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Bloodshot eyes. I peered closer. Swollen flesh stretched the skin tight across its face. Uneven features bulged and writhed beneath dark fur. The small fox leaped at bars. It growled. It's bulging throat rattled and spittle plastered the thick glass.
I frowned. The rabies pandemic had been terminated. Humans and animals alike had the vaccine. I took off my glasses, wiping sweat from the rims. Sliding them back along my face, I watched the animal. It paused a moment, squirming fur coming to rest. For a minute or two, it quietly sat. The animal darted across the cage. Its paws resting against the glass, it looked out into the forest.
Trees sprang up around the tiny observatory. Heavily wooded land receded out of sight. A green valley sloped its way around us. The peak of the mountain was were I called home. The shelter, equipped with a whole array of scientific equipment, was no more than 600 square feet.
The fox turned from its forlorn position. I switched on my headcam, watching the feral beast. Its eyes had a sad look, as if saying goodbye for a last time. Its mouth pulled up into a slow snarl Quivering skin began to bubble. Bulging muscles popped. Bloody eyes burned brighter as it leapt into the bars. This time blood smattered the protective glass. I sighed.
My fingers found my iPad and tapped in the termination code. Noxious gas released into the chamber, melting the fox into a liquid goo. A moment later, the floor tilted, sending the remains into an airtight container. I picked up my phone. This wasn’t rabies, and someone had to know.
When I managed to get through to headquarters, a harried sounding woman answered.
“Look, if its another rabies call, we already know.”
I paused. “Is it everywhere?”
“We don’t know. Not international, but lots of calls from the states.”
I felt my throat constricting. We’d averted disaster before. Ten years ago, we had neutralized the rabies virus. Launched the antidote right into the air. Sure, we got flak about it, but the media effectively submerged the story.
We’d watched the animals closely for years. A few freak accidents, a couple of human deaths, but no major repercussions. As a private organization, there wasn’t much anyone could do about us anyway. Influence exerted on certain government officials did the trick. But the rabies breakout had been due to the hybrid flu vaccine. Didn’t affect humans. At least, it hadn’t before
“I have to go, yeah, we're busy now.” The nervous voice said. In the background, someone cried out. The sound of breaking glass. The phone clattered to the ground. Shouting and gunfire ensued. A throaty growl rumbled through the phone. I swore, hurling the device against the oak wall. I leaped to the airtight emergency container, pulling out a mask. The plastic sucked against my face. It wrapped around my glasses, sealing my face into airtight security. I breathed deeply. The smell of new plastic smell filled my nose and lungs. I gagged for a moment, getting used to the taste.
The growl could have been anything, but I wasn’t taking chances. Maybe I hadn’t been exposed. I bowed my head for a moment. My hands shook. I slipped to the ground and hugged my legs. It took a moment of fighting for me to regain control. A few shaky seconds later, I stood.
I grabbed a large duffel bag from a nearby counter. I threw in several changes of clothes, medicine, and, after a seconds hesitation, the companies standard issue assault rifle. I hurried out to my truck.
As I reached the door, a whine split the forest air. I started. My nerves were going wild. Being in the worst spot to be during another outbreak, my adrenaline was going haywire. The whine got higher, than dropped out of hearing. A short bark came from the surrounding trees. I fumbled with my keys, unlocking the door. Another whine. A low growl. I stepped into the truck. It sank several inches under my weight. Immediately, a throaty noise came from directly underneath the truck. I jumped, my feet slipping. My foot hit the ground, sliding on the loose dirt. A large racoon darted from beneath the tire, latching onto my pant leg.
I kicked my legs, connecting with the furry beast. It held on for a moment, before I kicked it into the metal door. It fell, whining its anger as it come at me again. I leaped into the truck. A heavy thud on the window. Blood and dirt smattered in the vague shape of an animal on my window. I breathed heavily with relief and started the engine.
It took me a moment to realize my leg was burning. I pulled at my pant leg. Several deep gashes in my leg were oozing blood. One looked especially deep, teeth indentations standing out. I pulled off my mask, breathing it in didn’t matter now.
