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"Because that’s not creepy" I scanned the walls "I don’t see any cameras" What I did see was a series of sniper slits in the walls, probably leading to a second airtight corridor where the gunmen could be locked until their job was done and their blood tests were clean This was a storage room It was also a kill chute, and we needed to remember that "Is there one of those nifty escape tunnels here, too?"

"Underground It lets out on the other side of the property" Kelly stopped at a door with a keypad and retinal scanner next to it She started hitting buttons, narrating her actions, probably to keep one of us froh her head "I’ technician security code, along with the security code for Dr Wynne’s lab, and telling it I have three guests with uish between entry points It’s a known hole, but we keep it open in case we need to bring people in the back way"

"To avoid thefor several more seconds before she pulled her hand away A panel opened in the wall, exposing four blood test units "We all need to test clean before we can proceed" She slapped her hand down on the first panel, starting her retinal scan at the saood , and we had plenty of questions Starting, at least forout of here?"

"Too late to back out now," muttered Becks, and initiated her own blood test Mahir and I shrugged and did the saht; too late now

The tests caiven that we’d only just arrived--and the door swung open, revealing a long white corridor that looked a lot more like what I expected fro the corners with shadows A sign on the nearest door read "All the co Mahir into the hall I was the last one through; the door closed behindwith a hydraulic hiss that re my arms and the back of my neck stood on end as I realized that ell and truly locked in now

"The lab is this way," said Kelly, turning to the left and starting to ith a confidence I’d never seen froround Only the best and brightest actually go from medical school into careers with the CDC; she ht to call these hallways hers

This has to be killing her, said George quietly

I nodded, not wanting to say anything out loud George and I grew up not trusting anything anyone said to us We always knew there were things people didn’t say when the ca For Kelly, the CDC’s betrayal had to feel like the end of the world I was incredibly sorry for her… and at the salad to know that she had to be hurting like hell The CDC was her life, and the CDC was part of the reason ive her for being naive enough to believe the things she’d been willing to believe for the sake of her career

At least she’d judged the janitorial schedules correctly We walked the length of one hall and then another before we reached Dr Wynne’s lab, and we didn’t see a single soul I didn’t see any ca for them Their security was incredibly well-concealed That was a little worrisoood in Portland, and in o invisible, thatthey really need to hide

"Here," whispered Kelly, stopping at an unlabeled door with a blood test panel next to it She started to raise her hand, and then hesitated, expression turning unsure "We’re going to have to go through one at a ti one at a time meant that either one of us walked in ahead of Kelly--which wouldblind into unfah alone, which could split the party permanently I didn’t want us on opposite sides of a door when the CDC shock troops swept in and gunned us all down

And I didn’t have a choice We’d followed Kelly’s research across the world, and we’d followed her directions into the guts of the Memphis CDC If we called it off now, a lot of people had died for nothing "Go ahead, Doc," I said She shot ht behind you Don’t worry We’re not going anywhere"

Kelly nodded and slapped her hand down on the panel A reen and she stepped through, vanishing

"I hope you knohat you’re doing," said Becks, stepping up to start her own test

"I never have before," I said "I figure, why start noouldn’t want to ruin a good thing"

The light went green before she uld say anything That was probably for the best She still glared as she stepped through the door, and flipped hed as he pressed his hand against the panel "I do wish you wouldn’t taunt her while we’re in the field"

"She wouldn’t knohat to do with me if I didn’t"

"I suppose not," said Mahir, and stepped through the newly open door, leaving me alone in the hall

Not entirely alone Your turn, said George