Chapter 4: Veins of darkness.

A few minutes later, the scientists released their entry again. They presented Melanie's x-ray and there it was, a larva at the bottom of the girl's stomach. She was scared and didn't seem to know anything. She was very afraid. She starts crying and saying things, but nobody understands what she says because of the crying. Everyone there was worried about what they would do. Livia, when she saw the little girl in that state, remembered the time she killed her mother. The memory that normally didn't make much difference to her now started to hurt. She let a tear roll down her face. She felt sorry for Melanie in that state, scared and lost. She did not understand this feeling. She didn't know why she felt that way. Even so, no matter how she felt, nothing would make time go back, nothing would fix what was already done.

Bernard was also moved by the little girl's reaction, but he didn't let it show how he felt. Trying to keep a firm and serious face, he tells the scientists that Melanie should be contained in the laboratory, without contact with anyone else. Melanie cried even more when she heard that. Her face turned red from so much crying.

Livia approached the little girl and tried to say something. In the first attempts, nothing came out of her mouth. The image she sees still hurts her heart little by little, so she took courage and said:

- Don't worry, we will find a cure.

Melanie looked at Livia angrily and scratched her face close to her left eye. That scratch caused not only physical pain but emotional pain as well. She knew that the scratch was not even half of what she deserved for what she did. Scientists took Melanie to the room with the fake mirror where they had done the gas tests and closed the door. Livia still observed her through the fake mirror. The little has her head on low, trying to "swallow the cry".

In that mirror, Livia also saw a reflection, but not a physical reflection, but an emotional one. She saw herself as she was not so long ago. With those chains wrapped around her wrists, stained in red. It was as if the image she saw was saying:

- Don't try to run away from this.

She turned around and left the laboratory. She cried and turned her face against Adam's chest. He stroked her head and felt bad for her. Now that they knew more or less what was going on, they had to figure out what to do later. Everyone seemed confused, moved, and surprised. Steve then had an idea:

- Her house! Let us go back there. Maybe we'll find something.

- You think there might be information there - asks Bernard, curious.

- Yes. There, and maybe at the address of our contract, the one who asked us to kill them - completes Yumi.

- So let us send a group to investigate these places and the rest of the soldiers take care of the base - said Bernard, decided to bet on the assassins' guess.

Immediately, Bernard gathers soldiers to communicate about what they would do. He separates two groups, each with ten soldiers and two of the assassins. For the rest of the soldiers, Bernard explains about the larva and tells them to keep an eye on the civilians. He then dismisses them and turns his attention to the groups he separated. He points to one of the groups, in which were Adam and Yumi, and says:

- You go to Melanie's house. I go with you.

Right after, he points to the other group of soldiers, in which Steve and Livia are, and says:

- You go to the contract's address. You'll be led by commander Richard. - He points at the commander, a man with a scar on his cheek and a strong facial trace.

After understanding what they had to do and where to go, the two groups go to the armored vehicles and leave the base towards their respective destinations. In the middle of the way, Richard asks Steve:

- How do you still know the contract's address?

- We used to always keep the address somewhere, just for precaution, in case someone wanted to cheat on us. We've still got his - Steve answer.

They try to guide the driver, even with the whole city devastated. After some effort, they managed to get to the address. It was an abandoned mansion, falling to pieces. They got off the vehicle to look more closely. The doors and windows were closed with wooden planks. The mansion seemed empty for a long time. It was in the middle of a forest, far from the rest of the city. The captain breaks down the door and the rest of the group enters. The inside of the mansion was intact. There seemed to be no sign of a struggle there or of anyone who had died. Only dust and old furniture. They then begin to turn everything over in search of information.

Meanwhile, the other group searches Melanie's old house, trying to find out more about her parents. They then find in the closet of one of the bedrooms, a locked suitcase. Bernard takes his knife and opens the suitcase, cutting off the top. Inside the suitcase, there were many papers with notes. Bernard sits down in the bed and starts reading the papers. The soldiers notice a surprised expression on the general's face. Bernard then begins to read aloud:

- ´´Note 1: We meet a very strange man today. He was talking about absurd ideas involving something scientific. He seemed too old, so we thought it best not to take him too seriously. Note 2: A few weeks later we saw the man in front of our house, talking with our daughter while she was playing. We thought it was strange and sent her in. The man looked at us with a strange face and left. We thought it was strange to see him here because he lives somewhat far away``.

Bernard's expression gets more serious and centered as he reads it. People in the room get confused, but they keep hearing the reports in those notes:

- ´´Note 3: We find weird the presence of that man. We contacted the police but they said that he was a renowned scientist and that he was well known by everyone. They said that he would not harm a child. Still, we decided to investigate``.

