Free Apex 2: Rise of the Super Soldiers by Adam Moon

nodded a mock apology to Melanie.
    He said in a half-assed sort of way, “Just teasing. You all need to lighten up.”
    Jack was glad Watson was in charge of the mountain bunker. Under Delacourt’s command, the place would be mayhem.
    Under Watson, it was more like controlled chaos, which was probably about as neatly contained as was possible, given the circumstances.
    Delacourt seemed to settle down by the time they reached the medical wing.
    Watson led them to a room and opened the door. They heard the chaos within before they saw it. Otherwise none of them would’ve been prepared for the scene that awaited them.
    The two soldiers had been placed in restraints in their respective beds, and remained there, still as the dead. But the room itself was alive, and violently so.
    The air smelled of ozone intermingled with smoke. The curtains were horizontal and pulled taut by an invisible hand. A dresser was slowly creeping across the floor under its own power. The TV was no longer set on its wall mount. It had been shot across the room so viciously that it was imbedded in the apposite wall.
    A male nurse entered behind them and said, “I just called for you, Commander. A few minutes ago, this room was silent as the grave. And then, out of nowhere, all hell broke loose.”
    Watson looked at Jack and Melanie but they had no further insight.
    Jack stated, “This is kind of what happened to us before we woke up. On the bright side, it means they’ll probably survive.”
    Delacourt watched the dresser finally come to a stop against the wall. When it would no longer move in that direction, a violent, invisible force threw it in the opposite direction like it was no more than a toy. It shattered into splinters, caving in part of the wall. As he watched, his expression changed from one of mild terror to one of barely concealed glee. It was like he was a kid watching a sideshow attraction.
    Before any of them sustained injury, Watson ushered them back out through the door and shut it behind him. To the nurse he said, “No one is to go in there unless they get express permission from me.”
    Just then, an animalistic squeal came from within the room. It made the hairs on Jack’s arm stand on end.
    The nurse made to enter, but Watson grabbed his shirt and said, “Under any circumstances . Do you understand? The two soldiers in there made a terrible mistake and I’ll be damned if I’ll let anyone else suffer for their folly.”
    Melanie said reassuringly, “They’ll be fine. They’re probably tough as nails already. I’d be more worried about the room than about their wellbeing.”
    Watson pulled a key-ring out and locked the door.
    The nurse was exasperated but he relented and said, “I’d like to double check on them whenever things settle down.”
    “Of course. Just call me and I’ll come right down. This is for your own protection, you know?”
    “I know that. It just goes against my training.”
    “I understand that. It’ll be over soon.” He looked at Jack for confirmation. “Right?”
    “I think so. I don’t really remember.”
    Watson patted the nurse on the shoulder. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
    Then he took a deep breath to gather his thoughts.
    Delacourt said, “If those men die, this entire excursion was a waste of time and resources.”
    Watson sighed. “Those are good men, regardless of the single mistake they made. They’ve struggled through loss just like everyone else has and they’ve done so with little or no time to grieve. They’re more than lab rats to me. If they die, it’s not just a failed experiment, but a failure on my part, as a leader. ” He added, “I managed to retrieve a small sample of the contagion that affected them. I can’t be sure if it’s still active or if it’s worthless but if we can synthesize it and produce it in bulk...”
    Delacourt opened his lips to speak, to find out where the contagion was being stored, but Watson cut him off because he didn’t