by Stuart Keane
Rupert reached into his briefcase and grabbed the screwdriver. He tossed it to the left, beyond the desk. It bounced off the TV with a loud CLANG. The guards turned towards it, moving away from the desk. Rupert closed his eyes, said a small prayer, and stood up.
If you get out of here, he thought, you owe God a favour.
He shot the closest guard in the back. The bullet smashed into his spine, spraying a red mist into the air and exited on the other side, erupting in a spray of blood and muscle. He fired two more times: PHUP, PHUP!
The body hit the floor with a thud.
Rupert missed the second guard, who was hiding behind a pillar. The bullet embedded into the plaster. There was a burst of return fire, but Rupert kept them at bay with more shots, standing behind a pillar for cover. The room went silent for a moment.
“Give it up, man, you ain’t gettin’ outta here!”
“Fuck you,” Rupert replied.
“Ha, we got ourselves a proper Wyatt Earp, have we?”
Rupert said nothing.
He stepped out of cover. As he did, the guard did the same thing and for a second, they were looking directly at one another. The moment’s impasse seemed to go on for more than the split second it actually did.
Rupert fired first. The bullet hit the guard in the leg and he collapsed back against the wall, screaming in pain. He dropped his gun and crawled back to cover. Rupert lowered his weapon and approached the guard.
Unfortunately he didn’t see the door in the archway opening again.
Didn’t see the third guard step through.
When he did, it was too late.
He heard gunfire.
The burst of automatic gunfire shredded Rupert’s torso and tore the rest of his body to pieces. Rupert saw his own flesh and blood blasted into the air right before his eyes. He dropped the pistol, fell back against the desk and collapsed. He landed hard on the ground, the very place he had been positioned moments before. He heard glass crunch under his back. The gunfire stopped.
Blood frothed from his mouth and nose, and he was paralysed by a tidal wave of pain. Rupert felt his eyelids closing. Was aware of a blue light before him. His hand reached out for it.
But he was unable to do anything as his body convulsed. His eyes closed completely.
Rupert saw his mother was standing before him. Her arms were open. A white light enticed him and Rupert felt a warmth run through his body, relief filling his very soul. Rupert felt tears in his eyes as they closed for the final time.
As his hand fell, his fingers glanced across the tablet’s screen. His dying movement had tapped on UNLOCK.
Rupert Shaw, a hero and a life saver, died before the guard stepped over to his body.
***
The code just wouldn’t come to Kathryn.
Her birth date had been wrong. She had tried her usual password from work, which also hadn’t worked. She only had one attempt left. Seconds after entering the second code, she cursed herself. Why would it be that code? After asking the question, she cursed again. It could be anything. If The Game had taught her anything, it was that the organisers knew Kathryn better than she knew herself. Which enhanced the possibilities.
A needle in a haystack was being generous.
There were literally endless possibilities.
“Fuck.”
Hannah said nothing. She stood off to Kathryn’s left with her arms folded. Kathryn felt sweat trickling down her neck. The pressure was truly on. Several times she had lifted her hand to type in a code and then resisted the urge. Realising they would die if she got it wrong, racked her with indecision, so that as soon as she thought of something, she instantly rejected it. She started tapping her teeth again, a vain attempt to help her to think.
Which is when she saw the camera move.
Hannah spotted it a fraction of a second before she did. She tapped Kathryn on the shoulder and pointed at it. Kathryn stepped away from the keypad and waved. “Hello? Hello?” she called out.
The camera stared back at her. It didn’t move. The sheer stillness infuriated Kathryn. She turned to Hannah. “Who the fuck is watching us? The Chronicle isn’t in charge anymore.”
“I’m not sure. Iain said no one would replace the Chronicles, but who knows? I never noticed that camera before. Spooky, huh?” Kathryn nodded. She ran her hands through her hair.
Suddenly an alarm started chirping. It was faint at first, almost imperceptible. Hannah spun and glared at the doorway they had emerged from. She closed her eyes and started humming along, following the rhythm of the noise. Her eyes then snapped open, realisation and fear on her face.
