“It’s time to let it go, Pam,” I said. “It ain’t like you’re gonna produce a new vaccine from it.”
“I’m not destroying the virus sample,” Pam said. “We haven’t heard squat from any other CDC installations. That sample may be the last one.”
The sound of car engines was echoing through the streets outside, rattling the glass in the windows. Jimmy gave me a nervous look. Pam’s men gave her the same. I had to raise my voice to be heard over the sound: “Then why have you been keeping it hidden away all these years? You drew the Hunters in here, Pam.” I pointed at the one called Eric, who was watching the windows uneasily. “I saw the way your man’s team has been drawin’ ’em into this gauntlet. You mean to kill the Hunters once and for all. And if you can’t, you have the sample as ransom for the lives of your people.”
“Is that true, Pam?” asked the fella called Eric.
There was a loud plink! thok! as a bullet shattered a window pane and smacked the opposite wall. Shouts came up from downstairs as Pam’s men returned fire.
“You said the ambush was fool-proof!” that was the one called Rory. “You told… you made me tell the men that we could take them.” Rory’s eyes glistened and his voice ached with anger. “But you never believed it did you? You were fine sending us out to die because you always had a – -” Another glass pane popped and blood bloomed across the front of Rory’s camouflage shirt.
We all hit the floor as glass and lead and wood splinters filled the air. I looked across the floor to where Pam was laying, hands protecting her face from shrapnel. I saw her eyes staring out from between her splayed fingers, watching the last of Rory’s life twitch out through his feet.
“You can’t barter away the virus, Pam!” Eric shouted. “You said we’d go down fighting! You said we’d be an example! The new civilization would live even if we die.” He stood now, despite our shouts, and moved to the side of the window. “You can’t give the Hunters the virus. Not now. Not after this.” He raised his rifle and fired a shot out the window. In response, the entire wall burst into flying debris.
“Eric!” I heard Pam shout. “Go! Take the code generator!”
Eric raised his head from the debris-covered floor. “Orders?” he asked.
“Take it to the vault control room. Initiate biosafety protocols. Bleach and burn the – -.” Whatever else she said after that was lost in the next deafening hail of bullets.
