The Master Pathogen

[Anone]

This story is fantastic  and so horny and I am so looking forward to what Elias does next.  He is slowly turning into a monster who spreads his tainted seed to others aa his sex drive increases. 

[kspozcum]

Chapter 12: Hunger Pains, Hidden Truths

Trevor and Elias’ apartment. Front room. 10:00 MST. 31-Oct-20XX

 

“Oh my god… for the last time, use a goddamn fork, Toby,” Trevor said with irritation, handing one to Tex. “Didn’t your mother teach you to not eat with your hands?” 

“Sure, right after your dad taught me how to scratch myself.”

Tex ignored the fork, and continued picking up bits of scrambled egg with his fingers and guiding the pieces toward his mouth. Trevor gave him up for a lost cause, and loudly let the fork clang on the coffee table. Elias came in at just that moment, and hearing it drop, covered his ears with his hands.

The clanging cutlery and the sounds of his husband and brother-in-law bickering like teenagers gave him a massive headache as if he'd been out drinking all night.

“Guys! Please! I can hear you in the next room,” Elias complained. “Keep it to a dull roar.”

“There’s still some bacon left in the kitchen, babe. Help yourself. That is, if Toby hasn’t eaten it all like the barnyard animal he is.” Two seconds later, a dry corner of toast and crust came flying at his face, thrown by Tex. 

“Is this all the food you cooked?” Tex asked. Trevor shot him a dirty look.

“If you can’t keep it on your plate and off my floor, you obviously have had enough to eat.”

“All right, guys, I’m serious!” Elias nearly shouted. “Give it a rest.”

Both brothers stopped and stared at Elias, surprised at the sudden outburst.

“Um… Look who’s feeling better!” Tex opened his mouth and showed Elias some bits of chewed-up egg on his tongue.

Elias let out an exasperated sigh, and walked into the kitchen, before muttering, “Why am I even friends with you?” 

He found a few strips of stiff, cold bacon drying on a small stack of paper towels atop a small plate. Taking it all, he put it on a separate plate and walked it over to the stove, adding the remainder of the cooling scramble to the plate. Looking around, he found the thing he wanted more than food. Trevor had set out Elias’s favorite mug right in front of the coffee machine. Elias poured a healthy amount into the mug, added three slices of toasted bread to the plate, and returned to the front room with his breakfast.

As he returned, he noticed the television was on, and a commercial for a feminine product was showing, thankfully at a low volume. It was Trevor’s habit to turn on the local morning news, but never really watch it. Elias tried to break him of the routine, but without success. The bantering between the twins had quieted, and Elias was appreciative of the lull in their brotherly battle. Elias sat in his usual spot on the couch, and placed his plate on the coffee table. Taking a grateful swig of the coffee, he found it tasted better than anything right now. The caffeine rushed through him, sharpening his focus.

“Got your coffee, sweetie?” Trevor said, flopping down beside Elias and leaning against him.

“Yeah, I need this now, especially after last night,” Elias said with relief. 

“We had quite the adventure,” Tex said cautiously. “But, um… I don’t think we ought to share the details with civilians…?” He gave Elias a pointed, raised-eyebrow look, a familiar signal to keep military actions confidential. 

Trevor raised both his hands. “Yeah, yeah… I know the drill, guys. I don’t want to know, and I don’t want to have to deny anything. That’s between you.” Then he planted a quick kiss on Elias’s cheek. “Still love ya, babe.” 

“Love you, too,” Elias said with a mouthful of eggs.

Turning to Tex, Trevor sarcastically said, “So gross. Married a real romantic, didn’t I. Am I the only one with any manners here?”

Elias and Tex didn’t answer, but continued eating. The news program came back on.

“Continuing with the top stories of the morning, we’re back with breaking news out of the Sterling Heights area,” a cheerful woman began. “We take you live now to the Helixion Genetics campus, where a press briefing is ongoing.”

At the sound of ‘Helixion Genetics’, Elias damn near choked on his coffee. Tex rushed forward and grabbed the TV remote, and turned the volume up. He and Elias exchanged worried glances, but said nothing. Trevor looked at his brother with slight concern at the sudden movements. 

On screen was a rather nervous-looking man in an ill-fitting suit, standing next to and occasionally glancing at a much larger man. He repeatedly tugged at his tie as though the offending piece of clothing was choking him. The other man had an almost military air about him, his face flat and unyielding as he looked out at the small group of reporters. 

Elias would bet almost anything it was likely General Krell.

“... a lab animal escaped from the facility last night, and was struck by a passing motorist,” the Helixion representative said in an even voice. “There is no cause for alarm, the animal has been recaptured, and the site has been quarantined for observation. We will do everything we can to keep the public safe, but access to the facility is restricted, and no one without authorization should approach the site.”

Tex silently mouthed, “A lab animal?” to Elias, who didn't reply verbally but only looked at his plate as memories of the smilers danced across his vision. A sinking feeling grew in the pit of his stomach.

“General! General Krell, Amanda Preston, KZRM News 9. Can you confirm if the animal poses any risk to the general public? Witnesses state that it appeared to be infected.”

The camera panned first to a smartly dressed brown-haired woman, holding out a large microphone towards the General, before it panned back to General Krell, zooming in slightly.

“There is absolutely no cause for concern,” the General said, smiling intensely and giving a stern look to the man next to him before continuing. “The animal in question was recovered and all testing is being performed. We can confirm, however, that all testing has so far shown negative and no testing occurs at the facility that can harm humans in any way. Any other questions?”

Another reporter stepped forward, wearing a polo shirt and khaki pants.

“Mike Pollimero, KTVK News 48. Sir, how did the animal even escape?”

The General looked slightly perturbed before clearing his throat.

“A careless employee accidentally left a door open earlier this morning and it escaped from a secure area in one of our labs. Thankfully, nobody was injured in the process. An internal audit will be performed and we will be happy to share the results with everyone once we have them. We have a lot to do, so I think we will have to cut this briefing short. Thank you everyone.”

The news anchor reappeared at her desk, her face devoid of emotion, and resumed speaking. “We’ll return to this story as more details come in. Drivers on I-276 are advised to use alternate routes and avoid the surrounding area. We now go to Jim, over in the weather center for the 10 day forecast, Jim?”

Trevor pointed at the screen. “Ah... That’s why it took me so long to get home. Traffic was a real mess. I guess now we know why.”

Elias continued chewing, never taking his eyes off the plate, trying to come up with an explanation he didn’t really need. Tex was silently transfixed on the screen, flipping through several channels in search of more information, before finally stopping on a small news blurb about the lab.

“- lead geneticist, Dr. Clark Grant’s lawsuit with the employer. Comments from Dr. Grant and Helixion about the continuing lawsuit weren’t answered at the time of writing the story.”

“I know that guy! Clark! Sweetest guy ever.” He turned to Elias, who still hadn’t looked up. “Remember? We went to that funeral a few months back? I was his husband’s Infectious Disease doctor. So awful what happened.”

