Kathy Reichs - Virals

Breathing deeply, I met their eyes. Which, frankly, were unconvinced.

“We won’t get caught.” My mind groped. What to say? Taking in the scene, I considered what we’d stumbled upon.

Intuition flashed.

Of course!

But how to convince them?

“Karsten is breaking the rules.” I spoke slowly, carefully ordering my thoughts. “Everyone thinks this building is shut down, right? But inside we find gorilla security and a hidden lab. Shady .”

As the words hit the air, I started to believe my own theory. Nothing else made sense. “And this secret experiment? Karsten is testing on freaking dogs . Dogs to be euthanized . Ever hear of trials like that on Loggerhead?”

Hi chewed his lower lip. Ben and Shelton looked, if not persuaded, at least like I’d created a crack.

“Karsten’s running something secret,” I pressed, convinced. “Off the grid. I doubt he’ll ever report Coop missing. Coop’s not supposed to be here in the first place.”

“Where would we take him?” Shelton asked. “If he’s got some doggy disease, we can’t release him on the island or he’ll infect the whole pack.”

I’d thought of that. “The bunker. No one knows about it. We can nurse Coop there.”

No response.

“We can at least give him a chance. Parvo isn’t always fatal.”

True, but without veterinary treatment the virus killed more times than not. I didn’t say that. Caring for Coop wouldn’t be easy, and there was no guarantee he’d pull through. Parvo had no known cure. I didn’t say that, either.

Still nothing.

“I’m going to try.” I crossed my arms and braced for opposition. “Will you help?”

Seconds passed. Five. Ten. Twenty.

“Okay.” Ben first. Unexpected.

“Fine,” said Shelton. “But I hope you’re right, Tory. I’m not cut out for prison.”

Hi muttered to himself. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” Then, glancing up, “All right, but if we get caught, I’m blaming the whole thing on you three. I’ll even make stuff up.”

Tears welled. Thankfully, I kept control. “You guys are the best. I mean it.”

“True,” said Shelton. “But it’s time to bounce.”

Raiding the shelves, I shoved medical supplies into an empty plastic bag. Then I opened a small refrigerator and appropriated bags of intravenous fluid. I noticed three vials of antibiotics and swiped those as well.

Last, I grabbed a small animal carrier and lined the bottom with a spare lab coat. Best I could do to make the crate more comfortable.

Satisfied, I approached Coop’s cell. The glass enclosure wasn’t locked. When I pulled the handle the door released with a soft hiss.

I unhooked the drip bags from the stand, making sure not to disturb the lines. Coop would need fluids; best not to remove the tubes from his leg.

Finally, I opened the cage. Odd smells seeped from within. I switched to breathing through my mouth, reminding myself that Coop couldn’t infect me.

As Ben lifted the dog, I arranged his collar and tubes. Together we placed him inside the carrier. Ben would be our pack-mule and carry Coop off the island.

Eyes closed, the puppy sprawled inside the crate, too tired to resist.

“Ready?” I asked.

“Ready.” All three.

Right then, the alarm sounded.

CHAPTER 14

An ear-splitting wail pulsed through the building. I slammed the cage door and froze, hoping against hope the sound would stop.

No such luck. Blasts screamed at three-second intervals.

“We’re screwed!” Hi sounded close to panic.

“Hold it together!” I snapped. “No one’s seen us yet. We just have to get out!”

The alarm shrieked on and on.

“Move!” hissed Ben. “Quick and quiet, back the way we came.”

Shelton streaked down the hallway. Ben followed, clutching Coop’s carrier to his chest. I could have kissed him. I raced close behind, lugging the supply bag.

Last out, Hi pulled the metal door shut.

The blaring ceased.

My head whipped around.

“The electro-lock triggered the alarm,” Hi said, chagrined. “We should’ve closed the door.”

Too late for that now.

Hurrying to the staircase, I risked a quick glance out the second floor window. Rain was still falling. Water ran down the glass in tiny rivers and stood puddled in the courtyard.

My heart froze in my chest.

The alarm had registered in the security booth. Three-hundred-pound Carl was lumbering our way, sky-blue uniform already drenched.

“Carl’s heading for the front steps!” I hissed.

“We’re screwed,” Hi repeated.

Ben took charge. “He’ll check the main lab downstairs first. We hide on the stairs, wait till he passes, then bolt out the back.” He looked at each of us in turn. “No noise. Got it?”

We did. And it worked. Carl waddled right by us, shedding water like a duck.

Out the back door, we skimmed the rear of the building. At the corner, I peeked around to check. The yard was empty.

Ben tied his jacket over Coop’s crate to shield him from the downpour. We exchanged glances, bracing for a suicide sprint.

“Now!” I commanded.

We charged.

I slogged through ankle deep puddles, nearly losing my balance more than once. Lightening bolts slashed the sky, cutting bright streaks across my vision. I heard someone go down with a splash.

Arriving at the Turtle Beach gate, I spun and waved the others through. Hi. Ben and his cargo. Shelton, covered in mud. The boys snaked into the woods.

With shaking hands I closed the gate and slammed home the lock.

A loud bang cut through the drumming of raindrops. A door?

Panicked, I dove for the nearest cover, a thin strip of holly just short of the tree line. Rolling to my belly, I looked back through the chain-linking.

Carl emerged from the building and scanned his surroundings. His gaze landed on the back gate. Standing in the deluge, he looked wretched but determined.

My camouflage wouldn’t survive close inspection. Movement would give me away. Only the driving rain had protected me this far.

As Carl stepped toward the fence, the clouds pulled out all stoppers. Rain fell in torrents.

Carl looked up, reconsidered. Shaking his head, he retreated toward the dryness of the inside world.

Miracle. Thanking various deities, I rose to a squat and crab-scuttled into the forest.

The ole bunker had never looked so good.

Commandeering the back room, I stripped and wrung out my sopping clothes. Fail. Soaked stayed soaked.

I rejoined the others in the main chamber and together we constructed a makeshift recovery ward for Coop. After, Ben sat on the bench, a bundle of beach towels before him. Coop lay inside, alternating between dozing and halfheartedly licking rain from his fur.

The ride back had been a horror. Rain and seawater drenched us as Sewee struggled over head-high breakers. Seasickness claimed more victims than Hi.

Huddled in the stern, I’d tried my best to keep Coop dry. Everyone had been nervous. When we finally slipped into the bunker’s cove, I’d whispered a quiet prayer of thanks. To whom, I wasn’t sure.

“What now?” Hi was ruffling Coop’s outrageously oversized ears. “I know squat about caring for a sick pup.”

“Re-hang his IV bags,” I instructed. “We’ll need to change them when they run out.” The pilfered supplies were lined up on our table. “Until then, we keep Coop warm and hydrated and try to get him to eat.”

And hope.

It was the best we could do.

Coop lay on his side, looking miserable. I hated keeping him in the bell collar but had no choice. Without it he’d rip out the IV tubes.