They weren’t far behind; Sam knew he was being hunted now, not just by this virus that had consumed the base and those within, but the masked soldiers that began terminating anyone they found.  He felt the tension rise in his chest, his breathing felt irregular, but that was to be expected, it was fear that gripped him.

The hallway he was moving in was dim, but not completely darkened.  It was really the sounds that disturbed him.  Already, he had heard the steel door to this floor being opened, and he knew the soldiers were on him.  And what about… the other things that lurked in these seemingly empty rooms?

He remembered his encounter with one of them, those twisted mutations of flesh and bone.  The noises it made and the speed which it moved all adding in to a horribly deformed creature.  And to think, it was once human!  He was already infected with the Semotus virus, he knew that much, how long did he have to find something, something to help him live?

He pushed through a standard office door into then well-lit dormitory area of the base.  The wide open space that led to the individual rooms was pretty barren, what could be thrown and knocked over was, obviously in the panic to reach the helipad and the ensuing “rescue”.  Still, Sam felt more comfortable in the bright room, where he could see and get his bearings.  Of course, the soldiers would be here, unless they were checking the hallways room by room.

“There must be another way out.”  Sam almost expected the empty area to answer; instead, he heard something he had never forgotten.

That piercing scream, almost like the pain of death was verbalized, tore through the floor.  The soldiers were checking each room, and they had found one of those… things up here.  Suddenly, Sam heard pounding noises coming from the left most dormitory room, and then the same wailing shriek came from behind the thin door.  Sam covered his ears, and dropped to his knees, something inside him shuddered a bit, and he vomited.

The almost welcoming sound of small arms fire echoed through the rooms as Sam regained his hearing.  Good, he had time now to follow the dormitory hall, and maybe find an exit on the other side.  He slowly rose, his stomach was protesting, and began to move down the empty hallway, giving a wide berth to the room that held… something.

It was such an odd feeling, to go through this once bustling area, now devoid of life… well, devoid of human life.  Sam was feeling physically drained now, something was wrong, the virus was killing him, making him into a thoughtless vessel for a perverted organism.  The Doctor he met said Sam would die before changing, but, how did he really know?  

Sam finally found what he was looking for.  “Thank God.”  The other side of the dormitories had an identical open space to the one he had found before, some of the rooms in this area had they’re doors ajar, yet darkness loomed beyond their openings.  The glass doors covered the entrance to another dim hallway leading out.

He stood in the middle of the open space, almost enjoying the light, but his body ached… and his mentality wasn’t much better.  “What am I going to do?”  The feeling of defeat was overwhelming, what hope did he have?

His weary eyes noticed behind the glass doors.  It was too late.

One of the soldiers kicked open the door, smashing part of the glass.  He raised his weapon, some kind of carbine, and gestured, hands up!

This was it; this was going to be the end.  Sam raised his hands and smiled a bit, “What a way to go…”

The soldier ignored the comment and sent a bullet flying right through Sam’s heart.