The Preston Six Collection: (Book 1, 2 and 3)

by Ryan, Matt

  Despite the shoes, he made good time, striding through the streets in his man-heels. Harris made it to the last corner before the toy store. Across the street, he viewed Giuseppe’s Toys, looking for a person out of place, or a hint of a stakeout. Satisfied it was clear, he scampered across the street to the toy store. The sign in the window said Closed.

  The glass door creaked open and he saw an elderly man with glasses looking at him.

  “You looking for a toy?” the old man asked.

  “A Gem doll,” Harris said the arranged password.

  The door opened and the old man ushered him inside. Harris hadn’t been in a toy store for so long, he was actually in wonder, looking around at the vintage and new toys scattered around.

  He took off his shoes and hat and placed them on the counter. He moved his toes and feet, trying to bring the blood back into them. He hoped never to put them on again.

  “Hello, shopkeeper.” Harris extended a hand.

  The man shook his hand and he felt the soft, wrinkly skin of an older hand. He held his hand for longer than standard, feeling the strange texture of old age.

  “You’re the first here, but I think you already know that,” he said. “Oh great, here’s Almadon!”

  He watched as the old man opened the door and ushered her in. He thought they must know each other well, bypassing the password. The two embraced in a long hug.

  “Harris, you see the others yet?” Almadon asked, breathing hard.

  “Not yet, it’s just us.”

  There was a knock and he saw Compry and Nathen at the glass. He was starting to think they should move to the back of the shop; a closed store shouldn’t have so many customers visible from the windows.

  Almadon waved them in. “So glad you made it.”

  Harris moved to the back of the store. The shopkeeper locked the front door and they huddled together behind stacks of board games.

  “So what do we know at this point, Giuseppe?” Harris asked when the shopkeeper joined them.

  “My name’s not Giuseppe. I use that name because Lenny’s Toys doesn’t sound as good.” Lenny paused, smiling at them. Harris motioned for him to continue. “Oh yes, well, I feel really bad about this, but I was the one who turned them in.”

  Harris sneered at Lenny.

  “It wasn’t that I was trying to hurt them. Once I found out they were with you, it was too late,” Lenny said in a hurry.

  “In the video it appeared as if Poly, Julie, and Lucas were badly injured. Did you get a good look at them?” Almadon asked.

  Lenny took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “The big boy carried one girl like a ragdoll, blood dripping steadily from her arm. Another sick young man looked like the dead walking, until he finally just fell limp to the floor. The other girl with the bloody shoulder was as pale as a full moon. The boy with guns looked to be in a sheer panic.”

  “Who came here to take them?” Harris asked.

  “Capital guards.”

  Harris let out a long breath of relief. Guards would take them to the hospital first.

  “How long has it been since they were here?”

  “Three days, but they took them just across the street to the hospital.”

  Three days. They could be anywhere by now. If the injuries were bad enough, they might still be in the hospital. “Almadon, can you get into the police database and see where they have them?”

  She got out her Panavice and looked at him. “Yes, but it may set off alerts.”

  “I don’t think we have time to jump through proxies and setup dummy servers. Once they’re in MM’s bunker, it’ll be much more difficult to get to them.” He didn’t want to think about that, not yet.

  Almadon placed her Panavice on top of a box of a flying-car labeled Car of the Future. A screen projected above the Panavice and she began typing on the digital keyboard.

  Harris was good at the computer, but he always kept to practical stuff, like learning how to break into a lock, start a fire, or hack a security system. Almadon was a master. He watched her as she flipped through the screens, typing at a furious pace.

  “Okay I’m in, but it won’t take long for their anti-hacks to find me.”

  “Look for any medical releases in the last few days,” Harris said.

  “Way ahead of you. I found them. They’re in the hospital still—in the guarded wing.” Her face went pale.

  “What is it?” Harris placed a hand on her arm to get her attention.

  “Simon had them signed over to him and they’re transporting them in thirty minutes.” The screen went blank. “They just booted me off the server.”

