Chapter Fifteen: A Possibility of Infection

J.D. and One tensed when the tunnel's lights came to life with a mechanical buzz. J.D. scanned the area, as though whatever malevolent force that changed their environment would instantly reveal itself. After a moment, when it was clear that it was just the two of them in the tunnel's passage, he straightened himself and lowered his gun.

"The generator," One said under his breath. "They're already at the lift. At least this should make our trip easier."

J.D. chortled, switching off his flashlight. Sure, it was easier to travel in the light. But that meant that they were easier to see as well. One seemed to acknowledge this as well as he bent his knees and kept his eyes forward-alert for any sense of movement.

Now that the lights had turned on, J. D noticed a matrix of large ivy clung to the rocky walls. The further along they traveled, the more the plant consumed the passage. Bulbs sprouted up in the denser portion of the vines, most the size of a baseball. Each time One and J.D drew near, the plant would open revealing its violet interior. J.D. found his gait slowing, his eyes focused on the plant.

It was beautiful. Each petal was a perfectly shaped arrowhead and the purple interior looked silky to the touch. A black point produced from the middle, as though drawing all the flower's color to the center like a black hole.

He raised his hand, some primitive part of his mind demanding that he touch the petal-to discover if it was as smooth as it looked. One's footsteps grew farther and farther away. J.D.'s fingertips were inches from the plant.

No.

J.D. slowly lowered his hand. Stupid, he told himself. What are you? A kid? That thing is probably like the other fucked up shit here and you're about to touch it? You wanna die? J.D. felt his face grow hot in his own embarrassment.

"Stupid," he muttered under his breath.

"J.D." One's voice echoed down the passage. J.D. instinctually snapped his head in the direction of the voice-

A sharp pain radiated from the side of his neck. J.D. cried out, reaching for the thing that had attacked him. His fingers found purchase on what felt like a long thorn and yanked it out. The renewed pain caused him to gasp before it died to a burning throb. In his hand was a black thorn about an inch long. Tiny barbs sprouted from the sides so that it clung to J.D.'s gloved hand. He tossed it aside and pressed a hand against the wound. When he glanced back at the plant, he noticed that it seemed off-like a piece was missing from the middle.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, white-hot adrenaline pumped through him. There was no telling if that plant was exotic or if it was a result of the T-virus. If the former was true-I'm infected. J.D 's breath caught in his chest and his face drained of color. The image of that man Vladimir shot up emerged to the forefront of his mind. How the man twisted into a man-eating corpse in a matter of minutes. It didn't feel like long ago that he was sitting in that room, watching the transformation confident that it would never happen to him. He was too good, too quick, too smart.

There is only one cure for an infected comrade.

J.D.'s hand inched toward his handgun in his hip holster. His fingers snaked around the handle when he stopped. He didn't know for sure if the flower was a byproduct of the virus. After all, hadn't they already seen what happened to plants when they were infected-that they become those walking Ivy-things above? Panic ebbed out of J.D.'s system. After all, he was overreacting.

"J.D." One's voice came once again, this time stronger and closer.

Fear caused J.D. to seize up once again. What if One didn't feel the same way? One wasn't the type of man to question anything too heavily. If he thought J.D. was infected, he had no doubt that his commander would but a bullet between his eyes. Footfalls were drawing near and he was running out of time. J.D. pulled up the collar of his uniform. It irritated the wound, sending a new sharp jolt of pain through his neck, but at least then he knew that it was hidden.

Seconds later, One rounded the corner.

"What's the matter?" he asked, his eyes narrowed at J.D. J.D. tried to keep his face as passive as he could and kept the quiver out of his voice when he said-

"I thought I heard something. Must just be the acoustics down here."

One's dark eyes searched him up and down, and it took everything in J.D. not to shift uncomfortably under the commander's gaze. He knows, was the single thought that consumed his mind. J.D. tensed, waiting for One to raise his weapon.

All One did was nod.

"If it's nothing, keep up," he said before turning and continuing down the passage. Once One turned the corner, J.D. deflated. Safe. J.D. grinned as he slowly followed One, though the constant throbbing of his neck never allowed him to completely abandon the possibility of infection.

The lift rattled up. One and J.D. took to opposite corners, checking their equipment in the ascent. The throbbing of his neck slowly declined only to be replaced by an itch. He tightened his grip on his weapon, trying to focus on the procession of his fingers against the steel rather than the urge to scratch his neck. Probably just some irritant on the thorn, he thought. After all, wasn't that what plants like that had? Some kind of defense mechanism?

