Josiah looked at the Doc. He knew what he needed to do. But somehow he wanted reassurance from the elderly man that there was no  other choice, than firing his gun again. He respected the wisdom of his elders.  as a boy he growing up he had a very close relationship with his father.  He shared all his ideas and dreams with him.  when he chose to join the sheriffs department his father has supported him and encouraged him even to stay with the department even after his wife passed away and he flet his world crashing.  He thought for a moment, what would his father say to him now.

 Doc gave a nod to Josiah. There  just did not seem to be  any other choice. Josiah looked back at the man still staggering towards them.  He did not understand any of what was happening.  But his survivor instincts told him their lives were dependent on his decision right now. His training told him there would be times when he would need to use blunt force to take control of  hostile situations.

"Stop".  Josiah shouted loudly. Again no halt in the intruders approach towards him. His feet dragged along the floor as he stepped closer. Drool and spit hung from his dry cracked lips, His eyes were glazed over with the same grey film  just as the couple had out in the court yard.  He swaggered  towards them on his blood caked clothes as though it was all he knew how to do.

 Josiah felt fear, anger and frustration.  Frustration  from not understanding how this all could be happening.  He wanted this  to be some ugly horrifying dream that he would some how be awaken from.  He felt his hand tighten around his pistol.  As he took  a deep breath  he fired another shot.  He chose first to aim at the leg,  Hoping this would somehow stop the man on his wild quest.  The  man fell back as the bullet drove into the dark meaty flesh of his thigh.  as the blood appeared there was no cry out  of pain.   His teeth gnashed together and with a jittery jolt he dropped to the floor.  With in seconds  he rose again, to his feet.  Clumsily as though  his body and mind worked against each other he continued on with his gait. Like a rabid animal spew fell from his open mouth. The he closer he moved.  Another shot was fired only this time it was a direct hit to the head. Skull fragments exploded as the man fell once more. This time he laid in a slump between them and Marie.

Marie trembled, crouched in her safe place. She looked to where Eve stood. She wanted desperately to run to her, but fear kept her frozen.  The pain from the back of her skull left her feeling slightly dazed and ached with every movement.  Slowly she found the courage to begin to move on to her knees and crawl out.  

 They all watched in horror and relief as the man lay motionless.  The eminent danger was over for the moment. Cody was the first to rush to Marie.  He helped her to her feet. Eve moved in and hugged her. "Marie are you all right" Eve asked as she held her.  "I think so just my head hurts -" she sobbed softly. "When I was trying to get away from him, I fell backwards. I hit something."  "What happened, why did he try to hurt me?" she  asked  confused.  She turned at looked at where he laid and softly cried into Eve as the scene replayed in her head.


Cody spoke next. "Who is this guy?" He asked Eve and Marie. Marie spoke first.  "He is a new participant to the study.  His name is Tony.  I don't know him very well.  I hooked him up to a central line yesterday and and..."she paused and began to sob again.  "Today I found him like this."  tears flowed uncontrolable now and she shook in eves arms.

The smaller female figure did not hesitate as she turned and in a  dazed sleep walk moved towards them, as the shots were  fired.  Josiah motioned by waiving his gun for her to halt, still  she kept moving forward with no heed of his warning. Growls escaping from her as she continued advancing in their direction. Josiah moved forward, she  wildly  swung at him.  Cody rushed past Josiah and lunged at her, tackling her to the ground.  Together they tumbled. Josiah swiftly pulled her back off away from Cody. Her teeth clicked together fervently as she desperately tried to bite him and get back up.  Both men now on their feet stepped back.  Josiah cocked hi gun and fired again.  For seconds time seemed to freeze for the 4 of them as they watched slump to the ground.


