2 FUCK!

Kaley never looked so in discomfort and disturbed but she breathed deeply for a few moments before she threw me a worried look and spoke.

"An u-umm— what happened was a maintenance guy was acting strangely in the staff cafeteria e-earlier… It got a little rowdy when people tried to shush him down and it just turned into a heated argument with another maintenance guy. They s-started shouting and pushing at each o-other and when people ran up to them to intervene, I— we thought it was already over…"

"And then?"

"W-Well, one of the people who tried to break them apart was James, our pilot, but the guy just pounced on him— Oh! He managed to turn it around and hold the guy down but…" Kaley's hand tightened on the bag she was carrying, "T-The guy broke free and he suddenly took a bite out of James' arm. Everyone was shocked when it happened and he just booked it out of there."

"What happened to the guy then? And James? What happened before he was… you know…"

"W-Well, I don't know much about the guy after the guards chased after him but I helped with James' arm first right until the nurse came. We gave him first aid while the others called for an ambulance. I… I saw the place where he was bitten b-but it's not like that in the news where it's a little discolored. I know that some time has passed but it shouldn't l-look like that…"

'Fuck.'

I wiped the beads of sweat on my forehead after reassuring Kaley and I took a deep breath. The horrible churn in my gut was still acting up and when I turned back to Kaley, she was still looking at me with the same worried expression. Slowly but surely, signals were going off in my head, and an invisible tension was starting to cover the area around us.

With that said, on the door to my left where the security guards were, the guy with the rifle had his eyebrows scrunched while speaking to someone on his radio while the other one was having a hard time keeping his animal companion in line.

It was now anxiously pacing around, barking at nothing while letting out short whimpers.

'This is all too— Better safe than sorry.'

If I was just by myself, I would've run to my car as fast as I could but I was with someone and was still waiting for someone. Furthermore, the person I was waiting for was just too fucking important to be left behind and if it wasn't for him, most of the things we have wouldn't be fucking possible.

All I could do at the moment was grab my phone and send Oscar a text.

[What is taking you so long, old man?! It doesn't feel right… Something's about to go down, you might be fucking right on this one.]

[Shit. Do you really think so? Code: Zulu Alpha? It's kinda different compared to what you've shown me. Well, better safe than sorry, eh?]

[Uh-huh. Can you hurry up then?]

[I would if I could. I'm still at this fucking checkpoint on the tarmac, this shitty medic is checking everyone's temperatures for the third fucking time. I'm really close but someone got held up in front. Hmm, can you try and pick me up though? I can't just run through the crowd, can I? Can I slip the guard here a $50? That'll work, right?]

[No, just wait for me there. I got a plan.]

[You sure, kid?]

[Yeah, just stay put.]

After a short exchange of messages, I turned to Kaley and asked if there was a way I could be let inside the "easy route" or the door to the left. But as I thought, it would be impossible and even if Kaley could easily pass through it by herself, it would be difficult to pick up Oscar on her own.

We needed someone with authority to get past the doors and escort Oscar out of the crowd he was in but as I turned my head to look a bit further to another passage, a smile slowly crept into my face.

'That could work…'

I quickly stood up to put the plan in motion and I just mouthed at Kaley to follow my lead.

The sound of my footsteps caught the attention of the guards by the door but they just followed me with their eyes and did nothing right until I reached the passages where the restrooms were.

'So far, so good…'

When I was about ten steps from the restroom, I pulled my phone out while I was walking briskly but I went straight for this little yellow sign that was propped up on the floor.

'3… 2… 1…'

"Sir—" one of the guards tried to warn me.

In an instant, I "accidentally" slipped on the wet flooring and I even used the momentum to kick my feet up as I "landed" on my back. I flailed my hands to make it a little more convincing but I used my arms as support with my back to somehow neutralize the damage of the fall by slamming it right before I hit the floor.

Perfect.

A thud was produced loud enough for the guards to stop what they were doing and give me notice. At that same exact moment, Kaley sprinted to me as she understood my intentions.

