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It looked like he was having a quiet day. He just laid on his small bed, asleep, and for the untrained eye nothing seemed to be wrong with him.
But unfortunately, there was. He was infected after he had been exposed to the infection for too long. It had happened after he crashed with his helicopter, meaning to extract the team currently in the zone but ending up being saved by them. He had not been wearing any protective gear. Why would he? He was the pilot, nobody would have thought he would end up in the zone, too. When he had returned to the camp in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, he had been examined. The large, bleeding wound on his leg hadn’t been the worst concern. No, his blood contained a chemical never seen before. A chemical doctor Macintosh had also found in the blood of the Roaches roaming the streets and attacking Six' men. The sample helped, though, because now they could start trying to find a cure. But that meant the pilot would have to remain isolated from everybody else, for the time being. It was a perfect opportunity for Doc to study the infection more while the lab examined the blood sample.
So yes, Jäger remained in quarantine while his blood sample was tested by Mackintosh. He couldn't mix with the others anyway. He was dangerous, transforming at random, having panic attacks and seeming schizophrenic, shouting and murmuring to no one in particular. It worried Doc. He observed the German’s behaviour from behind a thick glass window, and even then he had to admit he felt slightly uncomfortable. Jäger's health was his duty. But this man wasn't Jäger anymore... He only looked like him.
The German was wary of the past few days, yet even in his sleep he seemed troubled. His small body tossed and turned in the camp bed, sweat staining his shirt. Doc scribbled everything down he noticed on a notepad with a worried look on his face.
“How is he, Doc?”
The Frenchman looked up from his notepad. He hadn’t heard anyone coming in; he had been so lost in thought. He was worried about his patient’s condition, about whether or not a cure would be found and about their own safety. Things were not looking up for them here in New Mexico.
Kapkan stood in the doorway, still clad in his protective gear after he had returned from a mission in the zone earlier. Strange, the Russian had never come to see their poor teammate. Not that anyone had. They avoided this place like the plague now. Of course, nobody wanted to become infected, but behind the protective wall and reinforced glass, the patient was not at risk.
“Blitz is asking back at Hereford Base.” Kapkan rolled his eyes and sighed, showing how much he did not want to be there. There was his explanation.
“He is resting at the moment.” Doc answered softly, looking through the glass at his patient again with worry.
Kapkan sighed again before he strode over to where Doc stood and looked through the window as well. To see the infected man with his own eyes. To be able to report back to Jäger's best friend back in England. After a few seconds of examining the peaceful body, Kapkan folded his arms. “He looks fine.”
But Doc shook his head. He hated to lie, so he figured his best option was to tell the truth. “He is not. Do you remember the grunts out there, Kapkan? He’s one of them now.”
Kapkan cocked an eyebrow. “He doesn’t look like one.”
“That is because the infection affects him differently. If my study is right, he might actually be fighting the virus. He’s the first specimen I’ve encountered that isn’t completely lost to the infection.” Doc explained in the simplest words he could think of.
At that moment, the patient woke up. Doc and Kapkan watched with bated breath. Kapkan hadn’t seen the German without his pilot’s helmet often, but he knew for a fact that the dark blonde man on the bed inside that cell was, in fact, his teammate, Jäger. What made him doubt, however, were the alarming red pupils. They weren’t Jäger's. Definitely not.
“Can he see us?” Kapkan whispered as the red eyes were trained on him. They made him shiver even though Doc’s observation area wasn’t cold.
“He shouldn’t be able to, this is one-way glass. But…” Doc tilted his head and watched his patient with interest. “He always looks this way as if he sees me. It might be a side effect of the infection. I’m studying it.”
Kapkan felt highly uncomfortable under the gaze of those red eyes and couldn’t imagine how Doc could not find this creepy. “And does he also grow… those things?”
