“Sure.” Steven stood up and hurried over to Ethan’s cage. There was a padlock dangling from his latch. “Aww man, that sucks.”
“What? What sucks?” Ethan asked in a panic.
“There’s this lock on it.” Steven yanked on it, hoping that maybe they forgot to engage the lock. “Nope, it’s on there good. It looks like it needs a key to open it.”
“How come you didn’t have a lock on yours?” Ethan looked over towards Stevens open cage.
Steven shrugged.
“I don’t know. Maybe they thought I wouldn’t figure out how to get out since I’m just a kid.”
“Do you think you can find the key for me?”
“I need a weapon. These guys are like Miss Giselle. They’ve got those eyes too.”
Ethan thought about the man who interrogated them. He had the same eyes. These people must have armies of them. He felt a knot build within his gut. He didn’t want to worry Steven, so he appeared surprised.
“They have her eyes. Are you sure?”
“Yup, I saw them after they shot me.”
Steven rubbed at his gunshot wound. The bullet had been removed, the wound was cleaned and he was bandaged up.
“Well, you’re going to need a gun then.”
“Stay quiet. I’m going to check out the next room.”
As he spoke Ethan’s stomach growled. It grumbled for a few seconds and Ethan grabbed at his stomach.
“Damn it…I need to poop.”
“I’ll get you out. Just let me check the next room.”
“Okay, hurry I can feel it trying to come out.” He stood up and slouched his neck since he was taller than the cage. He clinched his butt cheeks and grimaced. “This isn’t good.”
Steven entered the main storefront of the pet store. He kept low and jogged towards the front door. He heard a man carrying out a conversation with someone outside by the front door. His rifle was leaning against the wall by one of the cash registers. Steven wasn’t sure that he could get the weapon before the man saw him. He scanned the area for anyone else and found a green tool bag open on one of the registers closest to him. On top of the bag was a pair of bolt cutters, awesome. He quietly retrieved the bolt cutters and walked towards the back of the store opening and closing the tool as if he were cutting something. He entered the back room where Ethan was being held.
“You find the key?” Ethan asked while clinching his stomach with both hands. The smell of shit entered the air.
“No. Did you crap yourself again?” Steven asked and covered his mouth with the collar of his shirt while holding the bolt cutters with the other hand.
“I’m not sure. I had to fart a few times.”
“It smells like you pooped yourself, Ethan.”
“Did you find the key or not?” Ethan grunted with annoyance.
“No, but I can cut the fence with these.” Steven opened and closed the tool a few more times.
“I guess that works too. Hurry up. I’m going to shit myself.”
“Too late for that.” Steven laughed.
“Not funny, man. Not funny.”
“Don’t worry about it Ethan. Here, let me cut the lock.”
Steven attempted to cut the lock. He squeezed but it wouldn’t go through. He tried once more giving everything he had but still failed to cut the lock.
“This is hard. I can’t cut through it.” Steven admitted.
“Just cut the fence then. The links look thinner.” Ethan suggested.
“Right, step back.”
Steven cut each link with ease and cut a large “C” so that Ethan could peel it back and climb out. Ethan staggered out stiff legged. He waddled to the door to the main storefront with his butt clinched.
“Whew, yeah you pooped.” Steven wafted away the stench as Ethan walked over. A dark stain was on the back of his pants.
“I need to poop somewhere.”
“Not in here. If they catch us I can’t keep smelling that stuff. I saw a bathroom to the right.” Steven suggested and pointed to the bathroom.
“Good, let’s go over there first.”
Ethan was sweating. He waddled over as quickly as he could. As he rounded the corner and pushed the door open, one of the guards that Steven missed was exiting a urinal zipping up his pants. His eyes were normal and they were wide. Ethan shat himself immediately. It oozed down his leg and escaped the bottom of his left pants leg. The aroma was thick and unforgiveable.
“What are you doing out here?” The man gasped in confusion while wincing from the smell.