Elias swallowed hard before speaking. “I don’t… wait… I remember.” Then a flash of recognition. “Oh… Shit! You remember that guy that showed up wasted, and they had to cart him out? He damn near ruined the whole ceremony with his—oh god—" Elias shuddered hard as the connection, which had eluded him less than a day ago, finally clicked: "Jack. The CEO’s son, Jack.”

Tex turned his head slightly, his mouth forming an O shape. “You don’t mean… No way…”

“What?” Trevor asked. “What about Jack Blaine? I mean… I’ve heard things, but…”

Tex considered what he was about to say. Elias closed his eyes, and softly sighed. “I should have known. I should have known it was him.”

“What is it?” Trevor asked with alarm. 

“We…” Tex began but trailed off before he could continue, unsure whether he should discuss this with non-military personnel. “Okay, but swear on our mother’s life that you won’t repeat this!” Trevor nodded, silently acquiescing.

“We ran into Jack last night. At Helixion.”

“What do you mean you ran into him at Helixion? You guys were on a mission last night, weren’t you?” Trevor asked, a confused look on his face.

Elias reopened his eyes, and turned them toward Tex. After a deep breath, he slowly said, “I think we better tell him everything.”

—-----

Trevor was quiet for a long time after Elias and Tex told him the whole story. He rose without a word, and went to the window, just staring out. Then he turned around suddenly and faced them both.

“I swear, I really want to beat the stupid out of you both. You’re both lucky you weren’t killed,” he finally said. “And Jack just took off?”

“Yep. Ran right toward the smilers,” Tex said flatly. “And then right past them, too.”

“That’s when we lost Commander Briggs,” Elias said darkly. “He put a dart in one of them, but it just bounced off, like the creature was made of stone. Then it flung him across the room. We got the door open, and the fucker scratched my arm. Hurt like a bitch.”

“He ordered us to go, so we did. We got it closed again, and made a run for it. I twisted my ankle on the way out. Had to hobble for a while and take a cab to get back here,” Tex concluded. “Which reminds me…” He took out his mobile phone, and began a quick search for the cab company. “I owe that driver a tip for last night.”

“The thing that surprises me is that they’re trying to cover this all up. I know Clark, he’d be the first to blow a whistle on all this,” Trevor said, shaking his head. “I mean, he’s like a damn saint. You should have seen him with his boyfriend at the end.”

Elias didn’t feel any better after sharing this wild tale with his husband. He looked at Tex with worry. “So what are we going to do?”

Trevor closed the distance between them. “I have an idea. Toby, see if you can get into the mainframe of your operation. They don’t know you weren’t there, so if you,” pointing at Elias, “log in and mark him down as absent for some medical reason. If I remember correctly, the same company that makes our EHR makes your operations software. So, you should be able to backdate it so no one else knows. Meanwhile, Elias, let me look at the scratch. And don’t you dare be a baby about it.”

Elias quickly sat down. He knew that when Trevor gave an order regarding something medical, he was quite serious about compliance and didn’t need the same shit he gets from other adult patients. The fact he was using his first name without any emotion further drove the point home. Elias rolled up his shirt sleeve, knowing full well that Trevor would find only a healed scar. Tex went out of the room to give them privacy and to properly compensate the taxi driver.

Trevor came in close to inspect the scratch. He said nothing while he looked over the entire arm, puzzled. “I can’t find it. All I see is this thin white strip you didn’t have before. You’re sure it was this arm?”

“Positive,” Elias answered confidently. “Look at my torn jacket. It’s definitely this arm.”

Trevor didn’t believe him. “Hmm. I mean, it must have been a glancing blow.” He pulled the shirt sleeve back down. “But I don’t see anything to treat here.” Then he looked into Elias’s face before giving a slightly relieved smile. “Looks like you’ve been working out, too. Remind me to frisk you later.”

“You got it, babe,” Elias answered quietly, quietly sniffing the air. He then noticed that Trevor smelled different, but he couldn’t quite understand the change in scent. I should be smelling only his body wash, not antiseptic and hospital. Odd. 

Tex reentered, and closed his phone. “Cabbie’s all paid. Now let’s get into that database.” Trevor stood and picked up the laptop in both hands, and walked it over to the dining room table. Pulling out a chair, Tex seated himself, and Elias next to him while Trevor stood looking over his shoulder.

While it booted up, Elias went into the kitchen for another mug of coffee and to return his plate to the sink. At the splash page for the military website, Tex exchanged a glance with Elias, and then turned to Trevor. “I know you’re helping us, but… this is classified stuff. You know I can’t let you see this.”

Trevor stood to his full height, unoffended, and walked away from the table without a word. Tex returned to the computer, and began typing in passcodes and clearances. After a minute, Tex said, “You can come back now, little bro.” Trevor returned to the table as if nothing happened. Elias could swear he was hearing the heartbeat of his lover, and found he could not take his eyes off him. The stare was more of a desire to mate than one of pure love. In his mind, he was undressing Trevor while Tex’s back was turned, eager to show him a few new tricks. 

He was snapped back to the moment when Tex repeated, “Eli, you’ll have to log in here. If I do it, the system will record my virtual entry.” Elias nodded twice, and took the laptop from Tex. After a few keystrokes, he was in. Scanning the ledger for the Black Sigma roster, Elias quickly found what was wanted. 

“All right, here’s the list of assigned soldiers for last night’s mission. Scroll, scroll, scroll… And here you are. I’ll just mark that as absent for medical reasons… backdate it for three days ago… And… presto! All done.” He turned to Tex triumphantly. “You were never there, my friend.”

Tex chucked darkly, the laugh not reaching his face. “I wish it were that easy to erase the memory of it.”

Elias returned to the screen. “I know what you mean.” 

Looking to dispel the gloomy mood, Trevor continued outlining his plan. “Okay, now reassign him to the DARPA crew.” With a few clicks and keystrokes, Elias completed this task. “I’m thinking that, while you’re there, you can find out what’s going on, what they were doing in Helixion, and whether your comrades are still alive. Having an inside man will give us an edge, help us figure out what we’re dealing with, and whether there’s any danger to the outside world.”

Tex nodded, saying nothing. And he just came up with this in a flash. Way to go, bro.

“While we’ve got it turned on, let’s look at the Helixion website. See if I can get a clearer picture of the scene.”

Elias typed hurriedly, and after a minute or two, the Helixion website displayed on the laptop. “Let’s have a look at the personnel of the facility. Maybe we’ll recognize some faces.”

Before long, the three of them were reading the professional biography of Dr. Clark Grant. But all the other employees - at least the higher-up employees - had pictures and awkwardly smiling pictures. They all looked so corporate. Dr. Grant’s was the only one missing; in fact, it looked like it had been removed forcibly. In its place, a solid black bar reading ‘pending internal review’ was in its place.

—------

Hours later…

“OK, let’s review the plan: Toby will return to the lab, and be reassigned to the quarantine crew. I’ll do what I can with the information. Text me on the burner phone you’ll be getting when you can.”

“Got it.”

