Live Free or Die Complete Series Boxed Set: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series Hayley Lawson (ebook reader play store .TXT) 📖

“That’s one of the questions we have to answer. Bring his body into the lab, and then finish testing the advisors’ blood samples.” Afana stalked back into the lab.

General Murray hurried back toward his son and George. They needed to get the hell out of here. The disease had broken out on Level Five. Weren’t the advisors looking down the through the glass floor? Surely they could see what was happening. They didn’t need the cameras for this.

He looked around in a panic and realized that no one else was present. That was why they didn’t know anything was happening. The infected were where the advisors couldn’t see them; that was why they wanted the cameras fixed.

There was no way he’d drag the bodies out of the bathroom to the center for them to see. He wouldn’t touch the bodies—no frigging way!

“Where are you going?” Shane asked, running after Murray. Murray had snuck away when Shane was giving everyone a replay of what had happened.

Bloodcurdling screams suddenly came from the men’s sleeping tunnel where Justin was. Shane ran toward it, but the general ran toward the other tunnel where his son and George were.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” Murray told Martin and George breathlessly.

“Mmm…nope. I’m not leaving here!” George snapped. “Why can’t I just get my job done without you imbeciles getting in my way?” George shook his head, and his wiry hair danced.

Murray paid no attention. He started to pack up George’s tools.

George threw a full-on hissy fit. “Don’t you touch them. Your overgrown hands could break something.”

Murray dropped the tools and shook George by the shoulders. “The disease is on this level. Just listen!” George started to speak, then stopped. He could hear the screams. Murray was correct. “Afana will be down shortly and will take care of it,” George told him, blowing him off. He went back to fixing the cameras.

“He won’t be. It’s in the tunnels. They can’t see what’s happening,” Murray explained.

George rolled his eyes. “Which is why I need to get the cameras fixed.”

Murray lost the will to coddle the advisor any longer. “For someone who likes to think of himself as being smart, you’re not, really. Afana is blind without your cameras, and if you stay here to fix them, you’ll be dead.” Murray turned to his son. “Martin, we’re out of here.”

They left George, who was still standing on a chair so he could reach the cameras. He looked at the tunnels and finally got what Murray was talking about. They were trapped in a tomb.

“Wait for me!”

Chapter Twelve

Terrier headed to the children’s room to check on the kids and make sure that Natalie was okay. Mama Lou and Peter were watching where the men went, and Mama Lou had recruited a few of the women to help keep an eye on them as well.

The guilt weighed heavily on Terrier, he felt awful about Eva being murdered. It had been Mama Lou’s idea for him to go to see Natalie in the children’s classroom.

He knocked on the children’s classroom, since Natalie had been instructed to keep it locked. “It’s Terrier,” he called softly.

The door opened a sliver, and then all the way. Natalie beamed at the sight of Terrier.

“Kids, look who’s here to see us,” Natalie announced happily.

The kids came running to Terrier. They grabbed onto his legs, some sat on his feet, and others slipped their hands into his. He was an overgrown toy to them.

He was very glad that he had gone to see Natalie and the kids.

Terrier made an exaggerated turn with the kids still attached to him and closed the door, making sure it was locked before he swung around again.

He walked into the middle of the classroom, and the kids laughed as they clung to him. He took giant steps, and the kids couldn’t stop giggling. Natalie had her hand over her mouth, and she shook her head.

Even with everything going on and the awful conditions, the kids were happy, and Natalie was radiant.

Terrier wanted more for Natalie and the baby, and for the other kids. He hoped that Ryder would be able to help them and put an end to the situation. Natalie’s baby was due any day, and that increased the urgency of their escape. He’d given up a long time before he’d met Natalie, but now things had changed. He had to help get Natalie out. He had to get them all out.

Ryder’s last plan of messing with the cameras had been a long shot, like trying to shoot the moon. They needed something bigger, like this disease situation.

Maybe they could get out while the chaos was happening, and maybe not, because the doors were locked.

However, he needed to stay positive. Ryder was the brains of the pair, and she’d get them out. Terrier smiled. After all these years calling her “he,” today was the first time he’d referred to her as “she.” Things were changing.

“Now children, let Terrier have a little break,” Natalie told the kids. Her request was greeted by complaints and kids asking for one more turn. Even Terrier wanted to join in. While he was with them, he didn’t have to think about everything else and worry about his best friend.

“Who wants a shoulder ride?” Terrier asked.

“Me!”

“Me!”

“Me! Pick me first!”

Natalie laughed lightly. “Terrier, you know they’ll never let you leave. You’ll be here all day.”

“Is that a bad thing?” he asked nervously.

“Maybe for your back, but please, be my guest if you want.” Natalie smiled and waved at Terrier to go ahead. The kids were giddy, jumping around. “Make a line for the horsey.” Natalie laughed, and the kids did just that.

Terrier played horse with the kids for a while. He was grateful for the interruption from Kari by the time his back had been thoroughly pummeled by their little knees.

“Natalie, I’m hungry,” the little girl cried.

“I’ll get you some food,” Terrier offered. He was tired from all the piggyback rides anyway.

Natalie grinned. “I told