  “Do you think they spotted you?” Compry asked.

  “Yes, but it doesn’t matter because it will take them hours to figure out what I was looking at. Lenny, they might be able to track it back to here.”

  Lenny adjusted his glasses. “Oh that doesn’t matter much.”

  “It matters to me. Can’t you find somewhere to stay for a while?” Almadon asked.

  “Nope, never had much family. My wife died quite a few years ago in a car accident.”

  “I’m so sorry. I remember Margaret when I was a child. She would spend so much time helping me create the perfect doll.”

  Harris watched Lenny, wrinkles at all the corners of his face. How long could that face hold out against an MM interrogation?

  “They will come for you, Lenny. When they do, they won’t be asking friendly questions. Do you think you can withstand the interrogations?” Harris asked. He wanted to be blunt, having no time to waste.

  “I stopped drinking Orange some time ago. Living after Margaret passed seemed wrong. Let them do their worst. I won’t say a word.”

  Harris nodded. He admired Lenny for going out on his own terms. Nevertheless, if he talked about what happened here today, he would find him and make his short life shorter.

  He glanced at the clock on his Panavice. “Lenny, did you get the packages?”

  “Oh yes, they’re right over here.”

  Two large, stuffed bears sat on the ground nearby. Lenny grabbed one by the top of its head and sliced the bear’s stomach open with a box cutter. The stuffing poured out of its belly and onto the ground. Harris saw the silhouette of his gun holster and guns. Other toys held Compry’s knives and Nathen’s bow.

  They all collected their weapons with cold determination set in their eyes.

  “Do we have a plan?” Nathen asked.

  “When don’t I have a plan?” Harris said.

  JOEY’S NOSE BURNED AT THE ammonia smell and his eyes opened. Simon pulled a vial away from his face and Joey lunged at him, but straps over his wrists and ankles held him firmly in place. Simon turned without a word and walked away. The chair Joey was strapped in followed him down the hallway. From the white walls and the smell of ozone, he thought he was still in the hospital.

  He turned his head, happy to have full use of it. His arms and legs felt better. The strength was back in them. How long was he out?

  Over his shoulder, he saw a shiny, silver hand pushing his chair. He heard its raspy breath, feeling each exhalation on the back of his neck. His chair stopped at a door and another Arrack pushed Hank through the doorway. The joy of seeing Hank filled him. He struggled in an attempt to reach out. Hank struggled against his bindings until he made eye contact with Joey.

  “They told me you were dead,” Hank said with disbelief, eyes bloodshot.

  “Still here. You okay?”

  “I think so.” Hank spotted Simon walking farther ahead. He strained against the straps and his chair creaked under the pressure, but the straps held. “Hey, Simon. When I get out of this chair, I’m going to crush your skull!”

  Simon responded with his back to them. “Your mom thought she had a chance against us. How’d that turn out for her?”

  Hank’s face went red with fury and he yelled obscenities as he struggled against the straps.

  They stopped at another door and Julie, Poly, and L
ucas appeared next to them. It didn’t seem real. They were all alive. Joey’s mouth hung open.

  They looked healthy. Lucas was still pale, but he seemed much more coherent. The color was back in Poly’s face. Joey felt the corners of his mouth turn back in a smile. It was more than he could’ve wished for. He watched as her eyes widened and she eyed him up and down.

  “You’re alive?” Poly’s voice wavered. “I heard you screaming.” Her chin quivered and the tears welled in her eyes. “I thought you were gone.” The Arrack pushed her chair next to his.

  “Can’t keep me down,” Joey said. Unitas’s wicked smile crept into his mind and he shivered involuntarily. “How’s your arm?” He glanced up and saw Simon turning around to saunter over to Poly, a coy look in his eyes.

  “So this is the one you like?” He asked Joey. Kneeling in front of her, he brushed back her hair and touched her neck.

  “Don’t touch her.”

