by Jeff Olah
The elder statesman of their slowly fading group must have been at least ten years older than the others, although his physicality was never in question. Since the fall of humanity, he’d proven on more than a few occasions that he was abundantly capable of holding his own and then some. At five feet seven inches, his size often proved to be an asset when facing the larger hordes gathered in the downtown area.
Marvin was brought into the fold by Tobias as were most of the men. Although he lacked the outward intimidation factor of the others, he was every bit as destructive. The most recent addition to the group, Tobias came upon Marvin as he was taking apart two dozen Feeders with only a fiberglass broom handle and the will to live. Making his way alone, from the mountains to the ocean and without having eaten in just over two days, Marvin agreed to join the group Tobias was leading.
Again Tobias called out, “MARVIN… WHAT THE HELL ARE—”
Continuing to look through the window, the older man pointed into the distance. “I think they’re getting ready to make a move.”
“Whatta ya mean?” Tobias asked.
“It looks like there’s movement on the third floor. I’ve been watching the lower levels for the last few hours and nothing. That was until just a few minutes ago. I can’t be sure because of the shadows, but I think I saw someone.”
“So,” Tobias said. “You’re trying to tell me that your eighty-year-old eyes were able to make out people in that building. I couldn’t even make anything out from down there in the street. I think you’re hallucinating.”
“Suit yourself, but I’ll let you be the one to tell Goodwin that you let his man get away. And you missed the mark on my age by over thirty years, you incompetent child.”
“Marvin, you’re always good for a laugh.” Tobias looked down at his wrist and continued, “Aren’t you due for a nap? I’ll wake you in a few hours once the real work is done.”
“I’ll tell you what, Tobias, how about you hand me that phone and bend over? I assure you I can find a place where it gets better reception. And hey, you can close your eyes and reminisce about your time behind bars. How about it?”
The last comment he could have done without and the fact that he was unable to reach the men on the other side of town was still taunting him. “Okay Marvin, you’re quick, but you still need to remember your place. If you don’t, I have no problem reminding you.”
“Cory and I are all you have left. You aren’t going to get this done without us. Blake has us outmanned by at least five or six men, so let’s put the threats aside for now. And you know I’ve never feared you or any man.”
Tobias shook his head and turned away from the window and from both men. “I’ll be back. I’m going to find Goodwin. I’m sick of waiting for Blake to answer his phone; we’ll do this without their help. Be ready to go in ten minutes.”
Through the common area and up the stairs, Tobias found himself at the door to the main office. He knocked once and before he had a chance to speak, Goodwin’s voice echoed back. “Come in.”
Opening the door, Tobias began to speak, but was cut short before the first syllable crossed his tongue. Goodwin said, “Why are you up here? Why am I not staring Mason Thomas in the face?”
“I haven’t been able to get ahold of Blake or any of his men. They know what we want and just aren’t answering the phone.”
“And why do you think that is?”
“They’re playing games with us. This is payback for the incident last month; now he wants revenge. And you know I mean no disrespect, but I told you we should have never—”
“Tobias, for all your shortcomings, I just really wish you were smarter. I’m not going to be around much longer. We both know that, and when I’m gone I just can’t help but think you’re going to do something truly stupid and get yourself killed. You should never second guess my intentions or more importantly my directives.”
Fighting the urge to throw Goodwin out of his chair and stomp out what little life remained in the decaying old man, Tobias changed course. “You know I didn’t mean anything by it. I just can’t understand why Blake is stalling.”
Goodwin rolled to the window at the back of his office and opened the shades, revealing the back half of the city and further on, the building of his opposition. Turning back to Tobias, he said, “Would it be possible for you to follow one simple command, and if it’s not too much trouble do you think you could also get those degenerates downstairs to fall in line?”
“What?”
“Get in the Humvee, drive down the street and bring back Mason Thomas. I’m racking my brain trying to figure out why I even have to ask you again. I requested this hours ago and all you’ve brought me so far are excuses.”
He was here. Less than ten feet from the man he rescued nearly a year earlier and all he wanted to do now was put a bullet in his head. Tobias had never let anyone speak to him the way Marcus Goodwin did. He just had to tell himself this was all nearing an end. The man in the chair would pass away soon enough, even without his early intervention.
For the sake of his own twisted set of principles, he’d allow him live, at least for now. “I’ll bring Mason back to you, but I also want the others. The pregnant one and the old woman are mine.”
“Calm down Tobias, you need to be focused. Mason is our only concern; his family has nothing to do with this. Once you bring him to me you can do whatever your black little heart desires. But you’d better get going.” Goodwin held up his dry erase marker and pointed back out the window. “Before Blake’s men get to them first.”
223
The long walk down to the third floor seemed to drain what little energy was left in his legs and out into the hall, Mason stopped. He leaned into the wall and waited as Eleanor and Megan made their way out. The last to exit the stairwell, Savannah moved quickly around the others and dropped two bags of supplies at the door to the third floor suite.
