Chapter 2

Then in mere seconds, the conference glass wall shatters, and the employees go into an uproar, as we watch Ms.Hasson strangle a man on the ground.

[Employees Scream]

"Everyone stand back! Step away from the glass."

"Ms.Hasson!?"

The man salivates and grunts aggressively trying to bite Ms. Hasson.

A young employee nearby tries to intervene, trying to pull the man to safety but instead in the process he gets bitten.

"I got you, mister! Ughhh no stop!"

The crowd screams as the man rips off a chunk of flesh from the employee's hand.

Amid the commotion, Ms.Hasson manages to subdue him and in the process, she grabs a glass shard from the floor using it to slice his neck. Blood splatters on her face and hands as the man bleeds out.

"Jose! Fuck man, why did you do that?"

" Ahh, Jesus …that fucker bite me!"

"This is bad!"

"Oh my god! Someone stop her!"

"S-she's killing him!"

"Call the police! Hurry!"

Bleeding out from his throat; he still manages to continue to fight back.

He reaches for Ms.Hasson's face and proceeds to smother her with his hands.

With a harsh shout, she looks at me.

"Devlin! The scissors! Now!"

"What?"

Without question, I snap back to my senses, grab the nearest scissors, and throw them to her.

At that moment I didn't question anything I just knew I had to listen.

"Here!"

Using its sharp tip she punctured the man's right eye, killing him instantly. Sighing at her bloody hands she quickly wipes them on the man's white shirt.

"Haa.. shit."

Ms.Hasson was about to stand up when she suddenly found herself being forcefully pulled away from the dead man by two employees who had rushed towards her. Without hesitation, the employees acted swiftly as they calmed people down.

"It's over everyone, stay calm. Will resolve this matter."

"Yes, in these situations it's best we all stay calm as we solve the problem. Is that clear?"

"Oh god, I told you she was a total psycho."

"Hands off me. There is no time to explain. Evaluate everyone. Now!"

"Ms.Hasson don't make this harder than it already is. This is now a crime scene and you're the culprit. Stand down. How will the company get out of this one, huh? Okay, Sal and …what's your name again? You know what, I don't care, just get the people away from the area? And for god sake, someone please accompany Jose down to the infirmary. Let's get moving people. Go!"

"Come on Jose, I'll take you down."

"Thanks."

"But Ezack, what do we do with her? She practically helped her too?"

The man's finger was aimed directly at me, and he had a tight grip on Ms. Hasson's arm. I could feel the eyes of all my colleagues on me as they whispered with each other, casting furtive glances in my direction.

What should I do? I just reacted without thinking. Shit.

"This is crazy.."

My heart raced as I struggled to come up with something to say, but the words just wouldn't come out.

Feeling completely overwhelmed, I sank back down into my chair, my mind racing with questions about what was happening and what I should do next.

"Yeah, I saw how she threw those scissors."

"Keep her out of this. Get off your high horse and evacuate the building. Unhand me now."

"Hahaha don't make me laugh. The moment you killed that man, Ms.Hasson, you are no longer in charge here. In other words, shut up and let me handle this situation."

"Me too! I saw her help."

"Then watch her for now and don't let her leave until the police get here. Everyone stays here and away from the body don't touch anything. Zion and Le follow me and will check on the…."

[Intense screams from the hallways]

"No, Jose stop it! What's wrong with you?"

"Stand back! AHH! NAgh!"

"Help! Help me!"

Amidst the chaos of screams echoing through the hallway, I happened to be closer to the conference room.

That's when I saw a man lying on the floor, shaking uncontrollably and clutching his bloody neck with both hands. A young woman was kneeling beside him, trying to soothe him and offer whatever help she could.

"Everything is going to be okay. We have called for an ambulance."

"Be prepared, for my client will surely sue the Raven Corporation!"

"Now hold on Mister Johnson we apologize for our employee's actions we will certainly solve the matter. Will pay for the medical bills and of course we can settle on an agreement."

"Mr.Santos! He's trying to say something. Huh, what did you say sir?"

Leaning closer to hear him speak, the man manages to grab a hold of her hair and begins to bite her.

"Sir! No! Stop!"

"Help me Ahhugh."