"A-Are you okay sir?! Can y-you..." Kaley said a few sentences as she began to open her medical kit after "checking" my head. A faint smirk was hidden on her face when we made eye contact and it didn't take long before one of the guards ran up to check on me.

"Are you okay, sir?! Do you need—"

Kaley snapped, "He needs medical attention! Is the nurse still here?!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am… You need to be careful sir; I think you haven't noticed the sign here."

"Even if there's a sign, it's still the airport's fault! Our fault! He could sue us, you know?!"

"I—"

I waved them off with a helpless look, "I'm very s-sorry, I was walking towards the restroom but I got a text. I forgot to see where I was going and… ow… my head kinda h-hurts… D-Don't worry, I'm not g-gonna sue… It's kinda my fault…"

I groaned while clutching a part of my head and I even let my saliva fall from my mouth to add to our act.

Kaley shook her head as she sighed heavily, "Our nurse needs to take a closer look at you, sir. I suggest we take you to the doctor's office inside, just in case of a concussion."

'Heh.'

The guard hesitated, "The ambulance could still—"

"You're really gonna tell me that we'd have to send him to a hospital while we have someone here that could check on him quicker?! If he suffers from something— if we don't act quick enough, it's all gonna be on you!"

"Ah— N-No, I—"

"ARE YOU GONNA LET HIM IN OR NOT?!"

It didn't take long before I was being escorted inside the premises but I was trying so fucking hard to contain my laughter not only from Kaley's acting but also from the guard giving me a pass in case someone questioned my presence.

With that said, we reached the doctor's office and found out only the nurse was there. Once I was laid down on one of the beds, the guard apologized to me before he excused himself and went back to his station. However, I couldn't help but overhear his radio which was receiving different calls that were requesting backup from different parts of the airport.

'We need to hurry.'

In which case, the nurse present checked me for a bit and concluded that nothing seemed to be wrong. She was also worried at first about the repercussions Kaley pointed out earlier but her phone just started blowing up with different messages.

"Umm, I am being called down by the doctor. Miss Kaley, kindly escort him back after a bit. I need to go down at the checkpoint, excuse me," the nurse bowed before she turned the other way.

"..."

"..."

The moment she left, I grabbed a doctor's bag and filled it with different sorts of medical supplies available: antibiotics, ointments, bandages, pills, painkillers, and a few bottles of alcohol. I picked up a white coat and a stethoscope and I wore both of these items. However, I noticed that Kaley was looking at me with worry and confusion.

"W-What are you doing?! I thought we were just going to pick your friend up! Is something wrong and you're not telling me?!"

I held Kaley's shoulders and looked her in the eye, "Alright, there's something wrong that's about to happen but I can't get into the details yet. All I can say is—and I don't really wanna sound like a fucking lunatic right now—but I've only heard whispers and seen few actual reports of this that got buried but I really hope that I'm wrong. In case I'm right, we need to get out of this place as fast as possible."

"I-I—"

"Please, Kaley. Trust me."

"..."

Kaley just nodded while still looking me straight in the eye but we soon followed the same path the nurse went into earlier. I looked at my watch to check the time but when I turned to Kaley, her face was distraught and she seemed to be thinking a lot of things but she knew that I wasn't playing a prank.

"Do you have family here?"

"W-What?"

"I said, "Do you have family here?"."

"W-Wait a minute, umm— I— I-I-I need to process this. You said to trust but— Can I—"

"Contact them immediately. Tell them to prep—" I wasn't able to finish my sentence when she pulled my arm back.

"Wait! I have— I have Olivia— m-my younger sister at home but my parents are away right now! Please tell me what's going on!"

Tears were starting to well in Kaley's eyes and she was starting to breathe a little heavier.

We were at the front of the door and we had already stopped walking. I was going to tell her about Code: Zulu Alpha later but the faster we get to Oscar, the faster we could get home. If all she needed was a brief explanation, I would give it to her. It's just that her emotions were a little high-strung right now and it might prompt a different reaction.

