Page 23 of Alpha Infected
Hazard wanted to shout with joy. That was it. The cure for Ice and everyone else infected with the virus.
Ortiz reached for one of the racks just as their comm units crackled to life.
“Lieutenant Colonel Gibbs to Major Ortiz. How copy?”
“Copy loud and clear, Colonel.”
“What’s your status?”
“Just reached the lab. About to have hands on the antidote.”
“Good work.”
“Don’t praise us yet. We still need to get it back to base.”
“That’s why I’m checking in. The higher ups had an emergency meeting. They received reports that the situation on the ground in Tulsa is deteriorating. With that intel, they’ve made a decision. You’ve got one hour to get the antidote back to base.”
“What happens if we don’t?”
“If you don’t, they’re going to bomb the city.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Afraid not, Major,” Gibbs gravelly said. They are prepared to wipe Tulsa off the map. That means, whether you obtain the cure or not, I want your team off theXand away from Tulsa in the next sixty minutes.”
“Copy that. Ortiz out.”
Hazard looked at his packmates. They appeared just as shocked as he felt. He hadn’t expected the higher ups to make that decision so soon.
“We need to move.Fast,” Ortiz ordered.
Jax nodded. “Hell, yeah we do.”
They each grabbed one of the test tube racks and placed them in secure carrying cases.
Hazard grabbed a syringe and filled it with the antidote. “You two get to the helo with the cure. I’ll go back for Ice.”
“Negative.” Ortiz sharply rejected his plan. “We get the antidote to the pilot and we go back together for Ice.”
Hazard started to protest. “But Major -.”
“You’ll move faster with back up to clear any infected in your way,” Ortiz said, cutting him off. “And you might need help dealing with Ice.”
“She’s right,” Jax agreed. “We don’t know what state he’s in.”
What his packmates said made sense so Hazard nodded in agreement of their plan.
“Okay. Now, how do we get out of here with that horde right outside the door?”
Hazard looked around. “There’s another exit,” he said pointing to a door on the other side of the room.
After checking that it was clear, they slipped out of the lab, ending up in a hall around the corner from where they’d entered. The infected were still piled up in front of that door. They milled about, rudderless now that they’d lost their prey.
Moving quietly, they left the horde behind. They made it up the three floors to the roof access door with little trouble and perfect timing. The helo was just touching down when they walked out onto the roof. Hazard left the door propped open with his rifle before joining the others to run over to the chopper.
The pilot looked at them, frowning when there were only three instead of the four she’d expected.
“Where’s Ice?” she shouted over the noise of the whirring helicopter blades.
