To Be A Survivor

Chapter 33: Toxic

"That also makes sense, and since it doesn't look like much from the outside, settlers don't usually bother coming here, so you won't have to worry about the township becoming too big. Smart."

"Janine, if Five has clearance to know this, why can't we just take the sealant down to the lab?"

Janine pulls at her fingers, almost seeming anxious. "The combination of chemicals that are leaking out aren't just toxic. They're extremely volatile and highly flammable. The slightest spark could set it off. Up here the fumes will dissipate until I can get the sealant around the canisters. Down there, we could lose the whole lab."

"So you want me and Five to go into a confining space with volatile, toxic gas?" Sarah grins devilishly. "Sounds like my kind of afternoon."

She frowns at her expression. "Don't take risks. It's very dangerous and you have to hurry. We may only have a few minutes left before the whole place blows."

My eyes widen, and before I can think twice about it, Sarah and I are both sprinting towards the armory, our feet hitting the ground in fast, repetitive beats that sound is not at all in sync. But we don't care about being in sync, not as we reach the armory. Thankfully the gates leading to it has already been opened, so we don't have to worry about stopping.

We reach the building, and when we go inside I'm greeted by the empty room that's bare and plain as can be. Oddly enough, the door that leads to the hallway and stairs is open as well. I send Sarah a raised brow, but she just shrugs, probably assuming Janine left it open for us.

But wouldn't Janine be worried about intruders coming in. I mean, it's unlikely, but this Janine we're talking about. Why would she just leave this open when she's nowhere near here because she's preparing the sealant?

We're already halfway down the metal stairs, so I guess I should just drop it. After all, I need to focus on saving Abel more than anything. Like Janine said, we may only have a few minutes until the whole town blows.

We reach the sub basement, and surely enough, the large door that is usually locked up tight is open as well, but the room itself isn't empty-not of guns, not of people.

"Showed up at last. Could've been a bit quicker." Jaime sighs in annoyance. "Follow me then."

He turns on his heel and starts heading towards the very back of the armory, while I just stay in my place, face contorted into a expression of confusion. "Um, Jaime's supposed to be here, right?"

"Yes," Janine replies through my headset. "I sent for Mr. Skeet because we need his expertise. As a fireman, he's been trained to deal with volatile substances, and I believe he can be trusted to be discreet. Archie certainly thought so."

I cringe. Did she really have to say that last sentence?

"Arch thought I was fit for it. She didn't care about discreet," Jaime snaps.

"Maybe not, but we know that you're... not eager to talk about anything with anyone. And I'm certain Archie would have wanted you to help us."

Jaime scoffs. "Yeah, she would've nagged and nagged and nagged. That girl could talk." A sliver of pain flashes across his face. "Guess now I don't have to imagine her nagging, and at least you lot sent a babysitter. Runner Three can talk too. Left him singing Abba with the kids."

I laugh lightly. "That's Simon for ya."

"Are you plugged into our head cams, Janine?" Sarah questions as we reach the entrance to the bio lab. A concrete slab with a metal door to the side. That's the best way to describe it. Not much detail, since really I don't think it's supposed to be seen. It's smart, since we don't want any enemies to get in there.