Chapter 23. The good times are over…
A few weeks later…
New Mexico, the exact location is unknown…
How did she get here? How could she let this happen? Everything was destroyed that night... What they were fighting for. All hopes of a peaceful life collapsed like a house of cards.
When she returned to the house, she had to fight with a huge number of people. Hundreds of soldiers shot at her, her body took damage and made her stronger. Pouncing on them more and more violently, she made her bloody way forward through the corpses. She tore them up like dolls. Her claws cut through their armor like paper. Pouncing on another enemy, she sank her teeth into his face, biting off a good half of the flesh with an eye and part of his nose. She reveled in his near-death terror and agony. This vile man came into her house with a gun and made her family suffer. In response, she will do the same. Because of them, she had to drive away her friend, someone who trusted her and considered his protector. She wouldn't let them chase him, no one would leave here alive... Nobody.
Something thudded in her back... it felt like someone had thrown a handful of peas at her. A young soldier stood behind her, clutching a tactical shotgun. There was a primal horror on his face from the one he was fighting. Pouncing, she tore his muscles and flesh with a blow of sharp claws, releasing his insides out. Then there was the next one... then another... and another… Breaking into the center of their battle formation, she ran into a tent with several officers inside. Bursting inside, she turned them into minced meat, smearing them on the walls and tearing them apart.
In her last memories, she saw herself surrounded by two dozen soldiers with weapons she had never seen before. Her body convulsed with hellish pain, as if she was being torn apart from the inside, it seemed that the world had gone out before her eyes. Bright flashes of rays pierced her and brought her to her knees. She let out a scream of pain and anger that swept over the bloody battlefield and was answered. Her mother and her brother were ready to help her. To rescue. But these people... They didn't let them do it. She didn't see them, but she heard Eva's screams as her body also shuddered. Sarah began to rise, and the thirst to punish her enemies gave her strength. But she didn't manage to do it... Her back, legs, and arms were struck by a multitude of sharp thorns with venom she hadn't felt before. My mind went blank. My head and whole body became heavy... A last attempt to stand up, and again a deafening electric shock cramped her muscles. Her insides seemed to be boiling inside her, turning into jelly. Gathering the last shreds of consciousness, she shouted, opening her mental portal: "Mom." This soundless scream was heard only by a few creatures around.
Then there was silence...
The regeneration took some time... for quite a long time. They managed to grab her and put her in this disgusting cage.
Sarah woke up in her cell, in which the lights were never turned off, and all the surfaces were covered with reflective white material. She continued to pretend to be asleep. She lay still, knowing that people were looking at her. Two young scientists are watching her work. Robie and George.
Robie, a short guy with curly hair, stood close to the glass and did not hesitate to look at the naked body of the girl, savoring and enjoying every detail - "She is beautiful..."
George, his tall athletic partner, who clearly did not like everything that was happening here, looked with disgust at what his partner was doing - "Stop it, this girl is too much for you. She tore apart 42 elite special forces soldiers. He's already staring at her."
Robie licked his lips, running his tongue over his lips: "What seductive hips, she looks like she came from Scandinavian legends. A beautiful blonde girl..."
He walked around the camera and approached the airlock door, his hand went to his pocket, and he took out an access key card. Noticing him, George jumped up from his seat and pointed at the door with his finger: "Hey! Dude, get out of there!"
Turning the card over in his hands, he held it up to the scanner, and a signal sounded: "Oh, come on. She lost consciousness."
George opened the lid of the alarm button, and his palm hovered a few centimeters away from it. "Robie. You're a fucking idiot. Get out of there now! The guards will come soon, and you're dead!"
Robie went inside and locked the door– "Give me one minute. I just want to touch it. It's like touching a dream." - he turned the lever and the system began the procedure of disinfection and preparation of the airlock.
Running up to the door, George began banging the handle on the glass and trying to open the door. He took his card and tried to interrupt the protocol -"Get the fuck out of there! She's unstable. Her vital signs indicate that she may not be sleeping..."
When the inner door opened, Robie carefully, trying to walk as quietly as possible, approached the table on which Sarah was lying. Tubes with sedative solutions and wires are connected to it. He brought his hand to her bare knee and thought for a moment. – "It's now or never" - taking off his protective glove, he touched the velvety skin and his fingers moved higher up his thigh, approaching the pelvis.
George pounded on the glass with his fist–"Robie! Cut it all out! I'll write a report on you! Laura will fuck you!"
Robie angrily replied, "Shut up asshole! But I touched a woman. And you're going to be a virgin for the rest of your life!"
At that moment, Sarah's eyes flew open, she saw what he was doing and grabbed his hand and twisted it with a wet nasty crunch.
Robie bent over and screamed in horror - "Aah aah, please let me go!"
