The next day started with another intense training session from Rhys at the crack of dawn. He was like a god of battle as he demonstrated each move with a grace that Ash was sure no one else could imitate. And as he expected he didn't go easy on him at all. By the time the usual spectators and other early trainers arrived Ash's whole body was already sweaty and throbbing. He really wondered if Rhys was actually teaching him or taking revenge on him.

After the training session, Ash took Kyle's advice and walked around the camp alone. The scientists were sure to approach and ask him if they saw that he didn't have towering figures protectively hovering over him. It was better for them to approach first than go to them. Or it would rouse their suspicion. But it took almost a week of trying to bait them before someone actually approached him.

As Ash took his usual round of the camp, he soon realised that he was being followed. After entering a spot without many residents walking around, two people stopped him in his track. Ash had a bizarre thought go through his mind. This feels familiar to those scenes in the movies that he used to watch were the bully pulls the victim to a secluded area before demanding money. Except that this time it is the victim who is leading the bully to the secluded area. 'Can I even be called a victim in this situation?' Ash wondered seriously.

One of them was a pale skinned woman while the other was a guy in his late thirties. Both of them were well dressed compared to the other survivors in the camp. Clean and neat. But they looked sleep deprived with sunken bloodshot eyes and wavering figures. This was not an uncommon sight now a days. Everyone found it hard to just close their eyes and fall asleep. Even when they are within the protection of the wall, they are constantly wary of their surroundings. Its not just the zombies that people had to be wary about anymore. Your neighbour could stab you in the back just to get an additional mouthful to eat. But Compared to the other residents these two seemed more overworked than worried. With the recent training that Ash has been getting, he could easily take them both down without much trouble unless they were hiding their strength under a weak appearance. As soon as he realised that, he visibly relaxed and even shot them a soft smile, "Can I help you?" Ash asked politely.

"You are Ash, Right?" The woman asked and Ash just nodded in response. "We would appreciate it if you could cooperate with us. Ever since the raid at the hospital we have been testing all the returnees. Since you were in the hospital until recently we didn't get a chance to talk with you."

"Yes, it would be helpful if you could come with us and answer some of our questions. Our superiors have been asking for you for a while now. We were asked to bring you to him as soon as you woke up but you disappeared without a trace." The man added. "It took us some time to locate you again."

"Is there a reason to be tested and questioned?" Ash asked a bit nervously. Although he knew the answer and he tried not to show his worry on his face, he failed miserably. His face had always been like an open book.

The woman looked at him sharply for a moment. She was aware of the situation surrounding the returnees from the hospital mission. They had been seriously injured with obvious bite and scratch marks, yet even after several days of quarantine, none of them showed any signs of zombification. The professor was certain that either all three of them were immune to the virus, which was a long stretch, but in which case they had to be closely observed or that one of them had the knowledge on how to avoid the spread of the virus once infected. If the second was the case then there was no doubt that they had to seriously question the involved parties until they obtained the answer. Problem was that two of the people on the list could not be easily touched. One was Rhys who was steadily gaining a positive reputation among the people in the camp. He was strong and fierce and was mostly sought out to go on important and dangerous missions. The camp still required his aid when needed. On the other hand the other was Jule who had two fierce brothers who had equal status and reputation as Rhys.

In such a situation the only one they could get their hands on was Ash, who was timid and weak. He was not very outstanding anywhere. The only reason someone would notice him is because of his weak stature making them wonder how troublesome he was to have in their group. Yet the woman knew that Kyle's group was very close to each other. They were loyal and trusted each other. So even the weak and useless Ash was protected thoroughly. So, Unlike their usual method of intimidating the person with their superior status, these two had no choice but to be respectful towards Ash for now. If he was indeed the link that the professor was looking for then he will surely find a way to get him on their side. But right now they couldn't afford to offend anyone in Kyle's group.

"There is nothing to worry about. We had already analysed some of your blood samples while you were hospitalised. This will be more like a follow up and making sure that there are no side effects to the zombie virus. The professor would likely also like to hear from you personally what had transpired at the hospital. This concerns after all the entire safety of the camp. We can't possibly let a potential threat run about freely" Their voice were monotonous without the slightest hint of emotion in it. It reminded him of the housework robots back in the lab.

