And now he was refusing the one thing that might save him completely.
Another boom rolled through the bunker, closer this time andSeverinreminded himself of what he had just toldRavik—there was no time to fight about this now.Theyhad to assess the situation and act quickly.
Cassandra flinched at the echoing boom.
“Okay,Ihate to interrupt the male stubbornness festival, but whatisthat?”
Severin turned his light toward the far end of the corridor.
“Either the outer access hatch is under stress or theInfectedhave found the intake shaft.Possiblyboth,” he said, forcing himself back into useful facts because useful facts were the only thing keeping him from losing control.
“TheInfectedhave found us?”Cassandra’svoice went tight.“How?We’reunderground.”
“The beacon pulses,”Severinsaid, already moving toward the lab.“I’vebeen sending emergency bursts toward the communications tower whenever we had enough power to spare.Thetower is damaged, but it can still amplify a signal—Isent an especially long one this morning, explaining everythingIknew about theHungerVirusand the fact that we may have a cure now.Theextra-long pulse may have drawn them, or the power surge may have burned through the external couplings.”
“You’re telling me the signal meant to save us may have led the zombies to our front door?”Cassandrademanded, following him withRavikclose behind her.
“I’m telling you the signal may have been the only reason anyone aboard theMotherShipmight know we’re still alive and where to find us,”Severinsaid.“Unfortunately, theInfectedare still attracted to heat, movement, sound, and certain electrical frequencies.Ihad hoped the outer shielding would hold.”
Ravik gave a humorless grunt behind them.
“Looks like you hoped wrong, buddy.”
Severin bit back a sharp reply.Itwouldn’t help the situation, he reminded himself.Itwould be satisfying, but it wouldn’t help.
When they reached the lab,Severin’slight swept over the equipment and the darkened monitors.Mostof the samples were sealed, thank theGoddess, but the refrigeration unit had switched to passive insulation and would not hold indefinitely without power.Theair was already beginning to feel heavier and warmer with the ventilation system dead overhead.
He used his light to scan the bunker’s control system on the far wall—several gauges were cracked and one of the electrical boxes was leaking a stream of dark, acrid smoke.Whenhe pulled it open, he saw that every wire inside had melted and fused together.Hisstomach tightened—there was no fixing or salvaging that.Thebunker was dead and they would be too if they didn’t get out quickly.
Cassandra hovered in the doorway, watching him with anxious eyes.
“How bad is it?”she asked, her voice quivering slightly.
“Bad enough that we can’t stay here,”Severinsaid.Hegrabbed the portable med-kit first, then the sealed case containing the altered honey sample, the anti-viral files, and the remaining compound data and shoved them all in an insulated pack.“Theair recyclers are offline, the outer seals may fail, and if theInfectedare at the hatch, they will eventually get in,” he added.
Ravik frowned.
“Then we fight our way out.”
“We’re not fighting unless there’s no other way,”Severinsnapped, shoving the pack strap over one shoulder.“Thereare too many of them, andCassandrais still infected.Forthat matter, so are you.Ifshe is bitten again or if your viral load spikes, we may lose both of you before we reach the surface.”
“My viral load is just fucking fine,”Ravikgrowled, which was precisely the kind of ignorant statement that madeSeverinwant to throw a sample tray at his best friend’s head.
“You have no idea if your viral load is fine,” he said, turning on theBeastKindred.“Youfeel fine because the cure is active in my system and my scent andCassandra’sscent are stabilizing you.Thatdoesnotmean you are cured and it doesnotmean you are safe.Itmeans we are standing on a very thin ledge above a very deep pit and you are stamping your boot on the edge because you don’t like the shape of the bridge!”
Ravik stared at him andCassandrastared too.
Severin heard how ragged his own breathing had become.Heforced himself to turn back to the equipment before either of them could see too much on his face.
“Sorry,” he said shortly.“Thatwasn’t helpful.”
“It was kind of poetic, though,”Cassandrasaid after a beat.Hervoice was shaky, but she was trying to make things lighter, andSeverinloved her a little for that in a way he absolutely could not let himself examine right now.
Ravik grunted.
“I understood about half of it.”
“Understand this,”Severinsaid, fastening the sample case shut.“Wehave to reach the communications tower.IfIcan send a full-power distress signal from there, theMotherShipmay be able to lock onto our location and fold space to send a shuttle.Ifwe stay here, we lose air, power, and eventually the doors.”
