Their eyes met.
Behind their masks, both pairs of eyes were bloodshot.
A thousand unspoken words passed between them in that single glance.
Calista leaned against the door, gasping for breath. Blood rushed to her head, bringing a brief wave of dizziness and overwhelming joy.
"Carver?!"
The rest of the team cried out in delighted surprise.
"Jesus Christ! You're alive?!" Bossie was so excited he nearly jumped.
Carver gave them a firm nod. "It's me. It's... really good to see you."
Even as he spoke, he shifted sideways and instinctively placed himself between Calista and the outer door, which could be breached again at any moment.
Carver did not waste time on sentiment. He quickly returned to the situation at hand. "Leah led us inside, but we were forced deeper into the facility."
He nodded toward the door leading to the D-7 laboratory. "We installed several high-dose neutralizer detonators along the route to the reactor workshop, hoping to clear a path. Some activated successfully, but others..."
Carver clenched his jaw in frustration. "Those things detected us while we were installing the largest one at the entrance. They severed the cable before we could set it off.
"The situation was critical, so we had no choice but to retreat into the laboratory area and search for another way out. When we heard the gunfire over here, we realized it might be you.
"The others went farther into the laboratory area to look for another exit. I doubled back to check what was happening."
Calista immediately understood the neutralizer detonators they had encountered along the way, some successfully activated and others left unused. She also understood why the large detonator with the severed cable had been abandoned outside the door.
A fresh sense of urgency rose within her. She took a deep breath and quickly replied, "We followed your trail all the way up. We found several neutralizers that had already gone off, and we activated the ones that hadn't.
"We repaired the large one at the entrance too. Bossie reconnected the cable, and we just activated it."
Carver's head snapped up. His eyes lit with astonishment as he said firmly, "Well done!"
The rescue team had not reached them through blind luck. They had fought through every obstacle, caught up with their missing comrades, and completed the most critical part of the task force's unfinished plan.
At that moment, tentative impacts began sounding against the door behind them again.
Carver wasted no more time. "Move! That hit didn't kill them. We need to get into the laboratory area."
Calista immediately called to her teammates. "Leon, Mikey, don't just stand there! Push every movable metal cabinet and equipment rack over here. Block this door!"
No further encouragement was needed. Everyone sprang into action with remarkable efficiency.
Leon let out a low grunt and joined Mikey in pushing two heavy metal cabinets filled with old components from the corner of the buffer room toward the entrance.
Bossie and Jenson helped clear the way, then began moving another sturdy equipment rack.
"One, two, three. Push!"
The bottoms of the heavy cabinets scraped across the floor with a piercing screech before being wedged firmly against the still-trembling blast-proof door.
They placed the equipment rack diagonally between the cabinets and the wall, forming a crude triangular brace.
The Predators outside heard the commotion and became even more agitated, striking the door with greater force. However, the heavy barricade noticeably weakened the vibrations passing through it.
For the moment, the door was secure.
"Everyone, inside!"
The group finally breathed a little easier and hurried toward the D-7 laboratory corridor.
Carver remained by the door, quickly scanning the buffer room to make sure nothing had been left behind. His gaze finally settled on Calista. He gestured toward the open doorway, silently telling her to go first.
Calista did not hesitate. She strode into the D-7 laboratory corridor.
Carver followed close behind and entered last. He turned, seized the manual valve wheel on the inside of the doorframe, and cranked it with all his strength, sealing and locking the intact blast-proof door from within.
"Click. Click..."
A series of complex mechanical locks slid into place. At last, the suffocating crashes and roars from the multi-level reactor workshop were completely cut off.
The two sides of the buffer room felt like separate worlds.
Exhausted but elated after their narrow escape, the group stood in silence.
Then someone began to chuckle softly.
Calista leaned against the wall and slowly released the breath she had been holding. Only then did she realize how badly every muscle in her body ached.
It felt as though she had gone on a nonstop business trip and then spent the entire night lifting weights.
Carver seemed to sense her gaze. He looked up, his eyes direct and almost intense as they rested on her face for two seconds. Then he smiled again.
"We did it."
For once, Calista felt her cheeks grow warm. She gave a small nod. The enormous weight that had pressed down on her ever since the Spearhead Task Force disappeared finally began to lift.
But this was not the time to relax.
After a brief rest, Calista straightened and addressed the team. "Everyone, check your equipment and CBRN suits. Eat something and drink some water.
"Carver, take us to Leah. We need to find out what's happening inside, then figure out how we're all getting out of this hellhole."
...
The outer corridor of the D-7 laboratory's core area stretched ahead, illuminated only by the team's headlamps and flashlights.
Calista walked beside Carver, scanning every intersection and the tightly sealed hatches lining both walls.
She turned toward him. "Are Leah and the rest of the task force all right?"
Carver did not slow down. His eyes remained fixed on their surroundings, but his confident answer eased Calista's concern.
"Everyone's fine and still full of energy. Aside from the usual scrapes and bruises from breaking through, we haven't lost anyone."
He paused before adding, "We split into two groups before entering the central control room.
"Anderson's protective suit was damaged, so it wasn't safe for him to go any farther. He and Frank Wilson stayed behind. We planned to return for them after dealing with the threat."
Calista faltered.
She lowered her gaze to the grime-covered toes of her boots, her throat tightening.
"Anderson..." Her voice came out painfully hoarse. "We found him in a corner outside the central control room. His injuries were too severe. He didn't make it."
Carver stopped abruptly and stared at her in shock.
Calista kept her head lowered.
"Corporal Frank Wilson..." she continued heavily. "We found his... remains on the lower level of the reactor workshop. They were attacked by one of the Predators."
At last, she looked up. Carver could clearly see the pain in her eyes.
"They both died."
Carver's chest rose sharply. He turned his head and stared down the corridor ahead.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
"...Understood."
Those were the only words he managed. He asked for no details and showed no further emotion.
Calista said nothing else.
The true apocalypse was merciless. All they could do was carry the weight of the dead, keep moving forward, and lead those still alive to safety.
...
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