I snatched the old antidote from my pack. I dumped it on my leg, pouring it into the deep cuts and bite. I plunged a syringe into my chest for good measure. A moment later, the pain subsided slightly. My breath shook even more. Fear no longer burned in my chest, but made its way into my mind and throat. Breathing grew more difficult as my adrenaline faded.
My hands gripped the steering wheel. I closed my eyes and focused. I opened them. My foot pressed the accelerator. Roaring filled my ears. I sped up. The winding road rushed past in a blur. I felt the truck weave across the road. I kept driving.
Eventually, the pain ceased. A dull thumping reverberated through my skull. The drums paused a moment, as I slowed around a hairpin turn. A calm settled through my mind. I focused. Pittsburg was close, and short plane ride would get me through. If they weren’t checking for the infection, I would be able to board any plane I needed.
But at what cost? I could infect others. But we needed others to know as much information as possible. I hesitated a moment. I’d buy some gloves later, if the opportunity arose.
I got to the airport an hour later. My leg ached from the bite, and dizzy spells had nearly killed me, but I made it. I got into the terminal and left my truck at the doors, still running. I sprinted toward the terminal center. Arrival and departure times scrolled on giant screens. People moved lethargically through the maze. A few families sprinted past.
The earliest departure time for Boston was in ten minutes. I fumbled through security and ended up sitting dazed beside a window. I’d waved my badge and signed a few papers to get on. I leaned back and managed to sleep until we landed.
I rushed from the plane, hailing a cab. It took a few minutes to get to our headquarters. The massive glass building echoed our enormous financial backing. I got inside, where I found the secretary walking out of the elevator, wild eyed and scared. I knew her from years ago, when I did office work at our old building. Before we got government funding, and a large private cash flow.
I made eye contact and waved. I’m sure I looked pretty wild. Bloody leg and torn clothing didn’t help the situation. I called to her as she neared. She was almost running by the time I reached her. I grabbed at her arm, feeling angry. I needed answers, and they needed my research. She spun, screaming at me to leave. A knife appeared in her hand. I’m sure she had never killed anything, but she still gave an angry stab at my head. I ducked back, letting her go. She was crying hysterically now, and ran from the building. The rest of the bottom floor was deserted. I yelled, I used the intercom for the ground floor and got no response. The sounds of traffic echoed throughout the silence.
I skipped out on the elevator. I should have noticed something going on, something bigger than us. I was conceited enough to think we could handle anything. Maybe we weren’t prepared, or maybe we had gotten lax. If we’d considered more options. Maybe questioned the ones who said an alien virus had started it. Or listened to the fishermen who had told us that fish were dying by the droves. The extremist who sent us a report on a partner who had died from a mysterious disease. There were always those reports, but if we had listened we might have turned out better.
If we at least had training, or had been debriefed on worst case scenarios. Needless to say, I chose to take the stairs and left my mask in my bag. I even left my assault rifle.
No one was on the second floor either. I got to the third floor and paused. I turned the handle. The door swung open soundlessly. Immediately, the smell of rotting flesh washed over me. The soft sounds of steady breathing came from the hallway to my left. I managed to walk a few steps. I stepped forward. I hesitated at the corner. I breathed and stepped out.
My boss sat against the wall. Gouges and bite marks covered his skin. Blood was pooled on the floor. Not a lot, but enough to potentially threaten to his health. I crouched beside him. Small teeth, animal in nature had bitten his hands. His eyes snapped open when I touched his face. He began to shake, trying to speak. His eyes seemed small against his torn features. The darted around. He shook harder and groaned. His skin grew red and blue, bulges pushing at the pores of his skin.
I froze. The fox. The squirrels, the raccoon. The throaty growls. The bulging skin. I tripped backwards. His sanity seemed to break. He fell toward me, growls coming from his bulging throat. I got to my feet. I was still thinking scientifically. My life wasn't in danger, but information was. Everything that needed to be learned was on this floor. The man groaned again, crawling toward me. He seemed to be gaining strength by the second. I turned toward the other hallway. I really can’t say how much any kind of training would have saved lives. We could have averted everything if we had been more careful.