“The tendrils?” Oh, only when he’s agitated. Like the common grunts do.” Doc scribbled something down on his notepad. Kapkan nodded once, another shiver going down his spine. Quiet Jäger, innocent Jäger. Was he now a zombie? It was hard to believe when all he saw was the man lying in his bed sleepily. The glowing red eyes though, they testified something completely different.
“I think I’ve seen enough. I’ll tell Blitz Jäger is fucked.” Kapkan concluded with an uncomfortable grimace and took a step back from the window. He tore his eyes away from Jäger’s red ones and looked at the medic. “Thanks Doc.”
The Frenchman only hummed softly in response, captivated by the specimen he was studying and not listening to the Russian beside him at all. Kapkan shook his head and exited the building as fast as he could. Fucking weirdos. The both of them.
--
’No Blitz. I’m sleeping. I’m not going to check on Jäger again.’ Kapkan furiously texted the concerned German back home at Hereford Base. It had been a mistake to visit the infected man earlier that day on Blitz' request because now he wouldn’t stop bugging Kapkan with messages concerning his best friend Jäger. Blitz hadn’t liked the news about his best friend at all and wanted to know more. Apparently he had texted everybody in the camp, but nobody was willing to see Jäger. Doc was probably fast asleep and wasn’t replying to the texts and the others were scared of becoming infected if they came near the German.
But Blitz couldn’t be fucking serious now. Kapkan was not checking up on Jäger in the middle of the night. It might be 10.30 AM for the German, but it was 3.30 AM for Kapkan, who had already been woken up by Blitz' constant messages. Fucking time zones.
Nevertheless, Blitz continued pleading and at one point Kapkan angrily decided he wasn't going to get any fucking sleep if Blitz kept nagging him anyway, so he might as well get out and check on Jäger. Blitz wasn’t believing him if he said Jäger was fine or sleeping, so he would go and take a picture of the pilot as proof. Then he could go straight back to bed and sleep undisturbed. Blitz was so thankful Kapkan would go to Jäger, but Kapkan ignored his messages now. Stupid German.
He put on his boots, grabbed his jacket and took his rifle. After a sudden attack in the middle of the night some time earlier, all staff present in the camp had been told to walk around carrying some form of protection. Some preferred to just take a knife, but Kapkan felt safer with his trusty rifle. And thus he set off through the night, walking through the darkness past quiet tents in his sweatpants and T-shirt that functioned as his pyjamas in this hot country. Occasional bright lights lid his way. The lamps had been placed so that the night guard could detect a threat easier in the pitch black of the night, but what it really did was keep the ops out of sleep.
Kapkan trudged on grumpily, rifle loosely in his hand.
The door to the observation room wasn’t locked. It was dark inside, and Kapkan found Doc sitting on a rolling chair, his notepad on his lap and his eyes closed. The idiot had fallen asleep while studying his obsession, Kapkan thought as he shook his head. Doc snored loudly, which annoyed Kapkan, so he tried to be quick about this. Take a photo of sleeping Jäger. Leave. Sleep.
But alas, fate wasn’t on Kapkan’s hand. It seemed it wouldn’t be so easy.
When the tired Russian reached the reinforced window, he found Jäger wide-awake. Better yet, he stood in the middle of his cell, looking at his hands. Kapkan could hear him speaking softly, a murmur that couldn’t reach through the thick glass the infected op was trapped behind. There was no light in his cell, nor in the observation room; all light came through the one window in the German’s room. The bright lights of the camp, meant to spot creatures that didn’t belong in the camp, set Jäger’s cell in an eerie glow. It shone onto his back, obscuring his face from view and giving him a long shadow on the concrete floor.
Kapkan took out his phone and tapped his camera app. Blitz wouldn’t be satisfied with a picture of Jäger standing restlessly in the middle of his cell, but Kapkan couldn’t be bothered to wait for him to lie down again. He wanted to get out of here. He didn’t feel comfortable in the presence of this infected Jäger.