“I’m sorry.” Steven apologized just before he drove the bolt cutters into the man’s throat. He closed them collapsing the man’s trachea and caused him to drown in his own blood. He grasped at his throat gurgling in horror, fell to a knee with blood pouring from his throat and lost consciousness from hypo-perfusion of the brain.
Ethan was horrified at what Steven did to the man.
“Why would you do that?” Ethan stared into Stevens eyes.
“He would have told the guy by the front door that we were out. He had a big gun next to him. He would have killed us both, Ethan.” Steven explained his sudden decision. “Go finish up in the toilet. I’ll try to get the pants off this guy.” Steven added and started unbuttoning the guy’s pants.
“Where did Giselle find you?” Ethan asked before he disappeared within a stall. Seconds later he continued his bowel movements. He kicked off his pants and underwear and slid them over to the next stall to his right.
“Hiding from very bad men.” Steven answered and an image of his mother being cut up by those men that captured them entered his mind. “I can’t hide anymore. I need to fight.” He continued while removing the pants from the corpse on the floor. There was some blood still on them but it was only in a few spots.
“I need a bath. I smell awful.” Ethan complained.
“Here!” Steven flung the man’s pants over the door of the stall. Ethan clumsily caught them. He hung them from a hook on the door.
“Thanks.”
“Hurry up in there. We need to get going before the other guy starts looking for his friend.”
Steven washed the blood off his hands and turned the water on and off again as his hands passed beneath the sensor below the sink faucet.
“Almost done. I just need to wipe and clean off my legs.” Ethan admitted.
“Hey, maybe you should wash up using the sinks over here. The water works.”
“Not a bad idea.”
“Well, do it quick. I can’t cut the other guy’s throat before he shoots me.”
“You’re one crazy kid, you know that?”
“Sure...” Steven shrugged.
“Okay, coming out. Don’t look!” Ethan ordered.
Steven turned around and watched the entrance to the bathroom with the bolt cutters in his hands aimed at the entrance to the restroom. Ethan exited the stall and gingerly stepped over puddles of poop and blood. He retrieved a wad of paper towels, soaked it in water and soap, and began to clean himself off. After a few minutes he was satisfied enough to put the pants on. He walked over the body fluids again and retrieved the pants that still hung on the door. He pulled them on and the man’s pants were a few inches larger around the waist. He tightened the belt until they held firm.
“You finished?”
“Yeah, let’s get going.” Ethan admitted.
They walked over to the bathroom door and peeked through.
“The guy’s not talking anymore.”
“You see him?”
“No, he’s not at the front door anymore. Wait, I see him.”
“Where is he?”
“He’s heading to the cages.” Steven noticed.
“Fuck! He’ll find out and we’ll be caught.”
“He left his gun.”
Steven darted out and headed for the weapon. Ethan stumbled out, lowered his posture and jogged behind Steven.
A loud shout from the back room suggested that the man discovered th
eir escape. Footsteps followed and he reentered the store. Steven had the weapon in his hands, figured out where the safety was, and disengaged it.”
“I’m sorry.” He mouthed.
He pulled the trigger and nothing happened.
“Are there bullets in it?” Ethan asked.
“Let me check.” Steven pushed the magazine release button and it popped out. He saw the large caliber rounds inside. “Yup.” He pushed it back in and continued to study the weapon.
“I think you have to pull that thing back.” Ethan pointed at the charging handle.
“Oh, yeah. I think I remember seeing Mr. Flynn do that.”
Steven found the charging handle and yanked it back pulling a round into the chamber.
“Got it!”
He aimed it at the man once more and brought in a deep breath. The man was walking towards the bathroom. Steven fired and missed. The man instinctively dropped into a crouch. Steven wiggled his right shoulder from the sudden jolt.
“You missed.” Ethan griped.
“I know. I’ve never shot this before.”
The man scanned the area searching for the threat. There wasn’t anything to hide behind and he hurried towards the nearest aisle.
“Shoot again. Look, there’s an Auto. Switch it to auto.” Ethan hollered.
