The God Virus

"Certainly it wouldn't still be viable after all this time?"

"Well..." said Randall letting his voice trail off.

"Are you serious? There is a nuclear device in this complex?"

"Down on the lowest level where the old contagious pathogens used to be stored. I have the firing codes in my office. It was only supposed to be used in an extreme emergency."

"I think this might qualify," said Chase, "does anyone from the outside know what is going on here?"

"We talked by satellite phone with General Rafferty hours ago. We assured him there had been no breach, and he had a rescue team in route. They should be here in less than thirty minutes."

"They can open the bunker doors from the outside, right?"

"Yes."

"Then you need to get everyone out when they get here. This device how does it work?"

"Simple really. There is a keypad on the front panel. You enter the firing code, and it goes into a ten-minute countdown. Anyone in the vicinity better haul ass at that point."

"Give me the codes then I'm going to use the access shaft to climb down there and set the nuke," said Chase.

"What!" yelled Karen overhearing him.

She was at his side in an instant pulling him away from the rest of the group. Adam watched Randall leave presumably headed for his office while Karen looked up at him her face reddening.

"Just what the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"We can't let that man get out of this complex, Karen, and we are running out of time to stop him. We don't know how fast his condition is progressing. He may become too strong to stop before we could come back with some other plan."

"Why does it have to be you? There are plenty of people here..."

"I know there are, but I have to do this. He murdered two people, and it's my duty to stop him. That and...Frankly, given what he did to us I owe him."

"So this is just for petty revenge?"

"I think you know me better than that, Karen."

She reached up touching Adam's cheek as tears filled her eyes.

"If you get yourself killed Adam Chase I will never forgive you!"

Randall returned with an envelope he handed to Chase who tore it open memorizing the contents. He felt another pair of eyes peeking over his shoulder.

"What are you doing, Harriet?"

"You can't do this alone two people would have a better chance plus you're my partner I'm not leaving your side."

"I can order you to stay and help with the evacuation."

"Are you going to do that, Sir?"

Adams features softened into a smile, "No. As you have pointed out in the past, I would probably get myself killed without you by my side."

"All too true. Let's get this done," said Harriet.

She left momentarily, returning with a pair of sidearms one of which she handed to Adam. He racked back the slide chambering a round before slipping the weapon into his empty holster.

"Good luck," said Captain Randall.

"We'll probably need it," conceded Duffy.

Adam leaned down to kiss Karen's cheek while Randall raised one eyebrow in response. Then he and Harriet vanished into the access panel and began to climb down.

Duffy had thought to bring flashlights and a borrowed toolkit this time so accessing the bottom levels panel was far easier. They exited into a musty smelling corridor that hadn't seen foot traffic in a while. Duffy dropped to the ground first pulling her sidearm and looking around. The lighting was dimly fed only by red emergency lamps near the far ends of the corridor giving everything an eerie coloring. Adam joined her, swiftly drawing his gun as well.

"Anything?"

"Can hardly see in here, but it looks clear."

"According to the blueprints, the access panel to the failsafe should be at the south end of the corridor near what was the cold storage area."

The two agents moved off taking it slow and checking the shadows and doorways that they passed.

To their relief, they reached the panel without incident. Adam used the tools they had brought to remove it and gave a low whistle as the device was exposed.

"I think they stuck enough radiation warning signs on this thing don't you?" he remarked looking at its gleaming metal surface.

"Just light this candle so we can get out of here. This place gives me the creeps."

"Yeah, feels like we're stuck in a bad science fiction T.V. show."

"In which case, I would be the plucky comic relief," said Harriet.

"I imagine they would get somebody suitably alluring to play you like...Um...Pamela Anderson."

"Pamela Anderson! That's your idea of alluring? Fucking Hell! I am way hotter than her..."

"I know you are I'm just tweaking your nose, Duffy," laughed Adam.

He started to unscrew the side panel to expose the firing keypad.

"Adam...About before when we were...Um...Together..."

"There is nothing to apologize for, Harriet. We were all being forced to do things against our will. Don't worry about it."

"Right..." she said in a lower voice.

Adam was just starting to turn to ask her if there was something wrong when the shot rang out. Harriet was thrown sideways against the wall blood spraying from her chest as a 9mm round slammed into her.

"Harriet!" yelled Adam even as he reached for the gun that he had lain on the edge of the access panel. He dropped to the ground pointing the weapon back down the corridor, but just like the last time he had been in this situation his trigger finger froze refusing to move. Dr. Razinski stepped into the faint red light his gruesome smile looking all the more sinister. In his hand smoke drifted up from the barrel of Chase's original sidearm.

"He who lives by the sword should die by the same. A fitting ending don't you think Agent Chase?"

"Fuck you!" said Chase in a strangle voice trying to force the words out.

"Oh! Come now, Agent Chase, I expected a wittier come back from a Renaissance man such as yourself. You know you almost got passed me, but I am growing in leaps and bounds now. I sensed your mind when you passed the research level. I couldn't read you clearly, but I knew you were up to mischief down here."

