this. He’s a geneticist. Maybe he could shed some light and advice on the next course of action.” She dialed and looked around.

  The same waitress returned with two glasses of water Mandy and Carlisa downed in one go. Mandy didn’t realize how thirsty she had been. She couldn't remember the last time she hydrated herself and had a rest.

  A minute later, a frown appeared on Assunta’s face. “Strange. Dr. Wei isn’t picking up the phone. That’s out of character of him. He doesn’t have a life outside academia and is usually on-call 24/7. I’ll call someone else.”

  The fear trickling into Mandy’s chest turned into panic when Assunta put her phone down and shook her head. The alarms set off in Mandy’s head, catapulting her to her feet. “You’re in danger. They probably found out about this secret coalition.”

  Mandy tugged at Assunta’s arm when she pulled back. “Wait. We have to go to the amphitheater in the city now.”

  “What for?” Carlisa’s voice laced with urgency.

  “There’s a biosecurity conference going on there.” Assunta already got on her feet and grabbed her tote bag. “Some members of the Cranax coalition are attending it.”

  Carlisa muttered a cuss under her breath. “Then, we better hurry.”

  The three settled the bill and exited the café straight into the car. Mandy got into the driver’s seat and pulled the seatbelt across herself shouting over the engine roaring, “Where is this amphitheater?”

  Assunta got into the passenger seat, pulled out her phone for the GPS, and flicked the directions into the car monitor. “All set.”

  The car eased out of the parking spot and sped down the street. Assunta and Carlisa clung to their lives. Mandy’s car slithered through the traffic racing to beat the ETA on the GPS.

  Assunta tried to call them again but her effort went futile. “No one’s picking up. I can’t believe this. Peyton wants us dead. Blot my gel, what is he gonna do to Ronin?”

  “We should focus on the matter at hand.” Carlisa poked her head in the space between the front seats. “I managed to download the conference agenda. They’re having a lunch break in 15 minutes.” She pulled out the amphitheater floorplan. “The cafeteria’s in the west wing.”

  Assunta made another call. She jerked in her seat so quickly she almost fell off the car when the call finally went through. “Father of Science! Oh, thank goodness you finally picked up my call, Dr. Paul!”

  “Dr. Assunta? You knew I was at the conference!” The man’s voice hushed on the line. “My phone went off in the middle of the presentation! Did you know how unprofessional you make me look?”

  Assunta rolled her eyes. “Listen here, Dr. Paul. We have a serious problem. You need to get out of the amphitheater right now.”

  “Now! Heck no! It’s lunch break. I’ve been waiting for it the whole morning! That’s the whole reason why I’d volunteered myself to give a talk!”

  Assunta gritted her teeth in frustration. She clenched her fist in the air. “Paul, listen here! They got Ronin. Peyton’s out here to get us. I’ve been trying to contact the rest of the collation to no avail. If you don’t get your arse out of the amphitheater right now, that would probably be your last meal.”

  “Fine!” The man on the line sighed.

  “Are the others with you?”

  “It’s lunch break now so everybody’s headed to the cafeteria,” said Paul.

  Hanging up, Assunta muttered a cuss. “You need to drive faster!”

  Perspiration drenched Mandy’s face. “I’m already over the speed limit!” She swerved into the opposite lane and cut the car in front, missing the incoming traffic by a close shave. Angry honk wailed behind them. Mandy’s gaze bounced between the GPS and the windscreen when Assunta pointed at the alleyway on the left.

  “This way! It’s gonna cut through the traffic and take us to the back!” She grabbed the wheel and turned. A chorus of screeches entailed. The car swung to the left, hitting on the corner of the wall before Mandy regained control and straightened the course. “Blot my gel. It’s Ronin’s car!”

  “Are you trying to kill us?” screamed Carlisa, combing her fingers over her hair.

  “Stop!” cried Assunta.

  Mandy slammed on the brake. The car skidded to a halt. While Mandy and Carlisa composed themselves from the sudden jolt, Assunta had hopped out and disappeared through a door in the building next to them.

  “Blot my gel, what is she thinking?” Mandy killed the engine and followed suit. The door burst open into the kitchen. All heads snapped in their direction. Mandy reached for her Zapper while the kitchen staff raised their cleavers and rolling pins at them.

  Carlisa threw her hands up in defeat. “Just passing through.” She pulled Mandy through the kitchen and barged out through the other door. They came to halt at the massive cafeteria stretching beyond their vision. The clinking of cutleries and chatters submitted to the music.

  “Blot my gel, now where is Assunta?” muttered Carlisa.

  Mandy held tightly onto the Zapper at her hip. They sifted through the crowd, scanning through whoever they came across with seeking familiar faces. Too busy stuffing their face with food, no one noticed them.

  “There she is!” Carlisa pointed in the direction where Assunta pushed through the crowd, craning her neck while shouting, “Paul?”