Throwing him against the wall, she stood up and angrily tore out all the tubes and wires with sensors from her body. Pouncing on the scientist, she grabbed his arm and abruptly pulled out his entire shoulder, splattering the window and part of the wall with blood. Finally assuming a different shape and releasing her claws, she cut open the torso like a scalpel. George rushed to the console and activated the emergency alarm. The airlock was blocked and poisonous gas began to be pumped into the chamber. Fred starts to choke – "George! Open it! No! Open it! Aah aah"
George sees him in agony, and the monster began to tear him apart with renewed vigor, until the glass of the camera was covered with blood and fragments of entrails – "Sorry, dude..."
A security squad bursts into the laboratory, armed with emitters and rifles with darts. Laura follows them in and looks at what is happening. She quickly looked around the room and assessed the situation. The guard – "Ma'am, the employee is still alive. We can stop her."
Laura waves her hand: "It's not worth it! I want to see her in action. Let this be a lesson. By the way, why isn't the gas working?"
George stood at the console and watched in despair as the creature moved away from the torn body and now stood in the center of the camera, looking at everyone present outside: "I can't know, ma'am. Obviously, she's already adjusted to it."
Laura – "Damn it. We will have to create a new formula. All our weapons are triggered only once..."
After a while, Sarah begins to change shape again, watching Robie bleed out. She looks at him without a trace of pity. Laura looks at her through the glass: "Great, the perfect predator. Look at this, George. I envy her one thing. She can always protect herself from jerks and perverts."
Sarah walks up to the window, looks at Laura and shrugs her shoulders: "It seems your mosquito spray is no longer effective. Is there something new for me?"
Upon hearing this, she turned to George, who was standing in front of the remote control with a scared look–"Turn off the gas."
Sarah lay back on the bed: "It's his fault. He touched me with his hands... Laura... I need a new robe...
Laura nodded, putting her hands on her hips. - "I'll ask them to give you some clothes. Is there anything else?"
Sarah – "Take away the body of this poor worried man. I will not interfere."
Laura – "Okay. We will put you to sleep and take
him body."
Sarah snorts in displeasure - "Laura, you know I'm not running away."
Laura walked away and sat down on a chair–"There have been two escape attempts in the last weeks. Sorry... Why didn't you run to the exit? I'm sure you know the plan of the complex by heart."
Sarah turned a little: "You know the answer... I need my mom."
Laura – "Eve... By the way, she asked me to say hi to you and tell you that she loves you."
After getting up, she ordered the guards to observe quarantine for the next 48 hours and was about to leave when Sarah's voice stopped her: "Laura! Wait a minute! Did you do what I asked?"
Laura– "We were looking for him, but we didn't find him. There is no child named Nigel among the refugees. There is no data available. Why do you care so much?"
Sarah– "You don't understand… I took care of him."
Laura stood for a short time, considering her words, and finally left the department. Now she needs to visit her other ward. Eva was also caught as a result of the operation, but much later. It turns out that she managed to track down the convoy and get to the laboratory in New Mexico. It is not known how she managed to make her way across the country unnoticed, but she herself was trapped. Eva tried to pretend to be a security guard and got inside to find her daughter. But the cameras caught her, and the massacre began. It all looked like Los Angeles again, only on a larger scale. It was harder to take Eva alive. She resisted to the last, her body was more hardened in previous experiments, and she had no problem withstanding most of their arsenal. Then she almost managed to achieve her goal. She ran to the gate of the block where Sarah was being held. Dozens of operatives chased after her and stumbled upon her as she tried to cut through a meter-thick layer of steel with her claws, capable of withstanding even a nuclear explosion. They used everything they had to stun her and prevent her from escaping. Laura remembers seeing Eva in her true form as she lay on the floor covered in blood. Her entire body was covered in a black mesh of veins, and her skin was bubbling from a hellish mixture of chemicals. Many of them were new to her. The latest model of tranquilizers worked on her as well as on Sarah.
A couple of hours later, Laura is already in another unit where Eva is being held. She is sitting in her cell and meditating. She's more guarded than Sarah. There are a lot of guards around, dozens of men with UFG-557, as well as with Tesla guns. The latest development that emits charges of electric current at a distance similar to lightning.
Laura habitually sat down on a chair in front of one of the camera windows and prepared to record all her testimony. - "Hello, Eva. How are you?"
Eve sighed like an animal, tasting the air around her. Her eyes remained closed–"A lot of men... You used to be decent."
Laura – "I don't like it either. But Borgess's order is the law. I warned him."
Opening her eyes, she looked at her old enemy with annoyance–"How is my daughter?"
Laura lowered her eyes, unable to hold her gaze–"It's okay."
"Do you have any more tests for me?"- She closed her eyes again and continued her meditation
Laura gathered her thoughts before the next question–"I wanted to ask you about the other two hybrids. They managed to escape. Who is this?"
Eva chuckled, "Let's just say Laura... ghosts of the past."
Laura – "Eve, let's not do this okay?"
Eva – "That's all I know... Are you going to torture me?"
Laura – "I'm not. Borgess conveyed to me his wishes for a new cleaner hybrid. He is interested in conducting a series of experiments on her."
