Killers

Chapter 1: Escape of the Infection

Hot, humid jungle air blew through the door of the security station as Carl came through it to take his shift. He was an employee for the pharmaceutical company Phallex. The company was relatively new as companies go and booming business coupled with an influx of investors shot it to the top. Founded by the prodigy Marcus Dreyus, the company has many labs and distribution locations scattered throughout the world. Carl found the one he was working at to be a relatively strange location to be in. That particular facility was nestled in the jungles in the northern region of the nation of Kepasian. Carl sat in front of his monitor and pulled out a cigarette.


“Could you please not smoke in here Carl,” The second security guard, Jerald, asked Carl in a stern voice.


“What the hell do you mean?” Carl was annoyed, “I’m stationed out here in the middle of butt fuck nowhere. Can I enjoy a cigarette when I’m out here doing my shitty job being security for a place that no one even knows exists? So let me smoke my cigarette in peace.”


“Jeez, I’m sorry,” Jerald replied, “I just figured that I could be able to do my shitty job in peace, too.”


A monitor began tracking some motion. Both guards paid no attention to the screen, probably just some lesser animal tripping a motion detector, like they often do. Some of the best security systems guarded the facility from infiltration. It had greater security that the Phallex headquarters in Teramis Many of the employees wondered why the facility needed such a high level of security when it was in the middle of the jungle. Marcus Dreyus had his reasons for the high level of security.


Lately the facility has been busy with the transportation of unknown materials and substances to the city of Teramis in the nation of Merinan. Everyday several cargo aircraft would land and leave from a landing strip on the northern end.


Carl knocked the ashes off the end of his cigarette into the ashtray on the control console, “This job isn’t worth the pay. I gotta piss.” Carl stood up and walk to the small bathroom the security station has. Jerald shook his head in a way that said that he was embarrassed but had no reason to be. Jerald turned back to the monitors that he hated so much. The exterior door of the security station opened up. The hot, humid air of the jungle afternoon blew on Jerald’s back.


“Karthill, is that you, you crazy chipmunk bastard?” Jerald turned around in his swivel chair. A man that Jerald didn’t recognize stood in the doorway, “Who the hell are you?”


“The name is Chad Merlis,” The stranger answered in a deep voice, “Where’s the second guard that I saw come in here?”


“Why?” Jerald had his hand on his gun ready to draw it if needed.


“Because, I was just wondering,” Chad reached for a concealed gun. Jerald drew his gun, but Chad was faster. Jerald’s body lay limp in the swivel chair a single hole drilled through his head. Blood was smeared on the control console. Carl came out of the small bathroom, gun drawn ready to fight off any one entering the facility. He went around the corner. He saw nothing but the dead body of Jerald bleeding on the control console. He approached the body slowly and cautiously. Then hands roughly grabbed and restrained him. A voice he didn’t recognize came into his ear.


“Is Marcus Dreyus here?” Chad asked him in a fierce tone of voice that made Carl cringe. He was just double checking his intel.


“Yes, he’s been here for a few days now,” Carl answered in fear.


“Tell me where he is in this facility,” Chad continued to interrogate his captive.


“He should be in the main building in his office. There’s no way you’re getting in to the building by yourself though,” Carl questioned Chad’s skills.


“Thank you,” Chad responded. Carl felt a gun being pressed to his head. He turned to look as much as he could. The gun was a revolver that was chrome in color. Chad pulled the trigger. He let the body fall limply to the floor. He studied the monitors that covered the wall, “Grayson.”


“Yes?” a voice came from Chad’s ear piece.


“I’ll be diverting some satellite up-link footage from here to the Razor for you,” Chad began to press keys on the control console, “If it says someone’s getting on the system using this signal, please don’t lock them out of the info they have access to. It didn’t go well last time you did it.”


“I’ll try not to,” Grayson, a rat, had the images pop up on the monitors inside the Razor. He had access to the entire security network, “It looks like most of the system is automated. So the amount of opposition you would encounter should be very minimal,” the rat pushed his chair backwards across the fuselage to a different set of monitors and exhaled a puff of smoke before replacing his cigarette, “I’m shutting down all automated systems down now.”


Chad watched several of the monitors in front of him go dark, “Thanks.”





“The shipments have already been made to Teramis, Prince Humad,” Marcus Dreyus spoke with the Prince of Kesra on his video phone.