Instead, I walked down the other hallway. I walked faster. I needed the computer mainframe. It would have everything I needed. I was nearly to the middle of the quiet floor when a groan echoed. I turned in a circle, watching for anything or anyone. In the corner of my eye I glimpsed a flurry of movement. An arm shot from the cubicle nearby and a bloody hand latched onto my ankle.
I screamed. The hand pulled. I tripped, falling backwards down the hall. I glimpsed pulsing skin, blood creeping from open pores. Even in that moment of terror I still noticed those details. I brought down my left leg, snapping bone and tearing flesh. More blood oozed onto my shoes. I scooted backwards.
I scrambled to my feet. It took a moment to try and regain my calm. I looked down to orient myself. I saw my bloody shoes and retched. I caught my balance and cleared my eyes. I sprinted past the arm as it was pulling its body out of the office.
A leg kicked through a shallow wall. I leaped, pushing faster toward the computer room. I noticed bloody trails where the beings had been dragged. The floor became slippery, soaked with blood.
I got to the computer room with growls echoing behind me. I managed to grab several backup hard drives. I shoved them deep into my pockets.. A low growl. I started, spinning on my heel. An office secretary slumped against a wall. She coughed, low and grating. She stood straighter. She seemed to be growing stronger. She reached toward me. The skin was moving, blood rushing to the surface.
I pulled back, turning back toward the stairwell hall. Bloodied bodies now in the hall, moving either toward me, or simply struggling to stand. The crawlers were moving faster, but the older ones were going to be faster in minutes.
I started sprinting. I jumped over a fallen lab worker and turned a corner. The stairway was just ahead. My boss was now standing, walking slowly toward me. He started gaining speed. His hands and face were running red. From blood or what I wasn't sure. I turned back. The fire escape was behind me, right with the other infected. I grabbed a hard drive and hesitated. My boss. Who’s to say he wasn't still human. He could still feel. Maybe he was asking for help.
I had no choice. I sprinted at him. His arms rose and he started to fall toward me. I swung the makeshift club. It rebounded, sending the businessman onto his back. It took me a moment to regain my momentum, but I made it to the stairs.
I got to the ground floor to find it filled with bomb squads and special ops units. They were sweeping through the ground space and heading straight toward me. I was still dazed. Someone grabbed my arms and pulled me outside. They tried to take the hard drives, but I managed to keep them. A couple official looking officers asked me questions. I heard helicopters and gunshots. A couple explosions. I must have passed out at some point, because I woke up in the ambulance several hours later.
The EMT was standing over me. He looked down. A torn look stretched across his face. Sadness and pity. Then he ran. I tried to cry out, scream for anyone. I tried to sit up on the cool metal tray, but nausea pushed me down. An IV stuck out of my arm, clear fluid dripping into my body.
I fumbled for it, giving it a hard tug. The IV pulled from my arm. Blood pooled beneath my skin for a moment, before oozing onto the surface. I lay still for a minute. I sat up slower than, the nausea coming slower. I kept it in check and managed to stand. The cupboards and storage containers were wide open, objects scattered around the vehicle. The IV was the only medicinal tool still in the ambulance. I waded through the trash and debris toward the doors.
The white doors stood wide open. The late afternoon sun revealed the havoc. Abandoned cars littered the freeway. Almost a hundred yards away lay burning rubble of what was once my office. I stepped into the grassy divider. Police cars were scattered along the intersections. Broken glass cracked beneath my feet. A bloody hand broke under my weight, the arm and body nowhere in sight.
Then my breathing became choked. I coughed, my throat clearing. All thoughts had fled my mind. I couldn't take in what I was seeing. In the distance, sirens blared. People screamed. Occasional gunshots broke the air. Someone ran toward the massacred buildings. Looters already. I kept up my stumbling pace. Away from the ambulance. I opened a car door, pulling out the body of a young woman. Her skin was writhing, her eyes flickering as she fought for consciousness. Her throat was torn wide open. I thought of my own sister and closed my mind to the horrors around me. I laid her on the ground. She was already dead when I drove away.