Eva twitched and looked at Laura again–"If you touch my daughter. When I get out of here... I'm going to kill you. And everyone in this complex"
Laura – "I'm sorry... Not everything depends on me."
Getting to her feet, she went to the glass, the guards became noticeably nervous and began to surround the camera from all sides pointing weapons – "Huh, there was only one normal person among you. Who tried to change something at least. I hope he's safe now.
Laura thought, "Arthur Lloyd? How do you know him?"
Eve grinned–"A whisper suggested..."
Laura–"What? In fact, he's caused us enough trouble. Did you know that he was passing data to the Russians? Do you have any idea what this means?"
Eva – "I hope they will treat us more humanely..."
Laura – "You don't understand. This is a threat to the whole world."
Eve smiled maliciously, saying nothing more. Turning away, she sat in the lotus position and immersed herself in her memories. She almost did it... she almost succeeded. She ran across the country to catch up with them on the trail. She got in using her cunning. She broke through an army of guards and soldiers... she had to take the last step... the last step…
Bemidji - Minnesota
- "What the fuck is wrong with this car?" - Paul tried to start the engine a few more times, but it was useless. Dean looked around, looking for any signs of danger. They raced for miles without a break, stopping only on the side of rural roads or driving into some forest. Periodically, they bought food in small shops for cash or simply stole it. They abandoned their Hummer in the woods near the quarantine zone. According to the map now, they were somewhere in southern Minnesota.
Paul got out of the car and opened the hood, from under which puffs of smoke escaped. - The engine is down.
Angrily slamming it shut, he began to look around for any other car. Everything was empty. They are unlikely to be able to quickly find a new car in this town. Dean approached his friend: "Paul, we can take our things and walk, we will find transport on the way. Or we can stay here at a motel for the night."
Paul nodded in agreement, "Yes, that's right. You've noticed that we don't have any luck with cars. Why? This car looked like it was almost new. In the end, she didn't last 300 miles."
After walking a couple of blocks, they found an auto repair shop with the lights still on. A lone repairman was picking at the suspension of an old pickup truck. Dean took over the negotiations and they managed to bargain for a reasonable price. After examining their car, the man made a disappointing conclusion that an engine replacement would be needed and repairs would not be quick. After handing over the car to the foreman, they specified where the nearest motel was located.
Paul quickly threw a bag over his shoulder and set off on his way - "Damn. I'm already starting to regret that we agreed to the renovation. I just had to leave the car and steal a new one. It would be easier that way."
The town looked rather bland this late evening with poor lighting. It was probably one of thousands of similar cozy small towns. Dean noted this aptly – "Why are all these small towns so similar? How is this city in Minnesota different from the one in West Virginia?" His friend did not react to this in any way, continuing to walk silently next to him.
Heading towards the nearest motel, they heard a thud in a distant house, followed by a scream, and a middle-aged woman ran out of the house. A guy dressed as a local gangster jumped out after her and ran after her.
- "Stop baby! We're not done yet!"
A woman with a face distorted with fear ran down the street trying to find help - "I beg you not to touch me"
The man was catching up with her, rapidly approaching - "I'll leave you alone when your daughter returns the money!"
Two guys wearing hoods walked down the street trying not to attract attention. They saw how a woman, noticing them, ran towards them, waving her arms - "Help!"
Paul looked up and carefully assessed the situation, deciding whether to intervene. Dean cursed in frustration to himself and accelerated his step towards the woman. Running up to him, she grabbed his shoulder and hid behind his back, it was visible how the poor woman was shaking with fear - "I beg you, help! Please! Call the police" - her broken whisper made Dean stand up in front of the man and prepare for a fight.
A man dressed in an old dirty jacket and hat stopped in front of them and looked at the guys and shouted loudly - "Out of the way suckers! It's none of your business."
He took several confident steps towards the woman, but bumped into Dean's outstretched hand, which abruptly pushed him away from himself.
Dean - "Take it easy, buddy. You've heard that she's afraid of you."
Paul, like an animal, slowly walked around the man, assessing him with his inhuman gaze from under the hood. The woman, breathing heavily, hid behind the back of the second guy and looked fearfully over her shoulder.
The man turned around, looking at Paul, then his gaze returned to the woman. - "So it's the jerks. Do you know who I work for? If you don't want to be found in the nearest forest with a hole in your head, then give me that bitch and get out of here."
Coming close, Paul inhaled the smell coming from the man and his voice sounded rude - "You don't have long left, your body is already falling apart"
The man recoiled from him and snorted contemptuously, "What are you talking about? The idiot got out of here. This is the last warning."
Dean, hearing sobs behind his back, turned around and put his hand on the girl's shoulder - "Calm down, we'll figure this out. Do you know him?"
The woman, wiping her tears with a handkerchief, spoke hurriedly: "I do not know him. He caught me on the street and started dragging me into the house. He asks me for the money that my daughter owes them. But I don't know any of that."