“And Elias, I think it would be a good idea to go see Dr. Grant. I know where he lives, and I’ll write his address down for you. It’s not too far from my work if memory serves me right. He might be able or willing to fill in the blanks for you.” Trevor stifled a yawn. “There is more going on than you were told, without a doubt. And if he has any answers, he’ll definitely be willing to help us. They cannot get away with it.”

“They won’t,” Elias agreed. “And besides, we still have to rescue Zero.” Upon saying this, his mind suddenly connected to an external source. He could account for each of his missing teammates except for Zero. All of them were taken by the smilers, and he knew each one was fine. Changed, but still alive.

Shit. Zero. They must have killed him. His eyes began to tear up at the thought of his comrade sacrificing himself to ensure Elias and Tex escaping, and he turned away. Trevor put a consoling hand on Elias’s shoulder, saying nothing.

Tex let out a loud breath. “Whew. All right, it’s a good plan. Let’s get to it!” Tex stood from the chair, and collected what personal items were around the front room. Elias tried to take a few quiet calming breaths, and noticed he was getting hard again while Trevor soothed him by rubbing his shoulders. 

“Toby, take it easy on that ankle,” Trevor cautioned. 

“I’ll call you if I need anything,” Tex said. “Thanks, guys. Be safe.” Tex went out the door quickly.

“Hey! Can you at least pick up your dishes?” Trevor called after him. 

—-----------

Trevor wrote an address on the notepad, and tore it off loudly, its sharpness harsh on Elias’s ears. He handed it to Elias, saying, “Here you go. That’s his name, address, and phone number. Take my car, and keep a low profile otherwise.”

Elias pocketed the paper, and then suddenly planted a hard wet kiss on Trevor, who reacted with surprise. “Hey! Mmm.. Hey, take it easy.”

Elias pulled back a little. “Your brother is gone now, so we have the place to ourselves,” he said seductively. “How about we have a little fun before I go?” Elias grinned amorously. 

“Babe, as much as I love how clingy you are suddenly, I need to get a little sleep before work tonight, and you have investigating to do,” Trevor said, smiling as he looked Elias in the face.

Trevor started to pull away from Elias to go to the bedroom, but Elias wouldn’t let go of his hand. His grip was stronger than Trevor remembered, and found himself a little flummoxed when he couldn’t move beyond an arm’s length. “What, baby? What is it?” he enquired with curiosity.

Do it. If he wants answers, he can get an up close and personal experience, the voice whispered. Elias paused for only a half a second, unnerved. This time, Elias didn’t fight against it. “I’m going to fuck you right here on this table.” Elias pushed Trevor down on the glass tabletop, and tried to kiss him again.

“Right… Hey, hey, not here, babe. We EAT at this table,” Trevor objected. Seizing the shorts in both hands, Elias yanked them down and pinned Trevor against the table. 

“Damn straight we do!” He raised Trevor up on the tabletop, pushed his legs over his head, and began licking Trevor’s hole with his tongue. Although they had experimented with rimming before, Trevor wasn’t really into it, but this time it was different. 

“Babe, seriously, I don’t want to have to take another shower because I’m covered in crumbs from you and To….. oh god… Eli…” His eyes began to roll back in his head as a wave of dopamine rushed through him, stirring a passion and hunger long forgotten. Elias’s tongue breached the soft tissue with a frenzy he had never felt before. Eating his husband’s hole out like he hadn’t tasted him before became a ravenous, frenetic energy. Trevor moaned, and began to reconsider his aversion to the activity. 

Then, as suddenly as it began, it was over. Elias had again caught a whiff of the chemical smell coming off Trevor, and he suddenly stopped and pulled back, retching. Trevor lowered his feet to the floor, curious what stopped their fun. 

“Okay, that’s the second time you’ve done that this morning, and I know for a fact I’m clean down there,” Trevor said with alarm. “Tell me right now. I know something is up, and you’re not acting normal. What the fuck is going on with you?” 

Elias rushed to the kitchen sink, and began another round of dry heaving. Between breaths, he began to say, “I’m sorry… darling… something you’re wearing is making me feel nauseous. Did you change soap or something? I…” Elias had to fight back another dry hurl, his words almost guttural as he choked up phlegm and bile. “I... keep smelling something chemical… like a hospital.”

Elias finally was able to clear his throat, going over to the sink and spitting out a large glob of saliva.

Trevor smelled under his arms, but got only the scent of soap and deodorant. “I don’t smell anything like a hospital.” Elias gave another heave into the sink, and then began to run the tap. “Babe, you’re scaring me. I think I need to take you to the clinic, get you looked at. I can just crash in the on-call room in the clinic.”

“What about Dr. Grant?”

“He can wait. He’ll still be there later. Hopefully. But YOU are my utmost priority right now.” Trevor pulled the shorts back up, and promptly went to the bedroom for his keys and wallet, as well as a clean pair of scrubs and his hospital badge. Elias pushed himself up from the sink with both hands, turned off the water, and just stared into the backsplash. He turned about, and going through the dining room, he spotted the wall mirror. He went over to it and examined himself in the reflection.

“What am I doing? Who am I? What the fuck is wrong with me?” he asked his reflection. He observed that his face seemed somehow foreign to him, and he leaned in for a closer look. It was then he noticed that his teeth had a different shape. It was barely noticeable, but recent dental work kept him aware of what his mouth looked like. And then he saw something entirely new.

The teeth had grown longer by a fraction of an inch. Reaching up a shaking hand, he pressed the tip of his index finger, pulling back suddenly as he felt the sharpness of the point of his incisor.

[Anone]

Another great chapter which feels really erotic and horny building up on what we know. To read that Elias is slowly turning into one of the already infected ones is showing the authors inventive mind and the way it's written in such detail has pulled me in. I just hope there's more to chapters to follow. 

[leatherpunk16]

14 hours ago, Anone said:

Another great chapter which feels really erotic and horny building up on what we know. To read that Elias is slowly turning into one of the already infected ones is showing the authors inventive mind and the way it's written in such detail has pulled me in. I just hope there's more to chapters to follow. 

Be assured that there WILL be more chapters to follow. Check back every Friday for a new one.

And thanks for the kind words for us. 

[BearCubCuntBoi]

This type of quality is what I strive to create myself someday...Really hoping I can use this as inspiration to make some content of my own. Who knows...Maybe I'll send a message to the both of you asking if I might use some themes from this one once I pin down how horny I wanna be in my writing~...

[leatherpunk16]

Chapter 13: Freedom’s False Hope

Helixion Genetics, North Hallway, Building 3, Basement Level 5, Employee Bathroom. REDACTED LOCATION. 0430 MST. 31-Oct-20XX

Jack had been hiding in a disused bathroom stall since running from his rescue team and the smilers. The hypersexual creatures did not give pursuit as Jack ran back through the length of the maintenance room, and into the long hallway. The first exit he found, he took: a seldom-used unisex bathroom on the basement floor. He locked himself in the room, and for added security, he entered a stall, shut its door, and locked himself inside that. 

Jack spent the next few hours curled up in the fetal position on the toilet, not making a sound until he fell into sleep. After a few hours had passed in silence, he awoke to find that nothing in the room had changed. No smilers were after him. He carefully opened the bathroom stall door, and peeked outside it. The room was just as he had found it. Tiptoeing out, he went to the sink and washed his face as quietly as he could. 