“Kathryn, we have to go! That alarm, that’s the reset button. Someone has shut off the power. Which means we’ll be surrounded by guards in about ten minutes.”
Kathryn’s head dropped downwards, wondering if things could get any worse. She turned back to the keypad. Looking up at the camera, she pointed at it once, hoping that whoever was watching got the hint. She took a breath and closed her eyes. She tried to calm herself. Hannah’s eyes were glued to the doorway.
“Hurry, Kathryn!”
“Shhh. Let me think.”
They heard a commotion. The sound echoing down the tunnels. They could hear people talking. Hannah gulped, realising the guards must have found one of their own, injured and unconscious. It would only be a matter of time before they found them. Suddenly, the alarm stopped and all was quiet.
Then the commotion picked up.
Hannah heard the clattering of footsteps. Kathryn opened her eyes and heard it too. She looked at the camera again, frantically pointed at the keypad and shrugged at the camera, a desperate appeal for help. She couldn’t think of what else to do.
The footsteps were getting louder.
And closer.
“C’mon, Kathryn!” snapped Hannah. “We’re running out of time!”
Kathryn closed her eyes. She ran a series of numbers through her head. Every one that came to her was doubted instantly. The sweat was soaking her back now, the cold chill making her tremble. Hannah moved back so that she was beside her.
Kathryn opened her eyes.
She knew the code! Well, she was about eighty per cent sure she knew it. Aware of the implications of a third incorrect entry, she still hesitated.
The footsteps grew louder, as if they were now walking down a street. Hannah strained to listen. “Shit! They must be outside the grate. Did I close it?”
Kathryn nodded. “I did, we have a few minutes. I hope.”
“Have you thought of the code?”
“Maybe. At least I’m about eighty per cent—”
“—That’s not good enough! Eighty per cent is dog-shit! Got any other ideas?” Hannah shouted at her.
Kathryn considered Hannah with indecision. If she was wrong, an innocent woman would lose her life. “I think I have it. But if it’s wrong, I want to tell you that getting you killed wasn’t on my agenda tonight – even if you did hit me with a baseball bat.”
“If you get us out of here alive, you can have your revenge. I will even sign the bat before you bash my face in.”
“Deal.” There was a short silence. After a moment, Kathryn took the decision. “If this doesn’t work, I’m sorry.”
A tear ran down Hannah’s face. Kathryn tapped in the code: 8762. She checked the number that came up on the screen three times.
The grate crashed open. They heard subdued voices. Footsteps echoed along the tunnel. Hannah guessed there were four of them. They had a minute, two minutes tops.
Kathryn pushed ENTER.
ACCESS DENIED.
Kathryn’s heart dropped. Her blood chilled. She stepped back, felt her body grow limp. Hannah looked at her and then at the keypad. Her eyes widened and then the tears came faster.
Kathryn stuck an arm out and gripped Hannah’s shoulder. Hannah grabbed her hand for a second. The footsteps grew louder. One more tunnel and the guards would be upon them. Kathryn refused to turn around to fa
ce them, didn’t want to give them the satisfaction.
CLUNK.
The keypad turned green. The word UNLOCKED flashed up on the screen.
The door started to rumble and then slid to the right, opening. The two women were transfixed at the sight.
And then the train carriage door was open. A second door on the opposite of the carriage was open too. Beyond it stood a clear, plastic tunnel that curved off to the right, while the carriage itself was empty. Kathryn stepped forward. Hannah turned around.
The footsteps were now coming from the final tunnel. Within seconds, their pursuers would see the two women. Hannah shoved Kathryn through the door. In one jump, Kathryn stood aboard the train, pulling Hannah up beside her. As they scrabbled onto the carriage, three soldiers burst through the door. They were armed with batons, no guns. They took a second to comprehend the sight before them.
The door started to close.
And the soldiers started to run towards them, but it was too late.
Kathryn and Hannah moved into the plastic tunnel and ran.