Rushing towards her, enraged by her words, the man was stopped by the strong hand of the hybrid - "Shut up bitch! You know everything. Regina owes us a lot of money for the dope. We warned her that your family would be in trouble" - Turning around, he tried to throw off the hand holding him – "Get off me asshole"
Paul grabbed him by the jacket and lifted him off the ground, lifting him up - "Get out of here. And don't you dare touch that woman."
Swinging, he threw it into the street. From a strong blow, the man began to roll on the ground holding his hand. Dean took the woman - "Do you live far away? Don't worry, he won't touch you anymore."
Paul turned around and was preparing to leave when he heard a click behind him. Taking out a folding knife, the man could barely stand on his feet and was preparing to deal with his abusers - "Well, all the freaks! You're finished!"
He waved the knife in front of his face several times, but Paul deftly dodged the blows. Grabbing his hand, he punched him in the stomach. The man dropped the knife and doubled over, trying to breathe again. The second short blow with the edge of his palm broke the man's neck.
The woman screamed when she saw how the one who threatened her family went limp and fell to the asphalt, but immediately covered her mouth with her hands. Paul looked at her with his eyes, which reflected the light, giving out a bright, emerald-colored iris that flickered unnaturally.
Dean looked at her, "He's not dangerous anymore. Shall I escort you?". Paul took the man's body and dragged it to the dumpsters.
She agreed to their help and along the way they managed to get to know her better. The woman's name was Tamila, and her parents moved from Romania many years ago. Now she lives in this city with her daughter, who, judging by the stories, was a very difficult teenager. She was wondering where they came from in this city. Dean immediately made up a story that he and his friend were just two students who were riding around the country.
Tamil - "And how long will you stay here?"
Dean only shrugged in response: "Our car broke down and is currently under repair. So we have a couple of days."
Tamila thought for a long time about the next sentence - "Have you found a place to stay?"
Dean - "We were advised by a local motel."
The woman stopped and stared at them in surprise - "A terrible place... Can I give you one spare room for a couple of nights if you want?"
Paul stopped when he heard her say, "It's not worth it... We don't want to bother you." Dean, who had a different opinion, took his friend aside - "We don't really have much money for a motel. Let's agree?"
Paul - "She saw us and what we did. Where are the guarantees that she won't call the police to the house?"
Dean-"She doesn't look like that kind of person, Paul. We saved her. She wants to help us. It's all fair." In response, Paul looked uncertainly at the woman and then at her dilapidated house.
Tamila was glad that they accepted her offer and when they entered the house she immediately showed them the room. Simple, with cheap old furniture and two beds.
Tamil - "My sister and her husband used to live here, but they moved out a long time ago. The only problem is that the lights don't work here."
Paul went inside and dropped the bag on his bed. Taking off his hoodie, he began to settle into his new home. Seeing his friend's reaction, Dean smiled and realized that he was willing to accept help.
Dean - "Thank you... Truth... You helped us out a lot."
Tamil - "After what you've done, it's nothing. The kitchen is downstairs, if you need anything, I'll be there."
Dean locked the room and began to pack his things. After everything that happened, Paul has changed a lot. He hardly smiled, became more rigid and withdrawn. His whole old life was ruined and he was lost. He didn't want to leave his mother and would have stayed there if Carroll hadn't ordered him to leave. Everything went wrong that night. They took cover behind their Hummer and occupied the garage, firing back at the soldiers. Paul had covered him from bullets more than once. Sarah, who had taken the child first, returned and, like a hellish lawn mower, began combing through the ranks of the military. But their forces were too unequal. When she screamed, Dean jumped up and rushed forward in an attempt to get to her. Eva was on the other side and tried to help too. Dean heard her screams as the soldiers used some unknown weapon. They looked like flashes of lightning in the dark. They forced her to retreat. Carroll came to the rescue and pulled her out while Press covered them with fire.
He could hear her screams of pain. Her child was suffering and in pain. She wanted to protect and save him, but there was nothing she could do. Paul later said that Carroll and Eva even had a fight..
Paul also tried to break through to Sarah in his Jeep, but that didn't end either. They fired grenade launchers at him, he was seriously injured, and they and Press carried him out of the burning car in their arms. He almost burned to the ground then. Paul came to himself with difficulty. Carroll ordered them to get into one of the abandoned military trucks and get out of here. Paul tried to object, but Carroll made it clear as harshly as possible that she would not tolerate objections. They were forced to obey her. She and Press were left alone to cover their retreat. At that moment, he no longer saw Eva and did not know what had happened to her. Everything happened so fast that now it looks like painful flashes of memories that he dreams about at night. What happened to the others? Where are they? Maybe everyone has already died, and they are the only ones left alive. This was the most terrifying thought. In that case, they also had to die there and be with their loved ones in the next world.
Dean - "What do you think? Are they alive?"