Then an idea came out of nowhere. He weighed the possibilities, and decided it was his best chance. Jack drank a couple handfuls of tap water, and carefully went to the bathroom door. Unlocking it, he paused, and waited for any sounds of movement on the other side. Nothing. He cautiously opened the door a crack, and peered into the hallway. Again, no movement, no sound. Relieved, he opened the door wider until he could exit. Jack turned back to the maintenance hallway, and gently moved down the hall until he was back at the large room. 

Boxes. I must get all the boxes. Cats like boxes. Monsters might be discouraged by them.

Jack shook his head. Concentrate! You blew it, and you’re alone again. Fo. Cus.

Inhaling deeply through his nose, Jack cautiously opened the door to the maintenance room. It was eerily quiet. Dawn would be coming soon, and the smilers would be asleep. It was his best chance to make a getaway. Walking inside, he found his makeshift cardboard box fort that he started earlier in the night. He scanned his memory just to be sure he didn’t fill them with anything that might make a noise. No filled boxes stood out. One by one, Jack moved them over toward the gate that separated him from freedom. Some boxes could be carried two at a time, and as his pile grew, he continued to watch his surroundings for observers. 

He didn’t even dare to breathe as he slowly crossed the room and moved boxes, maneuvering around the jumble of medical equipment and fixtures. One silent step after another, then another, and taking care to not touch anything other than his brown squares. After what felt like an eternity, Jack was back at the gate with all of them. The gate was still closed fast, and the green-lit numeric keypad awaited an input.

Jack began to set them up to resemble a wall. Stacking them one on top of another, the cardboard wall quickly materialized, and Jack was finished. He looked at his handiwork, and stood back, proud of his exertions. 

I can be safe from view while I get the door open. And if the smilers should come upon me, it will buy me time to finish working. He hoped it would work. Then he realized he might be stuck after all.

Wait! If I press the buttons, it’ll beep each time, and the mean creatures will hear it. They’ll come for me again, and I need to go!

Suddenly, an idea hit him. He quickly and quietly pulled off his tattered jacket, and did his best to stuff the garment around the keypad to muffle the sounds it would doubtlessly emit. The job was sloppy, but it was his only idea, and time wasn’t on his side. With his index finger, he nervously pushed the ‘1’ key, and held the makeshift muffler with the other hand. The keypad beeped, as expected, but its echo was held back somewhat by the wadded-up jacket. 

Jack swiftly looked around the immediate area to see if anything was about to pounce on him. But there was nothing. He pressed the ‘2’ key, and checked his surroundings again. Still nothing. Emboldened by his success thus far, he entered the remaining code until he heard the lock release. He pulled on the rusty handle, and found the door almost didn’t budge. Frustrated, he took two ends of the jacket that were still poking through the bars, and tugged some more. 

The door gave a loud, undisguisable screech as its hinges finally gave way to Jack’s forceful opening. He didn’t stop to look about, and strained every muscle to move the door even an inch. Little by little, the stubborn rusty thing gave way as its hinges squealed and groaned. A scream growl was heard at a distance - quite likely the next room. This time, Jack stopped pulling and turned in a half-circle, expecting a smiler or two behind him. He saw nothing moving, but knew they were closing in. “No no no no no no…” He turned back to the door, and pulled a little more, desperately this time. It barely moved.

Sensing no time to waste, Jack squeezed himself through what little opening he had created, and hoped his body would bend around the rest. Something finally went right for Jack since this whole ordeal began, and he fit through the gap with a little tugging and pushing. He let out a groan as his wiry frame pressed against the sturdy but stubborn door, especially where it crossed his ribcage. Finally, he found himself on the other side of it. 

Just then, the wall of boxes exploded as one of the smilers burst through it. Jack gave a startled inhalation and stifled a cry. He turned toward the exit, and raced down the passage, completely neglecting to close the door behind him. His footsteps thundered down the tunnel as he continued his mad dash to freedom, and he couldn’t get there fast enough to embrace it. 

The smiler who destroyed his makeshift wall let out a scream growl, and found the noisy door to be almost no challenge. It ripped the door off its hinges, giving one last high-pitched screech before it was separated from its frame. Tossing it aside, the smiler took off after Jack.

Jack finally reached the end of the tunnel, and leapt through the opening, not caring where he landed. As soon as he touched dirt, he let out a low grunt on impact, and then resumed running and vanished into the darkness.

—--------

Helixion Genetics, exterior. REDACTED LOCATION. 0500 MST. 31-Oct-20XX. 

The watch had been a boring, uneventful one. Garrett Morrison took this job only for the money, but he had hoped for more excitement. Growing up watching a lot of movies about prison escapes and science fiction and cop dramas gave him the false impression that security of important places would be just like that. High-stakes drama, medical espionage, and intrigue on such jobs had so far eluded him. This was his seventh posting for guarding a facility on the night watch, and it was just as dull as the first six.

His partner, a no-nonsense blonde woman, was almost as restless as he, but she disguised it well. Caroline Fisher was still wet behind the ears in security, having been demoted from the police force after taking the fall during a jewel heist, and she was none too pleased with the abrupt change in careers. She, too, was here for the money to raise the two children that two men had left her to raise without any support, and she could at least work nights to provide for her fractured family. 

Working with them - or more likely, overseeing them - was Patrolman Beau Cosgrove. His career as a policeman had been uneventful, and saw mostly routine work: speeding drivers, DUIs, and the occasional shoplifter, all coming with an avalanche of paperwork. Beau was in late middle age, and set to retire in four years with a healthy pension. He was proud of the fact that he had never lost a perp or taken fire in the line of duty. He lived and breathed Blue, and expected his children would do likewise. 

“I want to do a perimeter check,” Garrett said, not disguising the boredom in his voice. 

“Go right ahead,” Beau said with a non-committal nod of the head. “Check in if you find anything.” 

“Yessir.” With that, Garrett turned down the right side of the building, and disappeared from sight. 

Caroline needed something to pass the time. “Patrolman.” Beau was listening, and said nothing. “Do you know what we’re guarding here?”

“Nope,” was the only answer he would give. 

“Can you even guess? It’s just a science lab.”

“Nope.”

She adjusted her belt slightly, shook her feet out, and tried to occupy her mind. Patrolman Cosgrove wasn’t interested in conversation. “May I do a round when Morrison comes back?”

“Sure.” Beau stood stiffly at his post like a sentry. “No more talking.”

Well, aren’t you just a fun one, she thought derisively. Then something new came into view. A man in a torn white dress shirt and black slacks was running across the parking lot at top speed. Caroline instantly drew her firearm and pointed it at the man.

“Freeze!” She ran in the man’s direction, accompanied by Beau. Finally, some action! her mind shouted. “On the ground! Now!”

The man stopped his run at once, and dropped to his knees quickly with his hands in the air. As Caroline reached the disheveled man, she could see that he was dressed like a business executive, except that his clothes were almost ruined. She could smell him before she reached him, and a vile chemical odor and days of unwash made her scrunch up her face. 