I sit at my desk, the sudden commotion catches my attention. With a sense of urgency, I quickly rise to my feet, trying to assess the situation. From a distance, I can see a man frantically gesturing towards a woman in the conference room.

"Help her!"

"Let her go now! Grab his legs! Mr.Johnson! Mr. Johnson! Help me, for fuck's sake!"

"I-I…"

"Son of a bitch! Come back here!"

"Anhh, get him away from me!"

The woman seems to be in distress, and I can hear her crying out for help. One of the other employees in the room tries to intervene, reaching out to pull the man away from the woman.

The scene is chaotic and tense, and I can feel my heart racing as I watch the events unfold.

"Let her go, Mr.Simons!"

"Ahhhh. Run!"

"Move it! Get out of my way!"

[Attacks and Bites others]

" No, stand back or else! Ugh! G-get..off me!"

I stand there watching, a few more individuals try to intervene in the altercation that is unfolding before me. It's becoming worse by the second, and I know I need to act fast. I quickly grab my backpack and prepare to leave.

"Damn it, this is not good."

I can't help but wonder what's going on here. Suddenly, it hit me- Ms. Hasson was defending herself this whole time, these employees are out of control and their actions are far from normal.

Not only is their demeanor abnormal, but they salivate like wild dogs, plus those thick blue veins visible on both sides of their eyes seem to be a result of some infection.

I turn to glance at Ms.Hasson, our eyes lock and I see the desperation in hers. She's fighting off the men holding her by using fighting tactics.

"Wait! No, grab her!"

"Fuck this let's just go man it's not worth it. Just leave her."

"Hold on wait for me!"

And then, without warning, she rushes towards me. I'm taken aback as she grabs my arm harshly and starts to drag me away from the scene.

"What are you doing? Let's go!"

"Wait…aww. Hold on! Where are we going?"

"Just keep walking and stick close to me."

I can feel her urgency and fear as we move away from the chaos. My mind races with questions - Can I get out of here? Should I trust her?

Making our way to safety, I can't shake the feeling that this is just the beginning of something much bigger.

We hurried down the hallway, and the piercing screams of many people echoed behind us. Ms. Hasson tightly gripped my hand and led me through the chaotic scene.

The hallway was filled with a panicked crowd, frantically pushing and shoving in an attempt to escape.

"Hurry Lay, we have to go!"

"No, we have to go back, we can't just leave her there!"

"She's dead already and it's not safe here. We must go now! Get on the elevator!"

"No, I can't. I can't leave her!"

"Wait!"

We had to carefully maneuver our way

through the jostling crowd, dodging desperate individuals who were trying to find a way out.

"Get out of my way!"

Despite the urgency of the situation, Ms. Hasson remained composed and focused, guiding me amidst the chaos.

Amongst the crowd of people, we can hear screams of agony. Some of the employees start to fight back the infected but many fall victim. They cry for help as the infected bite them and eat them alive.

"Help m.. me. Please..he..lp"

"Come on! Come on! They are coming!."

"Larry come!"

""O-Oh God. Hold on I.."

I rushed to assist the distressed woman, but Ms. Hasson's grip on my arm tightened, pulling me back. Despite my efforts to break free, her hold remained firm, preventing me from offering any help.

"Let go. She needs help."

I could see the fear and anxiety in the women's eyes, and I couldn't bear the thought of leaving them in their distress. However, Ms. Hasson's grip was too strong, and I found myself unable to act, feeling helpless and frustrated.

"Can't we just.."

"No, we can't. This is spinning out of control and we can't help anyone right now. We must keep going."

While she hauls me away, one of the infected latches onto my backpack.

"Ah! What the?"

Yanking me back onto the floor. As it hovers over me I push him back as best as I can.

"Don't look just go!"

Others walk past me. Not a single one of them stopped to help.

Ha, is this karma?

[Infected moans]

"Damn…it. Let go. You crazy bastard! AACK!"

I don't want to end up dying in a place like this.

Ms.Hasson grabs hold of the infected and twists its neck, yet it still can move. She smirks while glancing at the infected man toiling around the floor.

"Again? Hm.. This is interesting."

What… It's like she was born to kill. No hesitation at all just like before.

