Lan Zhan stops, because to do anything else will have security taking them down, and he can see the guard standing up. He's looking at them, and then behind them, at whoever is stopping them.

Wei Ying is trembling right next to him, and it's at this point that Lan Zhan feels angry. They never should have come here. If Wen Qing knew how hard it was to get them inside, why did she insist on making them go through all that security?

Wei Ying might have trusted her but Lan Zhan was having serious doubts.

They turn around, and Lan Zhan can smell Wei Ying's fear. His blood always smells awful when he's scared, and to make matters worse, he's barely able to stay upright.

Either Wen Qing took too much blood from him in one go, or it could be his dizziness coming back, but no matter which one it is, Lan Zhan doesn't want to find out, here.

"It's Wen Ning."

Lan Zhan hears Wei Ying speak, and there's relief.

It is Wen Ning, and he's rushing to get to them...but hot on his heels is Wen Chao.

Lan Zhan remembered what Wen Qing had told them: Wen Chao actively pursued Wen Ning for the sole purpose of bullying him...

And now both of them were barrelling for the doors, where he and Wei Ying were just seconds from freedom.

From the corner of his eyes, he can see two more security personnel arrive, their hands fluttering close to their weapons.

This is not good.

"Just follow my lead. JieJie sent me." Wen Ning says, whispering it quickly, before turning around to face his nemesis.

Wen Chao is looking pretty bad today, a sickly yellowish tinge to his skin, and dark patches under his eyes. He looks mean and angry now.

"Why are you running, A-Ning? I told you to stop." He said, circling around.

"J-JieJie s-said it w-was u-urgent." Wen Ning has deepened his stutter...?

Why?

Lan Zhan could sense Wei Ying getting angry, because there's a definite change in the way his blood smells now. It's becoming...spicier.

But one word changes the entire dynamics of this stand-off.

"C-contamination. H-have to g-go. I-incineration." Wen Ning says, looking down.

Wen Chao immediately pales, panic in his eyes, and he scowls. It is the look of a hunter when he knows his prey is about to escape.

"Hurry up, then! Why are you wasting time? Get out!" He yells the last bit, and hurriedly moves away.

In fact, just by Wen Ning saying that, everyone has taken a collective step back, and is on high alert.

Contamination must be something really bad, and secondly, something that has happened once before.

Wen Ning turns and heads for the doors, and this time, no one stops them.

They walk fast, and Wen Ning leads them to another building marked Containment. This structure is a solitary square building, sectioned off with no security. They are silent as Wen Ning uses his lanyard to activate the security measures, to actually open the door. Two password verification procedures and a fingerprint scan later, and they're in.

There's a little platform where they wait as the door closes behind them, plunging them in total darkness.

Wei Ying is about to say something when the lights come on, leading them to a staircase that leads downwards. There are lights on every other step, and that's how they see Wen Ning discreetly shake his head.

The steps lead down to a well lit corridor and there are many closed doors visible, but Wen Ning leads them to the furthest one. Again, he uses his lanyard to open it.

Down here, the silence is heavy and dense, it's claustrophobic, as if tons of dirt and concrete are above them. That's probably true, but it does not help; they still feel trapped. There is only the sound of their feet and the plastic covering around their shoes making a weird sort of squelching sound as they walk.

Once that door closes, that's when Wen Ning begins to talk.

"This tunnel leads to the underground parking. JieJie told me to take you home."

"Thanks for getting us out of there." Wei Ying says weakly.

Now that Lan Zhan can, he wraps an arm around Wei Ying's waist and helps to support him as they walk down the long, narrow and dimly lit tunnel way.

"Cameras are everywhere, some with audible sensors. This place is maybe the only one without any. But the car park also has full security." Wen Ning continues.

"Then....how...?" Wei Ying asks, and he knows Wen Ning has understood. He's too tired to actually form the words...and he just wants to lie down somewhere.

Lan Zhan stops fighting himself and swings Wei Ying into his arms. This is actually better, because now they're faster and if Wei Ying's sigh of relief is anything to go by, it is the right thing to do.

"The door that leads out from here, there's a camera trained on it, but a steel beam blocks the view so no one really checks it. You should wait there until I bring the car around to you. Get in the back, and try to get down. The windows are tinted and we should be fine. Alicia is on duty today, so we'll be fine."

That's the most Lan Zhan has ever heard him speak before, and so coherently, too. He's not even like that with A-Yuan, that talkative.

Apparently, Wei Ying is also thinking about this, because he asks, "so back there, were you putting on the stutter? Making it sound worse on purpose?"

They see Wen Ning nod.

"But why? Is it really bad for you...here?" Wei Ying puts a hand on his arm.

Wen Ning doesn't say anything at first. He just pats Wei Ying's hand and they walk on. It's a straight tunnel and they can see the closed door at the other end.

"I stay...because of JieJie." He finally says, as they approach the door. He leaves it open slightly. "Wait for my car. The beam will block them from seeing you getting in."