“Hands where I can see them! Now!” she ordered.

“Please don’t shoot me! I just want to go home,” the man pleaded.

“You are in a restricted zone,” Caroline demanded. “You got any ID on you?”

The man raised his head to her, keeping his fingers splayed outwardly, and almost sobbing. “I… I’m… Johnathan Blaine. My dad’s the CEO of this company. Everyone calls me Jack.”

“Bullshit! Back on the ground,” Beau ordered. 

“Please, let me go!” Jack pleaded. “I’ve been trapped here for days, and I just want to go home. No more spit, no more smilers, no more scary military men or guns or boxes! Please, you have to believe me!” Jack shot a glance over his left shoulder, his eyes darting around, looking for a safe place. “We have to go, or they’ll catch me again. You don’t want to become one, too!”

The name was familiar to Caroline, but anyone could have known that, and without ID, he could just be lying. “What the hell are you talking about?” 

Jack let himself sit down, and kept his hands where they could be seen. Namely, on his face as he sobbed with both relief and fear of getting shot at the one-yard line. “They got them all. Every last one. But I escaped! I escaped, I escaped, I escaped… I wasn’t supposed to be here…” 

“Damn right you’re not. Where did you come from?” Caroline said.

Jack could only let out soft choking cries of relief. Finding sympathy for the man, Caroline lowered her weapon, and turned to Beau. “What do you think? This guy legit?” 

“Maybe,” Beau replied, his voice devoid of emotion. Caroline kept her pistol in one hand while trying to raise Jack to his feet with the other. “Take him.”

“You’re coming with us,” she said. “This is a restricted area, and even if you are who you say you are, you’re still not supposed to be here. You may have been exposed to chemicals and infection while in the labs.”

Jack’s face turned to alarm, eyes wild with terror and helplessness. He knew he wasn’t getting out of this. “No, no infection. They never took me and changed me. They spat on me over and over and over, and now I’m free, so they don’t get to chase me around anymore! And neither do you!” Jack gave Caroline a mighty shove - or what he thought was a mighty shove - and she stumbled backwards as he tried to turn and flee. Reacting quickly, Beau knocked Jack over the head, and he instantly collapsed to the cold pavement. 

“Quarantine,” Beau ordered. “Take him.”

Caroline let out a sigh of relief, thankful she wouldn’t have to put a bullet in this guy. Whatever he’d been through, she recognized that he was traumatized by the ordeal, and would likely need medical attention. He’s an exposure risk. You have to take him. Quickly, she pulled out a pair of nitrile gloves before she removed the handcuffs from her belt, forced Jack’s arms behind him, and cuffed him. Beau assisted her with raising Jack to his feet, and finally holstered his weapon. Caroline did likewise when she was sure Jack was subdued. 

“Quarantine tents are around front, right?” she asked. Beau nodded silently. “Come on, sir. We’ll get you cleaned up, and you’re going to spend the night in holding,” she said as she walked Jack around toward the front of the facility. Jack sobbed silently all the way, not knowing what would happen to him next. 

Beau returned to his post without a word, but before he got there, a volley of something wet and sticky struck his face. He began to draw his weapon for the thing that assailed him, but the chemicals acted fast, and Beau was lying awkwardly on a plot of grass before ten seconds had elapsed. 

A lone smiler stepped out of the shadows. He sniffed the air for other nearby guards, and then encroached on his prey. It knelt beside Beau, and wasted no time undressing him. The smiler flipped him over onto his back; Beau was probably flying and unaware of what was happening. The belt was undone in a flash, and the dark blue pants were pulled down to Beau’s ankles. The creature didn’t even bother with the boots, but raised Beau up by the legs until his shoulders and knees were almost touching. Then it drooled into Beau’s anus, and tongued the puckered flesh so the entry would be slick. 

The smiler grinned wickedly as it lubricated itself, and got its large dick ready for what must be done. 

—----

Garrett’s perimeter search found nothing of value. Every time he saw movement, it was something harmless like a squirrel or chipmunk scurrying into the bushes. The soft hooting of an owl in an overhead tree leant an eerie Halloween vibe to the whole scene. This was as exciting as it got, but Garrett was grateful for something different to look at after the long night watch with nothing happening. 

As he finished his patrol, one discovery was made: an opening in the side of the building. Its metal grate looked like it had been kicked out forcibly, but still swung, ready to be closed again. Garrett looked around hurriedly in hopes that no one was nearby to see him inspect it. Then his nose caught an odor that sent him reeling. The grate was somewhat damp, and had only a small amount of a  viscous and sticky residue in one spot, as if a wet hand had pushed it open from inside. Garrett drew his weapon, and peered into the tunnel behind it. He shone his flashlight down the shaft, but could see nothing. He’d seen enough movies to know that calling into a dark tunnel might cause something inside to come out swinging at you, so he didn’t vocalize into it.

Standing up from the tunnel, he activated his radio on the shoulder. “Cosgrove, this is Morrison. I’ve found an open grate on the side of the building.” But Beau didn’t answer him. The next voice he heard was Caroline’s. “That’s probably how this guy got out.”

Garrett stood blinking with confusion. “What guy?”

Caroline’s voice again answered him. “We caught a man escaping the facility. Says his name is Johnathan ‘Jack’ Blaine. I’ve taken him over to quarantine for questioning and holding while we verify his identity.”

“Ten-four,” Garrett answered. “Cosgrove, come in.” Garrett got no reply. “Cosgrove, come in,” he repeated. Only radio silence answered him.

“Go check on him,” Caroline answered. “He should be back at post.” 

Garrett knew this was bad news. How many times had he seen a film of any genre where someone wasn’t answering their radio, and something bad was currently happening to them? Garrett holstered his weapon, and dashed back to the assigned area. 

What he found shook his senses and defied belief. Something large and black as night was visible against the grass, and visibly copulating with something he couldn’t quite see. Garrett could make out a pair of boot soles in the air on each side of the thing that was kneeling upright and thrusting its pelvis. Garrett drew his weapon, and stopping in his tracks, he shouted, “Freeze! Hands where I can see them!” He pointed his pistol at the muscular monster, who stopped its movements, and looked over its right shoulder with one slow, creepy turn of its head. 

Garrett slightly lowered his pistol in disbelief. The creature resembled a man, but didn’t. Its features were mostly disguised by the darkness, but he could make out several large teeth, all shining like daggers. The creature hocked back deeply, and from its mouth shot a wad of spit at Garrett. He feigned to his right, and the gob missed its target. The creature resumed fucking its prey at a frantic pace, trying desperately to finish the job. 

Garrett fired a single shot at the creature. Bulls-eye. He had shot it in the back, and the beast howled in pain. Then it withdrew from Beau, leaving his body in a slump on the grass, and turned to Garrett. It gave a scream growl, prompting Garrett to cover his ears with both hands, and then it fled into the woods before Garrett could fire at him again. With the monstrosity out of sight, Garrett rushed over to Beau and knelt beside him, checking for vitals. “You’re okay, Cosgrove. It’s gone now, just breathe.” 