That information was in one sheet. Bernard finishes reading the sheet and takes another one. He then keeps up with the reading on the notes:

- ´´Note 1: Painkillers two times a day and rest by afternoon``. - He stops reading and examines what's written on this sheet. - How's that? Oh, I think her parents were doctors, or they were under treatment. There are medical notes mixed up here - said Bernard, throwing aside that sheet.

Bernard goes through the papers looking for more information about the mysterious scientist. He only finds more recommendations and medical notes. He stirred up everything but found no more information about the scientist. The information made them rather more confused. Adam then pointed to a paper that was under the foot of the bed. Bernard picked it up, opened it, and read it:

- ´´Note 20: We went to his house again. He was stirring up the soil once more. He grabbed something like a worm and took it inside. He already did it fifteen times, that we have seen. What could he be doing? Researching about worms?``

That last note seemed a bit peculiar. An old scientist tinkering with the soil? People in that room start theorizing in their heads. Adam thinks their contractor might have something to do with the supposed scientist since the rest of the house seemed normal. He and Yumi exchange a look as if they were thinking the same thing. Still, all they had to do now was wait for the results of the other group's search.

The other group had already turned over half the mansion, but they found nothing. They looked at the remaining half, but nothing suspicious either. It was strange the state the house was in, so preserved, but the assassins insisted that it was the address of the contractor. As they were about to leave the mansion, a part of the ground broke under Steve's feet. His leg sinks to the wooden floor. Livia helps him up. He looks at the grated leg and ends up seeing that this hole went beyond. It looked like there was some kind of basement or something else under the mansion.

Steve gets up, takes one of the old chairs that were around the house, and strikes the floor. The soldiers and Livia look at him confused, not knowing what he was doing. Richard then asks:

- What do you think you're doing?

- There is something here. - Steve keeps on striking the floor.

Gradually, the wooden floor breaks. The soldiers and Livia see the bottom of the mansion. Now that they could see better, it didn't look like a basement, it was something more elaborate. What they saw through the hole opened by Steve looked like a corridor. He and Livia looked at each other and not thinking twice, jumped down there. Steve went first and then Livia. The soldiers saw no choice but to follow the youngsters. When they got there, they saw that it was really a corridor. On both sides of the hall, there was a door. The group decided to separate, five went through one door and five through the other. A group went through the front door, formed only by soldiers, this so-called group one. The other one went through the back door, formed by five soldiers, Commander Richard, Steve, and Livia, this being group two.

As they passed through the door, group two saw a corridor that led to many other paths, doors, and corridors. They decided patiently to search all the paths. They entered the first door. It was a small room, with a shelf full of medicines and chemical substances. There was also an old bed in the room. The mattress was dirty and the metal rusty. There was some tearing and stains on the mattress and pieces of fingernail and hair. The radio transmitter of one of the soldiers rang and he quickly answered:

- Group two, listening in?

- Listening in - answers Richard.

- We think there might be enemies down here, zombies, got it?

- Understood, group one, we'll be on guard. Over and out.

The information did not seem to surprise the soldiers much. They then point their guns forward and continue to follow ahead. They open another door and this room was almost empty, but in the center, there was a chair. It was a wooden chair, full of scratches and dirt. Around the chair, there was dried blood and other unidentifiable body secretions, of pink color. The room smelled bad, so they left soon. They went to the next room, but it didn't open at once. The door was stuck. The door was rusty and stuck to the wall.

Richard pushed the door with his shoulder and managed to open it. This was a big, dark room. They illuminate it with their flashlights. They saw a wooden shelf with several notebooks and books. One of the soldiers went to the bookcase and took a look at those notebooks. He cleared the pages with the flashlight and saw complex scientific and mathematical notes. A mixture of equations and different types of chemical reactions, but it was too complex for the soldier to understand. He then checked the other notebooks and books, and all had similar notes and data. He showed the notes to the others and, Steve and Livia got a little confused:

- Was he some sort of scientist? That's too weird - said Steve, observing the notes.

- It seems so. Could it be him who disinvolved the larva? - Livia takes one of the notebooks and observes the equations.

- I bet yes! - Richard points the flashlight behind the youngsters.

They turn around and see another shelf, with several flasks and glass jars filled with water and things like larvae or worms inside. In the jars, there were papers glued with a numbering. The numbers of the jars went from one to twenty-five, all with different larvae. It seems that the contractor really was responsible for creating the larvae. Richard tells the soldiers to destroy it. The soldiers throw the jars and pots on the ground. The jars and flasks break and spread a transparent liquid. They step on the larvae. They burst and yellow liquid sneezes out of them. They then rub their feet on the floor to clean their boots.