“What about the vaccine?” Prince Humad asked Dreyus.


Dreyus inhaled a puff from his cigar before he answered the Prince, “The planes are being loaded at a Merinan airfield as we speak and will take off within the next few hours. Your Generals have been instructed to have the shipments picked up and distributed to the various military bases within Kesra, have they not?” Dreyus took another puff on his cigar. Humad gave a nod to Dreyus, “Good, now the negotiations with Teracint, are they going good?”


Humad sighed, “No, it appears that the nation of Teracint is still upset about the rebellion of Kesra before the Great War and for aiding the SDA during the war. That sure is one nation that refuses to have it‘s pride hurt. Kesra might have to go it alone against Merinan, if your plan works and if Teracint won’t ever see us as allies again.”


“Showing your skepticism a little late now aren’t we? You could of rejected the plan that the old alligator Kryvor presented to you,” Marcus pointed out.


“Merinan was the clincher though. After they had abandoned the defense of Kesra during the Teracint Campaign in the Zemad desert during the Great War, Kesra had always wanted to pay Merinan back,” Humad’s faith in the plan was slightly rekindled by his own ranting about it.


“Just keep in mind that this is bigger than just Merinan. The Cult should have already begun to spread some sort of propaganda,” The doors to Dreyus’ office opened. Dreyus looked away from the video phone; it was only his assistant Mike, “Couldn’t you have knocked. I’m on the phone.”


“Sorry, but the security station by the rear entrance has not responded to any calls since some motion was detected out there. We have reason to believe that the intruder is an assassin hired to kill you,” Mike explained apologetically.


“Prince Humad, I apologize but I must leave, good-bye,” Dreyus hung up the phone, “Is the facility completely clean of the Remordia virus?” Mike gave a nod in response. “Good, I guess we’re done with this place. The residents?” Dreyus stood and moved towards the door.


Mike followed Dreyus out, “They’ve all been moved out, returned to Teramis.”


Dreyus dropped the stub of his cigar on the floor, “Get rid of this place then please.”


Mike stopped, “There are still several security personnel here. What about them?”


“I guess it sucks to be them then, besides they're gonna be fired anyway,” Dreyus didn't even hesitate.





Chad rushed into the main building and dealt with a small group of guards who had tried to apprehend him. He followed the instructions that Grayson was feeding him from the Razor. Inside the main building Chad saw pharmaceutical labs and research labs like there should be, but it gnawed at him why the facility was in the middle of the jungle. His client told him pretty much nothing about her motives for the assassination. He did get the feeling from her tone that she was rather worried about it.


Grayson’s voice returned to Chad’s ear, “Chad, this is strange.”


“What is it?”


“I’m getting strange energy readings around the area of the power generators,” Grayson studied the data the flashed on his screen, “It seems to be intentional.”


“What of it,” Chad was impatient, “Cut to the chase please. Is it important?”


“Well, if an influx of power like this going into the generators is maintained for several minutes these big sons-of-bitches will blow,” Grayson had the computer perform some rapid calculations.


Chad moved cautiously down the hallway that had Dreyus’ office on it, “And?”


“Several computer simulations show a damage radius out past the Razor here. With all showing the building and everything inside a total loss,” Grayson turned to look back at the security footage, “Chad, your not gonna like this.”


“Dammit Grayson, just a second,” Chad kicked open the heavy wooden door to Dreyus’ office and pointed his guns to where Dreyus’ head should have been, "Shit that bastards not here!"


"What I was gonna tell you is that Dreyus is leaving," Grayson sighed a bit, "He's boarding a VTOL. It's obtained clearance at Teramis airport."


Chad turned out of the office, "Grayson, I'm going after him."


Grayson hit several keys on his computer, "You can't, the generators are gonna blow. Everything in the building is gonna be destroyed. Get your ass back the the Razor now. Besides the VTOL already took off," Grayson saw it fly off over the horizon through the front window of the Razor.


“Dammit,” Chad cursed aloud, “I’m coming back to the Razor."





"Is everyone here?" Dreyus forgot to check before they took off. There were only a few people that Dreyus cared if they made it or didn't.


"Shelia isn't here," Mike looked back.


Dreyus didn't look like he cared to much, "She's fine don't worry about her," Dreyus looked out the window as the facility went up in a gigantic fireball. Surrounding parts of the jungle ignited, "Look's like Kryvor owes me something."