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Slowly, too slowly, they backed toward the chamber they'd started in, the lizard-creatures following, care– ful not to step into view, screaming their terrible song. John kept thinking of Karen and Steve, led off to God knew where by the Umbrella doc, and wished desper– ately that the monsters would just charge. He felt the moments slipping by, moments that may have already cost Karen her only chance, moments in which Steve might be fighting for his life…
Come on, you stupid shits! We're right here, free lunch! Come on!
They'd tried yelling, tried firing and stamping their feet, but the creatures wouldn't take the bait. Once, David had tried to fake them out, the three of them slipping back around a corner and when the big lizards had skulked through the tu
Neither Rebecca nor David answered, since they'd already discussed it, talking over the creeping shrieks of the stalking monsters. They were waiting for the three of them to turn around. After what felt like an eternity of slow motion, of backing through the empty tu
Thank God, thank God, how long? Fifteen, twenty minutes? "When we get into the open, flank the tu
Rebecca shook her head, her young features pinched with worry. "You're a better shot than I am, and I can run faster. I should do it."
They had almost reached the chamber. John shot a glance at David, could see him struggling with the decision and finally he nodded, sighing.
"Right. Run as fast as you can, back for the stairs to the lighthouse. We'll pick them off as soon as they're too far along to turn around." Rebecca blew out sharply. "Got it. Just say when." John could feel the change in the air just behind him, the drafts that swirled around the underground chamber fluttering against the back of his neck. An– other step and they were surrounded by open space. John quickly side-stepped, standing between the tu
"Go!"
Rebecca spun and ran, sprinting away, and John tensed, Beretta held close to his face, listening for the rising shrieks, the pound of feet… "Now!" David shouted, and they both swung into the passage, firing. Crack-crack-crack-crack! The howling monsters were less than six meters away and the heavy rounds smashed into them, great, bloody holes exploding through their rubbery skin, bone and watery red splattering wildly. The shrieks died beneath the thundering bullets, neither of the reptilian things making it as far as the opening. Two strange bodies fell still, crumpling to the stone floor in ragged heaps. As soon as they stopped firing, Rebecca came jogging back into the chamber, her cheeks flushed, her eyes flashing with urgency. "Let's go," David said, and then the three of them were ru
Karen, be okay. Please, don't let anything have happened to her, Lopez…
The tu
My car, my house, my money, I won't screw anyone else till I get married, I'll clean up my act and walk the straight and narrow…
It wasn't enough, and he didn't know why anyone would want it, but he'd sacrifice anything, do what– ever it took. The passage swerved again, still sliding down and they tore around the corner……and there was a wide open set of doors, a tiny passage between the outer and i
SIXTEEN
Oh, no… Rebecca felt a welling rush of sadness inside as she stared after Steve, John and David both grim and silent beside her. The blank shock on Steve's face before he'd turned away told them what must have happened.
Poor Karen. And Steve, what must it have been like…
They'd found the lab too late. She glanced down at the key card slot next to the door as she stepped into the double seal, feeling a horrible sense of futility at the pointlessness of it all. They'd come to find infor– mation, only to find tests, only for Karen to get infected and then to turn against Steve even as they'd reached the one chance they might have had to cure her…
… but Ki
She stepped through the second door, frowning. The laboratory was huge, counters lined with equip– ment, desks piled incredibly high with stacks of paper, but it was the open hatch across from them that first commanded her attention, her gaze immedi– ately drawn to the thick sheet of plexi or reinforced glass set into the thick door. It was an airlock, the i
Steve must have moved a body -
–so much! God, not Karen's…
Steve had walked to the airlock and turned, seemed to be waiting for them to cross the room. Rebecca started toward him, her throat tight with sympathy and swelling tears. John and David were right behind her, quiet, looking around the vast room -
– when behind them, the door back into the pas– sage slammed shut. They spun around, saw Ki
"Drop your weapons."
The low, quiet voice was Steve's. Rebecca turned again, confused and saw Steve pointing his Beretta at them, his face as blank as Ki
Oh, my God, what's going on…
David stepped toward him, holding his Beretta loosely, confusion and disbelief in his voice. "Steve, what are you doing? What's happened?"
"Drop your weapons," Steve said again. His voice had no emotion at all.
"What did you do to him?!"
John screamed, turned and fired at Ki