'Ha. They are not creepy at all.' Ash thought sarcastically. His instinctive fear against scientists started acting up and it almost showed on his face again. He even thought about giving up on the plan and just bolting. But at the last moment he mustered up his courage and followed obediently behind them. He had already agreed to it so it would be disrespectful to go back on his words. He even remembered his bold statements against Rhys and was filled with embarrassment. 'I can't chicken out or he will scorn me even more.'

They soon arrived at the biggest building in the camp. Soldiers stood all around the place, guarding it heavier than a president's office. If Ash hadn't been accompanied by the two people, who seemed to be assistants to scientists, then they would have stopped him before he could even catch a glimpse of the door.

Soon after they entered he was led down dimly lit corridors with several tightly shut doors on either sides, until they reached a fairly large hall with tables and chair and all sorts of mechanically beeping machines. Several men and women of all ages were walking around, discussing or testing something. His two guides nudged him forward not allowing him the time to take in his surroundings. Without any other choice Ash followed behind them until they stopped before a grey haired old man. Next to him were two middle aged men and a woman who were consulting him on something.

As soon as he stopped in front of them, all four snapped their heads towards him and observed him intently. "Ash, this is professor George Hansen. He was the senior chief scientist in charge of biomedical studies in England before. Now he is in charge of us all as we try to find a cure for the virus." Ash just nodded as the woman who guided him explained his identity with reverence and admiration tinted in her voice. He was confused as to why they were introducing him to such a big shot just to get a few samples from him.

Ash felt like several people were secretly observing him. But when he looked around everyone was doing their job as before. This send a chill down his neck yet he controlled his desire to bolt and greeted the man respectfully.

"Hello, Ash. You don't have to be so nervous." Dr Hansen chuckled as he saw the fidgeting young man. "We will only take some samples from you and ask several questions. And as we told Kyle if you are willing to work hard then we don't mind giving you a position in the lab."

Ash just nodded and didn't reply. Dr Hansen didn't mind. He just smiled like and enigmatic grandpa and gestured to the people around him. "These four are my students. Oliver and Amal here and Nate and Elissa who brought you here. I am guiding them along on their research." The two men behind him nodded and the people who guided him here also raised their head proudly as they watched Ash. Then he gestured to the woman behind him "This one here is my assistant, Shelly. You will most probably see lot more of them in the future." Again getting no response to his introduction, Dr Hansen scratched his head awkwardly. "Amal and Nate will bring you to take a few of your samples now and then if you are interested they will show you around the lab and introduce you to the work you have to do from now on. We will observe how well you do and then later decide if you get the position or not."

Finally Ash opened his mouth to respond, "thank you. I would be really grateful to work for you." He didn't look happy at all. His expressionless face made it difficult to determine whether he was lying or not. Then without wasting any more time, he left with the two people that the doctor pointed out. Nate was the man who came to get him while Amal was of Indian origin with darker skin and black hair.

It didn't take long to take his samples. Then he was led around the 'accessible' parts of the lab by the two. "Don't go downstairs. Its a cold reservoir used to store different samples to keep them fresh. If you go down without the proper equipment you might be locked in and freeze to death." Amal explained with a heavy Indian accent as the saw a flight of stairs leading down. Ash just nodded as he observed the door leading for the stairs leading down. It had a padlock in front of it to type in a code for access.

"There are several more places where unauthorised personal are not allowed to enter." Nate continued as he led him forward. At a corner there was another flight of stairs leading up. There were no locks or doors blocking the way but Ash observed that the staff consciously kept their distance from there. Seeing his curious gaze Nate chuckled nervously and explained. "Up there is the office and living quarters of a famous scientist. He has a bit of an eccentric personality so we stay clear from there. It is best if you do the same. Or you might find yourself in trouble." Having said so he hurriedly dragged Ash away from there as if a rabid dog was chasing him from behind. After they came to a halt he quickly went back to how he was before and continued explaining. There is large room at the very end of this corridor. Its were the higher ups have their weekly discussion on their findings."

"I heard you asked my boss to bring in some live zombies. Where do you keep those?" Ash asked in an innocent tone. He immediately saw the eyes of the two scientists narrow in suspicion. After observing for a while and realising that Ash asked this out of pure curiosity, Amal sighed and warned, "Be careful what you ask around here. Not everyone might be as amiable as us." He paused for a moment to let Ash absorb what he just said and then continued, "the zombies that were captured have already been dissected and killed. So don't worry. They were only brought in to observe how their bodies functioned. After their use was over they were immediately destroyed."

