Mutation (Twenty-Five Percent Book 1) by Nerys Wheatley Read Free Book Online Page B

half,” he said, hoping it sounded menacing enough. 
    “Oh yeah, you and whose army?” Micah said with a derisive laugh.
    Alex stopped turning the key.
    “I’m joking ,” Micah said, “just let me out.”
    “I’m going to regret this,” Alex muttered to himself as he unlocked the cell and opened the door.
    Micah stepped out, watching Alex warily, and glanced around.  He was still wearing the jeans, beige canvas jacket and white t-shirt he’d had on the night before. 
    “Why are the other cells full of eaters?” he said as they made their way back along the row of holding cells.  The moaning became louder again as the eaters strained to reach them, the Perspex of each small, square window fogging with their overheated breath.
    “We started bringing them here after the disposal centre couldn’t cope anymore.”
    “Couldn’t cope anymore?  How many are there out...”  Micah stopped speaking as they left the cells and stepped into the corridor running through the main part of the station.  He gaped at the bodies scattered across the floor.  “What happened?”
    “I wasn’t here,” Alex replied, “but Inspector Parker said someone came in with a bite.”
    Micah looked confused, shaking his head.  “A bite, I don’t...”
    “Something’s happened to the virus, it’s mutated, it’s a new virus altogether, I don’t know.  But people are turning minutes after they’re infected.  The city has been sealed off, whatever that means, and we are on our own.  It’s chaos now.  That’s all I know.  If you have anyone, find them and hide.”  Alex turned away, heading for the armoury. 
    “Hey, um...” 
    He stopped and looked back.  “Alex.”
    “Yeah.  Uh, thanks.  For letting me out.”
    Alex nodded and turned away, hearing footsteps head away from him.  He continued along the corridor.
    The armoury was unlocked which was unusual, but not surprising.  The room had been ransacked.  There wasn’t much left inside.  Alex thought it likely that it was his fellow police who had taken the weapons, although he couldn’t be sure of that.  He found one more Glock 17 like the one he carried and slipped it into his belt.  A Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle had also escaped the purge.  Grabbing a black canvas bag from a shelf, Alex placed the rifle inside, rounded up all the ammunition he could find, which wasn’t much, and also threw in a taser.  He didn’t know if tasers would work on eaters, but in an emergency he would rather have that than nothing.  And it would work on a human.  Law was breaking down.  That was only going to be a bad thing.  He considered two cans of pepper spray on a shelf.  They would probably be useless for an eater as they didn’t respond to pain.  He threw them into the bag anyway then had a last quick look around, in case he’d missed anything. 
    Behind him, the door squeaked. 
    Alex whirled round, whipping his pistol from its holster and aiming as he turned. 
    “Don’t shoot!”  Micah threw his hands into the air, taking a step back.
    Alex breathed out.  “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”  He re-holstered the Glock.  “What are you doing here?”
    Micah’s eyes darted around the empty weapons racks before settling on the bag in Alex’s hand.  Alex tightened his grip on it.
    “You really need to see outside,” Micah said.
    “Why?”
    “Just come on.”
    He sighed in irritation as he followed Micah back through the building towards the main entrance.  He had hoped that he would just leave so he would never have to see him again.  He was already regretting letting the man out of his cell.
    They reached the public waiting area and Micah grabbed Alex’s arm, pulling him back against the wall as they approached the glass doors.  Alex jerked out of his grip, but stayed against the wall, not failing to notice as Micah absently wiped the hand he’d touched him with on his jeans.  Then he saw why he was being so careful to stay out