14.The Inauguration Of Fate
2524 Words
# Part 14 The Inauguration Of Fate
As soon as they reached the hospital entrance, Max spotted Noah’s car and walked over with a smile.
“Hi, Brother Noah.”
As he opened the door and got into the car, he noticed Ryan, Bright, and Arjun sitting inside.
“Oh, the others are joining us for lunch too? Nice.”
Nobody responded.
A few moments later, the car pulled away from the hospital.
After several minutes of driving, Max looked out the window before turning toward Noah.
“I know we aren’t heading toward the restaurant.”
Noah kept his eyes on the road.
“What is it? You can tell me.”
“We need your help to save lives, Max.”
Max raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
Soon, Noah turned onto the road leading toward the bunker house.
The car eventually stopped a short distance away.
Max sighed.
“I knew you weren’t asking me out for lunch.”
Just as he was about to continue, Noah opened the car door.
“Wait.”
Max looked confused.
Noah walked to the back of the car and pulled out several takeaway bags.
“Before we start anything, let’s eat.”
Bright stared at him.
“Here? Seriously?”
“Hmm.”
Noah opened the trunk completely.
Inside were several foldable tables.
Everyone got out and helped set them up in a circle.
Arjun looked surprised.
“Why do you even have these in your trunk?”
Noah shrugged.
“We often don’t get time to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner at proper hours. So we carry these with us. During investigations, we usually grab takeaways and eat whenever we get the chance.”
“Oh.”
A few minutes later, everyone was quietly eating.
Even Max couldn’t help but shake his head.
Only Noah could turn a possible interrogation into a picnic.
After finishing lunch and the ice cream, they packed everything away and started walking toward the back entrance of the bunker.
The moment Max stepped inside, he froze.
Ethan, Preet, and Lily were standing there.
A camera had already been set up.
Several chairs were arranged nearby.
It looked less like a meeting and more like an investigation room.
Max slowly looked around before smirking.
“What the heck?”
His eyes moved from one person to another.
Finally, they stopped on Noah.
“Okay, Noah.”
He folded his arms.
“What is it? Tell me.”
Noah pointed toward a chair.
“Have a seat, Max.”
Max sat down calmly.
“You already know why we brought you here, don’t you?”
Max smirked.
“Hmm.”
“Okay then,” Noah said. “Let’s start the discussion.”
Before anyone could speak, Noah took the sedative injection from his pocket and handed it back to Preet.
Max looked at the syringe and then at Noah.
“Bro, seriously?”
Noah laughed.
“Just being careful.”
Max shook his head.
“Fine. Spill it. What do you want to know? Ask me questions.”
Bright immediately leaned forward.
“When are you planning to spread it?”
Everyone turned toward him.
“What are you asking, Bright?” Arjun said.
Max looked at Bright for a few seconds before answering.
“We are not planning to spread it. We are trying to find the antidote.”
“But you’re planning something eventually, aren’t you?” Bright insisted. “Can’t you just stop it?”
“Hey, Bright, take it easy,” Ryan interrupted. “We don’t even know the full story yet.”
Max remained silent for a moment.
Then his expression became serious.
“We are not planning to stop it.”
The room froze.
“I’m sorry. I can’t help you.”
Everyone stared at him in shock.
Noah slowly stood up.
“Max… what is it? You can tell me. I know you. You would never harm innocent people.”
Max lowered his head.
“You’re right.”
“Then tell us what’s going on.”
Max clenched his fists.
“I don’t want to harm anyone.”
“Then why?” Lily asked.
Max looked up.
“Because I can’t stop it.”
The room became silent.
“I can’t stop it anymore.”
Lily stepped forward.
“Is Dr. Ron forcing you to do this?”
“No.”
Everyone looked confused.
“Even Dr. Ron is being forced by someone.”
The atmosphere instantly grew heavier.
“What do you mean?” Ethan asked.
Max shook his head.
“I can’t tell you.”
“Max — “ Noah began.
“Yes, we are planning something,” Max interrupted. “But I can’t disclose it.”
Everyone remained silent.
“I want to help you guys. I really do.”
His voice sounded genuine.
“But I can’t help you directly.”
“Why?” Ryan asked.
Max slowly touched the side of his neck.
“Because I don’t have a choice.”
Everyone’s eyes followed his hand.
“There is a GPS tracker implanted inside my body, near my neck.”