The group leaves the room and after having examined all the rooms there, they enter another corridor. At the end of this corridor, there was a closed-door and on the wall next to it a blast, as if something big or heavy had broken it down. One of the soldiers turns the door handle, but a sound is heard. The sound of something knocking, as if someone was banging lightly on a piece of furniture. The soldiers look around looking for the source of the sound but see nothing. Richard's radio communicator plays one more time and stops before he gets it.

He picks up the radio and tries to return contact, but has no answer. Could something have happened to group one?

Richard gets worried but decides that the group should keep moving forward. As soon as they open the door, a strange and bad odor is felt. Richard feels uncomfortable:

- What freaking smell is this? Is there any retarded here who can't use the toilet?

The corridor they enter now looked different. The walls had slime and were damp. The floor had blood stains and marks that looked like things that were dragged. That corridor didn't have many doors, only one at the end. They walk until there, but then they hear the beating sound again. They turn back but see nothing. They keep looking at the way they came from, searching in the darkness, but they see nothing. When they turn to the door, they see that it was open. They alert themselves and start looking around, to see what had come out of there.

Livia feels something tapping on her shoulder. She points the flashlight back and sees nothing. She points the flashlight to the ground and sees pebbles with dust raised around them as if they had fallen from somewhere. She then turns the flashlight up and locates the enemy. He was grabbing the ceiling. He looked human, but he was thin, with gray skin and eyes all black. He looks at Livia and lets out a deafening and terrifying scream. Everyone points their weapons up, but the creature moves fast and disappears from their sight.

Despair takes over the place. Everyone's hearts beat fast. The soldiers start to sweat and tremble while they point the guns in different directions, looking for the monster. Steve notices Livia is afraid and holds her hand. The soldiers can hear the sound of the creature crawling by the corners. One of the soldiers gets despaired and shoots in a random direction. Richard gets angry:

- What are you doing, you shit? Calm down, what did you train for?

- To fight humans, sir - answers one of them, with dread on his voice.

- Shut your mouth and shoot only when I tell you to - answers Richard, angrier.

One of the soldiers is pulled into the darkness. Everyone points their gun and Richard gives the signal for them to shoot. Everyone shoots in the direction in which the man was dragged. The man was released and fell to the ground, but the creature got out of sight. The soldier who was pulled desperately ran down the corridor. He went out the door from which they came and as soon as he left, his cry of pain and despair was heard. He had been caught soon after being saved, all thanks to fear.

Richard looked at the door they intended to enter. Maybe it was better to run away and keep moving forward, but even so, at any moment they would have to come back. Richard then says:

- This thing must have been put down here to protect something. There must be something valuable or important beyond that door! Be concentrated! - Richard tries to contain the soldiers, keeping them from killing themselves in an idiot way.

The soldiers try to stay calm, but they still sweat and tremble. One of them is pulled by his foot and falls with his face on the ground. Soon after, he is pulled into the shadows and blood sneezes on the leg of the others. One less soldier, they were now six. The other remaining soldiers didn't hold back and shot again. Another one was pulled by the head and a violent sound was heard. The other one had his belly cut off and the last one ran out of ammunition from so much shooting. The creature then pulled him by the arm. The soldiers were gone, now it was with Richard, Steve, and Livia. Still, if things went on like this, they would die too. Steve then approaches Livia, and says next to her ear:

- Sorry to ask for this, but you will have to do it. Do you remember when you used to kill, you could hear to where the victim ran, or where the sighs came from? It is you, you have to kill the creature.

The girl looks to her surroundings and sees Richard sweaty, looking around, trying to hide his dread. She sees Steve there, by her side. She looks at his hand that holds hers. The old Livia then whispers to her ears:

- It seems that you will need me. Your psychopath and merciless side will always be here because I am you.

Livia feels her heart beating fast. She was trying to get rid of what she was. Even so, the only way to help others now was to surrender once again to her psychopathic side. She then wielded a revolver that she carried, closed her eyes, and

concentrated. She listens to the surroundings. The sounds of the crawling creature and heavy breathing guide her down the hall. She then, without opening her eyes, points in one direction and shoots. A horrendous scream is heard. Richard points the flashlight in the direction from which the scream came and sees the creature with the head bleeding. He then falls and slides over the wall, bleeding black blood. The creature was dead.