Just as he was about to take the picture, Jäger’s head snapped up and he looked at him; half his face lit up by the bright white of the lamp outside, the other side still hidden in darkness. It made for a stark contrast that was eerily beautiful. Yet two red eyes shone in Jäger’s eye sockets, training on the Russian. Kapkan’s fingers halted; they froze and he couldn’t press the button to take a photo. He kept telling himself Jäger couldn’t see him through the window, but the fact Doc had told him only hours earlier that he studied whether Jäger had some kind of supernatural sense, made him acutely aware of the red eyes piercing him.
Jäger approached the window now, slowly, stalking and Kapkan held his breath. He didn’t dare move. The infected man couldn’t get out, could he? Could he?
The German stood still in front of the window and tilted his head as he seemed to look right at Kapkan. It looked like he was studying the man on the other side of the window, as if he had never seen him before and the Russian trembled under that gaze. What the fuck was up with Jäger? This wasn’t natural, this was-
Some kind of horror movie? A nightmare?
Kapkan did enjoy horror movies, but now he mentally swatted those thoughts away from his brains as he started to shuffle towards the door, wanting to get the fuck out of there when he realised he hadn’t taken a picture yet. He just really wanted to get away from the staring face, but he knew Blitz wouldn’t let him rest without proof that Jäger was okay. But was Jäger really okay? The red pupils never left him.
Jäger watched numbly as Kapkan raised his phone to take a picture. His face was passive, his breathing steady and deep.
Kapkan took the picture. The flash on his phone lit up momentarily.
Jäger flinched, raising his hands in front of his face in panic to shield himself from the sudden light.
The flash had startled Kapkan too, but Jäger even more so. The Russian nervously put his phone away and wanted to get the fuck out of there, but he stood nailed to the floor, watching the terrifying scene unfold before him.
The man behind the glass started to groan, quietly at first but it became louder very quick. Animalistic noises escaped his throat as his body heaved and shook. He stumbled backwards, away from Kapkan while he looked like a bird trapped in a cage – which, as a matter of fact, he was. Even from where he stood, Kapkan could see the whites of his eyes. Jäger was shouting now, looking at his hands again in what looked like pure fear. With a bone-chilling cry he dropped to his knees on the floor. His hands reached for his head, his fingers tearing at his hair while he continued shouting. Every muscle in Jäger's body tensed when the black and red tendrils started to protrude from his body out of nowhere. The German wailed loudly and groaned in agony and Kapkan stood glued to the floor, watching Jäger transform right in front of him.
It was like watching a horror movie or a nightmare right in front of his eyes. Every hair on Kapkan’s body stood on edge, he wasn’t even sure if he was breathing and both his mouth and eyes were wide open in astonishment. Yes, he had seen the grunts transform from ‘normal’ human beings to creatures straight out of hell, but this... This was something different.
Macabre, terrifying, horrifying, yet... fascinating to watch; Jäger’s tendrils were much larger and longer than the ones Kapkan had seen on the other infected. The Russian loved a good horror movie, and Jäger seemed to have stepped right out of one.
But the infection was enraged now. Jäger growled and cried like a monster, beating his strong fists on the floor, walls and the window. It wanted to get out, taste blood. It needed more space. All Kapkan could do was watch, his whole body unmovable because of his sheer wonder for this creature. Was this Jäger?
“What the…”
Finally, Kapkan was able to move when he heard a sleepy low voice behind him. The commotion had woken up Doc.
“Kapkan? What did you do!” The Frenchman jumped up from his seat and rushed over to Kapkan. He dragged the Russian away from the glass, looking at the infection fearfully. “Shit.” He said under his breath as they watched Jäger rage from a safe distance. He broke all the furniture in his cell and even managed to bring a small crack to the reinforced glass. And all they could do was watch, because going in there right now was suicide. Because, as Doc told Kapkan, he had already discovered Jäger knew friend nor foe when he was enraged like this.
