| July 18, 2006 |
The sirens clamored raucously. The sound reverberated through the valley and up the mountains where the small facility was located. It disturbed the peaceful night. Alarming the animals surrounding.
The staff stirred in a panic inside the building. Captains ordered their small squads. Small forces gathering and splitting up. Searching. They searched and searched desperately. Captain Brady made his way to the front gates with his men as the teams continued to search.
"Private Miller, do you copy?!" he screamed into his radio. "Subject one has escaped. Have you secured the perimeter yet?!"
There was still no answer for the millionth time.
"Private, do you copy?!"
The group continued to the gates. Weapons in hand, and gear on.
"Answer me goddammit!"
His heart pounded furiously in his chest. This wouldn't go over well for him with the military. This bitch is going to screw it all up for me. He thought to himself. He'd worked so hard for his promotion. But, tonight, it was not going to matter anymore.
He punched angrily at the button that opened the front doors to the lab. They opened automatically, sliding away to reveal the dark night beyond them. The gate was only fifty meters from the lab. Normally, it was shut, and heavily guarded on both sides. But, now, it stood wide open. And not a soul surrounded it. An ominous red mist blanketed the ground before them. They did not need to worry of it. It was harmless.
They all stood at the door peering out to the lonely scene before them.
"Captain Hesse's squad. Meet me out at the front gate. We may need backup," he spoke into his radio.
"Roger that, Brady."
Silently, Brady's team made their way to the front gate. They crept up slowly, weapons ready and their night vision ready as well.
As they continued to approach the perimeter, the figures were almost upon them. They were crumpled on the ground, disfigured and unmoving.
"Night vision on," Brady commanded.
They all switched to night vision and almost instantly, the Captain's hand went up to stop them. He looked down, his night vision picking up the figures on the ground. His heart beat picked up again. They all became rigid.
"Chandler."
"Yes, sir."
"Go check that out."
"Of course, sir."
The soldier moved forward stealthily. His body trembled beneath his uniform. Something like this never happened. The lab never failed like this. He never wanted to see anything like this. He stood in front of the figure now. Taking a deep breath, he looked down. It was still a bit unclear to him. He knelt and reached down, extending his arm to touch it. He pushed it over carefully.
He fell back onto the ground in shock and disgust. His stomach turned at the sight.
The figure was a body. Private Wilson. His body was missing and arm. Blood soaked his uniform. His eyes still wide open, though he'd been dead for almost an hour now. His lower jaw was missing. Torn from his face from the very beast that escaped the facility.
The Captain rushed over. "On your feet!" he growled before looking to the body himself.
A sense of disappointment and anger washed over him. The sight leaving him sick as well. He looked away, back to his squad. "We need to keep moving. She could be close and she's dangerous. Here's your example. So be cautious."
The team continued on their way. Some glancing down nervously at the body of their former comrade. Some, ignoring the bloody scene all together.
The sound of barking from behind spooked them all. They turned to see Captain Hesse's squad with a bunch of search dogs. The other team rushed up to them.
"Report."
"She got through the gates. Killed every one of the men out here."
He shook his head. "This is why the damn government shouldn't be poking at things they don't understand." He turned. "Alright! Let the dogs go! We're hunting tonight, boys!"
They all prepared for a run. Kneeling down, they placed their hands hesitantly on their collars and unclipped them.
"Go!" The Captain screamed and the dogs took off. The soldiers followed behind them, using their trackers to keep location of them. The dogs disappeared into the woods, sprinting up the side of the mountain.
The soldiers followed quickly behind. Watching carefully for the girl.
Genevieve walked languidly now. Tired and out of breath. She'd never had to run so much in her entire life. Not only was she exhausted and in desperate need of a drink, she was hurt as well. She limped along with a bullet hole clean through her right calf. It was painful. But she was used to pain. The sound of water teased her ears as she walked for what seemed like ages just to reach it. Now, coming to the water's edge, she dropped to her knees beside it and sipped up handfuls of it in her hands. She was relieved to sit and relax now. Taking a few handfuls, she ran water over her leg. She hissed in pain.
Her whole life had been spent locked away in that facility. Fresh air was new to her. Trees, grass, rivers; they were all a new world for her. And she had just now had the brief moment to recognize it all.