Ash nodded to show that he understood. He realised that it was a sensitive topic and decided to put it behind him for the time being. He didn't completely trust them to believe everything that they said but he had time. He would observe and figure it out eventually. Right now what he had to do was note down the places which were inaccessible to him. After a quick tour through the lab and noting down two more places no one was allowed to enter, the duo brought him to a small side room and started explaining his tasks as a helper. Dr Hansen had instructed them that Oliver's project was now the most tedious one and thus that Ash would be placed under his care. He was currently working on how the virus spreads and how it reacted inside the host body. Oliver was in the process of finding out ways how to prevent it. Ash's main tasks would be to clean, organise, the workplace, help in timing the reaction process, writing reports and timely bringing them meals. They were simple tasks that anyone could do. He was also asked to submit a sample of his blood every three days. In return, he would get an elevated status. Better rations and protection from the scientists.

Once all the explanations were done and after making sure that Ash knew what he was supposed to do, the duo led him towards Oliver's working space. The man in question was busily running through several files at once while also keeping track of the progress on the computer to ensure that he didn't miss anything. He really looked very busy. With the pile of documents siting on the side for him to go through, it would really be a miracle if he was getting any rest at all. With the lack of staff since the apocalypse started it was no wonder that the remaining scientists were overworked. After all they were the only hope for humanity to survive this disaster. It was no wonder that they were willing to hire someone inexperienced, yet smart, do to their menial labour, so that they could focus better on their experiments and research. Oliver was too focused on his tasks that he didn't notice when the trio arrived. It seemed like either Oliver had more seniority than the other two or he was conducting much more important research than the others, thus his guides didn't rush to interrupt him and instead made Ash wait outside while they left to do their own work.

It took around 15 minutes before Oliver raised his head with a sigh of disappointment and leaned back against his chair. Ash coughed lightly to let his presence known and then stepped forward when Oliver's eyes snapped towards him in surprise. 'It seems like he has completely forgotten who I am and why I am here.' Ash awkwardly scratched his head and introduced himself again. 'Were scientists really smart? It seemed like they had a very selective memory.'

But soon after his into, Oliver's eyes curved into a smile as he looked really relieved. "Thank God you are here. I have been working like l have 10 arms and spoiled my research sample in the process. I really hope that you are quick with you hands and your wits. Because it wont be easy working with me."

Ash smiled awkwardly "haha. That is why I am here so feel free to entrust any tasks you feel are suitable to me."

After the exchange of pleasantries, Ash was asked to suit up, since they dealt with the highly contagious virus in close proximity and then was pushed into work right away. He was asked to keep tab on the reaction timing and then write out his observations, while Oliver focused on a newer sample of the same virus.

The first day felt really long. Ash tried to learn the tricks really quickly since he not only had to help Oliver with the research but also had to find information for Kyle. Thus mistakes could not be made. He had to secure the spot that was offered to him in the lab.

Although Oliver was a bit distant at first, he soon warmed up to Ash. He still had the gloomy look of an overworked scientist, yet he would joke around with Ash from time to time, when they took a break. Thanks to that, Ash was able to put aside his fear for scientists temporarily. He even took the time to seriously and patiently explain every equipment in his lab and their function. Ash was glad that his direct boss was someone easy going on everything else other than his experiments.

Soon after he was allowed to go back with being asked to come early the next day. As he stepped out of the lab Zuri was already waiting for him at a distance. She immediately rushed over to him and quickly scanned him to make sure that he was alright. Then she shot an evil glare at the building behind him, still stubbornly believing that her brother was taken away by them. She didn't ash Ash any questions but just chatted about her day as she led him towards Kyle's tent.

Soon he was once again facing the African man who had a natural air of intimidation around him. As soon as he spotted Ash, Kyle smiled widely as he beckoned him forward. "So how is the loons nest. Is it filled with all sorts of skeletons as the rumours say?"