It was painful to watch Jäger hurt his fists on the hard concrete walls. He was completely out of his mind, but the bruises on his knuckles would stay. It took a while before he calmed down again.
And when he did, he slumped to the floor suddenly. The tendrils returned to his body in the blink of an eye and Jäger looked exhausted. His whole body shook, his breathing was ragged and it looked like his head felt too heavy on his neck. Jäger looked about him as if he hadn’t noticed his surroundings before and then he staggered over to his now-broken bed. There he fell asleep immediately, as if nothing had happened.
Doc sighed and released Kapkan. “Should’ve shot him…” He mumbled.
“Shot him?” Kapkan repeated stupidly, no longer mesmerized by the infection now. He looked at Doc, who was sweating and panting. He wouldn’t shoot Jäger, would he?
“With a sleep dart, I mean…” Doc’s voice trailed off. He sounded tired. He looked tired.
Kapkan watched as he walked over to the crack in the glass and examined it. Would it be able to hold another outburst of the infection? “What’s on your mind, Doc? What’s wrong with Jäger? Why is he different from the other infected?” Kapkan had to ask. He was intrigued by Jäger’s infection.
Doc froze before he turned around to face Kapkan. He started, thoughtfully as if he wasn’t sure if he should tell Kapkan or not: “I believe Jäger has some kind of control over his infection…” The Frenchman motioned to the glass, “But sometimes, he loses that control. The infection is easily triggered within him, but not simply by the sight of another human. I have attempted to approach him once and he talked to me. I believe he is not a lost cause. We just need to find a cure... Quick.”
Kapkan nodded without saying anything. That was good news. For Blitz, of course. He quickly bid Doc farewell and left the observation area. No use in staying there any longer. The Frenchman was left behind, exhausted. But Kapkan didn’t think about him. He thought of Jäger. He quickly got back to his tent and let Blitz know everything was fine. He didn’t wait for a reply.
Before he turned his phone off (in order to not get disturbed by Blitz anymore), Kapkan looked at the picture he took of Jäger. It looked macabre, the beastly look of Jäger with those red eyes that seemed to see him on a whole different level than humanly possible, the dark room only lit by light shining through the high window beside him. It sent a chill down Kapkan’s spine, but he found the monster kept in Doc’s office very interesting. Maybe, maybe he would go and visit again.
Kapkan turned his phone off. He never sent the picture to Blitz.
--
“I still don’t get why we don’t just nuke the whole damn place.” Thermite grumbled. Ash gave him a stern look as he disturbed her briefing.
The whole team was gathered in the main tent. Ash, Thermite, Buck, Ying, Smoke, Tachanka, Glaz, Doc, the recruits and the new guys, Lion and Finka, were all there. Kapkan was there too, but his mind wasn’t. He kept thinking of Jäger and found he was starting to become obsessed too, like Doc was. Maybe Doc wasn’t as crazy as he thought.
The night had passed without another outburst of Jäger, or so a very tired-looking Doc told him. They were about to go on a mission into the zone again, and Ash was briefing them when Thermite had interrupted her. Even though at first Kapkan had been interested in killing off some infected like this was your casual zombie game, he now found he’d rather stay in the camp. Study Jäger with Doc, see what he does and what he reacts to. He wasn’t interested in guns and zombies anymore. Let him stay in Truth or Consequences.
“We have been over this, Jordan.” Ash bit. “Now, if we will all pay attention? This is important.” She continued her briefing with a heavy sigh, looking just as exhausted as Doc did. She organised everything here, keeping close contact with Six back in Hereford.
The team had been fighting the infection fruitlessly for days now. They were told to hold on until the rescued doctor Mackintosh had a breakthrough on her research, but until then they were expected to fight off hordes of what they labelled as zombies, but were called ‘grunts’, ‘roaches’ and things like that by Ash and the other leaders. It took a big toll on their mental health.