She stepped into the water, dunking her entire body under. It was freezing. But it was so refreshing. She emerged again from the water. The excess, pouring and rolling off of her. She opened her eyes now, gazing up at the beautiful and peaceful night sky.
The sound of sinister growling stopped her heart. Her neck immediately snapped down to see a dog approaching into the clearing from the woods. And then another joined it. Instantly she began to sprint once again. Her fear gave her new energy. Gave her motivation. The dogs barked and chased after her. One charged her swiftly.
She continued along side the river, running for her life. Her pain was ignored now. It was the last of her worries. And it didn't slow her now.
She approached a cliff. Her heart pounding furiously, hoping she'd make it. She sprinted for the gap, almost reaching it when something clamped down on her leg.
"Ah!" she screamed and fell to the ground.
The dog clenched powerfully to her already injured calf, tugging her away from the cliff's edge. Out of anger, she reached for the dog. She grabbed him a threw him over the edge, sending him falling to the water below. The second dog came at her, ready to attack. She kicked out at it, sending it backwards. She managed to scramble to her feet as the dog came back and latched onto her arm. She groaned out before ripping the dogs jaw from her arm and snapping its neck. She went to run once again when a tranquilizer flew through the air and just skimmed her skin.
The squad was upon her now. The other dogs along with them. They all stood pointing guns at her and closing in slowly. Her heart drummed in her chest. Her body trembled in trepidation. She was almost free. She almost had it.
The thought of rejoining Doctor Lindler in the lab frightened her. It terrified her. She refused to accept it. Refused to accept defeat.
Her abilities began to go out of control. Her heart sped to a rhythm faster than the speed of sound. She felt she was going to burst. Red mist emerged from from the air around her. It poured into the air like it was the air itself. It began to cloud the surroundings around her making it hard for both sides to see one another.
"I will not go back," she confirmed to herself. "I won't do it. I won't do it!" she screamed at them. "Leave me alone!"
"We have orders to bring you back alive. Are we gonna do this the easy way, or the hard way?" Captain Hesse spoke to her.
Out of anger and rage, she screamed. "Ahhhh!"
Shots were fired and she crumpled to the ground.
All was silent for a while. The forest had gone back to its peaceful quietness. Its undisturbed state.
Genevieve lifted her head. The mist was thick now. She couldn't see beyond it. She could tell they were all still there. All bullets had missed her. Her body still shook. She didn't know if they were still coming for her. She stood up languidly, her heart still racing. She made her way slowly toward the side. Trying to escape, she rushed quietly along side the cliff. After a few feet, she tripped and fell forward. When she rolled over to see what she had fallen on, she realized it was a body. One of the soldiers. Her heart quickly stopped and she stood getting ready to defend herself, but then she realized they weren't moving. Nor were they going to.
She looked out as the mist began to clear and saw that all of the soldiers were crumpled to the ground. She knelt down and felt the soldier for a pulse. He was still living. Still breathing. But he was asleep.
There was an abrupt cough. She looked up to see another soldier hiding behind a tree with his mouth covered. He coughed and tried to fan the mist away as he slowly lulled to sleep. The realization hit her that the mist put them all to sleep.
For the first time ever, they were all vulnerable to her. She stared at the scene before her. Absorbing it. Taking in the mere fact that she was finally free. But, not for long if they woke up.
Her body became calm as she realized what she had to do. What she was going to do. She leaned down and reached for the soldier's gun. She had her hand over it. Looking at it as she pondered her actions. It was the only way. And she knew it.
She grabbed the gun with a quivering hand and pointed it at the soldier still awake.
"You will no longer stand in my way," she whispered.
The soldier looked to her just before the last moment. And then she pulled the trigger. The gunshot sounded through the mountains. Once again disturbing the peace of the forest. The sound was sinister and rang of death. The toll that continued until the last shot she fired. Her last victim, Captain Collin Brady.
She dropped the gun as it was now empty. She knew there would be more after her. But she would leave all the bodies she destroyed today as a warning to the others. Taking a few weapons and as many supplies as she could carry with her, she turned away from her past life and escaped into the forest.