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"I guess that’s fair" I opened the ashtray and dropped the keys inside If I didn’t , the others wouldn’t need to worry about trying to hotwire the van before they could escape "Check this out"
I opened the door and got out
We ht as welot Kelly took the lead for once, her white lab coat glowing like a banner in the diht Becks walked close behind, covering her She earing ca shoes, and an olive-drab jacket with Kevlar panels sewn into the lining She actually had her hair up, pulled back in a tight bun that would look lousy on caet in her eyes than her usual waves Mahir walked al keeping hi professor froht up the rear in my usual steel-reinforced jeans, cotton shirt, and tweed jacket Not exactly the sort of group that nor into the Memphis CDC before the sun is all the way up
The first door was locked with an actual, manual lock, the sort that requires a key to open "No blood test to get in?" asked Becks, incredulous
"Not at this stage," said Kelly, digging in her purse "If you’re going to amplify on the property, we’dlot and the labs That e can catch or kill you at our leisure, and you don’t eat the staff" She produced a key
"Practical," said Mahir
Kelly unlocked the door and we entered the CDC, Becks now taking point while I stayed at the rear Our effective noncombatants would walk between the two of us for as much of the trip as possible Our little forive us a chance to react before they both went down
Taking civilians into a fire zone, said George What would your ," IKelly
That first door led to a narrow hallhich opened after about ten feet into a wide concrete corridor that looked like it had been sliced fro bomb shelter Turbines huht; instead, huge fluorescents glowed steadily overhead, protected by grids of steelthe rest of us, even Becks, to hurry if anted to keep up
"What is this?" asked Mahir, looking warily around
"Isolation zone If we lock down, this area goes airtight, and the negative-pressure venting system kicks in It can be flooded with formalin from the central control center, orthe walls In case of an outbreak, the doors to theto herd the infected here, where they can be kept until we decide what to do with thes?" asked Becks
"We have to get our test subjects somewhere" The statement was matter-of-fact; this was, for Kelly, another part of what it n body release waivers e accept our employment offers As soon as you amplify, you become company property"