Paul sighed heavily as he took out a few new items from his bag that he had stolen from a second-hand store. "I'm thinking... That my mom is alive... At least, I hope so."
Dean-"And Sarah... Eve... Press... Nigel?
Paul - "Look, dude, it's just as hard for me as it is for you. And I'd like to stay there too, but... She wanted us to survive. It was her will, my mother's will, and I did it."
Dean walked over and took him firmly by the shoulder, "I should have said this earlier. Thank you... For everything... you... A real man, a real friend."
Paul lowered his face, "In fact, you were the first person I could trust so much. Before that, I had only my mother and that was it. So thank you too... You're a great friend too."
Tears glistened in Paul's eyes. He recalled how his mother grabbed him and threw him into the back of a large car.
Carroll - "Dean! Get behind the wheel! Get out of here!"
Dean - "There's Sarah?"
Carroll grabbed him and shook him hard, "There's nothing we can do right now, we need to leave. We'll cover you!"
Paul climbed out of the truck, his leg armor still smoking and his burns heavily regenerated. With a clawed hand, he hugged his mother, "I'm not going anywhere! I will not leave you in this hell!"
Carroll grabbed his hands and squeezed them tightly-"This is my will! You're leaving! You are the most precious thing I have! I won't lose you a second time!"
They hugged for the last time when the explosion stunned them all.
Press - "They have Javelin! Leave quickly! We won't last long!"
Paul clung to her tighter, not wanting to let go - "Mom, I'm not leaving you!"
She took his hand-"I promise, I'll find you!"
Dean took a rifle and fired a long burst at the approaching group of soldiers. The press fired a grenade launcher, forcing them all to lie down on the ground and find cover. Carroll threw Paul back into the truck and looked at Dean sternly and said, "If you leave him, I'll come to you from hell! Now get out!"
Jumping behind the wheel, he turned the car around and drove them through the forest as far as possible. As it turned out, the quarantine was violated. They saw a destroyed checkpoint and a lot of torn soldiers. They couldn't hold back the half-breeds.
After going downstairs, they took their food and began to have dinner with Tamila, who told them nonstop about her life, her daughter, her ex-husband, her sister, and her parents. They found out everything they could about her. It turns out that a drug cartel ruled the city and the whole district was just planted with dope. Everyone bought, consumed and paid money. There was almost no work, and many people bought into the cartel to earn money. Her daughter Regina also came under this influence. She used and her mother caught her doing it more than once. But what's worse, according to those guys who caught her and dragged her into the house, her daughter owed a round sum. Tamila didn't have that kind of money, and she just didn't know what to do.
Paul – "Why is she using?"
Tamila put freshly cooked beans and meat on their plates – "After her father's death, she completely deteriorated. They were very close, and it was hard for her to come to terms with it. I was busy and couldn't give her any comfort. And she went to look for him on the street... It's all my fault."
Dean – "Have you tried to treat her? Rehab?"
Tamil – "3 times... Uselessly. These bastards even smuggle drugs into rehab."
Paul turned the fork over in his hands, remembering something - "Freaks. Dean... Do you remember Nigel's story?"
Dean – "Yes"
At that moment, the door opened and a young girl with short hair and bruises around her eyes entered the room. It was obvious that her condition was very serious and she could barely move. When she saw the guests, she just muttered something and went to her room.
Her mother, alarmed by her daughter's condition, got up and said irritably, "Didn't they teach you to say hello? We have guests! Show some respect!"
Regina turned around and gave her mother the middle finger–"Fuck off! Do you see that I feel bad..."- she looked at the guys –"Hi boys... did Todd send you? I don't have any money right now, so you can get out."
The woman flared up when she heard this and, coming closer to her daughter, shouted in her face: "I was almost killed today because of your problems! If it weren't for these kind people. I wouldn't be alive anymore," she pointed her finger in the direction where two guys were having dinner at the table. The girl waved her off – "I'll talk to Rafael, everything will be fine… I'm all asleep."
Tamila, looking very tired, clearly ashamed of the family drama that had played out in front of outsiders, sank into a chair – "I'm sorry ... she's out of control. She just doesn't care about anyone."
It was incredibly difficult to fall asleep in a new place. Sleep was not coming at all. My whole body was tense. It was the first time it was so hard and painful for him. His house, his family, everything was gone. He was alone now... For the first time, the most precious person was not there. His mom. He went to the window and looked at the stars. Dean slept on the other bed and had no problem falling asleep quickly. In this regard, Paul even envied him. Dean turned out to be a reliable friend and a person you can rely on in a difficult situation. And he was ready to swear that he would not let anyone hurt him and would not allow him to lose him.
Perhaps a walk before going to bed in the yard will help him cheer up and give him more peace. Going down and out into the yard, he saw how Tamila's daughter was sitting on a large tire from a tractor, which was lying next to her on a long-abandoned lawn and smoked for a long time, releasing lumps of smoke. He carefully walked over to the side and sat down next to her.
