“Calm down, Corporal,” Ortiz said. “We’re not killing Ice. I’m not killing any of you.”
Hazard frowned. “But the general’s orders -.”
“The general isn’t here, is he? He can issue all the orders he wants, but he’s not the one in the thick of this goddamn zombie shit.” She gestured toward the stairs with her rifle. “We keep moving. We get the antidote. We inject it into Ice’s ass or his face or wherever necessary to cure him. Then, we get the rest of the antidote back to base.”
“What if he...turns?” Jax asked.
Ortiz’s steady brown gaze moved to Ice.
“How you feeling, Royce? Got the urge to bite our faces off?”
“Not yet.”
“We’ve got about ten minutes before you do. So let’smove. Hazard. You’re in charge of keeping an eye on him.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
They got moving again to floor thirty-two. Unsurprisingly, after the wave that had come down to the prior level, it was empty save for a few lone infected that they easily took out.
Hazard stayed alert, carefully aware of his surroundings. But he was also aware of Ice. Both because he’d been told to watch him for signs of turning and because he was always aware of his mate. Except now his mind was clogged with worry and fear and regret.
What if they didn’t find the cure in time to stop the infection from taking root? What if they did find the cure but it didn’t actually work and Royce became one of those bald, drooling monsters for good? Could he put his mate down? Could he stand by and watch Ortiz or Jax do it?
It had barely been a year since he and Ice had mated. He didn’t want to lose him already.
“You good, Corporal?”
At Ice’s question, Hazard shook himself out of his thoughts. “I should be asking you that.”
“I’m fine. A little warmer than usual but no other change.”
“Good.” Hazard looked him over. “You look the same. Eyes still beautiful and brown.”
Those eyes crinkled slightly at the corners with the hint of a smile. It was nice seeing all of Royce’s face and expressions during a mission. Hazard just wished it wasn’t under these circumstances.
“You think my eyes are beautiful?”
“I think all of you is beautiful. You know that,” he answered softly. He told his mate often how gorgeous he was and how he loved everything about him. He’d spent many hours in bed with his lover, warm and sated as he pressed gentle kisses to the face he still felt privileged to see.
“Don’t make me blush, Corporal,” Ice said as he lightly chucked Hazard under his chin. “I’ve got a reputation to keep.”
Despite his worry, Hazard had to smile at the alpha’s teasing.
“Knew I could get a smile out of you. Now let’s keep going so we can finish the mission.”
Hazard nodded and picked up his pace.
They’d nearly reached the next staircase when the now familiar sound of the infected drifted toward them. Several of the bald, gray-skinned infected walked out of a room up ahead. They hadn’t caught sight of the team yet, which gave them a momentary advantage.
“It’s just the five of them,” Ortiz said. “We can pick ‘em off from here before they have a chance to attack us. You and me, Jax. Ice, Hazard keep an eye out for any others.”
Jax raised his rifle. “Ready when you are, Major.”
The two of them fired simultaneously, bullets whizzing across the distance to drop the first two infected. The others turned, but two more dropped before they had a chance to move. The last zeroed in on them. But he only managed a single step before he was eliminated too. In less than fifteen seconds, the infected were sprawled dead on the floor, the sound of their raspy snarls silenced.
“Clear. Keep moving,” Ortiz ordered.
Once again, they quietly pushed forward, hustling up the staircase. They got lucky, there didn’t seem to be any infected on floor thirty-three. It was silent. No raspy breathing. No snarls. But then Hazard heard an unexpected noise. The whisper of a woman’s voice.