windows and doors. Mike hoped Julian’s team was ready for a fight if the Changed as he called them broke through the glass.
When they made the lobby, Mike watched as doctors and scientist-types ran around packing gear, and soldierly types, all in black fatigues with “ TACTICAL” on their caps and across their backs loaded clips and checked weapons. The scene was surreal for Mike and Eric. They had been in the lobby of this building more times than either could count, but looking around now you wouldn’t think it was the same place. The most jarring difference was the bloody smear marks marring the once meticulously clean glass of the exterior windows, coupled with the banging and rapping of the Changed wanting inside with violent desperation. After 9/11 the first-floor glass had been replaced with tempered glass that would withstand a point-blank blast from a twelve-gauge shotgun. Mike wondered how much weight even tempered glass would hold before splintering and breaking, leaving those inside exposed. He didn’t want to be around to find out.
“Julian,” Mike called, “how long will the doors hold?”
“Until they don’t,” was Julian’s unsettling response. Not reassuring at all, Mike thought, and they still needed to find a way to reunite with Reid and Ashley after they got Marlee back.
Julian led them to the elevator and pressed the call button. They waited in silence with the constant drumming of the Changed grinding on everyone’s nerves, putting them all on edge. A moment later the elevator arrived and they all piled in. Julian tapped the button for the 15 th floor and Mike was excited to think he would be reunited with Marlee in a few short minutes.
Mike was familiar with the fifteenth floor and wasn’t surprised Terra Corp would use it to keep an eye on someone. It was mostly open space with a few small offices situated on the interior of the floor near the restrooms. When they stepped out from the elevator, Mike looked around and noted the floor was empty except for a couple of Terra Corp’s guys posted up next to one of the offices. Julian walked over to a tall African American standing nearest to them and asked him something in whisper. The soldier looked over his shoulder at the office behind him and shook his head to the negative.
“Mike, please come over here,” Julian called back to Mike. Mike, with Eric trailing just behind him, slowly walked over to Julian and the imposing Terra Corp tactical team member.
“Why is she locked up in an office under guard?” Mike asked.
“She was on a ship full of people that changed and we had to make sure she wasn’t a danger to others,” Julian explained.
Mike couldn’t fault his logic as he walked up and looked through the small window in the office door. Marlee looked comfortable in her forced isolation. Terra Corp, or perhaps Julian himself, had outfitted the office with a twin bed, a comfy-looking recliner, and a table. She was sleeping comfortably in the chair as Mike peered in. He smiled to himself; she always loved falling asleep in the overstuffed chair he kept in his living room. The sense of relief he felt flooded throughout his body and Mike felt like a weight had been lifted off him.
“She’s okay?” Mike asked.
“She checks out; we can’t find any signs of abnormal activity, injury, or bites,” Julian said to Mike’s relief.
“Bites?” Mike asked then.
“It’s the primary way the change is passed from one person to another,” Julian explained.
Mike looked back into the office when he noticed Marlee stirring. She opened one eye and looked right at Mike. She bolted upright when her brain registered what her eyes were seeing, jumped up from the recliner and ran to the door.
“Mike, is it really you?” Marlee exclaimed excitedly.
She looked right at Mike and his smile faded as he stumbled backwards, fear coursing through his body and bile rising in his throat. What sort of cruel joke was Julian playing on
When they made the lobby, Mike watched as doctors and scientist-types ran around packing gear, and soldierly types, all in black fatigues with “ TACTICAL” on their caps and across their backs loaded clips and checked weapons. The scene was surreal for Mike and Eric. They had been in the lobby of this building more times than either could count, but looking around now you wouldn’t think it was the same place. The most jarring difference was the bloody smear marks marring the once meticulously clean glass of the exterior windows, coupled with the banging and rapping of the Changed wanting inside with violent desperation. After 9/11 the first-floor glass had been replaced with tempered glass that would withstand a point-blank blast from a twelve-gauge shotgun. Mike wondered how much weight even tempered glass would hold before splintering and breaking, leaving those inside exposed. He didn’t want to be around to find out.
“Julian,” Mike called, “how long will the doors hold?”
“Until they don’t,” was Julian’s unsettling response. Not reassuring at all, Mike thought, and they still needed to find a way to reunite with Reid and Ashley after they got Marlee back.
Julian led them to the elevator and pressed the call button. They waited in silence with the constant drumming of the Changed grinding on everyone’s nerves, putting them all on edge. A moment later the elevator arrived and they all piled in. Julian tapped the button for the 15 th floor and Mike was excited to think he would be reunited with Marlee in a few short minutes.
Mike was familiar with the fifteenth floor and wasn’t surprised Terra Corp would use it to keep an eye on someone. It was mostly open space with a few small offices situated on the interior of the floor near the restrooms. When they stepped out from the elevator, Mike looked around and noted the floor was empty except for a couple of Terra Corp’s guys posted up next to one of the offices. Julian walked over to a tall African American standing nearest to them and asked him something in whisper. The soldier looked over his shoulder at the office behind him and shook his head to the negative.
“Mike, please come over here,” Julian called back to Mike. Mike, with Eric trailing just behind him, slowly walked over to Julian and the imposing Terra Corp tactical team member.
“Why is she locked up in an office under guard?” Mike asked.
“She was on a ship full of people that changed and we had to make sure she wasn’t a danger to others,” Julian explained.
Mike couldn’t fault his logic as he walked up and looked through the small window in the office door. Marlee looked comfortable in her forced isolation. Terra Corp, or perhaps Julian himself, had outfitted the office with a twin bed, a comfy-looking recliner, and a table. She was sleeping comfortably in the chair as Mike peered in. He smiled to himself; she always loved falling asleep in the overstuffed chair he kept in his living room. The sense of relief he felt flooded throughout his body and Mike felt like a weight had been lifted off him.
“She’s okay?” Mike asked.
“She checks out; we can’t find any signs of abnormal activity, injury, or bites,” Julian said to Mike’s relief.
“Bites?” Mike asked then.
“It’s the primary way the change is passed from one person to another,” Julian explained.
Mike looked back into the office when he noticed Marlee stirring. She opened one eye and looked right at Mike. She bolted upright when her brain registered what her eyes were seeing, jumped up from the recliner and ran to the door.
“Mike, is it really you?” Marlee exclaimed excitedly.
She looked right at Mike and his smile faded as he stumbled backwards, fear coursing through his body and bile rising in his throat. What sort of cruel joke was Julian playing on
Similar Books