  “What on earth is she thinking?” muttered Mandy. The two sped towards her and Carlisa grabbed hold of her arm.

  “We need to get outta here now!” shouted Carlisa above the constant drone of voices.

  “No, I need to get to the others!” Assunta wriggled off.

  “There are too many people here. If there is an outbreak—”

  A horrid scream broke out from the crowd, turning heads at once. The chill trickled down her spine. Carlisa and Assunta jumped to Mandy’s sides. She reached for her Zapper and spun around seeking the source of sound. People clustered around at a table a few feet across the cafeteria.

  The screamer slammed himself into a bowl of hot soup. He looked up, creamy liquid dripping from the sides of his face. Black veins spread across his cheeks, his eyes turning crimson red.

  The urgent whispers rose with the tension in the air. Mandy grabbed Assunta on the arm. “We need to go right now!”

  Some others already reached for their Zappers, including Assunta. She wriggled Mandy off. “No, I need to find the others!”

  The Infected ripped out another roar. He sprang to his feet and swung his arm at the baying crowd, who sidestepped. A muted shockwave zipped past the air. The Infected stunned and collapsed on the ground, jittering.

  “Calm down, everybody!” A man lowered his Zapper and consoled the crowd. “I’ve got this—”

  Someone pounced onto the man from behind and pulled him back. He fell back and the Infected sank his teeth into his face. The ear-piercing shriek boomed across the cafeteria. Another chorus of terrified screams rose from the crowd.

  One by one, the Infected turned. They jolted dramatically, limbs twisting in awkward angles. Red flags glowing in their eyes. They let out an agonized scream and pounced onto their prey. The rest raced for doors, shoving and trampling on one another as they fled the scene. Zapper rays blasted through the air.

  The cafeteria turned into a circus of chaos within seconds.

  “If we don’t go now, we might not have the chance!” snarled Mandy, flying into a rage.

  “You two go! I have things to do!” Assunta spun around and fired at the Infecteds. Her eyes trained at the targets in front of her when an Infected jumped on her, knocking her on the floor.

  Mandy cussed beneath her breath when Carlisa grabbed her arm. “We need to get outta here now!” Their eyes interlocked briefly. Mandy sighed and left with Carlisa through the back door they’d entered from.

  Mandy didn’t realize she
was holding her breath until the two hopped back into the car and locked it. Closing her eyes, she buried her face in the wheel trying to process the whole incident.

  “She left her phone.” Carlisa picked it up in the passenger seat.

  Mandy glanced at the phone and Carlisa in turn.

  17

  ROXY

  The uneasiness swelled in my chest. Sam’s car eased into the same parking spot the last time we came to Vector Research Base. Except our numbers had reduced by half. It happened so recently Ronin’s presence still loomed in the air.

  I checked the gene gun to make sure it was fully loaded and charged, then headed in through the broken door with Sam. The stench amplified since the last time we’d been here. I worried if Robert Tan’s brain was still intact. The smell scorched my lungs, casting dizzy spells on me.

  With my hand over my mouth, I sped through the hallway and stood in front of the window where Robert Tan had appeared. Except it was vacant.

  “No…” A wave of disappointment and frustration surged in me. I reached for the latch that had remained in place since the last visit. I held my breath and gave the door a push, half expecting to find Robert’s dead body on the floor. There was nothing.

  My fear amplified. I swung the door open. The pang of rotten flesh brewing in the room scorched my lungs. My eyes became teary. Through my blurry vision, a shadow flitted in the dark corner, growing and advancing in my direction along with the pungent stench.

  My stomach twisted with a painful knot when the crimson eyes appeared right in front of me. A hollow hole burned in my stomach when I realized what happened. I raised my Genex when the five foot nine Infected pounced onto me, knocking me over.

  The Genex slipped out of my grip and slid across the floor. Unable to move or breathe with the Infected pinning me down. He tried to chomp my face like a rabid dog. I swerved to my left and right, dodging his snapping teeth.

  His mouth and nose pouring blood, splatting down on my chest. I pinched my eyes closed and grabbed his face. My fingers could sink into his soft flesh if I pressed harder.

  Something wet and sticky soaked through my jeans. Robert’s intestines poured over my legs. My stomach churned at the sight. I tried to kick him in the chest when he suddenly froze, like my heart. His eyes rolled back in his skull. He collapsed next to me on his back.

  I sprang to my feet and turned around to see Sam. He lowered the gene gun.

  Our eyes fixed on the man on the floor. My heart drummed in my ears. I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans.

  The body stirred. Sam and I got into a fighting pose.

  “Blot my gel…” Robert had come back. He let out soft painful groans that gnawed at my conscience. He was paralyzed from the waist down and barely lifted a finger.

  “Robert?” I muttered.

  He opened his eyes and stared at us. His left eye looked clouded and part of his face dented from my pressing. “Who—who are you? Did you…did you turn me back?”