Garrett instantly activated his radio. “This is Garrett Morrison, I need backup NOW at the security post. Officer down, I repeat, officer down! Paramedics required at the security post! Bring a gurney, STAT!”

Garrett then noticed that Beau’s face was covered in the same sticky substance that was on the metal grate, and tried to wipe it off to facilitate breathing. The creature had been raping him, and Beau’s facial expression was one of infinite bliss. His small pecker stood at full attention, and mentally, Beau was wondering why the surprise romp had suddenly ended.

Garrett looked back at the spot where the creature had fled. “What the fuck was that?”

As Garrett’s voice faded from earshot, the creature continued its frenetic charge through the woods, never stopping for a second. In its memory, the smiler recalled its former life as an accountant with a boring desk job. But crunching numbers and sending invoices had done nothing to prepare him for getting shot. The smiler let this thought go - it felt like someone else’s life, a long time ago - and leapt over a fallen log. It could see what looked like moving lights up ahead, and it instinctively ran towards them. Finally coming out of the woods and to a paved road, the thing suddenly collided with a large semi-truck, which sent it hurling into a tree on the curve up ahead. As the creature sailed through the air, it thought, Too damn short. Darkness overtook him on impact with the tree as the first shafts of daylight began to appear on the horizon. 

Edited October 3 by leatherpunk16

[Anone]

Wow this is a hot and horny story as one creature is on the loose and more are bound to follow.  Cosgrove is bound to be late smiler and need to satisfy his need to reproduce. Great horny story and I hope there's more to follow. 

[kspozcum]

Chapter 14: The Book of Elias

Trevor’s private office, Clearbrook University Medical- Steighn Research Building. 1020 MST. REDACTED location. 31-Oct-20XX

Elias sat atop the medical table with his legs dangling uncomfortably, the paper covering beneath him crinkling noisily as he tried to find a comfortable part of the hard blue cushion. Trevor sat at a cart/desk which held a computer and its monitor in a most awkward way, clicking through several screens and remote connections that Elias couldn’t see.

“All right,” Trevor finally said. “The lab just confirmed receipt of your blood sample, and we’ll have the results in a little while.” Trevor opened a new document, and said, “Now, babe, be completely honest with me: tell me everything you’ve experienced since returning from your mission.”

Elias sighed loudly while he tried to recall all the unusual occurrences. “Let’s see… I can hear and smell everything much stronger. And I feel physically stronger, like, abnormally stronger…Um… when I was in the shower, I… sorta hit the wall, and the tile cracked. Don’t know if that’s relevant. When I looked in the mirror, my eyes were severely dilated, and I shit you not, I swear I could see the veins beneath my face.”

“Weird,” Trevor said flatly as he typed. “Go on.”

“There was the sweating this morning, and disorientation. You saw those. My spit seems thicker, too. I noticed it when I was bent over the kitchen sink and spit out that goober.”

“Interesting.”

“What else, what else…” Elias struggled to remember more. “Oh, and my teeth seem kind of sharp, too.” Trevor stopped typing, and looked at Elias with a raised eyebrow. Lines began to form in his forehead. 

“Your teeth?”, Trevor asked, bewildered.

“Yeah, they just look different. I know you’re not a dentist, but that seems abnormal. Didn’t I just get a crown put in a couple months back?” 

“You did, babe. We’re still paying for it,” Trevor added with a gentle smile.

Elias winced, not sure if laughter or even a chuckle would be appropriate. He raised his upper lip with a single finger. “Here, take a look. It's not supposed to be this pointy or sharp.” 

Trevor wheeled his stool over to Elias who was holding his mouth open. Trevor didn't see anything unusual, but when he touched a finger to a molar, it did indeed feel sharp and ready to slice a finger at a slight graze. Trevor said nothing, but wheeled his stool back to the desk, and resumed his entries.

“My speech was pretty slurred last night when Toby and I waited for the cab,” Elias recounted. Trevor entered this detail as well.

“As for how I physically feel… horny. Definitely horny. Like I could screw for days.”

“We’re gay. It’s a given.” Trevor said with a wink. “What else?”

“I feel ten years younger,” Elias continued. “No joint pain, no muscle pain, not anything that could be a hurt. Like I’m super-caffienated, but without the hyperness and the jitters. And like I could take on the world.”

“I … don’t think that’s a symptom of anything.” Trevor entered the information anyway, no matter how irrelevant it may be.

“This may be out of your field,” Elias began with concern. “I keep hearing a voice in my head.” Trevor stopped typing, and looked at Elias, alarmed.

“You’re hearing voices?” 

“No, just one voice,” Elias explained. “Like someone’s in my head. Telling me to do things. Remember when I tried to fuck you on the table? That was one of those things. And I heard the same voice when we were in the bedroom and I got sick. And when Tex – Toby – was bent over in the fridge.” He stopped, and tried to recall another instance, but decided that was enough examples.

Trevor slowly resumed typing, fearing his new husband might have a mental disorder.

“I think that’s everything. Oh, and my urine smelled funky this morning.” Trevor finished entering the data, and silently reviewed it on his monitor. After a minute, he said, “None of these things sound like any sickness I know of. And this started after the smiler, as you call it, scratched you?”

“Yep.”

Trevor sat blinking and pondering, but came up empty. “Hmm.” More silence. Finally, he said, “My initial prognosis is that maybe it's all just a reaction, not necessarily an infection, and it could subside after a day or two. I really can't say more than that until we see your blood work.”

Elias expected neither more nor less.

—---------

Helixion Genetics, South Passage, Ground Floor. Building 3, Security Room. 1032 MST. 31-Oct-20XX.  REDACTED location. 

Zero had been watching the building’s external camera feeds for the past hour. A swarm of people in medvac gear had been setting up holding tents and quarantine through the night, and now a dais had been erected. It looked to be set up for some kind of conference or briefing, and without the benefit of audio, Zero could only speculate what it was for.

So far, the door of the room had held, and Zero spent the night in here undisturbed. He would occasionally check the feeds for any sign of his comrades, but there was nothing for most of the night. Once in a while, one of the monsters would be out on the prowl, but they didn’t come near where he was holed up, so it wasn’t a concern. Only one thing caught his interest for a brief moment: an external camera from the parking lot showed a few seconds of footage where two figures came from out of the frame. One was clearly supporting the other who was limping along with his foot dangling in the air. Zero couldn’t make out their faces, but he had a strong feeling that it was two of his men. They hobbled off into the woods and were gone after only a short sighting. 

Zero barely slept. Every time he closed his eyes, he kept seeing the assault and brutal violation of Patch and Pixel. When the whole facility had gone quiet and still, Zero managed to nod off for at least a cat nap. His rations were good enough to keep him in here another day if he needed it, but with the forces outside and daylight, Zero was convinced that the worst was over, and he’d leave this room very soon. He wasn’t going to use the PA system to alert them to his presence, lest he be considered hostile and a threat. Recon and stealth were his specialty, and those were certainly needed skills right now.

