Virulence Immune

~ Chapter Thirty-Two ~

Shaking the horrible thoughts that rumbled through her mind like a coming storm, Perri rushed toward the end of the hallway where a set of stairs would take her out of the darkened corridor up to the light.

As her foot landed on the first step, she paused.

Footsteps and voices emanated from atop the stairs and were growing louder.

Perri quickly receded back down the hallway and ducked inside the closest door, nearly slipping when her shoe squeaked as she stepped in something gooey.

She held her breath as she shut the door. Her heart thundered in her chest.

Tightly keeping her grasp on the door handle, she hoped no one had heard her as she waited nervously for the voices to pass by. One of which, she recognized as Holloway's.

Four shadows passed, one by one, across the window above where she was crouched.

As soon as they were gone, Perri quickly and quietly reentered the corridor.

She rushed up the steps as swiftly as she could manage.

Atop the stairs was a bulky door that glided open when it sensed her approach.

Inside was a small room with yellow plastic curtaining the walls, floor and ceiling. There were little holes in the walls, and vents in the ceiling.

At the other side of the room was another bulky door, it had a little, glowing, red light above it.

When Perri entered the room and moved to the other end, the door behind her slid shut before an automated voice mumbled something she couldn't quite make out.

The red light drew her attention when it began to blink. It was soon followed by a low hissing sound that seemed to come from everywhere and had Perri's eyes darting around the small enclosed space.

The hissing suddenly became deafening, causing Perri to wince, before a white mist surged from the holes in the walls. It blasted her from every direction.

Perri shut her eyes and held her breath, scrunching up her face as she remained still and rigid.

The hissing ceased, along with the spraying of mist after only a few seconds. Perri opened her eyes one at a time. She could hear the air being sucked through the vents and the mist cleared almost instantly.

The red light stopped flashing and blinked to green.

That automated voice mumbled something once again, before the door in front of her glided open.

Perri couldn't get out of the room fast enough, which placed her in another corridor.

She looked back over her shoulder as the door returned to its locked position. Over the top of the door frame, below another light, read the words, 'DECONTAMINATION CHAMBER'.

Shaking her head, she continued onward. At the end of the short corridor was a turnstile. She pushed through and it took her into a small room with an unmanned reception desk to her right, and an open archway straight ahead.

When she got closer to the archway, she could hear distant voices.

A smile softened her face and a sigh shuddered out.

She knew those voices.

It was the survivors.

Once Perri entered the room through the archway, her smile only grew.

There they all were. Safe.

The room they were in was spacious. There were aisles upon aisles of double-bunk beds throughout the area and more than enough people to occupy them. She realized that there were more people in the room than just the soldiers and the survivors she travelled with.

At one side of the area there was even a small canteen with two soldiers manning it. Several people had queued along one of the walls and were waiting patiently. Just the sight of it made Perri's stomach grumble.

A sound came from behind Perri, startling her. She whirled to it.

At the end of the short corridor, the decontamination chamber was whirring, and the light above the door was blinking.

She knew immediately that Holloway and the others with him had gone to the room he'd confined her in, found that she was gone, and now... they were coming for her.

Perri turned back to the survivors and hurried forward into one of the aisles. Once inside the mass array of bunks, it was like a maze. The people loitering about didn't help to ease the confusion either.

Her spirit lifted when she spotted Gavin. Even with his back to her, she could see his face in her mind.

Skeet stood at Gavin's side. Another weight lifted.

As she neared them, she noticed another man with them, his hand rested on Skeet's shoulder.

"Gavin?" Perri said.

He spun at the sound of her voice and didn't hesitate to hug her. "Thank God, you're okay."

Gavin stepped back from her, though his hand remained on her back as he moved to her side. She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off.

"This is Norman." He gestured to the man beside Skeet.

The worry on Perri's face disappeared. Her brows drew together as her eyes flicked between Norman and Skeet.

The pair smiled at her and Skeet gave a knowing nod.

Norman extended a hand to Perri and she moved her hand to join his.

"Thank you for taking care of my boy." He said and tucked Skeet closer to his side. "I believe this is yours."

Their hands drew apart and Perri looked down, he'd given her back her map. She read the note that Skeet had written on it the day they'd left so his father would know if was from him.

'Dad. There are no endings, only beginnings. Come find me - Skeet'.

Perri's smile went all the way to her eyes. But, in an instant, that warm feeling went ice cold.

She remembered what she wanted to say before Gavin interrupted her.

They weren't safe there.