"Tha…nk you. How can he still be moving?"

"That doesn't matter right now so get up and let's go before more come. Did you get bitten?"

"No… I didn't."

"Good, let's get a move.."

[Loud Screams]

"Shit, there's more..this thing is spreading. We have to get away from the crowds. It's too dangerous. This way, my office is not far from here."

"Shouldn't we evacuate like everyone else?"

"Trust me, with how things are going, that's not a safe option."

Amidst chaos and panic, we witnessed a frenzied rush of people in the building, frantically trying to make their way to the elevator.

However, Ms.Hasson immediately sensed the danger and decided to take the opposite direction, running as fast as we could.

"Okay, whatever you say, ma'am."

We sprinted away, I happened to glance back and noticed one of the elevator doors slide open, unleashing a group of crazed individuals who began attacking anyone in their path.

It was a moment of sheer terror, but I was grateful that Ms.Hasson insisted and made the right decision to avoid that path.

"Come on open! Open!"

"See Eve I'll stick by you till the end I'll get us out of here, okay? Don't worry too greatly."

"Hector..thank you."

"It's almost here! Everyone get on! Finally, ahahhahahah!"

[Infected Growing]

"No! No, I don't want to die!"

"R-RUN!"

"Hold them back!"

Everyone was trying to escape the scene, but the narrow passage made it difficult for them to move quickly. They pushed and shoved one another in their attempt to escape, with some even falling to the ground in the process.

"Wait for me! Hector no, don't leave me! Ughhh!"

"There are too many! We need a weapon!"

"I got it from here just go!"

"No, I won't leave you. You have a family to take care of and so do I! We can make it out of here alive. To..get ahh"

The infected was quick to take advantage of the situation, using the chaos to its advantage to get closer to its prey.

Some of the employees bravely stayed behind to fight off the infected, while others chose to flee for their safety. The commotion was deafening, and the air was thick with the smell of blood and fear.

"Don't look back, just keep running, we are almost there."

"Holy shit… Alright."

I'm grateful that I chose to listen to her and follow her lead. I can't help but admit that if I was alone I would have been completely lost and disoriented in this place, and something about her made me feel like she could be trusted.

"Over here."

Without her guidance, I would have most likely fallen prey to the same fate as the others back there.

When we finally reached her office, she hurriedly ushered me in and promptly locked the door behind us, shielding us from whatever danger lurked outside.

"Close the door!"

"We are safe here for now. Not many employees dare to go near this area. Stay back from the door and wait over there."

"Jesus. What exactly is going on out there? Hold on. I ugh… ugh."

Soon as I felt safe I ran to the large potted plant that was placed in the corner of the office. Placing my hair behind my ears I began to vomit uncontrollably. The sounds of me vomiting filled the office room, yet I couldn't care less.

"Brughhhh oh god..ahh..ugwahhh."

I stood up and wiped my face, Ms. Hasson suddenly darted towards one of the paintings in her office. It was a beautiful piece of art, depicting a serene landscape with a river flowing through it.

"Sorry about that."

"What, the plant? Don't worry about it, it's fake. I never really had the hands to keep anything alive. Give me a minute, will you?"

My attention was immediately drawn to what was revealed behind the painting - a safe embedded in the wall.

Without wasting a second, she swiftly dialed in a series of numbers on the keypad. I heard a satisfying click, and the heavy metal door of the safe swung open.

I peered inside, I was stunned by what I saw. The safe was stacked full of money - bundles of crisp bills, shiny golden bars, and other valuable items.

"Wow…"

But what caught my eye was the sight of a handgun, lying right there beside all the riches. It was an unexpected addition to the collection, and I couldn't help but wonder why someone as sophisticated as Ms. Hasson would need a gun.

"What, you've never seen one before?"

She seemed to have noticed my curiosity and quickly picked up the firearm, along with an ammo box and a holster. She then placed them all on her elegant wooden desk.

It was a beautiful piece of furniture, adorned with intricate carvings and polished to perfection.

The sight of the deadly weapon juxtaposed against the ornate desk was a jarring one, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of ease.

I've never been so happy to see a weapon before. With that, we have a chance to get out of here alive.

"I have, I just didn't expect you to have one here."