I was about to try and calm her down again but her phone rang.

*bzzt* *bzzt*

Kaley picked it up and a female voice resounded,

[KALEY! KALEY! SIS! OH MY GOD! W-Where are you?! Ah— Mrs. Tan got attacked outside! I— T-There was this homeless dude that got inside and he just chomped on Mrs. Tan's neck! There was b-blood everywhere! I called the cops and all— but when t-they came, M-Mrs. Tan was a-already gone! KALEY?! ARE YOU THERE?! PLEASE COME HOME! M-Mom and dad are still away and I'm scared—]

Kaley's demeanor suddenly changed from distraught to whatever the fuck it was opposite of.

"OLIVIA! LISTEN TO ME! Don't go anywhere and stay at home! Try calling mom and dad! I'll be there soon! I promise!"

I was listening to their conversation and even though Kaley's demeanor changed for her sister, the hand that was holding her phone was still trembling nonstop. I put my hand on her shoulder to somehow calm her down as I said calmly, "Tell her to lock the door and bar it with something and tell her to not open it for anyone else besides us or your parents. Have her pack clothes, food, water, and medicine…"

"I-I'll tell—"

"I'm not done. Tell her to wait for us, grab something for protection, and find a hiding spot. Do you still live at the same place we made that model rocket?"

"Y-Yeah, the same place in the Bulacan..." Kaley replied as she nodded a few times.

I then noticed that she was just staring at me with a pensive look. Her breathing was slowly returning to normal and she looked at me with a different expression.

"Is this all connected with the incident with James earlier? Is this what I think it is?" Kaley's look of confusion and worry was suddenly gone. Her eyes were still a bit watery but I was met with a sharp stare.

'She picked it up fast. Just like old times.'

I nodded after a brief sigh, "Yeah, I know it sounds crazy and you need to be with your sister as soon as possible but we need to pick up Oscar first. After that, we'll head to your place, I promise."

Kaley just looked at me and said, "T-Thank you, I don't have a car to go there immediately. I just picked up a cab to get here and I—"

"Kaley. It's gonna be fine, alright?"

"Yeah…"

After that short talk, she relayed to her sister what I told her then we went down on the tarmac. Among the groups below that were being checked for temperatures, I finally saw the old man waiting impatiently so I shot him a text.

[Old man, I see you now. Look below the stairs at I-15. I'm wearing a white coat and I'm with a flight attendant.]

I saw Oscar's head popping up and scanning around then it locked in my direction. After that, he pulled out his phone and started tapping on it.

[Kid, is that a pack of candies? Let's do Project Sweets.]

I threw him a small salute and we headed to his group.

"I'm looking for Col. Oscar Goodman, it's an emergency and we need you to come with us!"

"Here! Finally! I've been waiting for so long—" Right when Oscar stood up and walked in our direction, a couple of guards blocked the way between us.

"Wait a second, sir. We were given orders to keep everyone on the tarmac until further notice."

As soon as the guard said that, it elicited a ton of negative reactions from the rest of the passengers that were being held up but they also had no say on the matter.

I was about to lie through the skin of my teeth but Kaley took a step forward and said, "You don't understand, he's Dr. Ishiyama from St. Luke's, and I was told to accompany him by the head of security."

"So?"

"He's here to escort Mr. Goodman from the premises because he has a medical emergency and our doctors here are too busy to take care of his needs. If he's delayed one more second, everyone present here would be in deep trouble."

Oscar interjected after hiding a smirk, "Colonel, young lass, Colonel. I'm flabbergasted that these no-ranks here wouldn't let me through. Cheh! That's what I've been telling them all this time! I think I'll call their superior officer and have them removed from this post immediately!"

The guards instantly faltered, "I— I didn't know— We weren't told to—"

"We're telling you now! Can't you understand that?!"

I almost rolled my eyes from Oscar's over-the-top acting but Kaley continued, "I'm sorry, Col. Goodman. You said that you need to have your shots now, is that right? We don't have them at the ready but a vehicle is already waiting for you just outside."