Ash explained to him everything he saw inside. He then took out a paper and started drawing out the general structure of the building from what he observed. Ash then placed an x mark on four locations and then said, "this one is a staircase leading down. They said it is a refrigerated area were samples are being kept. But it looked a bit too closely guarded to be the entire truth." He then pointed to the next x mark and continued, "this one is supposedly the office of a famous scientist called Dr. Davis. He was apparently renowned in the field of pharmaceutical and biotechnology and has invented several popular drugs. They told me that he has a bad temper and to stay as far away from him as possible." He then circled another small room which was close to Dr. Davis's office but separated by a thick wall. "This one should be the office of Dr Hansen. He must keep all his documents here. As such it is a place worth looking into if we can breach the defences. Then this 'cross' here is a clinical lab. Where they experiment on lab rats and the like." Ash looked up at Kyle and stated "I am not supposed to enter any of these facilities under any circumstances." Then he picked up the hand drawn map and handed it to Kyle. As he was browsing through the information that Ash just gave him, the tip of a pen fell onto a part of the paper and the voice that followed said, "this area was completely closed off. They didn't even try to explain anything about it. There were two guards stationed outside just like to the door to the stairs to the basement. I think it is also worth looking into."

Kyle nodded and then fell silent with his own thoughts. After a moment he looked up at Ash and smiled, "Good job. You just keep an eye out and tell me if anything suspicious happens. About these..." he waved the map that Ash just drew with the several x marks and said, "I will look into it. You just have to tell me the general distribution of personal in the lab. The number of guards, weapons if any. Alarm systems. The doors leading outside. And the schedule of shift changes if you can." Ash nodded in acknowledgment. Those were easy tasks that he could effortlessly do. He should be able to come up with a well detailed report within a few weeks. Seeing that Ash agreed to his request Kyle smiled in satisfaction and told him to go and rest.

After that day, the same thing went on like a routine for several weeks. Mornings began with intense training and afterwards Ash would make his way to the lab. When he was released, Zuri or Chase would be there to escort him back to Kyle. At some point in time Zuri and her friends had integrated into their group. They didn't have any family left so once they found a common goal and mutual friends from his group, they naturally became a part of them. They moved their tents closer to their group and took the task of escorting Ash back and forth very seriously. His involvement with the scientists were mainly kept a secret so very few people were aware of the fact. Every time he returned they would fuss over him to make sure that he was alright and not mistreated. Then Ash would share his findings, which weren't much, and then make his way to his tent to have dinner with Emma. He was finding it really enjoyable that someone was looking forward to his return at home. It made his heart light and happy and reaffirmed that his decision to adopt Emma was right.

As Ash spend more time in the lab, he came to understand more about the mindsets of the scientists working there. He had a fresh perspective this time as a colleague rather than the experiment subject. Ot slightly changed his negative view on the lot. After all, most of these people were working day in and out to find a cure that could safe them all. The dedication and passion put into their work was indeed worthy of his praise. He especially enjoyed his long and deep conversations with Oliver. They have gotten much closer over the weeks and Oliver was much chattier than at the start. He would enthusiastically tell Ash about his topic of research and try to discuss how to proceed with the findings. Most of these conversations were one sided as Ash just usually sat and listened to Oliver pop out a question that confused him and after thinking hard recited the answer himself. Ash usually found this funny but he realised that each scientist must have their own quirks to cope with their frustration and stress.

While Ash was listening to Oliver's rambling by giving the occasional hums as a support, he heard a muffled sound coming from the direction of the basement. It sounded like growls and roars. Zombies??? Ash wondered in alarm. But he couldn't be sure since the sound was short lived and far away, dulled by several layers of wall. Ash snapped his head towards Oliver to see if he had heard the sound as well. But the man was already in a trance as he mumbled to himself about a calculation that he was constantly getting wrong. Ash jumped up from his seat and rushed towards the door. There was nothing suspicious. Everyone was doing there own tasks as if nothing had happened. 'Was I hallucinating?' Ash wondered with a frown.

"Ash what's the matter?" Oliver stepped up towards him and peeked from the door frame just like him to see what he was finding interesting. Ash's face flushed in embarrassment and he quickly straightened his thieving posture and stood up like a respectable man.

"Ermm." He cleared his throat and observed Oliver's confused expression for a while before deciding that it was genuine. Then he debated for a second if he should bring his question up or not. Finally he decided to take the risk. "Did you maybe hear something unusual?"

"Hmm??" Oliver cocked his head to the side and thought for a second. "Not really. What kind of sound is it?"

"L-like... zombies?" Ash softly stuttered as he wondered if he was making a mistake. Oliver was nice and kind, yet he was not the one in charge here. His loyalty to the lab and his research was high.