With a smile on her face, she looks at me while she takes off her blazer and rolls up her sleeves. Placing her long legs on the office chair she grabs a pair of scissors using them to rip half of her bottom skirt off.

"Oh really?"

Grabbing the holster of the table she places it on her thighs, tightly securing it in place as she continues to speak to me.

"The Raven Corporation deals with weapons amongst other things. Wouldn't you say it would be odd if the company didn't have any at all?"

"I guess so. I never really thought about it till now. Wait, are you saying there are more weapons in the building? Can't we just head over there and get them?"

"It's not as easy as it seems. The employees are aware that those weapons are located on the lower levels, yet only a select few can access that area. From the looks of things, it will be difficult to access that area. Too much risk as we are unaware of the situation outside."

As I pounder at what she just said, Ms.Hasson walks in front of a clear display hanging on the side of the wall. Her eyes fixate on it, and she approaches it with novelty.

With a hint of excitement on her face, she stares at the display for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh. As she reaches out to open the display, her hands tremble slightly with anticipation.

"What's that?"

She carefully takes out a baseball bat from the display and holds it in her hands, feeling its weight and texture. With a determined look on her face, she gently curses the bat and whispers a few words to it, as if to prepare it for what's to come.

"This here is a gift. Well baby, looks like we will be using you today. Ready to have some fun?"

"Baby?"

"It's a part of one of my many collections. Gifted to me by the grandson of the Raven Cooperation's founder. We both share a fond love for baseball. Haha, It's a masterpiece. Anyways, come here."

Slowly makes my way to her.

"What? Oh..okay. By the way, what are we going to do? Is there a way out of here without running into those things?"

"That's highly unlikely, but our best bet is the stairwells, it's close by… though it's not certain if it's safe. There is a high chance that the infected might have made their way there as some survivors managed to flee to the stairwells. Will be heading down that way."

" You're right, the elevators are probably not safe at the moment."

Damn it, is that the only way out. I can't think of any other option since it hasn't been that long since I got here. I don't even know my way around this building. My safest option is to stick close to my boss. She has a gun after all plus I have no weapons.

Without anything to defend myself with, I'll be dead for certain. Those things can be a hassle to deal with. I'm certain they have some viruses or some kind or maybe it's that rumored drug that has hit L.A!

"By the looks of it do you think it's some kind of drug? That would explain why they are acting like that. Just before I walked into the building two officers spoke about such a thing. They even arrested a junkie for it. But now that I think about it she acted just the same as the infected outside this door. She looked all pale with bloodshot eyes oh..and those big blue veins too!"

" Now's not the time to hypothesize Ms.Devlin. All we know is that it is happening and we are in the middle of it. Be careful not to get bitten by one of those things, that's how you get infected. Better yet, avoid them if you can. I'm still not exactly sure if that's the only way to get infected."

"Bitten? W-what do you mean bitten? Then this can't be just some drug. If it spreads by a bite then it must be some kind of virus. A bite..huh.. no, no, no can they be zombies?"

"From what I've gathered they…"

[Static]

From the small, handheld radio on her side, a constant buzzing of static can be heard, gradually increasing in volume until the sound of a male voice can be discerned.

Ms.Hasson grabs the radio, increasing the volume. The voice, though somewhat distorted by the radio's limitations, is still clear enough to be understood.

"Ms.Hasson, do you copy? Are you there?"

"Noah? Yes, I'm fine. I'm in my office. What's your status?"

"I am located in the surveillance room. Looks like all seven levels have been compromised. The only clear areas are the rooftop and gun range."

" Do you have eyes on the stairwells?"

" Affirmative, only a few of the infected can be seen there. Elevators, conference rooms, and some hallways are the hot zones. There are many on your level but they seem occupied trying to get to a group of workers who locked themselves up in one of the offices. Many of the employees have managed to escape but those left behind seem to have locked themselves in."

" Shit.. only a few…Noah, are you able to head to the stairwells?"

" Yes, we must leave while the infected are occupied."

"Excellent, meet us there. Switching to a Raven acoustic tube."

" Copy that. Ma'am, aim for the head, it's the only way they go down."

" Alright, good to know. Over and out."

"Come here, Devlin. Take this."

