“One test a day,” Erwin says. “Until we find a cure.”

“That’s insane,” I say. God, he’s disgusting.

“We’re in a war, Ms. Ramsey. There will be casualties. This is about more than the E-TR virus, it’s about national security and the future of our country.”

“You’re deranged,” Cole says. “We should be saving people, not using them for tests.”

“These are unpredictable times,” Erwin says. “Those disloyal to our country will find that out the hard way.”

Through the window the soldiers remove the binds on the prisoner’s hands. 1030 and 1031 move quickly to take off their hoods. I look away unwilling to see the faces of Erwin’s next victims. My next victim, since I refuse to divulge the information he wants. Cole’s hand grips mine so tight I think he’s going to break it. I open my eyes and see his face drained of color. “Cole?”

“Alex…” He nods to the window.

The fear in his voice scares me, but I follow his gaze. My heart jumps to my throat but I fight to keep my face calm. I refuse to let Erwin know I care—that he’s got me by the metaphorical balls on this one. That he just won.

Wyatt and Chloe stare at the reflective glass having no clue we’re on the other side. They do watch two Drones cleaning the bloody remains of the fight off the window and floor.

“These two will begin phase one of testing at zero-six-hundred tomorrow. Both will be given an injection. One antidote. One virus. We’ll meet back here at fifteen-hundred for the results,” Erwin says. He spins on his heel and exits the room. Leaving Cole and me with our handlers.

“On your feet,” Walker says, jabbing my back. I follow her directions without taking my eyes off the prisoners. They both look freshly scrubbed and clean. Thin but clean. I stumble on the leg of my chair and Cole grabs me tight.

In my ear he whispers, “We’ll get them out, Alex.”

I bite my bottom lip holding back all of the emotions about to rip through. He’s right. We’ll get them back but to do so I have to sell my father out.

Chapter Forty-Eight

~Before~

13 Days Ago

Nothing in this new world is easy.

Five minutes after we leave the house a massive pickup truck with oversized wheels comes barreling toward us. “Alex,” Mom says pointing behind us. I look back and see an almost identical truck coming that way too.

“Holy crap,” I say panic rising.

“What do I do?”

“Get off the road,” I say almost yanking the wheel myself.

She floors the gas and quickly turns down a side road and then another and then another. Her eyes are on the road behind us and I’ve stopped breathing entirely.

“Are they coming?” she asks. She pulls over to a shady spot and we wait, engine on.

&nb

sp; “I don’t know. What the hell was that anyway? The military?”

“Those didn’t look like the right kind of trucks—those were kind of like the ones at the monster truck rally.”

“Monster trucks.” I didn’t even know my mother knew what that was.

“Maybe it wasn’t about us. Maybe it was some kind of redneck showdown?” she offers.

“Maybe,” I say but something in my gut tells me that can’t be true.

Another three minutes pass before she eases the car back on the road. I look around and we are in the middle of Podunk nowhere. I pull out the map. “Yeah, these streets aren’t even on this map. Can you get back to the main road?”

Tags: Angel Lawson Death Fields Horror
Source: readsnovelonline.net