Paul - "Are you awake too?"
Regina - "I can't, there's a lot of shit in my head."
Paul feels the smell coming from her - "Why are you using?"
Regina - "Don't you give a fuck? None of your business, dude... In a word, it's a way to numb the pain."
Paul - "I can understand you... But aren't there other ways?"
Regina - "What do you understand at all? Do you think you've seen a lot? I know handsome guys like you. You study at a prestigious college, have rich parents, are popular, you can take your friend and travel. What the fuck do you know about pain and hardship, man?"
Paul- "What makes you think that? I don't have rich parents. My mother is far away now and I don't even know... Is she alive? Dean is my only friend. And our friendship is all we have... And trust me, we've been through such shit recently that I don't think I'm going to get over it any time soon."
Regina - "What a cute story... Okay, I have to go to bed. Goodbye Amigo"
Paul stopped her - "Listen to me, please... I know I'm nothing to you. But please listen. When I had a family, a child lived in our house. His mother died of drugs in front of his eyes. And what he told us is the most terrible thing I've ever heard. No child should see this. In the future, you will also become a mother. But if you continue to inject this stuff, then your children will hate you for it."
Regina - "I don't need children... And stop trying to be my teacher. I don't need any help..."
The next day…
New Mexico
Later that evening, the colonel summoned her to his office. This usually did not portend good news. It was the same this time. When he entered the office, he saw two men with him, one of them in military uniform, of medium height, dark-skinned with dark eyes, the other in civilian clothes.
Borgess invited her to sit with them–"Miss Baker. You are already familiar with Agent Vasakh, but you will have to work closely with Major Dominic Rodriguez."
Laura – "Good afternoon gentlemen."
The major stood up and shook her hand, "I've heard a lot about you... I hope you and I will have a fruitful cooperation."
Borgess began to walk around the office–"I hope so too. So, we have two samples. Their names are "Eva" and "Sarah". But I don't like these names. We need to come up with something else... Something menacing and harsh. I suggest "Vixen" and "Hecate". What do you think?"
Laura tried to imagine what he was up to-"Do you want to take their names away from them?"
Vasakh looked at her with a shadow of contempt and malice in his eyes – "I like the colonel's proposal. It's time to stop this game of humanity. We are dealing with man-made monsters. Let's drop all this damn morality."
Borgess–"Miss Baker. I know that you have always been attached to these "creatures". But the rules of the game are changing. We suffered more losses in the attempt to capture them. And luck was finally on our side."
Laura moved forward, "With all due respect, sir. It's not about humanity and morality. We need to do more different tests and surveys. We need to learn more about their psychology, condition, and lifestyle in their natural environment. You can't underestimate them and treat them like..."
Borgess fumed– "That's enough! I've said it all! Your game of imitating human life and creating comfortable conditions has come to an end. From this day on, Major Rodriguez will be appointed your immediate supervisor. He will monitor the conduct of all experiments and you will coordinate all your decisions with him. This is an order!"
Laura jumped up–"You're crazy, Colonel! What are you doing?! You think you can control them so easily! I'm not playing the love of monsters, I'm just doing my best to reduce the number of escape attempts and keep the staff safe."
Rodriguez restrained her by getting up from his chair, "Laura, I think you need to rest. Otherwise, with this attitude, you will soon join Mr. Lenox. I feel sorry for him. A great mercenary, but he chose the wrong side."
Laura – "What are you talking about?"
Vasakh cynically raised the corners of his lips–"Don't you know? Didn't your alien girlfriend tell you? Press Lenox resisted our operatives and escaped from the quarantine zone along with one of the unknown hybrids."
Borgess – "Speaking of them? What information did Eva give you?"
Laura spread her hands, "Did the abs escape? Is he alive? Damn. I don't know anything. Eva refuses to answer all the questions. She only claims that she felt good in this house and found a family..."
Rodriguez turned to the colonel, "That's the problem. You're letting these monsters manipulate you. They've found your weak points and are playing you like a puppet on strings."
Borgess sat down in his chair and leaned back, raising his hand and pointing his finger at her–"I agree with the major. You've become too attached to them. Do you remember what it led to last time? I won't let it happen again. We will deal closely with the issues of obedience and security."
Laura lost all patience–"Borgess! You're making a big mistake! If you start experimenting ahead of time, we will lose all possibility of contact with them. And then you won't get a word from them."
Borgess–"Miss Baker! Follow the chain of command! You are talking to the project manager! I have special powers, remember that. And I want to remind you that your position may change at any moment..."
Laura glared at them angrily and left the office slamming the door–"Stupid fat ugly smelly piece of one-eyed shit."
When she left, the major also left the office and the two of them, Burgess and Vasakh discussed the latest news.
Borgess took out a bottle of cognac and poured them each a glass – "To tell the truth, I don't like this Laura. So I asked Dominic to keep an eye on her. If she tries to help these creatures, I'll put her in a cage myself."