He took a peanut butter protein bar from his front pocket, and unwrapped it, chewing slowly as he watched the outside crew in their various tasks. Familiarizing himself with the layout of the facility through the cameras and where everyone was, sneaking out undetected wouldn’t be easy. Waiting them out wasn’t exactly an option, either: his rations, what little he had on him, would run out, and searching the facility for food or water wasn’t safe. 

Zero continued watching the feeds, hoping for some indication that it would be safe to go. His team didn’t have all the intel going into the operation, leading him to posit that he couldn’t trust other forces, especially where General Krell was involved. Then he saw something curious on one monitor. A second team came into view, and they didn’t look like military of his own branch. Zero’s stomach clenched when he recognized the uniform: SWAT.

Like a swarm of locusts, a team in heavy tactical gear and gas masks emerged from a van, each carrying standard military issue weaponry. Zero knew he was trapped. Time to go!, he thought. Zero grabbed his webbing and bergan, and after unbarring the door, he left the room as fast as he could. 

They’ll be here before I know it. If I hide and sneak out as they’re coming in…

That would be the best option. Capture would most likely mean interrogation for intel he didn’t have, or getting subjected to testing, or possibly being shot on sight. None of these outcomes were appealing. Zero began to run through the corridors, his mind racing the whole time as he tried to think of a suitable hiding place. I have to survive. Someone has to corroborate Reaper and Tex and Gravestone, and I can’t be seen here! Hide!

But hide where? You don’t know this place.

Zero came to a stop in his tracks. He was now in Accounts Receivable, and no doubt the SWAT team would search the ground floor first. I need to get to higher ground, buy myself more time. Then he looked up.

Higher ground… Yes! A smile broke out on his face as he figured it out. Zero climbed on a desk, and then carefully balanced on the top of an office cubicle divider. He was at the highest elevation in the room, and pressing against the ceiling tiles, he made an opening. The tile was pushed inside the ceiling; after tossing his bergan up into the rafters, and a simple jump, Zero pulled himself up inside the space between. It reminded him of when he did so the previous night when he hid from the smilers while Patch and Pixel were attacked. The smilers hadn’t detected him then, and maybe he could fool the SWAT team as well. He quickly replaced the ceiling tile, and just as he did so, he heard a familiar hissing below his position.

Shit, they’re gassing the place! Zero left his bergan and began to scurry along the steel frame inside the ceiling support. A couple minutes passed, but the smoke was already rising up into the ceiling. Zero then knew he couldn’t maintain his position - he would be knocked out before he found any exit, and up here, he was practically running around in the dark. His pace began to slow as the chemicals began to make him unnaturally sleepy, and his limbs became too heavy to move. 

This can’t be the end. Too bad. I was looking forward to those seashells.

Zero tried to stay awake, his eyes burning, and his breathing became laboured. Exhaustion and the chemicals in the air finally caught up to him, and he keeled over, and crashed through the ceiling to the foggy room below. Zero landed face down on the hard laminated floor, and passed into unconsciousness.

***

“What did you find?”

“A man in combat gear, Sir. According to records, his name’s Lieutenant Mason Hawke. Part of the Black Sigma team. Looks like he was hiding in the ceiling.”

“Status?”

“Alive but unconscious. What should we do with him, Sir?”

Silence. “Put him in with Blaine and Cosgrove. He… could be useful.”

“At once, General!” 

General Krell appraised the unconscious Zero on the floor, and then turned back to the soldier. “Anything else to report?”

“Nothing, Sir. He’s the only body we found.”

“Damn it. Keep looking. Dismissed.”

The soldier gave a sharp salute, and left. Krell’s mouth twisted, almost into a snarl. “That’s one more for the experiment. But where are the others…?”

—--------

Trevor’s private office. Clearbrook University Medical - Steighn Research Building. 1052 MST. 31-Oct-20XX. REDACTED location.

The phone on Trevor’s office desk rang, causing both of them to jump as Trevor quickly reached over and grabbed the phone. Activating the speakerphone, he set the phone to the side, grabbing a small notepad and pen.

“Hey Dr. Kade, it’s James down in the lab. I just wanted to let you know we have some critical levels to report,” the bubbly sounding male voice said.

“Sure, I’m ready, go ahead,” Trevor said, looking up at Elias before readying his pen. Elias did not meet his gaze, instead looking at the floor with shame and concern.

“So, the CBC is showing a massive spike in total white blood cells at 27. Hemoglobin is at 21. eGFR is… huh… this has to be an error, just says high limit. Cholesterol is…. Wow, this guy must have like no body fat, it's at 14. Never seen one that low. TSH is 0.2.  We’re still waiting on total counts, but the respiratory PCR panel was negative, same with the liver panel, normal sepsis workup was negative on all growth, but we won’t have that finished for another day or two. D-Dimer is normal…”

Trevor only nodded, quickly writing down the numbers with a calm demeanor. The words sounded like Greek to Elias, and he just sat back and watched as Trevor continued writing.

“Wow, sounds like this guy is a meathead… Testosterone is 1790. Jeez, buddy, take it easy on the gym juice, am I right, Doc? Drug screen is completely negative. Oh, we went ahead and added in an STI workup as part of your standing orders. It’s finalizing now,” the bubbly voice said, continuing to mumble under his breath as he read off various other letters and number combinations.

“All right, let's see here… CT and GC non-reactive... TB Gamma is 0.03, Hep B surface antigen is non-reactive, same with the Hep C antibody. HIV RNA still is waiting to come back since that's a send out, but it does look like the p24 antigen is detected. Did you want me to go ahead and add on a Genosure with it? We can also run a CD3, CD4, CD8 if you want.”

Trevor froze with shock, and locked eyes with Elias, saying nothing. Then he returned to the notepad. Then raised his eyes again in disbelief. “God, that … doesn’t seem possible…” Trevor’s voice trailed off. “I, um, yeah, that’s fine. Thanks for the rush on that, James,” Trevor said, looking shocked and confused as he spoke.

“Any time, Doc. The girls on night shift wanted me to tell you thank you for the pizza the other night.”

“Uh… yeah sure. Any time,” Trevor said, before finally taking the phone off of speakerphone and hanging it up. 

“What is it?” Trevor didn’t answer. “In mercy, tell me what it means!”, Elias said in a near-panic.

Trevor licked his lips, as if about to give voice, but still said nothing. He couldn’t comprehend it. They both had blood tests before, even shortly before the wedding, but Elias’s results were nothing like this on previous screenings. Confused, he made a few clicks in the chart before finally printing out the results onto the small printer in the corner of his office.

“Honey, you’re scaring me,” Elias said with trepidation. “Explain to me what they said.” Trevor still didn’t answer, didn’t know how to begin. Unable to stand the suspense any longer, Elias snatched the paper from the printer, and looked for himself. 

Trevor finally found the words to speak. “I don’t get it. These numbers and the timeline, it doesn’t make sense. You were literally negative a week ago and on the test we got before getting married. The p24 doesn’t even show up for at least 16 days. Babe… just be honest with me… How long have you had HIV? And why the hell didn’t I know about it?” 

Sure enough, Elias turned to the second page, and found the accusatory words right there.

