The air in the CDC was heavy with unease as the group tried to move on from the grim events of the previous day. Carol's death had cast a shadow over everyone, but it was Sophia who seemed the most affected. The young girl sat quietly beside Lori, her small frame trembling as she clung to Carl's hand. Lori wrapped an arm around her, trying to offer comfort, but Sophia's hollow gaze showed that her mind was elsewhere.
Rick and Shane stood near the control room, their voices low as they discussed the group's next steps. Shane's jaw was tight, his usual swagger replaced by a grim determination. Something about the events surrounding Carol's death didn't sit right with him, and the more he thought about it, the more questions he had.
"You're sure Jenner said she turned without a bite?" Shane asked, his voice sharp.
Rick nodded, his expression weary. "That's what he said. Why?"
Shane shook his head, his brow furrowed. "Just doesn't add up, that's all. People don't just turn without a reason."
Rick sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "We don't know everything about this virus. Maybe Jenner's right. Maybe it happens no matter how you die."
Shane didn't respond, his eyes narrowing as his gaze drifted toward the incinerator room. "Maybe," he muttered, more to himself than to Rick.
Later that evening, when most of the group had settled down for the night, Shane decided to investigate. Shane stood alone in the room where bodies were meant to be burned, the oppressive heat from the incinerator adding to the weight of his thoughts. The faint smell of ash lingered in the air, mixing with the metallic tang of old blood. The room was stark and industrial, with steel walls and a heavy door that sealed tight. A garbage bin sat in one corner, half-filled with scraps and debris. His sharp eyes scanned the room, taking in every detail, every object, every inconsistency.
The unease in Shane's gut twisted into something sharper as he stared into the garbage bin. Carol's clothes were there—torn, bloodied, and unmistakable—but Ed's clothes were nowhere to be found. No scraps of fabric, no shoes, not even a belt. Shane's jaw tightened as he thought it over. Carol had been burned, and her remains left a clear trail of evidence. But Ed? It didn't add up.
"Where the hell are they?" he muttered under his breath, his voice low and filled with tension.
He stepped back, rubbing his hands over his face as the pieces of the puzzle began to gnaw at him. His gaze shifted to the incinerator, its steel maw shut tight. They were supposed to burn the bodies—get rid of the evidence, make sure there was no health risk to the group. But the lack of Ed's clothes… it didn't sit right.
Shane's hands clenched into fists, and his expression darkened. If Jenner and Jacqui were the ones handling the bodies, then why wasn't everything accounted for? The excuse about keeping the area clean had seemed plausible at the time, but now it felt more like a cover-up.
He paced the room, his boots echoing off the metal floor. Something wasn't right. He could feel it in his gut. They'd been on edge since Carol's death, the group barely holding together, and now this? The idea of someone lying, of hiding something so crucial—it made his blood boil.
Shane stopped near the incinerator, staring at it as if it held all the answers. His jaw worked as he thought, the muscles in his neck tensing. He wasn't about to accuse anyone outright, not yet. But he needed to watch Jenner and Jacqui more closely. Something wasn't adding up, and he was determined to figure out what it was.
"Whatever's going on," he muttered to himself, his voice a low growl, "I'm not letting this slide."
Shane stood silently in the incineration room, the faint hum of the incinerator filling the air. His jaw was set, his eyes scanning the room with calculated focus. The garbage bin's contents, the absence of Ed's clothes, and the inconsistencies gnawed at him like an itch he couldn't scratch. Finally, he exhaled sharply, grabbed a pair of gloves from a nearby shelf, and pulled them on.
"Let's see what secrets you're hiding," he muttered, his voice low and tinged with frustration.
He stepped over to the ash bin, a heavy, reinforced container situated beneath the incinerator to catch what little remained of the bodies burned. The heat from the machine still radiated from the steel walls, making the room uncomfortably warm. The ash bin smelled acrid, the scent of scorched material and charred remains lingering like a haunting memory. Shane wrinkled his nose but didn't hesitate.
Reaching into the bin, he began sifting through the fine gray ash, his gloved fingers moving methodically. Every scrape of ash against metal seemed louder in the stillness, and his tension grew with each passing second. Most of what he found were tiny fragments of bone and scorched debris, but nothing unusual.