The explanation seems flimsy but it was better than even entertaining the alternative.

J.D. glanced over at One, who stared at the floor with an expression tight with concentration.

"You alright?" J.D. asked. One's gaze shifted toward him. It stayed there for several seconds-too long for J.D.'s tastes. Had he noticed the puncture wound? he thought. The desire to tug at his collar grew but that would only raise suspicion.

"Do you know how many missions I've been on, J.D.?"

J.D.'s brow furrowed, unsure what the commander meant. The two stood in silence for a moment with only the mechanical clatter of the lift.

"I don't," he finally replied.

"Forty-two," One replied, his expression still even and blank. "Forty-two, twenty years...one of the longest careers in this profession. In all that time, I've lost members of my team. It comes with the territory of this job. But given all the things I've seen, all the people I've lost, nothing compares to tonight. Two good soldiers dead in only a couple hours, maybe Rain too if she was as unlucky. We could be all that's left…" J.D. felt his heart seize at the mention that Rain might be dead, but he swallowed and pushed the emotion aside. Silence befell them once again. J.D. remained quiet, waiting for One to speak again. "There's usually only two exits out of this profession, you know. If you're lucky you leave-go into exile, if you're unlucky. Or, more likely, you die. I used to think that the ones who left were cowards. Now, I'm starting to wonder if they were smarter."

"Smarter?" J.D. asked. One nodded.

"That there's only one winner in this line of work. Only one. And it sure as Hell isn't us."

The lift shuttered to a halt as it reached it's landing before J.D. could reply-what he would reply with, he wasn't sure. Sure, the work is dangerous, but the money is good, he thought.

The itching, low throb of his neck seemed to reply, Is it still good?

J.D. stepped forward. One closed the distance and grabbed his arm tightly. When J.D. turned back to his commander, he came within inches of those hard, dark eyes.

"UAT-17," One said. "Remember that. It is your only chance of getting out of here if something happens to me."

J.D. nodded. Once One was sure his orders had been taken to heart, he released J.D.'s arm. J.D. followed One into the chamber, wondering if he were going to have to be the one to use this information, and if so, how soon.

As soon as they walked through the door that led to Lab B's outer chamber, the sound of voices drifted to them. It was softly spoken but it echoed to them all the same. One only gave J.D. a glance-one that said 'they're here and we need to be quick.' J.D. only nodded. The two sprinted, their weapons trained as soon as they rounded the corner.

Three people stood in the chamber, two an unidentified man and woman. Standing next to the wrecked metal door to the Lab was Rain. J.D.'s relief overflowed. He would have lowered his gun had he not noticed that the two other individuals aiming assault rifles at One and himself.

"Drop it," One barked, aiming his own AR-15 directly at the woman's chest.

"Not a chance," the man shot back. One shifted his crosshairs onto him.

"I don't think you have much of a choice," Rain replied, raising her weapon and aiming it at the couple. The woman cast a piercing side glance at Rain. After a moment, she lowered her weapon. The man's gaze remained definitely locked with One's, his weapon still aimed. One felt his finger tighten on the trigger.

The man glanced behind One and a sudden change came over his face-from firm determination to mouth-dropping shock. J.D. glanced over his shoulder-

Something swung out of his peripheral vision, sending J.D. sprawling through the air. He fired in surprise, missing the man's head by inches. J.D. struck his head against the ground, sending another spasm of pain rampant through his left temple. He rolled several times before coming to rest at Rain's feet. He lay there, gasping for breath, barely aware of the shouts and the screams and the roar of gunfire. His vision whirled, accentuated by the flares of the firefight. In the midst of it all, he thought he saw the outline of another person in the room.

They had green skin, he thought. That couldn't be right.

"Get up," Rain said, though she sounded miles away. J.D. tried but his pounding head forced him back down. A scream filled the room. It was something feral and inhuman, something that would have filled J.D.'s nightmares as a child. Something that sent a flush of adrenaline through his system. "Get up."

Rain snaked a hand under his armpit and lifted J.D. to his feet. J.D. followed Rain through the Lab's door, the world still churning around him. As the darkness of the passage enveloped them, the blasts of gunfire followed. The gunfire and that shriek.