The room fell silent.
“If I do anything suspicious…”
Max paused.
“…they’ll kill me.”
Nobody spoke.
For the first time since arriving, the confidence on Max’s face was gone.
He looked exhausted.
Scared.
“Please.”
His voice was barely above a whisper.
“Let me go.”
He looked at Noah.
“I don’t want to harm any of you.”
Noah looked at Max.
“Okay. But how can we save people? Give us a hint.”
Max remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he asked for a piece of paper and a pen.
Everyone watched as he quickly began drawing.
He sketched several roads, tunnels, symbols, and strange markings. He also wrote words and numbers around the drawing before finally handing the paper to Noah.
“I know you’ll figure it out in time.”
Noah looked at the paper.
“What exactly is this?”
Max simply smiled.
“Good luck, guys.”
A few minutes later, Noah drove Max back toward the hospital.
Meanwhile, back at the bunker, everyone gathered around the table.
The paper was spread open in front of them.
Ethan, Lily, Ryan, Bright, Arjun, and Preet carefully examined every corner of it.
“What language is this?” Ethan asked.
“I have no idea,” said Preet.
“It doesn’t even look like a code.”
Everyone continued studying it.
Suddenly, Arjun pointed at the paper.
“Wait.”
Everyone looked at him.
“I don’t think this is just writing.”
“What do you mean?” Ryan asked.
Arjun leaned closer.
“Look carefully. These aren’t random lines. I think this is a map.”
The group immediately moved closer.
Arjun pointed at several markings.
“See these roads? And these symbols?”
Lily nodded.
“Oh my God…”
Bright’s eyes widened.
“The Fifth Road Tunnel.”
Everyone looked at him.
“You know this place?”
“Of course I do. It’s near Bright Hospital.”
The room instantly became tense.
Arjun quickly compared the markings again.
“He’s right.”
Ryan looked at the paper.
“So whatever Max is trying to tell us…”
“It’s connected to that area,” Lily finished.
For the next several minutes, they continued studying every detail.
Finally, Arjun took out his phone.
“Let’s take pictures of it.”
Everyone nodded.
“We’ll study it separately and compare our conclusions later,” he continued.
One by one, they photographed the paper.
Soon the entire group was sitting in different corners of the bunker, trying to decipher the message Max had left behind.
On the other side of the city, Noah and Max sat silently inside the car.
After a while, Noah finally spoke.
“Hey, pal.”
Max turned toward him.
“Do you need my help?”
Max remained silent.
“Are you in danger?”
Still no answer.
“Can’t you help yourself? Do you want me to do something for you?”
Noah tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“You’re like my younger brother, Max. I’ll help you no matter what. Just tell me.”
For several seconds, Max stared out of the window.
Then he finally spoke.
“Make groups.”
Noah frowned.
“What?”
“Make groups. Stock unlimited ammunition. Fear gas. Tear gas. Shotguns. Snipers. Rifles.”
Noah’s expression darkened.
“Max…”
“Get as much supply as you can.”
Max’s voice trembled.
“Train everyone.”
A tear rolled down his cheek.
“And protect people.”
Noah froze.
Max lowered his head.
“I learned medicine to save people…”
His voice broke.
“…but they’re making me kill people.”
Noah slammed his hand against the steering wheel.
“Who is making you do it?”
“They want to conduct the experiment.”
“What experiment?”
“They want to see how fast it spreads.”
The words sent a chill through Noah.
“Until we prepare the antidote, the mission has been paused.”
Noah’s eyes widened.
“Who the hell is making you do this?!”
Max slowly turned toward him.
“If I tell you their names…”
His voice became barely audible.
“…you’ll get killed.”
Noah’s face hardened.
“Is it the person I think it is?”
Max gave a bitter smile.
“Yes.”
He paused.
“And maybe not.”
The car stopped outside the hospital.
Max opened the door.
Before leaving, he looked at Noah one last time.
“Stay safe.”
He stepped out of the car.
“And help everyone.”
Without another word, Max walked back toward the hospital entrance.
Noah remained inside the car, staring at the steering wheel.
For the first time, he realized that whatever they were facing was far bigger than they had imagined.
A few minutes later, Noah returned to the bunker.
The moment he entered, everyone gathered around him.
He picked up the paper Max had left behind and spread it across the table.
“Do you understand this language?” Arjun asked.