Then, his fingers brushed against something solid. Shane paused, his heart rate spiking slightly as he carefully pulled the object free. It was a small bone fragment, blackened from the fire, its jagged edges suggesting it had been cracked before incineration. He turned it over in his hand, his brow furrowing as he inspected it more closely.
"Bite marks," Shane muttered, his voice almost a whisper. His stomach turned as the realization sank in. The bone had clearly been gnawed on before it was burned. The indentations were unmistakable—teeth marks, human-like but far more feral, etched into the charred surface.
His breathing grew heavier, his mind racing. Carol's death was already shrouded in suspicion, but this… this was something else entirely. If someone—or something—had bitten her before she was incinerated, then what had really happened? And why had it been hidden?
"What the hell?" Shane muttered under his breath, his mind racing. He stood, his gaze darting around the room. If Carol had been bitten, why would Jenner lie about it? And where was Ed's body?
Shane clenched the fragment tightly, his knuckles whitening under the gloves. "They're hiding something," he growled under his breath, his mind flashing to Jenner and Jacqui. They'd been the ones to handle Carol's body, to insist on burning it quickly. And now this? It was too much to ignore.
The next morning, Shane cornered Jenner in the lab, his posture tense and his tone accusatory. "We need to talk about this cure of yours."
Jenner glanced up from his work, his face carefully neutral. "What about it?"
"Why aren't you offering it to the rest of the group?" Shane demanded. "If it works so well, why the hell are we still sitting around while people are dying?"
Jenner's expression didn't falter. "The serum is experimental," he said calmly. "I don't have enough for everyone, and we don't know the long-term effects. It would be irresponsible to use it on more people without further testing."
Shane crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing. "Convenient. You've got enough for yourself, though, don't you?"
Jenner's jaw tightened, but he kept his composure. "I'm the only one who can finish this work. If something happens to me, any chance we have of stopping this is gone."
Shane didn't look convinced, but he didn't press further. Instead, he spent the rest of the day quietly observing Jenner, his suspicion growing with every passing hour.
That night, while the rest of the group was asleep, Shane made his move. He slipped out of the common area, his footsteps silent as he made his way toward the lab. The faint glow of the freezer's control panel caught his attention, and he frowned when he saw the keypad lock.
"Why lock a freezer?" he muttered to himself. His mind raced as he considered the possibilities. Jenner had claimed there wasn't enough serum for everyone, but what if he was lying? What if he was hoarding it?
Shane glanced around, ensuring no one was watching, before turning his attention back to the keypad. He didn't have the code, but he was determined to figure out what was inside.
As he examined the lock, his thoughts drifted to the bone fragment he'd found and the missing remains of Ed. Something was very wrong, and he intended to find out exactly what.
Meanwhile, back in the common area, Lori and Dale sat together, keeping watch over Sophia and Carl as they slept. Lori's expression was somber, her hand resting lightly on Sophia's back as the young girl stirred in her sleep. Dale leaned forward, his elbows on his knees as he whispered, "Do you think we're safe here?"
Lori hesitated before answering. "I don't know. But right now, it's the best we have."
Their conversation was interrupted by the faint sound of footsteps echoing down the hall. Dale's brow furrowed as he turned toward the noise. "Who do you think that is?"
Lori shook her head, her expression worried. "I'll check."
As she stood, Rick appeared in the doorway, his face drawn and tired. "Everything okay here?" he asked, his voice low.
Lori nodded, though her concern lingered. "Have you seen Shane?"
Rick frowned. "Not since earlier. Why?"
Lori exchanged a glance with Dale, her unease growing. "I just… I have a bad feeling."
Rick's jaw tightened. "Stay here. I'll find him."
Back in the lab, Shane continued his investigation, his suspicion hardening into certainty as he examined Jenner's workspace. He found vials labeled with Murphy's name, the liquid inside glowing faintly under the sterile light. A chill ran down his spine as he realized Jenner had more of the serum than he'd let on.
"Son of a bitch," Shane muttered, his fists clenching. He knew he couldn't confront Jenner alone. He needed to gather more people, more eyes on the situation.
As he turned to leave, his gaze fell on the freezer again. The locked door loomed in his mind, a silent accusation. He would come back for it, he decided. Whatever Jenner was hiding, Shane was determined to uncover the truth.