Disease
Chapter 26: Friend

There is blood everywhere. Red stream flooded the entire room. Dead bodies scattered everywhere as the familiar metallic scent filled my nostrils. I whimpered remembering the exact same scene before. Suddenly someone grabbed my arms and I screamed only this time it was muffled. My eyes locked on white orbs with black veins covering it. I cried as I tried to breathe but I couldn’t. Slowly I almost lost consciousness until I heard someone call my name.

“Myla. Myla. It’s me Aspen. Myla.”

I blinked until slowly the image fades and all I can see is Aspen’s worried expression. He is holding my mouth, stopping me from making any noises concerned that the two men earlier might hear me.

When I finally calmed down he removed his hold on me. I looked around the place and noticed that papers are littered everywhere and some of the cabinets are in disarray. But there is not even a drop of blood that I thought I saw earlier. I held my chest finally feeling my heartbeat slowly getting back to normal.

“Are you okay?” he asked as I nodded.

“Yes.”

He looked unconvinced but just said, “Okay. Let’s go before they replace us.”

I followed Aspen as we sneaked away from the building. We passed by the offices that we saw earlier, carefully walked the halls making sure that no one was there and made our way to the delivery docking. There we noticed that everything was just the way it is when we left it. Even the steel door is closed making it seem like everything is suspicious.

“Where did they come in? It doesn’t seem like they used this route.” I asked Aspen as we hid at the back of stacked boxes.

“Maybe at the back door.” he replied.

“Do you think they saw our car? They did see the gate.”

“Not sure.”

“What were they doing here?”

“Whatever it is, they didn’t look like looters. They are tasked to do something I have a feeling it’s something related to what happened here and the people in my company.”

“Do you think they are dangerous?”

“I’m not sure. But we can’t trust anyone right now. We don’t know what is going on out here.”

I followed Aspen as he slowly crept outside. We quietly lifted the steel door, hearing it creak as it went up. We saw our car still parked in the driveway as if it wasn’t untouched. Aspen looked around making sure that no one would suddenly jump out of nowhere before gesturing for me to follow him. He opened my side of the door for me before rounding the car to go to his side. I felt safe now within the comforts of the familiar vehicle when suddenly we heard someone knocking the glass. My body turned cold when I saw a face of a man outside trying to peak inside the car. I held my breath without even knowing it.

The car is tinted, that’s why they couldn’t see us. Thankfully Aspen hadn’t turned on the engine so they didn’t know that someone was inside. They rounded the vehicle inspecting it before finally I heard them talking as I locked eyes once again with Aspen. It’s the same voice that I heard when we were stuck in the cabinet.

“Sweet ride.” one said.

“Why did you think they left it here?” the man who tried to take a peak from inside the car spoke.

“Don’t know. It looks fine though. Do you think they ran out of gas?”

“Maybe.”

“See if you can nick it. I want one of these myself when things haven’t blown up before. Some pretty little rich boy must’ve tried to get some medicine and ended up getting eaten by those sickos.”

“We already have a car, let’s leave it like that. No one will try to get that. We’ll just go back with some gas.”

The man groaned, “Fine. But I call dibs.”

“Yeah. Whatever.”

They left walking back to the back of the warehouse. It was only then that I noticed that they were carrying two metal briefcases each. I squinted my eyes trying to read the engravings in front but I couldn’t. All I see is the company logo.

“Do you see that?” I asked Aspen, who has been quiet this whole time, “What do you think that is?”

“Those casings.” Aspen finally spoke after a few moments of silence, “They are for highly classified chemical compounds. Only the research team has access to those things. Even I am not allowed to handle them.”

“What is it doing in a warehouse then?”

“We keep everything in the lab but sometimes we store it in warehouses in case of emergencies so that we still have access. Like insurance.”

“So, there are others like that in different branches.”

“Yes. We make sure to keep it separated so that for times like these we can still have some supplies.”