They were free!
A few seconds later, they emerged from the tunnel.
Kathryn’s face registered pure astonishment, while Hannah just smiled. Together, as a team, they stepped out of the tunnel, back into the real world.
They were the first people to ever do so.
The Company had failed.
Iain’s quest had been realised.
FORTY-TWO
Kieran backed up towards Heather. They both stared at their father in confusion and fear.
“Whatever happens, Heather, I have your back, okay?” Kieran didn’t look at her, focused on the clones as he was.
Heather didn’t object. Delta had clearly lost his mind. Heather was still doubting that this man really was their father, but had no reason to believe otherwise. After all, he knew all there was to know about her mother. All that seemed relevant was the things that had happened to her. In some weird way, she realised she was glad that her father was not dead, but at the same time, she thanked her mother for protecting her from this lunatic.
The last forty-eight hours were suddenly very clear to her. In hindsight, it was clear that her mother had been right to protect her from this beast.
For that reason she would do all she could to survive, for her mother’s sake.
Somehow.
Even though the odds were against it.
At least she wasn’t alone. She looked at Kieran. Sorrow wracked her body, and sympathy would have to wait.
Delta regarded them. “My, my, solidarity in my offspring, how quaint. Might as well kill you together. Two birds, one stone and all that nonsense.” Delta had stepped away from the clones. He held his hand out for the jacket and the clone returned it to him slowly. He put his arms through the sleeves and put it on, standing and watching them as he smiled. “This will be fun.”
Kieran looked around. The clones were tense, primed, and ready to go. He felt Heather’s body against his, pressed up behind him. “So, Dad,” she called out to him. “How are you going to do it? Kill us, I mean. I assume you have some sick ideas in that head of yours?”
Delta’s white teeth gleamed in the light as he gave a slow smile. “Quite the opposite. You see, I have plans, have had all along. I want to start slow, make it painful for you. This may not seem like a fatherly thing to do, but I hate making mistakes as much as the next person. I like to atone for them, though. Be it banging a whore or dating a drunk, you decide. I’m not proud of either. You both remind me of the fuckups I made along the way. If I’m joining The Company, I don’t want any baggage.”
Heather stifled a sob. She felt the tears coming, but didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. “You’re a sick fuck, you know that? We are your children! How can you do this to us?”
The smile disappeared from Delta’s face. “Like this.” A hand rose into the air and Delta clicked his fingers.
A clone stepped forward with startling speed and slammed a fist into Kieran’s face. The impact knocked him back a few feet. Kieran spat blood almost immediately. He felt a tooth loosen and moaned in pain. The clone stood inert, staring down at him. He didn’t move. Kieran looked up into blue, empty eyes.
Heather held her hands to her face. Fear paralysed her for a few moments. She looked at Kieran and back at her father. “What are you doing?”
“My job as a responsible father.” Delta clicked his fingers and the clone booted Kieran in the ribs. Kieran stumbled over and landed with a thud on the ground. He spat out his tooth, and it bounced across the platform. He had trouble breathing as more blood oozed from his mouth.
Heather screamed at her father, “Stop it!”
Delta snapped his fingers again. This time, the clone backhanded Heather. She fell awkwardly to the side, toppling off the platform. She landed heavily on a rail and instantly felt the crack to her ribs. She groaned in agony. Heather touched her face, felt the throbbing of a welt. Blood oozed from her nose.
Then something odd happened.
Four clones stepped past Delta and approached the attacking clone. The attacker didn’t even turn as they each grabbed a limb. They picked him up and tossed him into the air. The clone landed on the platform. The other four then proceeded to kick and punch him repeatedly, over and over again.
Kieran looked on, Heather heard the commotion from the rails and managed to crawl across and peer over the edge of the platform to watch. After two minutes, the clones stopped beating their colleague and returned to their positions. The clone on the ground lay motionless, bloodied and broken. His head seemed to be shattered, now a deformed shape, the skull smashed by the repeated blows. His arms were bent at an awkward angle, his left leg broken, only attached by the skin around the bone. The skin of the body was a mass of welts and bloody footprints.