“P24 HIV PROTEIN: REACTIVE.”

Elias could only drop his jaw in stunned silence, and then, dropped the pages to the floor.

“Baby, I’m sorry,” Trevor began to say, trying not to cry himself. “I don’t understand it. The numbers make zero sense. There must have been a mix-up in the lab. We double-check, don’t worry. It’s rare, but something could have happened.” Elias started to break down into a quiet sob. Trevor took Elias’s head in both his hands. “Honey, I trust you, okay? I. Trust. You. This has got to be a mistake.” Elias didn’t stop sobbing, the tears already streaming. “I love you,” Trevor reassured him. “I’ll be by your side, no matter what those test results say.” 

Then a revelation hit him. “Waaaaait a second…” Trevor returned to the desk without sitting. He looked over the symptoms Elias had described. “I thought so.” He poked his head above the monitor, hoping Elias would meet his gaze. “None of the things you describe, except for the sweating part, is a symptom of HIV. And that sweating could be any number of things. You’re still taking the Truvada, right?”

Elias started to feel relief wash over him as Trevor’s explanation started to make sense. “Yeah… I don’t miss any doses, and you know I don’t play around. ”

Trevor smiled kindly. “I know, babe. I believe you. That’s why I said it’s just not possible.” Trevor resumed his seat, hiding his face from Elias. What the fuck kind of mistake IS this? The machine shouldn’t take HIV antibody proteins for anything other than HIV antibody proteins! Trevor scanned his badge on the security device next to the computer, logging him out, and stood up.

“I’m going to go have a talk with the lab, see if … I don’t know… Just stay here, this’ll be cleared up in a jiffy,” Trevor said hurriedly before dashing out the door. 

Elias wiped the tears from his face, and slowly picked up the fallen papers. He examined the second page again, and as he did so, he could clearly imagine Trevor giving the lab tech an earful. His mind began racing, and only two instances stood out as being potential infection moments: the scratch from the smiler, and the hookup with Todd.

I think I can rule out Todd, Elias decided. That was just hours ago, not enough time for anything to be transmitted like that and show up on a test. That left only the smiler from last night, and Elias knew even less about that situation than he did about Todd’s sexual history. He decided it might not be the best time to tell Trevor about his infidelity. No use making this worse. Fuck, Trevor must be as terrified as I am right now. 

Shit… Trevor…

Elias started to be slightly suspicious of his husband. But… no, that doesn’t make sense. Could he cheat? On our honeymoon, maybe? Or sometime before that? Could I have got it from him, and this is all just a smokescreen? No, the Truvada again. I don’t miss doses, not ever. Neither does he. Elias let out a low sigh of relief. Well, at least my husband’s not a cheater. I, on the other hand… He needed to put a stop to that hypocritical judgment and negative thinking. Trevor re-entering the room stopped it for him.

Trevor closed the door quietly, and sat in the chair next to Elias, and just held him in both arms. “I’m afraid there was … no mix-up. It’s your blood, there was no cross-contamination with other samples, and … I don’t know… it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before…” Trevor started to shed his own tears.

“I’m here for you, Elias. I love you, and I won’t desert you. Swear to me that you didn’t cheat on me!”

Elias gulped. Face the music now or later. After a pause, Elias answered.

“I swear.” He hoped his lie wouldn’t come back to bite him in the ass.

—-

Helixion Genetics, exterior. Quarantine camp. 1141 MST. 31-Oct-20XX. REDACTED location.

Tex stood before a large yellow tent, only beginning to second-guess the plan when he saw the setup. People he didn’t know by their faces simply buzzed about, all engaged on different tasks and errands as the camp came to life, and paid him no attention. He looked up at the big Helixion building number 3, and memories of last night’s shitshow poured into his head. He inhaled sharply for a calming breath, and tried to remember the first steps: find the General and get checked in, then try to find out what happened to the others.

The first task took care of itself as a decorated older man approached him with interest and slight suspicion. “You, sir! I’m General Anton Krell. Do you have authorization to be here?”

Tex nodded twice. “Sure do,” making sure to lay on the Texan accent. He started to put his hand out for a friendly greeting, but remembered to salute and stand stiffly at attention at the last second. “Lieutenant Tobias Vahn, virologist and containment scientist, Sir!” He shot a crisp salute to the General, who returned the salute half-heartedly, as if Tex had overdone it but still stood on formality. 

“At ease, soldier,” Krell said in a low voice. “I know your name, but I don’t recall you appearing on my list.” He turned to an accompanying officer and said, “Get me the most current version of personnel, and tell Officer Truman to come back with you.” The soldier gave a salute, and left the two of them together.

“A virologist, hmm? Very useful,” Krell said, narrowing his eyes slightly. 

“What is the situation, General?” Play it cool, Toby. You weren’t here last night. And I’m betting he doesn’t know any different.

“Black Sigma Special Ops Team entered the facility last night at 20-hundred hours for a retrieval and rescue mission for the scientists of Helixion Genetics,” Krell answered. “I personally established contact with Commander Nathan Briggs, but it seems the men have gone away on their own accounts. They stopped responding to comms with several acts of insubordination, and all communications between us ceased by zero dark. I’ve heard nothing from inside since asking for an uplink to interior security footage, and we lost contact shortly thereafter. They’ve gone AWOL, and SWAT teams have gassed Building 3 to neutralize any hostile forces.”

“Hostile forces, sir?” Tex had to bite his tongue to keep from lashing out. “These are just scientists. Do you think their contaminants and specimens got loose?”

“One did get loose, Lieutenant. Attacked two of my men, and ran for the road when it ran into a truck. Caused a major traffic jam while we contained it and cordoned off the area. It’s in custody now, along with the two men we found inside the lab.”

This piqued Tex’s interest. Two men? One was probably Zero. The soldier from before returned carrying a tablet, and accompanied by another soldier who Tex took to be ‘Truman’. 

“Sir, the personnel list you requested,” the soldier said loudly as he handed the tablet to Krell. Krell took it without a word, and after a cursory review, Krell was satisfied. 

“Welcome to the team, Dr. Vahn,” Krell said approvingly. “I thought you were assigned to Black Sigma for last night’s mission?” 

Play it cool, Tex! Remember your alibi and what Trevor told you to say.

“Originally I was, General,” Tex began, choking down fear of getting caught or making a mistake. “But I twisted my ankle earlier in the week. I was teaching my niece to ice-skate at the arena, and … I’m so out of practice, and twisted it by accident. So I asked to be reassigned to desk work and not active duty while it heals. They took me off the mission, and here I am, sir.”

“Mm-hmm,” Krell answered, again studying the tablet for this information. He didn’t entirely believe it, but there was nothing to contradict the story, and it sounded plausible. Tex’s body language didn’t give any hint of untruth. Krell cast his eyes down to look at Tex’s feet, wondering which one it was. Neither one looked particularly injured, but a twisted ankle after a couple days usually didn’t require any visible support like crutches. 

“All right,” Krell said, handing the tablet back to the soldier. “You two are dismissed. Vahn, follow me. I’ll show you around.”