She hands me the baseball bat and a pair of earpieces, I notice a hint of hesitation in her demeanor.

I can't help but wonder if she's having second thoughts about letting me use the bat, especially after she shared with me the story of how it's a collectible item.

Despite her apparent generosity, I can't shake off the feeling of doubt and uncertainty about whether I should use the bat to defend myself in case of danger.

Is she truly okay with me taking it? I know she's fond of it, and I don't want to damage it accidentally.

All these thoughts race through my mind as I take the items from her, unsure of what to do next.

"Are you sure? It's a collectible after all."

"Just…take it before I change my mind and put on this earpiece. We will be heading to the stairwells as soon as we are done here. Take this pack of ammo we might need later. Who knows how many of them are out there? You know what, take this emergency kit just in case."

As soon as she hands me the pack of ammo and the emergency kit, I take them from her and quickly assess what to do next.

"I'll keep it secure."

I grab the ammo box and place it on the side of my backpack where I usually keep my water bottle. Its weight feels reassuring as I secure it tightly against my back.

Then, I unzip my backpack and begin to insert the emergency kit. As I carefully place each item inside, I can't help but feel grateful for my organized and minimalistic approach to packing.

Everything fits perfectly in its designated spot, leaving me with peace of mind that I'll be prepared for whatever comes my way.

I can't control this unexpected situation but I can at least do my best to help Ms.Hasson.

I feel so weak around her and I sure don't want to drag her down. Okay, I've decided, I got this! I'll do my best not to be a bother!

"Wait, h-how..do I? Uhm.."

I fumble with the earpieces, and my ears and cheeks turn red with embarrassment.

I can feel Ms. Hasson's eyes on me, but I try my best to avoid her gaze. She has already done so much for me, and I don't want to burden her with my incompetence.

However, as I struggle to make the earpieces work, she seems to find my predicament amusing and walks over to me with a smirk on her face.

"Let me see. Come here, I'll show you how to use it. It slipped my mind that you are new here. This is one of our products, as I said before besides selling weapons we make other equipment and devices. Some of them go on the market while others like this one stay within the company."

With a chuckle, she explains the intricacies of the device and how I can use it.

" This is upside down, so that's the first error…then you just put it in your ear like this. Do you feel this button in the center? That's where you turn it on and off. Right now it's off and so is mine. Look here, do you see mine? With a short press, it turns on and as soon as you say the command 'on call' the device connects to the assigned paired partner. In other words me and the man you heard earlier. When you are done speaking the command is 'off call' in which no one can hear you. This is only used by the Raven co-operation as it connects to our satellites. The range is quite far."

Her explanation is thorough, and I am grateful for her patience and willingness to help me.

"Try and turn it on, just don't say the command unless you are using it. Got it."

"Here? Okay, I got it. Thank you and sorry."

When she was guiding me through the process, I couldn't help but feel grateful for her kindness and understanding. By the time she is done, I feel more confident and capable, thanks to her expertise.

"Alright sounds like things have settled down a bit outside, let's get a move on before things get more difficult. By the way, if things go haywire out there I won't always be able to help you even when you fall endangered."

"I understand. I'll do my best to not get in the way. You won't regret helping me out. I promise you to have my word. I won't be a burden"

" Now, that's something I can trust. I am well acquainted with how far a Devlin will go when they give their word. Let's go then, stay low and quiet, aim for their heads. Ready?"

Ms. Hasson slowly turns the noob of the office door that leads out to the hallway, I can feel my heart racing with anxiety. I am nervous about the possibility of an infected lurking in the hallways, waiting for us to open the door.

Despite my fear, I take a deep breath and try to compose myself, hoping that Ms. Hasson doesn't notice how jittery I am.

"Alright, let's go."

After a moment, Ms. Hasson looks at me and nods, as if to ask if I'm ready. I nod back, trying to appear confident, even though I'm not sure that I'm ready to face whatever danger might be waiting for us on the other side of that door.

"Yes..."

With a serious expression, Ms. Hasson slowly turns the handle and pushes the door open. As soon as the door cracks open, I can hear the faint shuffling of feet and the low growling of an infected. My heart leaps into my throat, and I can feel my palms start to sweat.

[Infected moan softly]