Infection Runs Deep

CHAPTER THIRTY: TEST RESULTS

"I regret everything," I whispered to Warner.

"Don't be such a crybaby," he whispered back. "You don't even have the hardest job. You'll be fine." He gave me a pleading look. "You've got this. Come on."

A deep breath, in through my nose and out through my mouth. I've got this.

I screamed at the top of my lungs. It burned my bruised throat, but it was necessary. Warner and Leo flinched but they brought this disaster upon themselves. I held it for as long as I could, bending over and panting by the time I lost air.

"Help," I cried as Warner shattered the window by jamming the lockpick into the corner of the glass window. It fell like raindrops, but remained on the floor like glitter after a New Year's party.

"Please." I screamed again. "Get away from me. No, no, no." I banged my fist hard on the wall, adding yelps for emphasis.

"Give the girl an Oscar," Leo whispered.

The mercenary from down the hall rushed in and Warner quickly jabbed out his foot, sending the merc sprawling on top of me. Leo and Warner took off and I kept screaming.

The merc scrambled up, but not quick enough. A bunch more, led by Siles himself burst in the room, just in time to see the merc smack the butt of his gun in my face.

"Shut up, bitch," he growled in my face. It hurt like a bitch, but the plan worked. Leo and Warner were gone. All eyes on me.

Two of the other mercs tackled my attacker and shoved him up against the wall. The raven-haired woman that insinuated this would happen to me had a shocked hand over her mouth as she peeked out from behind Siles.

He came towards me and I flinched away. "Mar," he called. The woman came over, but I stayed out of her reach too.

I let the raspiness of my bruised throat and the rawness from the screaming seep into my words. "Stay away."

They listened, completely focused on me and the destruction of the room. I counted the guards. More than I had ever seen in one place, even when guarding Siles.

They began to talk about me as if I weren't even there. It wasn't hard to keep my terrified look on my face. One false move and I'd be dead.

"What do we do?" Siles asked, staring at me if I were one of the infected.

Mar looked at him critically. "We help her, of course."

"She's our prisoner," he protested.

"She's a person first." Mar left no room for negotiation. "I'm going to talk to her."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"And why not?"

They got into a whole pissing match. I hoped Warner and Leo were close to done. I was running out of time.

Two of the guards were having some words with the poor one I'd framed. I felt bad, but it's not like he was going to go to trial or anything. By the confused glances that the questioners kept throwing me, I knew I didn't have much time left.

Mar cut Siles off. "I don't give a damn." She strode over to me. "Elizabeth, dear. Can you tell me exactly what happened?"

The guards strode over to Siles, beginning to explain in quick, hushed sentences. I was out of time.

I dissolved into big, blubbered sobs. My words were unintelligible over my crying. I just let all of the pain of the past few weeks. My martial drama, my sick family, the patients I'd let die, the people I'd killed myself. I was done with all of it.