Experiment TCA-276 (pt 7)


                Morgan allowed herself to cry over Rita for only a minute. She had to get to work if she didn’t want to end up just like her.

                First, she dug around the room for anything that could be a weapon. She didn’t find much. Only a steak knife and a set of crutches. Not sure why there were crutches in the break room in the first place, she took a few practice swings with one. They’d do a little damage, as long as her assailant wasn’t carrying a gun.

                Second, she found the emergency exit. Large filing boxes were stacked in front of it; it was no wonder she’d never realized it was here. Screams and gunshots sounded from out in the hall, lighting a fire under her to get the door cleared. She would wait as long as she could for Dale, but if she needed to make a run for it, she would.

                There was a thud as something ran into her barricaded door. Morgan jumped, grabbing the crutch. Another thud and the door rattled. A growl and a snarl made her break out in a cold sweat and grip her weapon tighter.

                More gunshots. But they were outside now. Was Dale here? Or had the zombies escaped?

                Louder growls and more nudges set Morgan into panic mode. Which way should she run? Was she safe either way?

                Before she had a chance to make up her mind, there was knock on the emergency exit door.

                “Morgan? You in there?”

                She swung the door open and fell into Dale’s arms.

                “Oh, thank god!”

                “Come on, we need to get away from the building. I started a fire.” Dale pulled on her arm and half dragged her across the parking lot after kicking the door closed behind her.

                “Why a fire?”

                “To kill the monsters. They can’t be let out of there.”

                “What about the men?”

                “They’re better off dead too. I doubt any will make it out of there. I took care of the ones out here. If anything comes out of that building, I’ll shoot it.”

                Dale helped Morgan climb into the bed of his truck and then took up a guard position to watch the morgue. The fire was taking over the whole building now, flames and smoke billowing up into the sky.

                “I started it in the loading bay to block their exit.”

                “I just don’t understand what’s happening…” Morgan was crying again. Now that she wasn’t trapped and alone, she didn’t feel the need to be strong.

                “Well, I managed a few answers out of one of the men I shot… It seems they found out about this, uh, side effect of some drug trials being done at the hospital in the city. They tracked the bodies here. They wanted to set them loose in big cities. He called it population control.”

                “You can’t be serious. Someone knew that was going to happen to the cadavers and they sent them to us anyway?”

                Dale shrugged. “That’s all he told me. Maybe the doctors didn’t know. Maybe only one person knew and leaked it.”

                Two shadows peeled away from the building and took off across the lot. Dale took aim and fired, but he missed. They disappeared into the trees.

                “Damn. The smoke’s making it hard to see.”

                “Were they zombies?”

                “No, they would have come at us after they heard the shots. Plus, they moved too fast. They must have found a way out without getting attacked by the monsters.”

                “Now what?”

                Flashing red lights were coming their way now. Someone must have gotten ahold of the fire department.

                “Now… we get you home. Come on.”