  “Like this?” Simon grabbed Poly’s bandaged arm and squeezed hard. She yelped. “You think I woke you all up ‘cause I like conversation?” He moved his face within a few inches of Poly’s face. She shook and kicked. He let go of her arm, grabbed her face with both hands, and kissed her forehead. Lingering at her hair, Simon made eye contact with Joey and took a deep, exaggerated sniff.

  “Get away from her.” Joey’s face was hot with anger. He pulled at the straps and shook his chair, trying to get at Simon. He could hear Hank wrestling with his own restraints.

  Simon stood and laughed. “This is why I woke you up.” He pointed at Joey. “You kids took eighteen years of my life and I plan on seeing you suffer as much as I can before I turn you over to him.” He frothed at the mouth as he spoke. Then he blinked, and the anger flooded out of him. His expression changed to a pleasant smile.

  “You’re crazy, you sick f—”

  “We have a schedule to keep,” Simon interrupted, talking over Joey’s rant. He turned and marched down the hall. The Arracks followed behind with their chairs.

  Simon ruined the moment, but Joey quickly remembered his friends were alive. He hadn’t killed them. Even Simon’s presence couldn’t stop the joy of seeing them. He looked over his shoulder.

  “Julie, how are you doing?” Joey asked.

  “Fine,” Julie said. She didn’t struggle, but he noticed her looking intently at everything around her. He heard Harris’s voice telling him how slow he was at noticing what surrounded him. He glanced around him, looking for what he was missing.

  “You can thank me for saving Lucas,” Simon said, looking back over his shoulder. “Hope you all enjoy this reunion because after he gets his hands on you, there won’t be any joy left.” He laughed maniacally as they continued down the hallway.

  Lucas struggled in his chair, giving up quickly. He still didn’t look a hundred percent. Had Simon saved Lucas? Joey watched as Poly and the others seethed, looking at Simon’s back. She moved her wrists, trying to pull them back through the straps. She made progress, but the straps were so tight it looked impossible to squeeze a hand through.

  Simon stopped at the end of the hall, extended his right finger and pressed a button on the wall. The button lit with an arrow pointing down.

  Maybe the elevator wouldn’t be large enough to fit all of them. They’d have to split up to take the elevator. Hopefully, there’d be a chance he could get one of these silver guys close enough to grab its knife during the separation.

  The elevator dinged. The doors slid open, revealing a man dressed in all black, with R8 on his chest.

  Simon’s eyes narrowed.

  “We’ve changed plans. You’ll be taking them out through the basement,” the man told Simon.

  “Max, I don’t care which way I take them as long as you stay out of my way.”

  Max locked eyes with Simon. Simon looked away first.

  Max then turned his attention to Joey. His gaze made Joey shudder, as if he was looking at a science experiment. There was something familiar in those eyes to Joey.

  “So this is them?” Max stood at the elevator door and used his foot to stop the door from closing, without taking his eyes from Joey. “We’ll be taking off from the roof. Don’t mess this up, Simon.”

  Simon’s face twitched. “Just get in your birds and be gone.”

  Max shook his head and walked back into the elevator. The doors slid closed.

  Simon stomped to the next elevator and pressed the button. The second elevator over dinged. When the doors finally slid open, they revealed a space large enough to park a car.

  Joey slumped in his chair as the Arrack pushed him and Poly all the way in, until their knees hit the far wall of the elevator. The rest moved in with noises of feet shuffling and metal chairs clanking as they rolled over the threshold.

  A camera pointed down at them. What a sight they must have been. A bunch of people strapped to chairs with small, silver creatures pushing them. Would the footage be deleted? Would those detectives report what happened? Would Harris learn of their fate? He lowered his head, trying not to think about the future. Maybe if he had taken the deal with Simon back in the prison, his friends would be safe now. Joey felt a something graze the side of his hand.

  He jerked away, until he saw Poly’s fingers stretched out to his. He outstretched his pinky to touch her. When they made eye contact, she narrowed her eyes and nodded with a determination. Joey clenched his jaw and nodded back. He wouldn’t let them take his friends. He’d find a way.