It was Doc Keller again who moved first.  Briskly the elderly man  walked toward the bloody bodies where they  laid on the ground. There was no more gnashing teeth or growling sounds from either.  They  laid there still and silent. The Doctor studied the corps. Paying close attention to the eyes,of the man who laid face up.  He noticed the eyes  appeared to be  glazed over with a grey film. He could not make out  what color they actually were because of the shadowy matter.  He saw the whites were a deep amber and there was no pupil visible.  The skin tone was ashen, as if  all color had been drained.  As he knelt down to take a closer look he reached out to touch the man as he laid motionless.   He was cold and already felt stiff. In all his 40 some years  of practicing medicine he had never seen death take hold so fast.  The Doc turned his direction  to where the female body now laid at the side of him. His hand gently touched the back of her hand.  She too felt  cold to the touch.

 Josiah felt his hand tremble slightly has he placed his pistol safely back in his harness. The midday sun felt hot on the back of his neck.  He wiped at his brow feeling more  perspiration form. He was stood still for several moments.  Not sure if there was still a threat to them, he quickly surveyed the grounds before moving to wards the Doctor with his hand still resting on his holster- just in case. Doc Keller felt Josiah's presence next to him.  "He is dead" he said to Josiah quickly in a low tone. "But he continued "my training would tell me it almost appears- from how still and cold he is, that he was dead, before you even shot him.

   Just then Eve rushed to Doc Keller's  side before anyone could stop her. She gasped loudly as she caught a closer look of the man that had just been shot. Her lips trembled as another muffled cry escaped her. Cody swiftly moved in and placed his muscular arm around her.  Turning her slightly towards him to shield her from  the gruesome sight. At first she protested. Pulling back she stared at the face.  She was certain she knew the man.  He resembled Marty she thought to her self.  "Its Marty the night intern" she said out loud with a sob.  "He was new at the center".  She continued.   She her self had interviewed him.   He was a large kind,  gentle man. Who was seldom seen without his smile.  Early 30's, slightly over weight but strong.  She was certain he  was Marty from the clothes she saw and his size.  But, this mans face was gruesome, twisted, and bloody.  She buried her head into Cody's chest. He tightened his grip on her.  The  bullet had left a deep large gash in the mans  forehead. Skull and bone fragments protruded above his eye brows to his hair line. She shut her eyes to envision Marty as she had last saw him. Walking  down the hall towards her as he began his shift smiling as usual.  She shook her head. The face on this person hardly resembled the Marty she had come to know and look forward too seeing each night as she exited the premises and he started his shift.

Josiah stood silent next to the Doc.  They stared together at the man laying at their feet.  He was dead. The bullet had blown  a clear hole through his skull. Shattering the top of his head.  Almost as though his skull  had some how become brittle and dry.  But that was not all that  had their minds troubled.  They both stared at a large  gaping wound on the side of his neck.  Josiah did not need medical training to asses what he saw.  It looked  as though something had taken a large bite out of him.  Doc knew it was not a fresh injury.  He believed  the blood around it was dried and dirt surrounded the edges.  "From the looks of it a wound or um bite   that size should have killed him" he whispered to Josiah.  "He would have bleed out from that much missing from his neck." he added.  Not sure, but hoping,  Josiah too was studying the wound. Josiah could only nod as he agreed with him.

They all turned toward the compound as they  heard a scream come from inside.  A woman's scream.
Josiah pulled his gun out, leading the group as they rushed toward the open door.  Memories flashed through Eves mind as the scream reached her ears.  She yelled to Josiah to head down the corridor to the right.  An image of the lab flashed through her mind.  Yes, she remembered fleeing from there as something,  no someone- was chasing her.  Another loud scream was heard again.  Marie. Eve thought to her self.  It was Marie, she was sure of it.

Josiah stopped abruptly as he entered the first doorway to his right just as Eve had instructed.  A large dark  male stood in the middle of the room.  He was waving his arms around wildly.  Swiping towards a woman  that crouched down under and over turned  cabinet.  The same sounds they had heard earlier from the man outside were coming from this man. He slowly turned toward them,  teeth gnashing. Slowly he began an awkward gait towards them.