The rest of the world was quiet upon the subject of the infection. Yes, they were killing civilians. But yes, those civilians were a threat to humanity. The media didn't cover what was happening in New Mexico. For one, they were strictly forbidden to enter the contaminated zone, and two, there was nothing to report other than there was something wrong and the cause was unknown. The violence taking place in New Mexico right now was causing silence on the media. Because the average human being couldn’t side with one of the two parties as the oppressed one, what could they do? And if the media couldn’t point at the one who was responsible for all this, what use were their articles?
People spoke of a ‘zombie apocalypse’, children were watched closely should they decide to wander off to far and people lived in a sort of numb fear; but in reality nobody knew much of this infection. Of course not even the men and women battling it knew much about it. Lion and Finka, the CBRN specialists, had theories, but nothing could be said for certain.
And so the world remained quiet.
Kapkan shuffled closer to where Doc stood.
“How’s Jäger?” He whispered.
Doc looked at him, slightly surprised at his interest but figuring he was asking for Blitz again. “He’s been sleeping since his outburst from last night. I have never seen him so angry before.”
Kapkan nodded thoughtfully. It had been his fault.
Ash’s loud voice rang over their quiet conversation. “For the first mission I will need Doc, Lion and Tachanka, and after that I will need…” Ash rambled on. Kapkan wasn’t really listening to her. Next to him, Doc looked gloomy. He was biting the inside of his mouth as he seemed to be raking his brains, his eyebrow knitted together in worry. Then he whispered to Kapkan:
“While I’m away, would you keep an eye on Jäger?”
Kapkan cocked an eyebrow. What?
“I hate that I’m sent on this mission, but someone needs to watch him. I mean, the staff of the camp who watch him usually, don’t understand him. They’re scared of him. I don’t trust them. I’d feel much more comfortable if you would keep an eye on him. You’ve seen what he’s capable of now. He might feel a familiarity if you were to watch him. Please? I won’t be gone for long.” Doc explained himself.
Kapkan nodded thoughtfully. He didn’t take long to agree. This would be his perfect opportunity to see more of the infection… Was Doc wrong to trust him with the safety of the German pilot? Probably.
--
Doc was gone. Kapkan had the whole section overseeing Jäger’s cell all to himself. He was now utterly alone with the infection. With the monster. The man was exceptionally quiet today, and Kapkan thought he hadn’t even noticed the Russian was there yet. Kapkan checked twice if there was no one else around before he locked the door leading into Jäger's observation area. He didn’t want any unwanted visitors while he talked to Jäger.
Armed in his protective gear and with the sleeping dart gun, Kapkan did what Doc absolutely forbade him: enter Jäger’s cell. He walked past the window which was still cracked, wondered for a second if he would be safe enough, but then tightened his grip on the gun. That would protect him. And before he started doubting and have second thoughts, he quickly entered the complicated code to open the solid door that led into Jäger's room. It opened quietly with a futuristic swish. He left it ajar, should he need to escape from the monster in a rush.
The infected stood on the other side of the room when Kapkan stepped inside. Jäger spun around, alarmed at the sound of the door opening, and looked fearful. Kapkan kept his distance and stayed passive. He shouldn’t enrage the infection. Not yet.
“Hey Jäger.” Kapkan said casually. As if they weren’t in a cell that kept Jäger away from the outside world. As if Jäger wasn’t infected with a mysterious virus. As if he didn’t now have the strength to rip Kapkan's head off his shoulders.
“Kapkan?” Jäger sounded tired. He tilted his head to observe Kapkan, much like an innocent puppy. But Kapkan knew he was everything but that at the moment. Yet his body relaxed when he realised Kapkan was no enemy.
The Russian nodded and stepped further into the cell. He didn’t approach Jäger just yet, just in case that would anger him. He would gauge the situation first, he decided.
“I haven’t seen you in a while.” Jäger’s voice was soft and sad. “I haven’t seen anyone in a while.”
“But that’s not true.” Kapkan retorted, unafraid. “You’ve seen Doc. And you’ve seen me.”