Wei Ying gives him a nod.

Lan Zhan puts him down.

"How is Wei Ying feeling now?" He asked, still worried about him.

"A bit better. My bones are tired, though." He tries to laugh about it.

Lan Zhan pulls him close anyway, and just then, Wen Ning pulls up.

They dive into the back and Lan Zhan pulls the blanket over them both as they sit down on the floor of the passenger's side of his car.

The windows are tinted as Wen Ning had said, and there's hope for them yet.

Wen Ning drives slowly to the security gates, and they hear him chatting to the person who is manning them. The sound is muffled.

They continued driving, and there were two more security checks...

And then they're out!

Lan Zhan waits for five more minutes and then uncovers them. At the same time, Wen Ning also lets them know it's safe. Wei Ying smiles at Lan Zhan in thanks as he helps him sit on the seats.

"You can lie down, if you like." Lan Zhan tells him.

"I'm okay to lean on you." Wei Ying tells him, closing his eyes.

"Mn. Anything you need." Lan Zhan's lips find Wei Ying's forehead, as he leans them both back.

The drive back is externally peaceful, but Lan Zhan has lots of questions he wants to ask Wen Ning...but now he's unsure.

How much does Wen Ning know? And is he in cahoots with his sister?

Both of them are in a precarious position, because Wen Rouhan can use them to play each other off, and get what he wants...and they still don't know what that is. Why is Wen Rouhan making these siblings work for him, and play them off against each other?

Wen Ning just told them that he's staying because of his sister, and Wen Qing had said something similar...so what was the reason they both worked there?

The list of questions in Lan Zhan's mind was only growing longer.

But as they pull into the road where Wei Ying lives, they all sit up.

Something has happened, while they were gone.

Red and blue lights are flashing and there's a crowd of people standing around, while the cops try to push people back. There are ambulance vehicles, about six police cars and an investigation unit.

Yellow police tape with DO NOT CROSS/POLICE written in black, bold letters is taped from the telephone pole to the street light pole.

People are shouting and babies crying and it's just pure chaos.

Wen Ning can't get too close so he parks about half a block away, and they all get out. Wei Ying is panicking, and Lan Zhan can smell it. He's impressed with himself because amongst all these scents and smells, he can pick it out easily.

"What the hell happened?" Wei Ying quickly glances at his phone. "We've only been gone for like, three hours..."

"Let's find out." Lan Zhan says with determination.

They pick their way through the badly parked cars and trucks, making their way to the crowds. Wei Ying recognises a neighbour from one of the floors above, and asks her what happened.

"We don't know too much." She says. "But it's not looking good. Apartment 613."

Wei Ying pales even more. "No!" He protests weakly.

"Who lives there?" Lan Zhan asked him urgently.

"JingYi...and his parents."

Understanding dawns on his face, and he manages to pull Wei Ying through the crowd right in front of the cops, who are standing in between them and the door to go in.

"Please, we live there!" Wei Ying tells the cop, who gives him a sympathetic look.

"Listen Pal, we're under strict orders not to let anyone pass, not yet at any rate." The police officer tells them.

"But what happened? Are they alright? The people living in 613?" Wei Ying persists.

The cop's gaze narrows at him, and he pulls out his notebook. "How do you know them?"

"My kid and their kid are best friends at school. In fact, their kid, Lan JingYi, is with my kid now." Wei Ying desperately wanted to go to the children now, but the cop had other ideas.

"If you wouldn't mind answering a few more questions, first." He said, already making notes. "Where do you live?"

The next ten minutes was even more frustrating, as he kept asking Wei Ying mundane questions, and putting them off when they asked to go inside.

"We've cleared that whole sixth floor out, for evidence purposes, you understand." The policeman nodded towards the crowd of people standing behind them. "Not long to go now, everyone should be able to go back into their homes soon. The only ones we wish to speak to are the tenants in 612 and 614. And we'll probably be paying yourselves a visit too, perhaps later."

Just then his radio crackled and he quickly walked away, speaking into it.

They saw him clearing out a part of the crowd so an ambulance could fit inside the tight circle fenced off by the police tape, and then the paramedics got out and begin to dress in plastic protective outerwear...just like them.

Wei Ying looked at himself and then at Lan Zhan, and saw the same panic. They were still dressed like medical professionals and it was no wonder the cops wanted to talk to them!

A cry rose out of the crowds and everyone looked to see: more paramedics dressed in white suits wearing plastic goggles were coming out of the building...and they were carrying a gurney between them.

But the person who was lying on it was completely covered, from head to toe.

Which could only mean one thing: whoever it was, they were dead.

*********

A/N

Dear Fabulous and very Patient Readers,

So sorry it's taken me this long to get back to this book. Expect a whole lot of updates as soon as I can, now. And probably a lot of cliffhangers because I really love them...hehe.

Thanks for waiting!

Charlie