about it. At least if I had Michelle by my side out there , I wouldn’t be alone. And she’s much tougher than I am, both physically and mentally.
In the end, I nod and smile at her, trying to turn my nerves into adrenaline. I really need to be a little excited about this, rather than solely afraid, but somehow, that isn’t happening.
“Everyone.” Jamie’s commanding voice bursts into the room. “We need to have a meeting.” We all gather round, hushed by his serious expression. Clearly whatever he has to say is going to be bad; you could cut the tension in the room with a knife! When he speaks, though, the words he has to say are worse than I could have imagined. “Today we are to make a very important announcement on our national news segment. Because of all the people endangering themselves but not following the rules of the quarantine, there is going to be a nationwide crackdown. Anyone found on the streets after six p.m. tonight will be considered infected, and treated as such. They’ll be taken to the hospitals, or arrested if the situation requires it. Guns are going to be in action, so any real trouble causers will run the risk of being killed. Of course, this is necessary to prevent the virus from spreading further than it needs to.”
I feel hot and panicky as I consider the implications of this. Escape is definitely not an option now. What the hell are we going to do? I glance at Michelle and her face looks just as frightened and pissed off as I feel. While everyone else shoots off questions, my mind is working overtime, thinking about what Jamie has said and any possible solutions for us.
I glance around the room, seeing the reactions of others to this news. Their facial expressions vary massively. Eventually my eyes settle on Jake. It’s like looking at a stranger now. Everything that’s happened has pushed us so far apart; I don’t know if we’d ever be able to get it back. He must sense me looking at him, because after a couple of seconds, his head snaps up and our eyes connect. I can see him mouthing something to me, but I don’t pay any attention. Instead, I’m noticing his greying skin, the bags under his eyes, his sweaty forehead, and red, bloodshot eyes.
My previous suspicions were right, he’s ill. But he’s definitely not normal ill. He’s infected. He’s actually sat here in front of me, showing signs of the AM13 virus. I can’t believe I didn’t realise it before. A cold panic trickles through me. We’re locked inside with someone who is about to become one of those beasts.
Chapter
Seventeen
For a whole second, I’m totally frozen. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. Do I scream and panic? Secretly phone the emergency services? Calmly call a meeting and tell everyone else that Jake is about to turn into one of those things? I think he senses the pure fright in my eyes, because I see a range of emotions cross his face: fear, denial, anger, and then a strange kind of relief. He must want someone else to know what’s going on. It must be a huge burden to tolerate on your own. Maybe he wants to be outed so that he can finally be cured. Well, that’s what he thinks will happen. I know better. When they take him away, that’s the last we’ll ever see of him. He’ll be murdered in cold blood, but probably for his own good.
I stomp across the room, not caring who sees me, and pull him out into the hallway by his sleeve. My ears are buzzing with the knowledge of what Jake could potentially unleash on us all and I need to discuss it with him. Once I’m certain were alone, I start.
“How the hell could you? Knowing you’ve got that”—I mouth ‘AM13’ to him, still careful; I really don’t want this conversation to be overheard. The panic it’s going to cause will be extreme—“and you stay here endangering us all.” I’m getting more and more worked up. My breaths are started to become a little laboured and my
In the end, I nod and smile at her, trying to turn my nerves into adrenaline. I really need to be a little excited about this, rather than solely afraid, but somehow, that isn’t happening.
“Everyone.” Jamie’s commanding voice bursts into the room. “We need to have a meeting.” We all gather round, hushed by his serious expression. Clearly whatever he has to say is going to be bad; you could cut the tension in the room with a knife! When he speaks, though, the words he has to say are worse than I could have imagined. “Today we are to make a very important announcement on our national news segment. Because of all the people endangering themselves but not following the rules of the quarantine, there is going to be a nationwide crackdown. Anyone found on the streets after six p.m. tonight will be considered infected, and treated as such. They’ll be taken to the hospitals, or arrested if the situation requires it. Guns are going to be in action, so any real trouble causers will run the risk of being killed. Of course, this is necessary to prevent the virus from spreading further than it needs to.”
I feel hot and panicky as I consider the implications of this. Escape is definitely not an option now. What the hell are we going to do? I glance at Michelle and her face looks just as frightened and pissed off as I feel. While everyone else shoots off questions, my mind is working overtime, thinking about what Jamie has said and any possible solutions for us.
I glance around the room, seeing the reactions of others to this news. Their facial expressions vary massively. Eventually my eyes settle on Jake. It’s like looking at a stranger now. Everything that’s happened has pushed us so far apart; I don’t know if we’d ever be able to get it back. He must sense me looking at him, because after a couple of seconds, his head snaps up and our eyes connect. I can see him mouthing something to me, but I don’t pay any attention. Instead, I’m noticing his greying skin, the bags under his eyes, his sweaty forehead, and red, bloodshot eyes.
My previous suspicions were right, he’s ill. But he’s definitely not normal ill. He’s infected. He’s actually sat here in front of me, showing signs of the AM13 virus. I can’t believe I didn’t realise it before. A cold panic trickles through me. We’re locked inside with someone who is about to become one of those beasts.
Chapter
Seventeen
For a whole second, I’m totally frozen. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. Do I scream and panic? Secretly phone the emergency services? Calmly call a meeting and tell everyone else that Jake is about to turn into one of those things? I think he senses the pure fright in my eyes, because I see a range of emotions cross his face: fear, denial, anger, and then a strange kind of relief. He must want someone else to know what’s going on. It must be a huge burden to tolerate on your own. Maybe he wants to be outed so that he can finally be cured. Well, that’s what he thinks will happen. I know better. When they take him away, that’s the last we’ll ever see of him. He’ll be murdered in cold blood, but probably for his own good.
I stomp across the room, not caring who sees me, and pull him out into the hallway by his sleeve. My ears are buzzing with the knowledge of what Jake could potentially unleash on us all and I need to discuss it with him. Once I’m certain were alone, I start.
“How the hell could you? Knowing you’ve got that”—I mouth ‘AM13’ to him, still careful; I really don’t want this conversation to be overheard. The panic it’s going to cause will be extreme—“and you stay here endangering us all.” I’m getting more and more worked up. My breaths are started to become a little laboured and my
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