Silence filled the room. Heather stood up, wincing in pain. She rolled herself onto the platform, breathing heavily. Kieran used the bench to pull himself up to a standing position.
Delta looked at the clones, confused. “I didn’t order that.” He turned to the clones. “Why did you do that? You answer to me. I didn’t give that order.”
The clones didn’t answer. They all had the same blank stare. None of them moved. As Heather moved across the platform, their eyes moved to watch her. Delta turned back to face them. He selected a clone to his left. “You,” he ordered. “Grab her.” He pointed to Heather.
The clone snapped to attention and strode over to her. Kieran stood in its way, but the clone kneed him in the ribs, so that he fell to his knees in agony, fighting to breathe. The clone stepped past him and grabbed Heather by the arm.
Another clone, from a group closer to Heather, stepped forward and slammed a fist into the first clone’s face, his fist pulverising bone and muscle. The clone punched again, this time into the side of the other clone’s head and the impact snapped his neck. The head wobbled as the body fell down. Blood splattered the platform behind him. The stricken creature released its grip from Heather’s arm. The clone who’d protected her stepped back into position.
Delta’s voice had lost its confident edge. “What the fuck is this? I breed an army of super soldiers and they all get their fucking panties in a twist for a woman? Seriously? What do I pay these scientists for?”
He walked over to Heather, stepped past her and slapped the clone in the face. Nothing happened. He stared at the clone and turned around. He grabbed Heather by the arm and started to drag her to the end of the platform. Three clones moved towards him. Delta immediately released Heather and stepped back. The clones paused. After a moment, the clones returned to their original position. Delta faced Heather. “Seems they have a real hard on for you, Heather. Must be a glitch or something.”
Kieran stood up, coughing. Blood had dried on his face. “These clones. What did you do to make them obey you?”
Delta paused and rubbed his chin. “Trade secret, I’m afraid. If I told you that, I would have to kill you. Which I
am going to do anyway. I don’t have time for this.” Delta stepped over to Kieran and swung a punch. Kieran saw it coming. He ducked and grabbed Delta’s arm, and tried to wrestle him to the ground, succeeding in bringing him down as they grappled together. Heather, holding her injured ribs, ran over and jumped on Delta’s body, attempting to separate them. “Get off him, you fuck!”
Delta swung an arm out, knocking Heather off her feet. She collapsed to the ground, her head hitting the platform. Lights and pain filled her eyes and brain for a moment. She closed her eyes and saw stars. Through blurred vision, she could see the two men struggle.
What she didn’t see was the five clones who stepped forward and pulled Delta off Kieran. Delta screamed in annoyance and whipped around to confront them. “What the fuck are you—?”
The first clone punched Delta in the face with a resounding crack. His two front teeth were immediately dislodged, his lip split, releasing a spurt of blood as his chin rocked back. Delta collapsed like a puppet with the strings cut, eventually landing face first on the platform. The second clone grabbed him by the arm and snapped his forearm clean in two. Delta screamed, the noise making Kieran’s blood curdle. Delta tried to crawl away, his arm hanging limply. The third and fourth clones rabbit-punched him in the back, aiming for the kidneys, then the fifth clone pulled Delta up to his feet. The injured man was groaning, half conscious. When Delta was upright, the clone delivered a blistering head-butt straight into his face. Delta’s nose shattered, blood erupted from both nostrils and he went down again, blood and spittle arcing in the air as the body dropped like a sack of potatoes.
Kieran cowered for a long time. But to his surprise, the clones didn’t come for him, simply choosing to return to their previous positions. The young man stood up and brushed himself down. He looked across at the clones. They were still regarding Heather. Kieran reached for his sister’s hand. As he did so, he noticed the clones tense, in unison. He helped her get up, then let go of her hand and the clones relaxed. He smiled.
Heather looked at him, confused. “What?”
