oll my eyes at her theatrics. “You guys are desperate and I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m not the answer any more than anything else you guys have been working on.”
The soft expression I’d come to expect from Walker shifted into a menacing snarl. “You better hope you’re the answer, Alex, because a lot of people are counting on you. Some closer to you than you think.”
I strain to sit up but the straps at my wrists and ankles hold me back. “What does that mean? Who are you talking about?”
“You’ll find out soon enough and when you do, you’ll wish you’d cooperated a little more willingly.” She leans forward. “Now is the time to confess to anything you may know. Any information you may have, before it’s too late.”
I think about the pouch hidden in the truck. God knows where it even is—where Wyatt and Chloe have taken it or abandoned it. “Whatever. I’ve already told you everything I know—which is nothing. Keep me here. Poke me with needles. Do whatever you need to try to stop this crazy epidemic. No one can say I’m not a team player.”
She gives me a long look, one that becomes even more unnerving when it morphs back her professional, stone-faced expression. Her hands reach for the binds, tightening the Velcro with a sharp pull. I wince and fight back tears. Walker leaves me alone in the room, bound to the chair. I know now, more than ever, that Cole and I have to get out of here—fast.
***
Walker comes back and jerks the straps from my arms with a loud rip.
“Get up,” she says.
“Jesus, what the hell got into you?” I rub the inflamed skin on my wrists.
Pushing me outside my cubicle door she directs me left, instead of taking me down the row between lab tables, heading straight to the back of the room.
“Where are we going?” I ask searching to catch Cole’s eye across the room. No need—he’s already watching—eyes narrowed and concerned. Before I can react, Richardson yanks him up and pushes him in the same direction. I turn to Walker. “What’s going on?”
“You’re going to a show. Front row seats.”
We approach the door I’ve been so curious about—the one I’ve hoped can be of use. Despite Walker’s cryptic words I’m excited to get out of that chair and to do something different. Best case it’s an opportunity to learn more about the facility and possibly escape. Worst? Honestly, at this point I have no idea how things can get worse.
Walker punches a code of numbers into the keypad and the lock clicks, opening the door. I’m escorted in first, swaying a little on my feet. The blood loss kicks in making me lightheaded. Cole jumps to my aid, holding me at the waist.
“You okay?” he asks.
“Yeah. Just woozy sometimes. It passes.”
I glance around the room, confused. It’s nothing more than a narrow corridor with four seats mounted with screws to the floor. The seats face the wall and there’s another door opposite of the one we just came through.
“What is this?” I ask anyone who will answer. Cole shrugs, but I can tell he’s trying to figure it out too.
“Sit down,” Walker says directing me to the chairs. I take one in the middle and Cole lowers himself into the seat next to mine.
“Do you know anything about this?” I ask him. “Is this about the testing?”
“Maybe.” He gestures forward and I notice that the wall in front of me isn’t a wall at all. It’s darkened glass—like a window we can’t see through. A queasy feeling rolls through my stomach.
“Quiet,” Richardson says, his deep, rarely heard voice. The door clicks again and swings open, reveling Colonel Erwin. Walker and Richardson snap to attention. Cole and I just stare.
“At ease,” he commands and barely spares us a second glance. “After weeks of diligent work and the donations from you both we are ready for phase one of testing the E-TR antidote. We thought you’d like to observe the experiment yourself and see how important it is that both of you give us one hundred percent dedication to the eradication of the E-TR virus.”
I look at Walker, who pins me with a hard stare. She’s still not convinced I’m telling her everything. I guess Erwin isn’t either.
He steps forward and presses a button on the wall. Reflective blinds slide open revealing another room. Two Drones in standard white lab coats stand on the other side. Two clear plexi-glass cages sit in the middle of the room. They each contain a single male. They’re wearing a gray shirt with a number taped on the front. Number 1028 is pale with reddish blond hair and panicked green eyes. The other guy, Number 1029, is a similarly aged and sized Hispanic male. His dark eyes dart back and forth. It’s obvious they can’t see us nor did they notice the blinds go up.
“One of these men has been injected with the vaccine and the other actively has the virus.”
“What?” Cole asks rising from his seat. Richardson pushes him back down. “What the hell is that going to prove?”
“The one with the vaccine has passed all of the standard laboratory tests. We need to see how he fairs with an actual infected person.
“You’re going to allow the Eater to infect him?” I ask my voice wobbly with rage. I look at the men. “That’s barbaric.”