Jäger seemed to think for a moment before he answered. “Yes...”
“There’s something inside you that isn’t right.” Kapkan reminded him, his voice cool and calm. “You’re a monster.”
The German tensed for a split second and his face contorted in pain, as if someone or something hurt him. It was over before Kapkan realised he saw it. Jäger sighed. He now stood facing his visitor slightly more confidently. “I suppose I am”
“With a sixth sense.” The Russian added, as if Jäger didn’t know.
“I suppose so.” The man shrugged.
“You saw me, then. Through the glass.”
Jäger only nodded. Kapkan watched the man in front of him thoughtfully, looking him up and down. The infected looked exactly like the quiet pilot he knew from back at Hereford Base. But the red eyes, that glowed softly like red embers in a dwindling fire pit, gave him away. Still, his mind didn’t seem so far gone as the freaks he had seen on their missions in New Mexico.
“What’s in your head, Jäger?” Kapkan then mused, breaking the eerie silence.
“In my head?” Jäger asked, his voice suspicious.
When Kapkan didn’t explain any further, Jäger looked away. He turned towards the wall, holding it with one hand and pinching the bridge of his nose with the other. The russian waited patiently.
“They’re fighting. In my head.” Jäger concluded, his voice darker than before.
“Fighting? Who are?” Kapkan asked, genuinely surprised with this information and the fact that Jäger's consciousness didn’t seem affected by the virus at all.
“The... the voices. One of them is familiar. The other one feels hostile. But he’s getting the upperhand. He’s getting the upperhand Kapkan.” His voice now sounded panicky. “I can’t keep him down much longer.” His voice was now a whisper as he turned back around to face his visitor, slowly, training his evil red eyes on the figure in the yellow hazmat suit. He then gritted his teeth, and Kapkan could see small, stark-white fangs. “He’s taking over.”
“But you're not giving in?” It was supposed to be a statement, but it sounded like a question. Kapkan was suddenly unsure of how well Jäger could control the beast inside of him. Kapkan sure as hell was losing control over the situation fast.
“What if I wanted to break?” What if I couldn’t take this anymore?” Jäger’s voice was low, and it didn’t belong to him. It seemed to come from deep within him. He took a step towards Kapkan. “What would you do?”
“They’re searching for a cure, Marius. The researchers-“
“Researchers?” Jäger repeated, surprised. His voice had taken on a slightly lighter tone as well. The mention of his name must have called him back. The real Jäger. “I thought they were keeping me here as a guinea pig. Or to die, more like.”
“No, you’re in quarintine. Just keeping you isolated so the virus won’t spread. That's all.” Kapkan quickly explained.
“I see...” Jäger suddenly seemed smaller again as he turned away from the Russian in his cell. He mumbled quietly to himself for a moment, then turned back around towards Kapkan. “So they’re not giving me up?”
“Of course not. Doc himself said you’re not a lost cause.” Kapkan soothed him.
Nodding quietly, Jäger looked away again. He looked at his hands, like he had done when Kapkan had seen him that night, and looked back at the Russian. “But... why are you here?” When Kapkan remained quiet, feverishly looking for an answer that would calm the virus down, Jäger continued softly: “You’re here to observe me...? So... I am a guinea pig?”
“No, no you’re-” Kapkan tried, but to no avail. Jäger was getting angry.
“Day after day, hour after hour, I’m haunted by voices and thoughts that aren’t my own. Telling me to do things I don’t want to do. Whispering to me, trying to take over my head.” Jäger growled. “Can you even comprehend what that feels like, Kapkan? Do you even understand what I am? You’re just here to laugh at me. But this is not funny.” Jäger hissed furiously as he started closing in on Kapkan slowly. The Russian raised his sleeping dart gun ever so slightly, on guard for the monster’s sudden movements. “I can’t bear this suffering anymore, Kapkan. Have you seen enough now? Is it enough?”
