An Agent Named Nicolas Flint

Case Three part 1

"How are you not freezing?" I asked trying to keep moving forward.

He stopped to look over his shoulder to watch how I jogged on the spot trying to stay warm. Without a word he took off his scarf to wrap it under my chin. The gesture made me feel warmer than the garment.

"The cold doesn't bother me." He said and it looked true. His face wasn't even flushed.

"Ok then Elsa." I chuckled.

Nick turned his head slightly not understanding the reference. I waved it off so we could keep moving. The walk was under thirty minutes but it felt like hours. My socks were soaked through and I knew I was going to get sick from the walk. The scenery would have been beautiful if it wasn't for the weather. Under the snow was a building I didn't notice at first, as it blended into the mountain it was built into. Nick paused at a large steel door while trying to open it with a keypad next to it. I watched shivering while looking around for any other signs of life. When the codes Nick entered didn't work, he took out a black marker to write under the keypad. With practiced skill, he drew a circle then some odd symbols surrounding it. When he was finished, he pricked his finger to place a dot of blood in the center of the circle and symbols. With a click, the door started to open and his writing faded away.

Regardless of the danger that would be inside, I rushed into the building. Nick was right behind me as the door closed, shutting out the cold. Inside the building was dark, with red emergency lights flickering along the hallway. We stayed near the entrance so Nick could explain what was going on as I shook the chill from my bones.

"This is a research facility owned by The Hunters. They haven't told us much aside that some sort of infection was released. It appears to not spread by normal methods and whatever is the cause is possibly supernatural in origin. There were forty-eight people still left inside the building. If we come across anyone, we shall assume they're hostile. Do not let them get close."

I nodded along, listening as dread started to creep into my stomach. This was a step up from finding a lost girl or looking for a killer. This case was real secret government stuff. I let my hand touch where my handgun was holstered, but wasn't comforted by it as I had hoped.

"Don't you think this is a bit much for the two of us?" I asked sounding nervous.

The red hallway looked more menacing with this new information. This was way beyond my skill set. I didn't know anything about infections or disease. It was a comfort knowing I wasn't exposed to some mystery illness just being inside the building, and the lack of other information overshadowed any positives.

"We shall have another team arriving in an hour or so. There is another emergency going on so all the other agents are occupied. The Hunters trained to deal with this lab were inside at the time of the outbreak and are assumed dead. Right now, we are the only team available."

Because I'd warmed up, Nick started to walk down the hallway. Inside the building it was so hot that I needed to unzip my jacket to stop from sweating. He paused at a door, hand at his side ready to strike if something came at him. Carefully he opened the door to check inside the room. When nothing of interest was inside, he started to draw another circle, this time directly on the steel door.

"What's the doodling for?" I asked as I watched him.

"It's a basic spell to keep the door locked. We need to check every part of the building and lock up areas behind us to ensure nothing goes inside after we leave. I'm not overly talented when it comes to magic. All the power for the spell is stored inside the marker. If you were able to draw the circle and the writing then you could do this spell as well." Nick finished up his small circle to move on the next door in the long dimly-lit hallway.