  “So what, are you Max’s bitch?” Lucas asked.

  Simon walked to Lucas and raised his hand. He held it above him for a moment before pulling it back to his side and walking away.

  The elevator moved down. It stopped at two different floors on the way down, with people trying to get on. He heard comments from behind him like “I’ll get the next one,” and after one stop, a woman screamed. The elevator dinged again and he felt his chair move backward. He reached for Poly’s fingertips, grazing them with his. Uncertain future be damned. At that very moment, he felt elated. She was alive. He was touching her warm fingertips. The same fingertips that dripped with blood, from what seemed like only an hour ago. In that moment, he felt as if he had something to fight for again.

  The bright sunlight filled the lobby through the large windows at the front of the hospital. On the road outside, four large, black vans were waiting at the curb. The lights dimmed and the view of the lobby disappeared as they entered a hallway off to the side. He didn’t think Simon would take them through the front doors.

  He tried to look around for some way that could help him out of the situation, but he found nothing.

  At the end of the hallway, an elevator was marked with Parking Garage. Simon pressed the button, typed into his Panavice, and placed it in his pocket. Joey pulled at his wrist straps, wanting to slap the grin off Simon’s face. Glaring at the smug bastard, Joey wanted to say something, but he felt useless. If he could only get one hand free, he might have a chance.

  “Simon,” Lucas said from the back of the line. “You’re going to be dead soon.”

  Simon raised an eyebrow. “I have lived through more than any of you insignificants could imagine. If it’s my time, it won’t be at the hands of some kid like you.”

  “We’ll see,” Lucas seethed.

  Words. It was all they had for an attack.

  Simon frowned and pushed the elevator button again. It dinged and slid open. Simon paused, looking into the small elevator.

  “These three first. Not this one. He stays with me.” Simon grabbed Joey’s wheelchair.

  The Arracks rushed Poly and Lucas into the elevator. Hank’s wheels squeaked as he rolled next to him, in queue for the first trip down. He saw the rage on Hank’s face as he looked at Simon.

  “Hank. . . .” Joey locked eyes with his friend. He wanted to tell him how much he meant, but the words sounded like a goodbye and he choked them back.

  Hank’s expression lightened and he nodded. He wasn’t a big talker and Joey
liked that. He expressed himself without words. A simple nod and Joey knew how he felt.

  The elevator door closed with Hank, Poly, Lucas, and their Arracks inside. Joey felt this was his best chance of doing something. He pulled on the strap binding his wrist to the chair. He pulled past the pain and shook at the effort, but he couldn’t get his wrist through.

  After a minute, the elevator returned for Joey and Julie. Simon followed them onto the elevator and pressed the ground floor button. A few pops sounded from below. Simon froze with a frown, cocking his head toward the noise. Joey did the same, trying to discern if the noise came from the elevator or something else. He fantasized about it being gunfire—that someone had come to rescue them. Another sound, like a screech.

  Was that a scream?

  The elevator continued to move down, stirring the silence with a hum and metal clanks. Simon paced, staring at the door. He heard the sounds as well and probably thought the same as Joey—it was gunfire. Did they kill his friends? Did this Max guy have other ideas?

  Joey jerked on his chair.

  “Quiet,” Simon gripped the wheelchair. He looked back at the Arrack and motioned for them to push their chairs closer to the door. Simon stepped around and stayed behind the chair with his gun drawn, pointing at the closed elevator doors.

  Simon let out a whistle, but it sounded more like a hiss. The Arracks both responded by drawing their daggers and placing them directly on Joey and Julie’s neck.

  Joey reeled back and flashes of Unitas popped into his mind. The blade grazed his throat and he felt a warm trickle of blood run down his neck.

  “Joey,” Julie said.

  He looked to her and she had wide eyes as if trying to tell him something without words. He knew what she wanted from him and it was the same thing he wanted. But what use would slowing down time if he couldn’t get his hands free. He could spend an hour trying to get free and for nothing, he’d still be stuck and at the moment all he could think of was the blade touching his neck.