Chapter 17 "Run Them Through"

Wilson looked at the four of them scurrying through the room, preparing themselves to work on something with the lavender. He just stands there while the rest are busy with their own thing as if he didn't want to be part of it.

He looked at Grace, who was holding a box of glass beakers, and stopped her, "Grace, are you really going to follow whatever that person is up to?"

"Do we have a choice for now? This is our only best bet." Grace answered him with a serious look in her eyes

"Don't you have a slight doubt about his plan right now? It could be that he's using this moment to get away from here."

Grace put down the box of beakers and looked at him, "If he were, then he didn't need to do all of these. He could've just run away from here while we were being distracted by the commotion made by SCP-049. But he didn't do that. Instead, he saved two of my squad members from those hordes and me. At least for now, what he's doing is based on good faith. He's within our observation now. If he dares to go out of the regular, I could just apprehend him before he could do it."

Wilson was at a loss for words regarding what Grace had just said regarding the situation. There are things that felt just something not right for him, especially a newly designated SCP who tried to help with his 'knew-it-all' kind of knowledge that he doubted would work.

Grace then grabs the box of beakers and starts to put the contents on the table. There were several glasses that could be used for them. The two guards found a jerry can for them to carry around the lavender water.

"Alpha One, I've found some glass beakers and a few bunsen burners for us to do the process. What are your next steps?" Grace as she shouted to William that was picking lavenders on a small cardboard box.

"Be right there in a moment." William answered.

He then brought a handful of lavender flowers that had been picked by him and put them inside a cardboard box to carry them around. He then put the box on the table where all of the equipment needed had already been prepared.

"Alright, we need to fill up these beakers with water which we could get from the sink. Boil them with those Bunsen burners. After it starts to bubble up, we put these lavenders inside it and cook them until the colors change. Let it rest for a moment, then strain it onto the jerry can. Clear enough?" said William with quick and concise words for them to understand.

All of them nodded and started to work on making the concoction. The guards came back with the beakers full of water while Grace set up the bunsen burner. William cuts the flowers into pieces for them to fit in the beaker.

As they waited for the water to boil, William walked towards a cupboard and started to grab anything he could find. Duct tapes, glues, and some other things.

He then looked at the three of them and said, "While we wait, it would be better for us to make something that could be useful when we go through that hallway again."

Grace and the other guards understood what he meant. "Captain Grace, I need you to keep tabs on the lavender. As for you two guys, you can help me create a makeshift shield for us to fight those zombies."

With that, they started to search the room for them to build a makeshift riot shield. They tear down some pieces of metal that they found and attach a pipe fitting to be attached to the metal piece to turn it into a handle.

They didn't have many resources in this room besides laboratory equipment and some other things. They have to be creative and use everything they have available to fend off the zombies, knowing they had run out of bullets and certainly blunt weapons won't do much against the horde.

As they kept making makeshift shields for all of them, Grace kept preparing and watching the lavender as it cooked. She starts to strain some of the boiled water with a strainer and puts them into the jerry can. She does that multiple times until all of the lavender flowers have dried up.

Wilson was watching William from a distance as he made a shield. William then looked at him, "Do you want one? We can get out of here together, and we could certainly use your help later to fight those zombies."

Wilson didn't say anything. Grace then finally finished with the brewing and managed to get a jerry can full of water infused with lavender. It has a pungent smell of a lavender coming out of it, and this is more than enough they needed to.

"All of the lavender solution is in this can. This should be enough, right?" said Grace as she brought up the jerry can.

William looked up to her and said, "Perfect, we can certainly use this to calm down SCP-049."

Grace picked up the riot shield that they had just made, inspected it, and put it in her hand, "So, what is your next plan?"

William stood up with his riot shield, "We don't know where he is, do we?"

"No, we don't. Do we really need to find him and then just gush him with this water solution?"

"Then we only have one way to do it." He looked at the lavender water, "We have to bring that solution to the maintenance room where it would have the emergency fire sprinkler system. Mix the water supply with the solution and then activate it so it would spread throughout the entire building."

"That could work." Grace, as she nodded to the plan, "But where are we going to find the maintenance room?"

One of the guards raised his hand and said, "I know where they are. I have a friend who works in the Maintenance Department and often visits him in his room. I could lead you guys to that place."

"Good, then we're set. Grab your shield, and we'll rush through the horde with it until we make it to the maintenance room." said William as he instructed them.

Grace and the other guards prepared themselves up with their shields, and William carried the jerry can with his left hand. All of them were removing the barricades and lining up to the door, seemingly prepared to rush and bash the zombies with their shields.

William looked at Wilson for one last time, "Are you sure you're not coming?"

"It would be better for me just to stay here." said Wilson.

"Alright then, your choice."

Grace then pulled out her card again and swiped it on the door lock. She grabbed the door handle and looked at the three of them.

"Are you guys ready?" Grace as she prepared to open the door.

All of them nodded and gripped their shield hard, ready to bash down anything that came in their way. Seeing that all of them were set, Grace hurriedly opened the door, letting William and the other guards charge toward the zombies that were wandering right outside the door.

They started to bump and knock every zombie in their way with their riot shields until they had reached the maintenance room.