Steven toggled to automatic, pulled the trigger and held it. The recoil caused most of his shots to be off but he landed enough to stop the man from getting away. He released the trigger.
“You got him.”
“I need to finish him off.”
“You what? No, you stopped him. We can get away now.”
“No, he’ll call his friends and they will find us. They will put us back in those cages or kill us.”
“You can’t kill everyone.”
“I’ll try.”
Steven’s eyes were glassy and a tear escaped down his cheek. He brushed it away, walked over to the man crawling towards something to hide behind. He painted the floor behind him a rich crimson red as he dragged his body away.
“Fuck! You fucking shot me, kid.”
Steven stopped ten feet from the man and aimed the rifle at him. His gray Azrael eyes revealed that he could survive his current injuries.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t kill me. Please…please don’t…”
The man’s words were silenced by a 5.56 cartridge redecorating a display of tan carpeted cat trees with his brains.
Steven turned around and headed towards the exit to the store. Ethan stood by one of the cash registers in shock.
“Let’s go.” Steven mumbled.
“Yeah, we should go.” Ethan agreed.
Surprisingly there were no visitors following them. Steven scanned the area outside the store and found it completely clear.
“There were dozens of guys out here when we got here.” Ethan wondered.
“Maybe they were called away for something. Who cares. Let’s get the heck out of here.” Steven urged.
They escaped into an alley and disappeared down an empty street.
*
Sitting in the RV, Chase and Drake watched the entire escape take shape on a 42” monitor. They were alerted when Steven opened his cage activating an alarm within the RV. They observed the streaming footage from the pet store security cameras with curiosity. Chase toggled to a different video feed when they exited the store.
“That kid is ruthless.” Drake admitted.
“They underestimated him ‘cause he’s a kid.”
“So did we, they got away.”
“We’ll just let them think they got away.” Chase grinned and nodded towards the screen.
“Oh shit, you’re using him.”
“Insurance. These kids have connections. Not taking any chances.”
“You think Ryan’s gonna stay focused this time?”
“He’s got a tracker and his camera feed shows me everything I need to know. If he doesn’t, we’ll find him easy enough.”
“He’ll kill them like the last time.”
“He has incentive not to eat these ones.”
Chase removed a small device from his pocket.
“What’s that?”
“Sends a shock to him if he decides to bite them.”
“I don’t think Mr. Sloan will like you using his toys.”
“The shocker is mine!”
“No, Ryan.”
“What he doesn’t know, won’t hurt him.” Chase gave Drake a mischievous grin.
Chapter 17: Noah Flynn
Sounds of several automatic weapons discharging in an alley startled the injured hiding in the Franklin Clinic. Noah Flynn led a team created to react and eliminate any threats to Chicago. They were the elite and were handpicked by Simon. Unfortunately, there were only seven left and were a little over a hundred injured citizens within the clinic.
“What’s the plan?” One of his men asked over the radio. He was lying prone on the roof aiming his Tango 51 towards the noises below.
“Is a breach imminent?” Noah asked.
“Negative. Only passing through.”
“What about the Azrael?”
“Nothing, Gunny.”
“Awesome. Sit tight, Mason. I’ll have a plan here soon.”
“Roger.”
Noah exhaled deeply with his back to the wall. He cracked his neck with a few swift turns of his head and entered a recovery room. Laura Flynn was sleeping peacefully in her bed. She wasn’t responding well to the antibiotics. He was troubled by the state of his fraternal twin sister. They had shared a womb and this virus had brought them even closer than ever before. He was stopping by to check her status when the attack on Chicago commenced. The well planned and executed assault isolated his team and killed fourteen of them as they defended the perimeter of the Clinic.
“Hang in there Pearl.” Noah whispered and exited the room closing the door quietly behind him.