Vasakh drank his glass and took his phone out of his pocket – "There's something else..."
Borgess – "I'm listening..."
Vasakh – "Information has been received from our agent in Atlanta. He works for the police department. There was an incident yesterday. It seems that we are on the trail of this child, I'm sure he knows a lot about these hybrids."
The evening rounds were over. The worst times were coming for them, and they all knew it. Laura was no longer in charge. Now she was only following the orders of a tanned, dark-eyed major, who swaggered around all the blocks, including those where Eva and Sarah were being held. He didn't say anything, but it was obvious that he was looking in their direction with sincere hatred and contempt. Sarah's cell was almost empty. She was left with only a bed and simple lab clothes made of coarse cloth. They put her to sleep with a new composition of gas each time in order to safely enter the chamber. Each time she hoped to wake up a little earlier and get out of here... but they calculated the dose well.
Laura went to the console and tried not to look in her direction. She was terribly ashamed. Burgess brought her down from heaven to the bottom. Now she felt insulted.
Sarah – "Have the rules of the game changed?"
After hesitating with the answer, Laura came closer to the glass – "... I have no rights here now. But know that they are preparing something against you... something powerful to make you talk." – after looking around and making sure that no one was here except the on-duty laboratory assistant, she turned around with a short nod and walked away.
When the lights were dimmed a little, it meant that night had begun. All that remained was a laboratory assistant and a couple of soldiers behind a steel partition, who were laughing loudly about something.
George was on duty on the evening shift, watching the readings of the instruments. Sarah was sitting inside her cell on the bed, her face buried in her lap. Suddenly, new neural activity sensors beeped. George checked the sensor readings. There was a sharp spike in activity, which almost immediately subsided.
Sarah, hearing the signal, raised her face looking directly at him. "Did something happen?"
George hesitated for a second before answering, "It's okay... A new sensor just went off. Neural activity."
Sarah smiled, "What does that mean?"
George – "Your brain is working at full capacity..."
Sarah tapped her temple smiling, "That's right. You broke the rules, man. The colonel seems to have forbidden you to communicate with me."
She saw a mixture of fear and amusement on his face. George had seen everything she had done to his partner and he had every reason to fear for his life. Moreover, he is essentially holding her captive. "Was he your friend? I heard you trying to stop him."
George swallowed nervously and adjusted his uniform, "Fred is a jerk. He was like that in college."
Sarah folded her arms across her chest–"I'm sorry..."
George took his place at the console– "He behaved...Like a real pervert."
Sarah – "Have you been working here long?"
George – "The first year. I was invited to the project after college."
Sarah – "Is the pay good?"
George – "Enough to live on ... I need a recommendation from Baker more. Then they'll take me to some decent institute, and I'll get out of this branch of hell."
Sarah – "You know... I think you're a good guy who just got into shit."
George – "I don't even know what to tell you. Thanks, I guess."
Sarah– "When I get out of here... I'll let you live."
George's face is covered in cold sweat. He was thinking about what he wanted to ask her. Coming closer, he cautiously asked her, "May I ask you a question?
Is it true that you know Dean Ashland?"
Sarah gets up and walks up to the wall with a serious face–"Do you know him?"
George – "Yes... We studied with him. Then I left, and we didn't see each other. How is he?"
Sarah lowered her face and walked away, "I hope he's okay. When they grabbed me, they tried to pull me out... Dean was injured again. And then I blacked out, I don't know what happened next. Did you hear something?"
George comes close–"According to Laura and that colonel, a lot of half-breeds escaped from quarantine, and there was also one car. An army jeep. They broke through with a fight and left at high speed. They're looking for them now."
Sarah– "Maybe it was them. Have you heard something about a child? Boy Nigel, 11 years old. Brown hair, brown eyes. Did they talk about him?"
George thought about it and waved his head – "No... Sorry... But they say they also saw a woman with short black hair. She ran off with some man... The soldiers saw them running away in the forest."
Sarah – "Carroll and the Press. So there is hope... Thank you... I give you some advice... When it all starts, run after me. I'll get you out alive."
George quickly returned to his seat, as the security rounds were about to begin–"Why do you need me?"
Sarah – "I don't fucking need you. But they won't spare you."
The hermetic lock opened and a group of well-armed soldiers entered the room.
Novosibirsk - Russia
- "Arthur!"
- "Eve!"
He rushed to meet her and hugged her – "Is this a dream? Where are you from here?"
Dressed in an old dress with traces of blood, she looked into his eyes – "Arthur, time is short. Listen to me, please save my daughter!"
Now they were in the very laboratory where he had first met her–"Eva! Where are you? I'm coming for you!"
She lowered her eyes, as if trying to remember something. "I don't know! It's in the south! The desert! They came again, Laura and her people. They took my daughter. I tried to stop them, but I was trapped too."
Arthur hugged her closer to him–"Eva! I'll find you! We will be together, I promise!"