The infected seemed to grow as he stalked his visitor. His eyes were glowing even more abnormally now, angry, mad. He looked furious, his fists clenched at his sides and his body quavering in anger. And the voice, dark and evil, wasn’t Jäger’s. It was the devil inside him. The monster was more terrifying from up close than Kapkan had anticipated, and he found himself desperately looking for something to say that would cool the situation.
“You came here to laugh at me?” The voice spat, dripping with bloodlust. “You- you...” It went on, but couldn’t form anymore sentences. Jäger then suddenly dropped to his knees right in front of Kapkan, holding his stomach as he seemed to be going through some terrible pain. He groaned and growled, panted and hissed. “I- I have no-”
The sentence was never finished. Once again Kapkan stood glued to the floor as the infection took hold of Jäger’s body. The poor pilot uttered an agonising scream when the tentacles started protruding out of his back again. Longer and longer they grew, stark black and glowing faintly red. Jäger wailed and cried like a tortured animal, trying to grip at anything, looking for support. But nothing could help him through the pain he was going through. His ravaged hands tried to grasp Kapkan’s ankle, but the Russian stepped away just in time and distanced himself from the monster. Jäger cried out in frustration.
Then, as sudden as the transformation had started, it stopped. The German sat on the floor quietly, making himself as small as he could while he shivered from head to toe. Only a soft sniffling could be heard in the empty room. An eerie feeling crept up Kapkan’s back.
“Jäger?” He asked softly, wanting to approach the beast but knowing fully well he shouldn’t. This wasn’t Jäger. This was-
Red eyes. Jäger’s head shot up and he stared at the man in the hazmat suit in front of him. “Jäger?” It asked, getting up slowly and drawing itself to its full length. The tendrils that covered his body were rather impressive, and once again Kapkan found himself mesmerized by the infection. “You know you know me.” The voice then said, innocently.
“But you’re not Jäger.” Kapkan whispered, his whole body going stiff under the cold gaze of those red eyes.
“I’m not?” The voice asked, a wicked grin playing on Jäger’s face as he cocked his head.
“No.” Kapkan forced himself to answer. The monster approached him, stood still in front of him and stared him down.
“We’ll see about that.” It grinned.
Jäger was now uncomfortably close to Kapkan, the hard tendrils on his body close to impaling him. A claw moved at an inhuman speed and closed itself around Kapkan’s throat. The Russian gasped, staring into the glowing eyes of the monster.
“I’m hungry.” It growled, tightening its grip on Kapkan’s windpipe.
“I don’t think so.” Kapkan managed to utter. It took him great effort to raise the gun and pull the trigger, but it worked. The dose was so high that Jäger’s body immediately slumped to the floor, and with that the monster was vast asleep. The restriction on Kapkan’s throat was gone and he gasped for air, looking down at Jäger while he did. He decided to get the fuck out of there while he had the chance. Kapkan left Jäger where he was and locked the door behind him.
With a heavy sigh Kapkan slumped into Doc’s chair. He rubbed his throat; it was as if Jäger’s hand had burned him. He tried to catch his breath while he looked through the cracked glass into the cell where Jäger lay. He didn’t feel like he had nearly escaped death; he had reacted just in time with the gun. But that had been... weird, to say the least. Never before had he had a conversation with the infection. Not that he had learned much, but it had been highly interesting. He wondered if Jäger would remember him a next time he went in, and would think twice before attacking. He wondered what else the monster could do...
Because he definitely wanted to get in again. Talk to Jäger. Talk to the monster. Even though he had only just escaped a certain painful death a few minutes ago and his heart was thumping in his throat, Kapkan was still fascinated by the man in the cell. He wanted to know more, he wanted to see more. Shame that seemed to offend Jäger, though. But he would find a way. Definitely.
Kapkan checked his phone for the time when he saw a message from Blitz, once again asking how his best friend was doing. The Russian grinned at the message.
If only Blitz knew. If only he knew...