Mass Extinction Event: The Complete Fourth Series (Days 54 to 61) Read Online Free PDF Page A

side until it switches off.
    Although my right foot is still painful and wrapped in bandages, I can move a little faster now that I'm no longer dragging the cart around. I limp over to the door and listen for a moment, and finally I realize that there doesn't seem to be anyone out there. I grab the handle and pull the door open, before peering out and seeing nothing but an empty corridor. I know I should just go and tell these people where I am, but the screams I heard a few minutes ago have given me second thoughts and I want to know exactly where I am before I just deliver myself into their hands. Besides, I'm already starting to think that I should find a way back out to the forest, so I can look for Toad.
    I wait a moment longer, before limping out into the corridor and hurrying toward the next window.
    Looking out, I see a dusty path that runs between this building and what looks like some kind of portable cabin. Trying the nearby door handle, I find that it's unlocked and I limp out into the bright morning sunlight. I can hear voices in the distance, so I quickly hobble to the cabin and pull the door open before slipping inside and finding myself in some kind of office. There's a desk at the far end of the small room, with various items of paperwork spread out everywhere, and on one of the walls there's a large map showing the entire United States.
    Limping over to the map, I see that small red flags have been stuck into several locations, while some of the cities have had their names crossed out with thick black pen. Washington, New York, Chicago and several more have seemingly been scrubbed away, but it's still not clear what that means, and there's a thick red ring around Boston.
    Hearing people running past the cabin, I look over at the door, waiting for someone to burst through, but finally the people pass and keep going. Making my way to the desk, I feel a twinge of pain in my shoulder as I reach down and pick up a cardboard folder. Opening it to the first page, I find a document titled 'Mitchfield Base Category A Emergency Plan'. The rest of the page contains a series of -
    Suddenly I hear a click as the door opens, and I turn to see a man stepping into the cabin. Wearing a light brown military uniform, he stops as soon as we make eye contact.
    “Well,” he says after a moment, seemingly stunned to see me.”I mean...”
    Frozen, I try to work out what to do next.
    “Okay,” he continues, holding his hands up, “I don't want you to panic, Elizabeth. You're injured and you could hurt yourself more if you try to run or do anything stupid. Your foot's basically held on by little more than string right now, even the slightest knock could have it off again. Let's avoid any sudden movements.”
    I look around, hoping to spot something I can use as a weapon.
    “Here,” he says suddenly, taking his gun from a holster around his waist and setting it down on a nearby table. “I'm not going to hurt you.”
    I want to believe him, but my heart is pounding and after everything that has happened lately, I don't trust anyone.
    “Are you going to hurt me?” he asks.
    “Why would I hurt you?”
    “I'm just trying to establish a little trust here.”
    “Were you the one who shot me last night?”
    “No,” he replies, “but it was a man from one of my teams. I'm sorry, but in heightened situations, mistakes can happen. They couldn't be sure you weren't infected.”
    “So they shot me to find out?”
    “It was only a flesh wound,” he replies. “Not like your right foot. Now that required some serious work. You were in surgery for a few hours.”
    “It's my actual foot?” I ask, shocked that it's not just some kind of prosthetic attachment. I pause for a moment, thinking back to the day when Toad had to cut my right foot away. “Where did you find it?” I ask skeptically, figuring that I need to play for time while I figure out what to do next.
    “Out in the forest. One of our patrols got lucky.”
    “That