Block Two, 15.00 CST (five hours before the lock island system activates)
“Mei Ling, the rain’s picking up, and it’ll be dark soon. Are you sure we shouldn’t just leave now? The logistics ship will be here in two hours.”
Mei Ling, her complexion still pale, turned to her colleague, Jared Lim. “Leaving now would be risky. Many soldiers have been lost in the outer areas of the prison, and they’ve likely turned into predators by now.”
“But earlier, Colonel Winslow managed to navigate through the chaos and reach Block Four,” Jared added. “If we had acted sooner—“
“Do you suggest we brave the rain, head to the dock, and wait there unprotected… or wait until closer to the ship’s arrival time to reduce the risk of encountering predators?” Mei Ling interjected.
“You’re right, but to reach the military vehicle we’ll use to get to the beach later, we’ll still need to venture outside, won’t we?” Jared replied.
“Both choices mean we’ll have to navigate past the predators, but if we wait here first, we can at least find shelter for a while,” Mei Ling suggested. “Plus, without firearms, we need to plan our strategy carefully, especially considering how dangerous those two predator hosts outside are.”
“Lilia is truly terrifying,” Jared muttered, his breath caught in his throat. “She feigned severe illness in Block Four until last night when she was transferred to our block. But even before reaching the underground cell, she killed her escorts and escaped. Since then, chaos has reigned here.”
“What puzzles me,” he continued, “is how Professor Morr managed to break out of our secure underground cell. He’s been confined there for six months because returning him to Block Four is too risky. Who could have set him free? Was it Lilia?”
“I can’t say,” Mei Ling answered. “With the CCTV system down and most of the soldiers who went to Block Two killed by Professor Morr, it’s perplexing. His cell has always been tightly locked, and the key is kept securely in our office. Lilia couldn’t have known about it. Besides, she was still being hunted in the outer area of the prison earlier.”
Jared’s curiosity grew. “Then, who freed Professor Morr? It couldn’t have been the two guards who took extra blood samples from the newcomers, right? They’ve never had access to the key for Professor Morr’s cell.”
“I’m still pondering that,” Mei Ling murmured, her gaze distant. “Someone deliberately unlocked Professor Morr’s cell covertly, and whoever did it must have had a specific motive.”
Taking a deep breath, Jared reflected, “Two escaped predator hosts alone could bring everything to a standstill on this island. I shudder to think what would happen if all the predator hosts in Block Four broke free at once.”
Turning back to Mei Ling, he inquired, “Over the years, only a select few have had access to the second floor of Block Four. People like you, Colonel Winslow, and the four Phantom security officers who were slain by Lilia last night. Are they all as dangerous as Lilia and Professor Morr?”
Mei Ling nodded. “They’re generally very manipulative, exceptionally intelligent, capable of swaying others with just their words. That’s why Colonel Winslow restricts access to the second floor. Without a deep understanding of them, one could easily fall into their traps. Access to the second floor is rarely granted to me as well.”
“Do you have any idea how the predator hosts in Block Four ended up on this island? What’s their story?”
“I’m not exactly in the loop on all the details; the Phantom people keep their data under lock and key,” Mei Ling explained. “We all know Professor Morr was one of the original researchers here, alongside Colonel Winslow, but how he ended up in Block Four is still a bit of a mystery.”
“And Lilia…,” she continued, “I don’t have much info on her, besides the fact that she was brought here three years ago at just 17. Their files are top-secret, but according to the Phantoms, many of them are serious international criminals and have used gene doping.”
Jared paused for a moment. “Have you ever come face-to-face with any of them?”
“I’ve only had glimpses of a few of them because their cell doors are sealed tight,” Mei Ling replied. “There’s just a little slot at the bottom for food delivery. Colonel Winslow has been the main researcher directly interacting with the predator hosts in Block Four. I only jump in when there’s a need for sample tests.”
Jared’s brow creased. “Strange… I once heard rumors that two of them don’t eat live animals like we provide to most predator hosts there. Two of them still eat normal food like us. Does that make sense for predator hosts?”
Mei Ling remained silent, opting instead to stroll towards the window to assess the outside conditions. “At exactly four o’clock, we will start to leave here and take the quiet side straight to the military camp in front. There’s a small military logistics truck there that we can use to get to the dock. You’ve informed our team in Block One to get ready, right?”
Jared nodded. “Yes, I’ve informed them through the handheld radio. The five of them are still hiding in their rooms, and one of them has the radio. Once we give the signal, they’ll head straight to the military camp.”
Mei Ling was about to continue when suddenly the sound of a fax machine echoed from a nearby room. Upon hearing it, both Mei Ling and Jared exchanged a quick glance.
“The network’s back up,” Mei Ling exclaimed in surprise. “We can reach out to Phantom!”
Before Jared could react to her words, she dashed towards Colonel Winslow’s office and swiftly entered. Once inside, she grabbed the telephone and began dialing, shooting a reassuring smile at Jared who had just followed her in.
“We’ve got a connection,” she announced a few seconds later, her eyes brimming with enthusiasm.
“You’re reaching out to Phantom?” Jared inquired, his expression reflecting relief.
Mei Ling nodded. Upon getting through, she greeted the person on the other end without delay. “Hello? Phantom? We’re in urgent need of assistance here!”
As the response came back unclear and fragmented, Mei Ling tried again, “Phantom? Can you hear me? The situation here is critical, and we’ve had to activate the lock island system. We need help because… hello? Hello, Phantom?”
Jared looked at Mei Ling with a worried expression. “What happened? Is the network acting up again?”
Mei Ling didn’t immediately answer his question. She hung up the phone and tried to reconnect. However, despite multiple attempts, she no longer heard any dial tone.
“Damn, the signal is cut off again!” Mei Ling exclaimed in frustration. “I’ll try to call them again.”
As Mei Ling remained occupied, Jared shifted his attention to the nearby fax machine. Approaching the table, he retrieved the document that had just arrived. As he scanned its contents, a wave of unease washed over him, causing his face to visibly pale.
“Mei Ling, you need to see this,” Jared urged, his voice tense.
Caught up in her efforts to reach Phantom, Mei Ling glanced over at Jared. “What is it?”
“It’s from Phantom. They’ve reported that two additional medium-sized ships are en route to our dock,” Jared explained, his expression grim. “Unfortunately, they couldn’t prevent these ships from docking due to the inclement weather and ongoing network issues. Phantom is urging our soldiers to block them from docking.”
“This fax seems to have arrived late,” Jared continued, his tone troubled. “According to the information here, the two ships are medium-sized, with each potentially carrying around 300-400 people. If these ships arrive and their passengers encounter the predators outside, they’ll…”
Jared trailed off, his gaze fixed on Mei Ling, who approached him with a look of shock etched on her face.
“Phantom isn’t aware that nearly all the soldiers here are deceased,” Mei Ling said, her voice tinged with escalating panic. “We’ll be fortunate if the ships haven’t docked yet and can be alerted to retreat. But if they’re ambushed by the predators outside first, it could spell grave danger. This island will descend into more than just a nightmare if the predator population surges.”
“Exactly,” Jared concurred, his expression mirroring shock. “The problem is, they said the two ships would arrive around half-past three. That means… they might already be docking at our pier right now.”
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