“First the Vitamin B3 now this? There is something fishy going on. And we didn’t even replace any clue on how to cure Theo.”

“Now we didn’t but at least we have something to start with.”

“What?”

“Vitamin B3. Let’s see if Theo can be cured using that.”

“So, should we go back inside and get some?”

“Let’s just wait for them to leave and we’ll return inside.”

Aspen and I stayed in the car for about half an hour before we both decided to head back inside to get some Vitamin B3. Thankfully there are still a few boxes full of it and we are able to carry three back to the car.

“Is that enough?” I asked, “Shouldn’t we get more?”

“We can always return if we run out of stock. Besides if we weren’t the only survivors left they might also need it. Let’s leave some for the others.”

“You’re right. We can’t just hoard everything. That would be selfish. Should we leave a note then? ”

" Note? ”

“Yeah. I mean the people in this area know that this is a place where they can loot some medicine but they didn’t know about our observations for the B3 Vitamins.”

“We can but if the two really return and they see it we’ll get in trouble. They’ll try to figure out who we are and why we know things. Based on their conversations earlier they don’t seem like really trustworthy people.”

“So, we’d just leave it like that?”

“Leave it like what?” said a voice making us freeze. Aspen and I locked eyes as I felt my whole body gone cold. I heard footsteps become louder as they got closer to us next thing I know the two men earlier are now in front of us.

“No wonder I found it suspicious that the car is clean.” said the man with dark hair and brown eyes. He looked at me with a smirk on his face as the other man rounded the two of us, observing us. Lucky for them we left our weapons to defend ourselves in the car busy with all of the carrying.

“Where did you two come from and what are you two doing with those boxes?”

I kept my mouth shut not knowing what to say as I glanced at Aspen who has a stoic expression on his face. If we ever slipped saying some things that we know we might get in trouble for this.

“Well did you two hear me?”

“We---”

“Our friend got sick.” Aspen replied, “We are forced to loot to get him medicine.”

“You two the ones that trashed the office?”

“We have to know where the supplies are.”

The man nodded looking amused and convinced at the same time, “What’s your friend’s sickness, why the Vitamin B3?”

Aspen opened his mouth to say something when the other man with the bald head cut him to it.

“Wait, you look familiar. Have I met you before?”

Aspen and I glance at each other. His eyes are enough to tell me what he wanted to say. I’ve only practiced little self defense

“Everybody says that about me.”

“No. I’m serious.”

“You!” replied the other, “You’re the missing CEO.”

“Shit! You’re right. Everyone was looking for you.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Does it matter why he’s here? We’ll bring him with us. Maybe we’ll get an award.”

“Who is looking for him?” I asked moving my gaze from Aspen with his knitted brow before focusing on the men in front of us again.

“His company obviously. They started this.”

“But what does Aspen have to do with that? It wasn’t his fault.”

“He is the CEO obviously. Besides what does it matter to you?”

“Aspen is my friend.”

The other man scoff, “Right, friend.”

“Where are my parents? Are they with them?” Aspen asked.

The two men looked at each other with a meaningful expression before the other smiled, “They’re with us in camp. You should join us.”

“There’s a camp for survivors?”

“Sort off. It’s more like a bunker.”

“A rich person’s bunker.” added the other.

“What does that supposed to mean?”

“Look young lady, we don’t have time to explain we have to go back better yet just come with us.”

“But how can we trust you?”

“You have our word. We work for the company and we won’t do something to hurt the CEO.”

Before I can even reply, Aspen beat me to it, “No thanks. I’ll rather be with my friends.”

Next thing I know Aspen punched the bald man as he fell to the ground before disarming the other. He took my wrist before running back inside the car. The other man tried to shoot at us as the bald man stopped him. I could hear him saying that he might hit Aspen, the one that would give them the award.

Aspen immediately stepped on the gas as we drove away from the warehouse leaving one of the boxes we should be carrying. I looked from behind us as Aspen continued to drive. Some of the sickos were already attracted to the sound of the car or more like… cars.