  I nodded.

  “Father of Science!” His voice though soft dripped with venom. “Why would…why would you do that? I’m a dead man.” He spluttered, spitting blood.

  “I am Roxy Riley,” I said.

  Robert stared at me. “You…you are Quillon’s grandkid?”

  “I suppose you know about Project Hive Mind?”

  Robert’s face twisted, not sure from pain or my question. “What—what are you talking about?”

  “You’re dying from the same virus Quillon experimented with. Why are you still covering him up?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about! Why would a dead man lie?” he snarled.

  Sam looked equally clueless.

  “Your grandpa conducted many experimentations that might appear to be morally wrong to some but I have never heard of that name.” He coughed again. “If you want to learn more about his works, you should take a look at his logbook instead.”

  Robert groped for his lab coat pocket and fished out a key. “Take this, Roxy. Open the first drawer on the pedestal and you will find your grandpa’s tablet.”

  Sam kept the gene gun charged at Robert.

  I went to examine the pedestal. Robert didn’t lie. I scooped up the tablet and turned it on. A notification popped out with an email addressed to Quillon Riley.

  Prof. Quillon,

  Something’s not right. I suffer from bouts of irrational feelings and thoughts and it’s happening more and more frequently. At times, I can’t control my behaviors. As if something else has taken over control of my body. Is this a normal side effect?

  Most recently, I have obsessive thoughts about murdering my own brother. They feel so real as if I’m going to commit the crime myself. Strangely enough, he isn’t in his best state of mind lately. Please help us.

  The blood froze in my veins. Every word from the letter sank in me, the puzzle pieces falling into place. Botty was wrong about the twins. The supposedly evil brother didn’t want to kill his brother. The virus in his head made him do it.

  “While you’re at it, Roxy…” muttered Robert, his voice getting softer and his breathing shallower. “There is a gun in the second drawer.”

  I stowed the tablet away in my backpack. “I don’t do violence.”

  “There is only one bullet in it.” What he meant dawned on me. Robert added, “I knew this day would come. So I’d saved the last bullet for this moment. Please, Roxy. End my suffering for once and for all.”

  Sam lowered the gene gun.

  My moral compass spun in all directions again. It brought me back memories from ORF when innocent lives had been claimed because of me. I shook my head but the guilt gnawed me harder. I cured him of the infection, restoring his sentience. I put him in agony so I could find out the truth.

  “Roxy, I’ll do it.”

  “No.” I raised my hand to stop Sam. “I can do this. I started this. I’m going to finish it.”

  I reached for the second drawer with my cold trembling fingers and picked up the pistol with both hands. The steel frame weighed double the Zappers and gene guns.

  My mouth and lips turned parched. I pointed it at Robert’s head, the fastest and painless way to go. Though at this state, anything would feel less than the suffering he bore.

  The sweat puddled in my palms. My finger steadied on the trigger when Robert said, “Cock the gun, Roxy.”

  Hot tears brimmed in my eyes, blending with the sweat that dripped down the sides of my face. I cocked the gun. It required more willpower and strength than it looked.

  “In reason we trust, Roxy.” Robert closed his eyes. His face took a peaceful trance, reflecting he had come to terms with the inevitable death that seemed more welcoming than the world we’d lived in.

  I sucked in a breath and pinched my eyes closed. I squeezed the trigger, harder than I thought I had to. The loud bang and recoil knocked me back a few steps. The gun slipped out of my grip and clattered on the floor. A sharp ringing echoed in my ears. I lost my balance and had to cling to the desk for support.

  The fresh wound in Robert’s forehead oozed blood and grey matter. The sight and smell sickened me more.

  “Roxy? Are you okay?” Sam’s voice became muted and warped. He rushed to my side and tugged at my arm. “We have to go now!” His voice in a hushed urgency.

  Sam pulled me by the arm out of the room. Soft groans hummed behind me. I turned around in the hallway. A horde of Infected followed close on our heels. Their arms outstretched reaching to grab us.

  All my senses came back at once along with the fear swelling in my chest. “Blot my gel!” The adrenaline surging in my system catapulted my feet faster off the ground. I grabbed onto Sam’s arm pulling him towards the light.

  We shot straight through the door and slammed it close, sealing away the Infected along with the memories of my grandpa in this institute. I spun around and held it close with my back while Sam fastened every single latch he could find on it.


  The muffled scratching and grunts punctuated the banging on the door. I stood in the shadows of Vector Research Base taking a long last look when Sam clapped on my shoulder. “Let’s get outta here before the door gives.”

  I expunged the mental images of Robert Tan, leaving the thoughts at where he was, and followed Sam back to the car.

  Once we got into the freeway, I reached for my backpack and pulled out grandpa’s tablet. An earlier version, at least thirty years old by the looks of the yellowed corners. It weighed more too so I laid it on my lap and turned it on.