There was a knock somewhere in the distance, electric discharges lit up everything around, she moved away, and her body began to glow from the inside, lightning seemed to shine through her, the dress disappeared, and the flesh under it became stiff and began to slowly change.
Arthur found himself next to her inside a giant cocoon that pulsed and shone. - Eva! Eva!
She opened her eyes, already completely changed, and he felt a dull sharp pain in his temples. He had seen her like this a couple of times and knew what she was capable of. - "Eve! It's me, Arthur! Eve!"
- "Arthur! Follow me! Arthur!" She called out to him, her voice echoing in his brain, making it expand and literally boil, causing terrible pain.
- "Arthur!... Arthur!... Wake up!" She screamed at him in a rough male voice. Everything shook, and the cocoon began to disintegrate. Eve began to melt before his eyes. It was like melting plasticine or wax that was trickling down.
- "Eve! What's wrong with you?!" He held her chitinous hands in his hands, and they melted from the warmth of his palms, flowing through his fingers like sand.
- "Arthur! Here's Sonya! Wake up, we're already there!" - Nikolai's face, stern but with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, bent over him. He handed him a metal mug of vodka. Coughing from the sharp taste of alcohol, feeling that his throat was just tearing apart, he slowly sat down and stretched on the bench. Looking out the porthole, he saw places he had never seen before. Russia. Hell, he'd read about this country several times in books. 1/6 of the land, great rivers and lakes, their language is one of the richest complex. Great people, great country.
"Where are we?" he looked at Nikolai
- "Novosibirsk. Let's start from here." – Nikolai stepped onto the airfield strip.
The last few days have been crazy. After spending almost 3 weeks in Oregon, they got noticeably bored. Arthur was trying to find at least something on the remaining disks from the laboratory, Nikolai was talking nonstop with his Russian, British and American friends on encrypted phones, trying to find out at least something about Eva and other hybrids.
Luck smiled on them by accident, as it always happens. Nikolai received a late-night call from his old comrade in arms. He reported some rather unexpected news. A strange case in the Russian countryside. Someone brutally slaughtered an entire criminal enclave that controlled the extraction of timber in the area. They kept the villagers in fear, forcing them to pay tribute and work for them for free. Plus, there were problems with corrupt authorities and the police. Now, of course, this problem has been solved, there was a high-profile case and many high-ranking officials and the police leadership were imprisoned. But the culprit who caused the massacre is now being sought.
They were already expected at the airfield. Three UAZ Patriot army SUVs. Next to them was a group of armed soldiers without insignia. They were all wearing Snow winter camouflage, bulletproof vests, and all had AK-105 Kalashnikov assault rifles. The eldest of them came forward to meet Nikolai. They greeted each other warmly with a smile. Arthur also did not understand Russian well.
- «С прибытием! На Брайтон-бич хорошая погода» ("Welcome back! The weather is good on Brighton Beach")
- «На Дерибасовской опять идут дожди» ("It's raining again on Deribasovskaya Street")
- «Привет Коля!» ("Hello Kolya!")
-«Здорово Дима. Как вы тут?» (Hello, Dima. How are you doing here?)
- «Да, нормально. Живём, не тужим.» (Yes, it's fine. We live, we don't grieve.)
- «Знакомься. Это Артур мой друг! Он поможет нам в этом деле.» (Meet me. This is Arthur, my friend! He will help us in this matter.)
The man, whose name was Dmitry, shook his hand tightly, his face looked stern, but there was a smile in his eyes. - "Welcome back! Welcome to Russia, Mr. Arthur" - the man spoke English surprisingly well.
- "Thank you. You can just say Arthur. You speak excellent English. But you have an American accent."
The man laughed - "I often had to go there, let's say, I was on vacation with a tour group." One of his partners joked – "Yeah, but the tourism was wild and the guides with machine guns." Dmitry shushed him – "Well, shhh, no one has canceled the criminal article for disclosing state secrets yet."
Nikolai felt at ease at that time. He had already changed his clothes to a local one, warmer and more comfortable, suitable for this Siberian climate. Approaching Arthur, he handed him new trousers, a jacket and a pair of shoes – "Change your clothes. Let's go to the apartment now, they'll bring us up to date. And at the same time, we will be fed and given a rest. Don't be afraid, they are all honest and good people. Although they may seem harsh to you. It's just that a Russian doesn't smile just like that, because it's customary for politeness. If we smile, it's really sincere and from the bottom of our hearts."
So, I'm back in the ranks! As you can see, our team is seriously divided. Eva and Sarah are in thrall to Laura, who is no longer so cool and in charge of this place. Major Rodriguez will cause them a lot of trouble. Dean and Paul will have fun in Minnesota for now. Nikolai and Arthur go to Russia to investigate an interesting case. Who can they meet in the end?
Of course you're wondering, "what happened to Nigel? Where are Carroll and the Press?" Don't worry, in the next chapters you will see their stories and what they are doing now. They will be separated for a while, but then they will all meet again.