Page 86 of Heart’s Prisoner

On level seven Xerus encountered a few lurkers. Some unfortunately infected. Lana didn't watch as he destroyed the bodies. Those who were clean he forced into a room and had them locked in. He promised her he'd go back for them later.

"I have one bomb left that I will place on six and will set the rest after my return," he told her as he made his way up to the medical bay.

"Okay, sounds good." Lana looked at the feed for six as well as the level's data. There was a small saferoom on six, one she hadn't noticed before as she had been too busy trying to save Nicole. There were at least a few dozen individuals inside. Those who were able to get in and lock the doors before the raptors got to them.

As Xerus made his way through the debris of six to set his bomb, Lana checked every passage and found it empty. Everything seemed still.

A rattling noise sounded from above her and Lana looked up at the ceiling with a frown. The noise was coming from level three. Curious, she switched over to three on the video as Xerus began to set his bomb.

Galger's team was drilling into the wall beside the saferoom's door on level three. Sparks flew as they drilled into the locking mechanism. Lana shook her head in confusion as she watched them. Why were they trying to get into the saferoom? And why with such force instead of asking those inside to open up?

They punctured a hole into the locking device then one of the soldiers set to fiddle with the wires within. As he went about pulling and connecting wires, several of Galger's men stood back and held their guns at the ready, aiming toward the door. Lana's heart raced and her eyes widened as they positioned themselves. "Oh, god, no," she whispered to herself.

She knew before the door even opened and when it did she jumped back, her chair falling to the ground as gunfire lit the feed and the noise drove downwards from level three into her room. Galger's men shot blindly, bullets spraying every which way into the safe room. The people nearest the door went down first, then those in the back trying to flee came after. A group of individuals, whether brave or stupid, came charging at the soldiers, flinging their arms and fly into the air, only to be flung to the ground, their bodies going limp. From their faces, Lana could see they hadn`t been brave or stupid. They had been infected. Black blood flowing out of their dead lips.

Lana didn't think Galger and his men actually knew whether any of them had been infected or not. They had just planned to break into the room and open fire. And by the looks of it, that was completely true. A few still writhed on the ground in agony, tears spilling from their eyes, blood from their stomachs. They pleaded for their lives but the soldiers didn't respond. With cold stares they did as they were commanded, aimed their guns at the survivor's heads, and fired.

No one was spared. Though they had taken out only a handful of infected, the rest were ordered to die.

Lana watched with tears spilling from her eyes as the men dragged the corpses into a pile into the room, ready to set them ablaze. She fell to her knees, her hand covering her mouth. She barely registered the door opening and closing and the sharp hands dragging her up and encircling her.

"Are you hurt? What happened?" Xerus' face came into view.

Lana blinked up at him in surprise wondering how he had gotten to her so quickly. How he had known something was wrong. She shook in his grasp.

"I could hear your cries,Kissala. Tell me what's wrong?"

She had forgotten her headset was still on. Quickly she dragged it off, letting it fall to the floor. "They killed them," she choked. "They killed them all."

Xerus' face tilted and, when she gestured to the screen, Xerus saw what she meant. The bodies were now a pile of flames. Xerus' eyes narrowed. "You saw this?" he asked.

Lana nodded her head, more tears falling silently. "They opened the door and just started firing. They didn't even look, Xerus. Oh god, they didn't even look." Her body tried to slip down as her knees buckled but Xerus held her firmly.

"Were the people infected?" Xerus said, forcing her to look at him.

Lana gripped his shoulders, taking deep breaths. "Only a few were. The rest..." She shook her head unable to say more. Xerus crushed her to him.

She held on to him as her body trembled, his hand gripping the back of her head gently. "They are going to kill the rest, I know it," she said against his chest. "They will kill any they see because, unlike you, they cannot detect the parasite and are not going to save them."

A low growl rose in Xerus' throat. He muttered something in his language that she did not catch. He lifted her into his arms, carrying her out of the room, away from the video feed. Lana shivered, feeling cold despite his warmth against her.

"I'm scared, Xerus," she said, trying to keep her composure.

"I am here. Nothing will get to you."

Lana hugged his neck. "I know. But the others. What can we do?"

Xerus placed Lana back onto the ground. Finding herself in one of the bedrooms, Xerus led her into the bathroom adjacent, one with a large shower room.

"Come let me warm you, you are so cold and I need to clean."

Lana didn't fight or argue as Xerus turned on the shower using the controls by the wall. The water cascaded down from the ceiling overhead, hot rain on to black marble. Xerus slipped off Lana's clothes along with his own and, with one arm around her waist, he brought her with him into the steaming room.

If his plan was to ease her mind or at least distract her, it worked. Hot water poured onto her head and down her back, drenching her quickly. He held her tightly against him, his hand splayed firmly across her back. Lana curled into him, her tears melding with the spraying water.

"What can we do, Xerus?" Lana repeated more calmly after a moment.

Xerus brushed his hand down her spine. "I could kill them."

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