"Oh??? Not really." Oliver responded sincerely after raising an eyebrow at Ash. "In my knowledge we don't keep zombies in the lab. If you heard it, then it could be from one of the test animals that we keep here. Or maybe it was the sound of machinery malfunctioning?" Oliver thought for a moment and said. After seeing that Ash was considering the possibility, he quickly pulled him over towards him and whispered in a soft voice afraid that someone might be listening in to their conversation.

"Listen Ash, I know that you have been looking around a lot in the lab. I don't know what exactly you are looking for but I really hope you are careful. There are several research data and samples here and the researchers would kill someone rather than something happen to it." His brows furrowed in worry as he continued, "I really hope that you don't get into any unnecessary trouble. Just stick close to me and try to avoid snooping around too much. I really like you and your help and I don't wish for you to find yourself in difficulty."

Hearing the concern in Oliver's voice, Ash smiled faintly and reassured him. In his heart he apologised for lying.

After the day's work Ash rushed out of the lab faster than usual. He was escorted back from the lab and was reporting his findings to Kyle, "I have gathered the information that you wanted. The guards change their shifts every 4 hours. Most of the soldiers are locate outside the facility but they can easily come running at the slightest sign of disturbance..." As went through the details that he got "I am watched like a hawk wherever I go. I hardly get any privacy to snoop around. The only plus side is that Oliver is very friendly. Its the only time when everyone leaves since they don't want to disturb his work." Ash suddenly fell silent as he pondered if he should share the following information or not. Finally he opened his mouth and said, "on the first day they told me that they had killed off all the zombies that your team captured for them. But today I heard some growls and screams as if something was being tortured. It came from the basement. But everyone acted like they didn't hear anything so I wasn't sure if I was hallucinating the sound."

Kyle's face darken at once. His hands clenched tightly at his side. He had always regretted bringing in the zombies. They were like ticking bombs and being enclosed inside high walls it was just a matter of time before everything went downhill. The slightest carelessness could spell the end of everyone who lived inside the camp. They would be no different from sitting ducks waiting for slaughter. When Ash told him that they had been killed on the first day, he was relieved but now Ash was correcting himself by saying that it could have been a lie. That the ticking bomb was very much still a danger to them. 'I must put more effort into finding out the truth.' Kyle thought as he felt very exhausted.

Seeing that Kyle was lost in thought with an ugly expression on his face, Ash cautiously said, "Also, I could be wrong but there is something alive behind the heavily guarded door." As he said this Kyle's eyes snapped towards him questioningly. "Someone regularly takes large amount of food into the room very discreetly. Usually whenever they do it, I would have something to do at the other end of the building so I never noticed before. But few days ago I happened to see it accidentally. Then I kept a lookout for it and found out that it happens every day at specific times."

"If its true. Then there is a high possibility that the missing people are behind that door." Kyle said with a grimace. "Thank you for informing me. Don't worry about it. I will take care of it...." He fell silent for a moment and then looked at Ash as if he had made up his mind. "Ash, it's not very safe there anymore. You should quit as soon as possible."

Ash was a bit surprised to hear this. He hadn't really thought that he could leave so easily. "Are you sure that there is nothing else that you need me to do?"

"If possible there is one final task that I need to entrust you. But its going to be very dangerous. So if you can't do it feel free to refuse." Kyle said as he suddenly stood up and walked towards Ash. He came to a stop before him and look earnestly into his eyes.

"Please tell me. If it is within my capabilities then I will get it done no matter the cost." Ash responded instantly. He was already very involved in this so it wouldn't hurt to do one last thing. If this could help Zuri find her brother then that would be for the best.

"Those scientists are always holed up inside that lab. I want you to lure one of them out without causing suspicion. Let them know of your resignation early so that you can leave as soon as the task is done." When he heard the task Ash's eyes widened like two large eggs.

"What are you planning to do?" Ash asked with a quivering voice.

An evil glint passed through Kyle's eyes as he smiled at Ash. "Of course I am going to ask him nicely to lead me into the lab."

Ash immediately understood what he was implying. He carefully nodded his head "I will try my best."

Getting the affirmation Kyle was in a better mood. "Go and play a bit with Emma and rest for the day." He said with a wave of his hand. Having nothing else to say as well, Ash left. As he stepped out of the tent, a hand grabbed him roughly and pulled him away.

Hearing the commotion outside his tent Kyle sighed heavily, 'Oh boy! I was a bit careless. He ended up finding out after all.' He sighed and threw back his head. 'How good it would be to fall asleep and ignore everything else.'