{"id":1786,"date":"2013-04-16T05:00:14","date_gmt":"2013-04-16T12:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/?p=1786"},"modified":"2013-04-14T16:17:24","modified_gmt":"2013-04-14T23:17:24","slug":"mark-reads-blackout-chapter-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/2013\/04\/mark-reads-blackout-chapter-21\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Reads ‘Blackout’: Chapter 21"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the twenty-first chapter of Blackout<\/i>, WHY? WHY?<\/i> Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Blackout<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Chapter Twenty-One<\/b><\/p>\n

That’s why the first bullet missed me.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"ronhurt\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There was a muted bang, too soft to be a proper gunshot, and technician who entered with Kathleen staggered back, slamming into the wall. A red stain was already spreading across the chest of his formerly pristine white lab coat. He looked down at it before raising his head and looking at me, mouth forming a word he couldn’t quite push all the way out into the world. It was George.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"ronhurt\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The second shot was as quiet as the first. Kathleen suddenly collapsed, the dead weight of her body pulling her hand out of mine. I turned, looking back at her, and at the hole in the middle of her forehead like a third, unseeing eye. Unlike George, she wouldn’t be rising.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"ronhurt\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“They’re both dead!” I shouted. “What’s going on?”<\/p>\n

“We’re blown!”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"ronhurt\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“They’ve been with me for years \u00e2\u20ac\u201c how many people do we still have in there?”<\/p>\n

“Seven,” said Gregory. I didn’t like the resignation in his voice. “At this point, they’re locked in with two armed hostiles and at least one risen infected. Sorry, Danika, but I think we have to call this mission compromised.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"ronhurt\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“James didn’t report for his shift. Given the timing, we have to assume he was a mole, and had been waiting for the opportunity to report back.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"ronhurt\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Dammit, Danika! You triggered a full lab decon!”<\/p>\n

“I did no such thing! Someone’s playing silly buggers with the security protocols!” She sounded frantic. I didn’t blame her. I wasn’t sure what a full lab decon detailed, but I knew enough about CDC procedures to know it wouldn’t be anything good.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"ronhurt\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“What are you talking about?” I demanded. “We’re all getting out of here!”<\/p>\n

Gregory smiled sadly. “No,” he said. “We’re not.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"ronhurt\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There was a full decontamination cycle starting on the other side of that wall. And the only two people I knew were on my side were on the other side of it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"die\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I CAN’T FUCKING BELIEVE THIS. Like that, every ally Georgia had is GONE. WIPED OUT. DECONTAMINATED<\/i>. What does this mean for Shaun’s CDC journey??? Will they be upstaged by this? CAN THEY EVEN GET IN THE BUILDING? Oh my god, if they get within feet of Georgia and they don’t rescue her, I WILL RAGE WITH THE FURY OF A BILLION DYING SUNS. I just want Shaun and Georgia back together, and now I am thoroughly freaked out that this won’t happen.<\/p>\n

GAH.<\/p>\n