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Gone

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Gone

Alarms started blaring around the panicking group.

"We're getting out of here now!" Rick shouted.

Natalie didn't budge. She couldn't find the motivation to move.

"Natalie, we're leaving!" Shane yelled, trying to get her attention.

She just ignored him, unable to break her trance.

"Come on, sweetie," Jacqui urged her kindly, trying to pull her up.

Natalie didn't budge.

"30 minutes to decontamination," announced the computer.

As Rick ran towards the doors, Dr. Jenner locked the doors and a thick, steel shutter dropped in front of the door, trapping the group.

"You lying son of a bitch!" Daryl shouted, running at Jenner.

Shane intercepted Daryl, dragging him away from the scientist.

"Hey, Jenner, open that door, now," Rick said calmly.

"There's no point. Everything topside's locked down. The emergency exits are sealed," Jenner said.

"Well, then open the damn things," Dale shouted.

"That's not something I control. The computers do. I told you that once that front door closed, it wouldn't open again. I told you that," Jenner snapped.

"It's better this way," Jenner said.

"What happens in 28 minutes?" Rick asked frantically.

"You know what this place is?" Jenner shouted.

"We protected the public from some pretty nasty stuff!" Jenner shouted.

Natalie just sat on the floor, in the same position, still rocking back and forth, ignoring the people trying to get her to stand up.

It's better this way, she repeated over and over in her head.

Jenner explained to the frantic group that the building was going to be blown up by HITs.

"It sets the air on fire. No pain," Jenner said.

No pain, Natalie repeated in her head.

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