“Yes,” Noah replied.
Everyone immediately became attentive.
“It is a military coding language. It’s taught during certain classified missions.”
Bright’s eyes widened.
“So you can actually read this?”
“Yes.”
Just as Noah was about to explain, the bunker door suddenly opened.
Everyone turned around.
Lisa rushed inside, breathing heavily.
“Girls… I need to tell you something.”
Lily and Preet immediately stood up.
Lisa looked terrified.
“There is something horrible happening inside the military.”
Her voice trembled.
“I ran here. I can’t go back there now.”
Tears began forming in her eyes.
“They… they’re planning something terrible.”
She started shaking uncontrollably.
“I saw what the codes Lily mentioned were about. I… I…”
Before she could continue, Lily wrapped her arms around her.
“It’s okay.”
Lisa broke down crying.
“We know. You don’t have to go back.”
After a few moments, Noah cleared his throat.
“Alright, everyone.”
The room became silent.
“The time has come.”
He placed the paper on the table and began explaining everything Max had left behind.
As he finished, Bright’s phone suddenly rang.
He answered the call.
A few seconds later, his face changed.
“Guys…”
Everyone looked at him.
“Tomorrow is the inauguration.”
The room instantly became tense.
Bright swallowed nervously.
Noah stood up.
“Don’t panic.”
Everyone looked at him.
“Bright, you died because your uncle shot you. Not because of zombies.”
Bright blinked.
“We still have a chance to change the future.”
For a moment, everyone felt relieved.
Then Lily suddenly stood up.
Everyone looked at her.
“Wear a pink suit.”
The room fell silent.
Lily pointed at Bright.
“Or purple. But don’t wear black.”
Bright stared at her.
“What?”
“Don’t wear black.”
Bright threw his hands into the air.
“My uncle’s favourite colour is pink? what kind of logic is this?”
He looked completely frustrated.
“So my uncle won’t shoot me if I wear purple instead of black?”
Lily remained serious.
Bright groaned.
“This is exactly why I get headaches around you people.”
Ryan stepped forward.
“We have to try every possibility, Bright.”
Bright looked at him.
“Seriously?”
Ryan nodded.
“We don’t have any other way out of this.”
The room fell silent once again.
For the first time, nobody laughed at Lily’s strange warning.
Because deep down, everyone knew that even the smallest detail might be the difference between life and death.
The next day, the inauguration ceremony finally began.
The hospital was filled with guests, reporters, doctors, and important officials. Everyone was busy enjoying the celebration, unaware of the tension hidden beneath the smiles.
Bright stood near the entrance adjusting his suit.
For once, he wasn’t wearing black.
After Lily had warned him again and again throughout the night, he finally gave in and chose a different colour.
“I still don’t understand your logic,” Bright had complained earlier.
But Lily refused to change her mind.
Back at the inauguration, Bright looked down at his suit and sighed.
“I hope this actually works.”
Meanwhile, the group had split up.
Noah, Ryan, and Lily were beneath the Fifth Road Tunnel near Bright Hospital.
According to Max’s coded map, something important was connected to that location.
The three carefully searched every corner of the tunnel.
Ryan shined his flashlight around.
“So what exactly are we looking for?”
“I don’t know,” Noah replied. “But Max wanted us here for a reason.”
Lily remained unusually quiet as she looked around.
On the other side, Arjun, Ethan, Preet, and Lisa stayed close to Bright throughout the ceremony.
Their mission was simple.
Make sure no clash happened between Bright and his uncle.
If Lily’s vision was correct, then preventing that encounter might change the future.
“Keep an eye on both of them,” Arjun said.
Ethan nodded.
“I’m watching Bright.”
“I’ll watch his uncle,” Lisa added.
Preet sighed.
“I never thought we’d spend an entire inauguration trying to stop two people from meeting each other.”
Meanwhile, Bright was doing everything possible to dodge his uncle.
Every time he spotted him from a distance, he immediately changed direction.
At one point he even hid behind a group of guests.
Arjun couldn’t help laughing.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to dodge a bullet.”
“A metaphorical bullet?”
Bright looked at him.
“I hope so.”
The group exchanged nervous glances.
Despite the jokes, nobody felt relaxed.
Because if Lily’s vision was right, then somewhere during this inauguration, fate was waiting for its chance.
-To Be Continued…
- Writer