She had earned the nickname Pearl when they were kids. She was born with a condition known as albinism, which is why she was so pale and her hair was blonde. Nobody else in their extended family had blonde hair. His was dark brown and both of their parents also had dark brown hair along with a bronze complexion. She often covered herself up in extra clothes and used an umbrella to protect her skin from the sun. Their friends called her Pearl, since she was constantly protected from the sun like a beautiful white nacre safeguarded by the shell of a clam.
Noah had spent most of his life protecting his sister not only from the sun but from those that teased her. He played sports growing up and she was always there to cheer him on hidden beneath her umbrella. She never displayed resentment towards her brother about it. As the years passed, nobody harassed Laura anymore. Noah was an established jock at school and often became the captain of the team. He was offered a full scholarship to play quarterback at Penn State near their hometown. Since his sister was denied admittance to the school, he passed up on the offer. He was also approached to play baseball for Louisville but again he turned the opportunity down when his sister was denied. It wasn’t until she married Dennis that Noah separated from his sister. He thought it was weird that she didn’t take his last name. He understood her decision when she joked about his last name combined with hers. Laura De Loera sounded ridiculous. Dennis was a good man and truly loved her. Yet, Laura only married him so that her brother would move on with his life. She felt guilty that he turned down the opportunities of a free education. Their parents were not wealthy so it was his only chance to further his education and possibly get an amazing job.
Unfortunately, Noah took it to heart that his sister married some man that she only met six months prior. He promptly joined the marines. He had a successful career and after several tours overseas he acquired the rank Gunnery Sergeant at twenty-eight.
He was on leave visiting Laura and her husband in Chicago on March 2nd 2016. Dennis had just acquired a decent job as an information security analyst for United. She worked from home
as a successful blogger for a major fashion magazine. They paid for Noah’s flight and invited him to stay with them for a week. Laura had always wanted her brother to visit and she planned his trip out to the minute. Although angry that her brother signed up for the marines, she was proud of him for his sacrifice and his many accomplishments. Despite the distance and time spent apart, Noah’s bond to his sister returned immediately. She had grown up and had been successful without her brother’s help. He was glad that she was doing okay on her own.
Unfortunately, two days later the Azrael Outbreak happened. Noah received a recall from leave and was waiting at O’Hare for his flight to depart. All flights were delayed until finally cancelling altogether. He attempted to contact his superior officer and the phone lines were jammed. He tried several more times in the cab back to his sister’s apartment with zero success. He approached her door and knocked with a nervous expression on his face.
“It’s Noah!” He heard Laura’s voice squeal from behind the door. It opened moments later. “Changed your mind?” She wore a large grin.
Noah shrugged. He was concerned about the state of the country and to his duty to the Marines.
“All flights were cancelled. I’ll try to get a transport in tomorrow but that’s a maybe because all the phone lines are busy.”
“That’s great! Well, not for the country but that you will be able to spend more time with us.”
“Pearl, I don’t think you understand the state of our country right now. This is bad. This is extremely bad.”
“Come in let’s see what the news has to say about it.” Laura grabbed one of Noah’s bags from his left hand and carried it to the room where he was sleeping earlier. Dennis was sitting on the couch.
“Is it that bad out there?” Dennis wore a concerned look but appeared calm as he browsed social media on his phone with a swipe of his finger.
“It’s not looking good Dennis.”
“Is your Wi-Fi working?”
“Uh huh, people are still posting about the outbreak. It’s everywhere.” Dennis admitted.
Noah sat down on the couch opposite of Dennis, powered up his phone and waited for the Wi-Fi to connect. Once he established service he sent out an email to his 1st Lieutenant in hopes for a speedy reply. He CC’d everyone in his company just in case Lieutenant Gray didn’t have access to a computer. He jumped on social media and browsed through posts about the outbreak. He sent a few private messages to marines from his company in hopes for an instant response. After ten minutes, he checked his email. His email was not sent and none of the recipients received anything. He tried it again with the same result. The communication infrastructure was collapsing. Laura entered the room with a cup of coffee for Noah.
The Azrael (Book 5): Prisoners Page 11