Richard pointed the flashlight at Livia, looking scared at what she had done. He pulls himself together and they pass through that door. When they see what's on the other side, they are surprised. It was a big room, full of closets with papers and chemical substances. The floor was white tile. The walls were covered by monitors. The monitors were on and the images in them were from different parts of the city. Right in front, a table and someone lying on it, with a white coat. Richard approaches the person, while Livia and Steve look around the monitors. When Richard gets close, he sees that the person sitting there with his head laying on the table was dead. He was an old man, he seemed to have been there for days. Under his head was a piece of paper with something written on it. Richard takes the paper and reads what was written out loud:

- ´´ I obtained success, eureka! Even so, I'm too old for this. I'll leave it to my boy. He will take this ahead. Now, I can die happy``. - He finishes reading the paper and puts it back on the table.

Now they were almost certain that the man who was dead there was responsible for the development of the larvae. Still, something more intriguing was written there. "My boy" meant that he had an apprentice? Or maybe his son. And why would they have monitors showing parts of the city, was he watching over everyone or looking for something? The three in that room had many questions to answer. They leave the room and go back down the hall from where they came. They had to go back to the base and tell Bernard everything. They again try to contact team one through radio communication, but still have no answer.

The three look at each other and are divided. They didn't know if they would go after group one or if they would return to the base. Maybe group one was still alive. Richard asks the youngsters:

- What do you think we should do?

- The info we have is way too important, right - answers Steve, bothered by the situation.

- I think we should go, don't get me wrong - answers Livia.

- I think you're right. Even so, I served with that men for too long. I don't know if I can go. Can I trust you? - He looks into Steve's eyes, then in Livia's.

- Why do you ask this - asks Livia, concerned.

- I'll look for them. You take the car and go ahead. Pass the information on to Bernard - said Richard, in a serious tone of voice.

Richard was determined to look for the other soldiers. He would not leave them without being sure they were dead. Still, the information needed to get to Bernard. Steve and Livia exchanged a look of concern. The two looked distressedly at Richard and knew that they would not convince him to go with them. Both youngsters agreed to take the information to Bernard, even if they didn't want to abandon Richard. The commander then helps Steve up first, using his hands and shoulders to support the boy up. When he reaches the top, Steve extends his arm down to help Livia climb. Richard lifts her up and she can hold Steve's hand. He pulls her up.

They both look at Richard and feel sad to have to leave him. Livia then looks into his eyes and salutes. He does the same for the young people and they leave the mansion, leaving the man behind and going to the vehicle. They enter still with fear and Steve gives the start. They see among the trees, some zombies approaching. Steve then reverses and turns the vehicle. He gives the start and asks Livia to read the map to him. With some effort, they manage to get back to the base, but on the way, they realize that there were more zombies in the streets. There were hordes of them. They have to pass over some with the vehicle to enter the base. They enter the garage, which is closed right after. The undead beat on the garage door, making a lot of noise. Livia and Steve leave the vehicle and then go to Bernard's room.

They knock on the door and someone unlocks it. Lucky for them, it was Bernard. He had already returned from Melanie's parents' house. They entered his room immediately, without asking permission. Bernard seemed anxious to know what they had to talk about. They told the man everything they found there. Bernard became extremely intrigued by all that. So their contractor had something to do with the larvae and was probably their creator. But what for? He gets the news and takes time to digest everything he was told.

After a few minutes of absorbing that information, Bernard noticed that the two of them came back alone. He walks to them both, with a not very good face. He takes off his hat, puts it on the table, looks at them with his hand on his waist, and asks:

- Where are the others?

- Some have died. We had to separate into two groups there. Richard chose to stay and look for the other group - Livia answers, afraid of what Bernard would think.

- So only the two of you come back and you say that Richard chose to stay. Seriously? Listen, go back to your small room, your other friends are already there - roughly answers Bernard.

- We are telling the truth, Bernard! You have to believe it - said Livia, afflicted.

Bernard points to the door of the room and looks at them with a not very good face. He keeps pointing to the door until they come out with their heads down. They go back to the little room and meet with the others. They feel relieved to see each other. Livia and Steve sit next to Yumi and Adam, and the four of them put together the information they got. They then speculate about what is happening:

- So, Melanie's parents found out about the scientist and he contracted us to kill them - said Steve, starting the conversation.

- That is what it seems. But they saw him talking to her in front of their house. Could it be him who put the larva into her - answers Steve, slightly confused.

- If the larva is in her stomach, it might have been through her mouth - Yumi answered them.

What happens around them is revealed bit by bit. How much is left for them to know exactly what happened? And where else do they have to look for? The four discuss for quite a time, but then get tired and fall asleep. Another night passes.