Oscar gave both of us a look of approval then he said, "That's correct, I broke my bottle of Insulin here and I need to get to a clinic or a hospital to get one because I'm starting to get dizzy," he then raised one of his small bags and a medicinal smell wafted. After that, a clinking noise followed as he lightly shook the bag.

The guards gave our group a look of hesitation so I opened one of the bags in my hand and said, "Grab a handful, Col. Goodman, this could help for a bit with your sugar levels. If you hold us for long, I'm gonna call your supervising officer... 'guard'."

I looked at the two guards with a glare and after a moment, they were 'convinced' to let us go.

'Success!'

We ran back the way we came from and when the door closed behind us, we all gave a sigh of relief.

"That went better than expected, good thing those guards didn't do anything," I said.

"Hah! That's what I like about this country! People tasked with security here are fucking lax and some of them feel like they don't even want to get in trouble. When you two came and I waved my rank around them, they stood there like wet puppies!" Oscar cackled while still munching on the cranberries from his hand.

Kaley added as she turned to me, "We're two-for-two, right?"

"And who's this looker here~? Your girlfriend?" Oscar chuckled as he leaned close to me with this suggestive look on his face. His eyebrows were going up and down and I started to panic.

"Umm, ah— she's ah—" I stammered as I couldn't believe Oscar would bring it up in this situation. He clearly knew that I'd never been in a serious relationship with anyone and he kept on setting me up with people I didn't care about.

I glanced at Kaley but I couldn't see her face from this angle and I was hoping she didn't feel uncomfortable with that.

However, all that followed was Oscar chuckling in response to the silence.

"Well, I'd be surprised if this kid would have one. All these years I've known him, never saw him on a proper date. I've been setting him up with anybody with potential but he keeps turning them down, I was worried he'd go to a temple to be a Buddhist Monk!" Oscar's chuckling turned to a cackle once again.

"I see~ Still haven't changed, huh?" Kaley smiled as she looked back at me.

"Well, aren't you the same? Hmm?"

Kaley threw a slight jab on my arm as I said it and I was relieved she wasn't as distraught as earlier. I thought she would go back to the way she was after a bit but I couldn't be more wrong.

When we were right by the first exit, Oscar turned to me.

"Kid, did you bring Betty?"

"Your SUV? Of course."

"Sweet! Alright, Alright, Alright…" Oscar chuckled as he attempted to do an impression of a certain actor.

'That was so fucking bad…'

"So, are we heading straight home now? Is she coming with us? She is, right?"

"About that…"

I gave Oscar the rundown about what Kaley and I talked about and he just agreed under the condition that I tell him more about her when we get back. As I had no time to argue, I just agreed and we moved on.

However, as we were getting near the doctor's office, in the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a figure coming out of the maintenance room.

It was a person holding his neck with both his hands and his blue uniform had darkened to a shade of black due to the blood trickling from his neck. If it was any other day, I would've rushed to help the guy but seeing his erratic movements, I pulled Kaley and Oscar back.

"Kid?"

"Settle down, old man. You don't have your guns here."

"Right, fuck—"

While we were thinking of a proper approach, a loud bang came from the door he exited. To my surprise, his face still showed fear when he heard the noise and he rushed to the exit where the two guards were stationed on the other side.

He almost made the same exact noise that came from behind him but it startled the guards when he came to.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE Y—" a loud bellow was heard but another voice interrupted.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" a shout was heard from where the guy rushed in.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

Screams resounded from the area Kaley and I were just chatting earlier and we had no time to think about what to do next.

'FUCK!'

Another series of screams followed then a couple more gunshots rang out. We tensed after that quick moment but it was soon followed by another loud crash from when the door to the maintenance room swung open.

A figure, face bloody beyond recognition stepped out.

It was snarling, hands were crooked, body almost twisted, and moving in a much more erratic pattern than the man earlier. Its head suddenly snapped in our direction then it suddenly lunged with incredible speed.

As soon as it closed in, we heard a shout from behind:

"DUCK!"