The Badass Protector

COLT

“DARICK, STOP the car,” Gael ordered as he raised the radio. He hopped down from the passenger seat as soon as the car halted, and we followed suit.

He located a spot where we could hear what the man on the radio was saying.

“If anyone out there can hear me, please, spread this message by posting flyers, writing on every wall you see, or telling everyone to come to us.”

“This must be the Colony’s new trick trying to lure people into being their blood bank,” Frost said.

“… On behalf of the Center for Disease Control, I am Dr. Warren Leveroque. We have a breakthrough and successfully created and manufactured the cure and the vaccine for the virus. We are at the CDC, or you can go to the nearest port to get the vaccine. Let us save humanity and help build our beloved nation again…”

“Or could it be real this time?” I looked at Gael and Frost. “What do you think?”

“It’s worth a try,” Iris replied. “We are going there, anyway.”

***

WE ARRIVED at the CDC complex. Military, commercial, and personal vehicles were everywhere, even with the government and CDC seals. And it seemed the governments were starting to function again.

It was a good sign that mankind had not completely wiped out its existence.

Guards from the military were present, which was incredible and overwhelming.

After several hours, we moved closer to the gate-inside, where we were going to receive the vaccine. Do we need one, though? On our way here, I chose to ignore their questions because, honestly, I had no idea. And I felt suddenly antsy.

Only one way to find out.

Gael and Dr. Hull marched toward the security at the guard post. The back gate was the exit once we received the vaccines, and from where we were standing served as the entrance.

“Are you okay?” I asked Iris beside me when she breathed deeply.

“Never been better. Do we need to receive, though?”

“I think so. Maybe we should keep about what happened to ourselves. Nothing will happen if we receive the vaccine, I guess.”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

“I’ll try first. If nothing happens to me, then you can take yours.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea-”

“Name, ma’am,” the guard asked, wearing a U. S combat Army uniform.

“Blue Iris Clayton.”

The guard froze and looked at Iris intensely for a couple of seconds, making my body stiffen. I couldn’t smell violence, but my instinct said something would happen today.

“Got a problem, 1Lt. Dunnam?” I asked, eyes focused on him after I checked his name and rank insignia.

His hand went to the walkie-talkie on his chest. “Dr. Warren? Please, come in.”

“We’re leaving.” I gripped Iris’ hand. My stomach suddenly felt rock hard.

“Wait,” Iris stopped me, making me groan in annoyance.

I completely forgot the reason for this long trip. To save the fucking humanity, but things changed when they had already discovered the cure.

I didn’t care if I wouldn’t receive the vaccine as long as Iris wouldn’t be harmed.

“Yes?” A voice from the radio echoed, probably Dr. Warren. He seemed to have the same voice from the radio back on the road.

The radio message was probably legit, but why did the guard suddenly freeze when he heard Iris’ name?

“There was a woman here claiming she’s Blue Iris Clayton, Dr. Warren,” the guard answered almost quickly.

“Is she has bluer eyes?”

Iris’s face was ashen, and she swallowed.

Fuck!

“What’s going on?” Gael came back and asked, with already armed men tailing him.

“What do they want from me?” Iris finally found her voice. She was shaking.

Isn’t it what you want? I wanted to roll my eyes, but I loved her so much that I couldn’t just resist her plan.

“You’re not in trouble, ma’am. We are just going to escort you inside to meet Dr. Warren.”

“She’s not coming with you,” I said firmly.

“You can come with us,” 1Lt. Dunnam replied.

“Not without me,” Gael interjected.

“And me!” Frost moved to us.

The crowd and lines started to grow and murmur as we got their attention and already marched toward us. Nosy people. After what they had been through, they never learned and changed.

A male voice from the megaphone spoke not to break the line as they would all receive the vaccine.

“Or if you want, whoever wanted to talk to her, why don’t you tell him to come over here.”

“Your name, sir?”

“Colt Snow.”

He extended his hand, but I ignored it.

“Mr. Snow, we’ve been looking for Ms. Clayton for a long time. We would definitely send a team to escort her here if you just radioed us.”

“What’s this all about?” Dr. Hull also walked in to join the conversation.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Dr. Warren will explain everything. You must be all exhausted from a long trip. So, shall we?” He gestured us to the opened gate.

“Fine. I’ll go if my family comes with me,” Iris agreed. Since she wanted to make things right and find answers, this was the best time, and hopefully, she would find closure and satisfaction from the answers she found.

After a few minutes, we were all sitting in a room with white concrete, glass walls, and a sliding door with food and refreshments.

The way they treated us, we felt like we had just landed from another planet. Doctors and staff waved and smiled at us outside this room.

“Don’t you think it’s a little bit weird?” Darick asked.

“It is,” This time, I agreed with him.

The door whooshed and slid. An old man with a white shirt and loosened red necktie walked in. His aura seemed calm and friendly. Almost trustworthy.

“You must be Blue Iris.” He smiled tearfully.

Iris stood up. “Yes.”

“I can see it from your eyes, my dear. I’m Dr. Warren Leveroque, but everyone calls me Dr. Warren.”

“May I ask what’s going on? Why are we here?”

“You’re probably wondering why I asked Dunnam to escort you inside. Well, we are glad you made it here.” He held and gripped Iris’ hand as he talked like she was some kind of a Queen or just saved the world from an alien invasion.

“I still don’t understand.”

“Let’s have a seat then. This might take a while.”