Razinski's eyes drifted up to the exposed panel, "The failsafe huh? I had forgotten about it. Bravo! Agent Chase, an excellent gambit though once again you forget who you're threatening. I told you before the mind is the greatest weapon and all the bombs and guns pale in comparison."

He walked closer eyes gleaming darkly, "Just like your namesake, Adam, you would rather consort with the serpent than serve your true master faithfully. I pity you, my child. I would have given you a world of pleasures beyond imagining with women that would have made Harriet here look quite poor in comparison. Well, that's all in the past now can't have you betraying me. I cast you out, Adam! Though I am afraid, your exile will be quite permanent."

Razinski raised his weapon again leveling the barrel at Adam's head.

"I hope your daughter...is proud of the monster her father has become..."

The gun barrel wavered slightly, "What did you say?"

"I guess...It won't matter...little whore was probably just like her father..."

"Don't speak about Elise like that!" thundered Razinski.

Adam felt his limbs move slightly just a bit of weakening in whatever mental force was holding him captive.

"Sure...I...bet that little bitch spread her legs...for every cock that came her way...What were you trying to save her...from...Syphilis maybe?"

"My little girl was pure! An angel in this dark world. How...How dare you speak about..."

"I'll just bet Doc. I'm sure when she dies she will join her mother in Hell where all the good little sluts go when they fucking die!"

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" screamed Razinski as his finger began to squeeze the trigger.

It was only a small break in concentration. A bit too much emotion overwhelming his neural pathways at the wrong time, but it was enough. Chase felt the pressure holding him ease at the same moment that Razinski jerked at the trigger. He rolled hard to his right as the gun in front of him barked. The round grazed across his shoulder tearing through his shirt and sending a bolt of fire into his arm but doing no real damage. Adam fired blindly as he hit the ground his arm jostled by the impact but it even with his aim spoiled he still managed to hit Razinski low in the abdomen. Blood exploded from the wound and Razinski stumbled violently backward howling in pain.

Adam pulled himself back to his feet trying to reset for another shot, but Razinski fled into the darkness the sounds of a door slamming further down the corridor echoed back.

"Shit!" breathed Adam before he turned back to his fallen partner.

"Harriet...Can you hear me?"

"Of course I can hear you you're shouting in my fucking ear!" snapped Duffy weakly as Adam cradled her head.

"Bastard shot me didn't he..."

"Yeah. He got you good."

"Did you get him?"

"I put one in his gut. He is hurting for sure."

"Good. I hope...he dies...screaming..." she said before a spasm of coughing brought up a spray of blood that splattered on her chest.

"We need to get you out of here," said Adam.

"No! We can't be...sure...he is down. Set the nuke, Adam..."

"What? It isn't necessary I'm pretty sure he is too hurt to focus his power."

"You can't know that and what if he isn't? We can't take that chance...Set it! Besides...This place needs to be destroyed. The...Research here...You know what the military would do with this shit! It's too dangerous...Needs to burn..."

"Even if I did I don't think I can get you back up the shaft in time!"

"Don't worry about that...Someone should stay...In case he isn't down and tries to come back to disarm it. Give me my gun..."

"Harriet! I'm not leaving you!" said Adam sharply.

"I'm not going to make it anyway...Adam...Please...We both know this is the right thing to do...Don't make it...harder than...than it is..."

Adam howled in anguish but helped Harriet to sit up against the wall below the access panel placing her firearm in her hand. She balanced it across her knee pointing it back down the hallway.

"Hurry, Adam..."

He stood wiping tears from his eye to enter the firing sequence into the device. A panel lit up on the side with numerals running in reverse. The ten-minute countdown had started.

"Harriet I..."

"I know...best fuck you ever had right? I'll take it to my grave don't you worry...Karen will never know...Get out of here Adam times wasting and don't forget to seal the access panel on your way out..." she gasped choking on the blood in her throat.

"I won't, and if he comes back."

"Call out his daughter...I heard you...I'll tell him how she liked to take on T.B. patients at the hospital...Fucking ten cents a blow job! He'll love that shit! Go, Adam! Now!"

Adam hesitated for just a moment then fled up the corridor at a dead run vanishing into the utility shaft.

Harriet Duffy sat in the semi-darkness the red light from the countdown flickering above her head.

She coughed again wiping the blood from her lips with the back of her hand then smiled, "Love you, Adam. I always loved you..."

The helicopter carrying Adam and Karen touched down just outside the safe zone from the blast. They huddled together looking at the seconds ticking by on Adam's watch.

"Now," he whispered.

A distance rumbling shook the ground around them while a flash of light briefly lit the sky in the valley beyond.

"Won't be any mushroom cloud since the burst was underground," said Captain Randall.

Karen hugged Adam tighter to her while they look into the sun that was sinking quickly behind the distant peaks.

"I'm sorry about Harriet," she said.

"So am I. She was a good partner and an even better friend."

"I want to go home now, Adam. I think I need some time away from labs and beakers."

"I can get take you back to your apartment when we get to the airfield," he answered.

"No, not that home...Our home...I want to be with you. I don't ever want to be apart from you again."

"Are you trying to get serious on me, Dr. Prince?"

"Yes I am..." said Karen pulling him into a kiss.