Motioning for Savannah to join him at the entrance to the third floor lobby, Mason pushed open the door and slipped inside. Moving to the oversized windows that faced the city, he looked out over Sixth Street and winced as another wave of pain nearly brought him to his knees.
“You’re serious?” Savannah asked. “You had trouble just getting down here. What makes you think you’ll make it another twenty-four hours?”
Gritting his teeth as the wave of torture flowed away from his hand, Mason said, “I’ll be fine. We just need to make sure Eleanor and Megan don’t fade on us. They’re both in much worse shape than they’re letting on.”
“You’re right, and I know I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but we need to keep a close eye on Megan. She told me she hasn’t felt the baby move since yesterday. Those men were pretty vicious.”
“Yeah, I know. But we’ll have to deal with that later. Right now, we need to get moving.”
As the door behind them opened, the sound of the air rushing in from the floors below jarred them both. Glancing into the lobby, Cedric waved Mason over and said, “Hey, where’d Sean and Randy go?”
“They’re loading the SUV,” Mason said. “So I guess they’re down on the first floor.”
Cedric pulled the walkie from his back pocket and keyed the mic. “Patrick, Mason says they should be on the first floor, maybe loading the SUV?”
Without hesitation, his son’s voice came back through the speaker, filling the third floor lobby. “Nope, that’s where I’m at and I’m staring at the street now. No one has been through here in the last hour. Not since you sent me to do rounds.”
Starting toward the door, Mason felt light-headed. He focused on Cedric as the flurry of translucent stars invaded his field of vision. “Where else could they have gone? How many other exits are there besides the front door and the door to the garage?”
Cedric closed his eyes and shook his head. To Mason he held up his left index finger and then once again spoke to his son. “Lock the front doors and get to three-twenty-six. I’m sending everyone else there n
ow and going for the cameras. I’ll call you in five… now go.”
Turning to Mason and Savannah he said, “Go back to suite three-twenty-six and stay put for a few minutes. This could be bad.”
This was taking too long. They should have been out of the building hours ago and by Mason’s estimate they’d been waiting for Cedric to call for close to fifteen minutes. The sun had maybe another hour before it fell beneath the buildings on the west side of town and would completely change the dynamic of their exit from the city.
“Patrick, how long has it been, and why can’t you just call your dad? There’s no reason to wait here, if something has happened, we need to move.”
“My dad knows what he’s doing. If someone got in, we are all at risk. This floor is completely secure and as soon as my dad checks the cameras—”
Interrupted by the call they were all waiting for, Cedric’s voice came through the walkie. “Patrick, listen and do exactly as I say. There are six men in the building. They are coming through the loading dock and will be there in less than sixty seconds and they already have Randy and Sean.”
Patrick tried to break through. “Dad where are you?”
His voice didn’t transmit as Cedric kept talking. “Take the keys and get to the parking garage. I’ll try to meet you there, but don’t wait for me. I’m closing off communication in case they’re monitoring this channel, now go.”
He didn’t like this feeling. It had nothing to do with his physical state, although the fact that he was on the verge of passing out for the last few minutes didn’t help matters. Mason had given up control of the group to a teenage boy and was pushing what was left of his family toward the unknown. There wasn’t time for questions about what they were running toward or possibly even much more important, what they were running away from. Although at this point, he figured the answers may matter.
The throbbing in his left hand intensified as he continued to exert himself and rounding the last four steps to the basement, he lost his footing. With only two options of where he could land, Mason attempted to twist to the right and sacrifice his shoulder.
“Good Call,” Mason said to himself as the others gasped. Slamming into the reinforced drywall, the impact was spread over a large portion of his right side. Although he punched a hole in the wall the size of a small child, the impact wasn’t nearly what it could have been if he’d moved left and hit the door.
As the others moved in and gathered at the foot of the stairs, Savannah leaned in and helped Mason to his feet. “Thanks,” he said shaking free the fine layer of white power from his coat. “That was close.”
Not wanting the others to worry, Savannah leaned in and whispered. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” Mason said with enough volume that the others took notice.
Looking down at his walkie, Patrick said, “Once we go through this door and into the garage we need to be ready for anything. Stay close and go straight to the white SUVs.”
Holding his hand out, Mason motioned toward the door. “Savannah and I have the only remaining weapons. Give her the keys to one and you take the other. I’ll open the door and cover you all as we go into the garage. Once everyone is through the door, I’ll bring up the rear.”
Patrick nodded and placed his hand on the door. “Okay, once we get out onto the street, just follow me.”
As Patrick pulled open the door, the familiar ringing of the sat phone came from Mason’s jacket. The others looked to him as he moved out into the garage, although before he could acknowledge the muffled sound rising from his right hip, a more immediate issue had presented itself.
Six men, each with their weapons trained on the doorway, stood among a sea of fallen Feeders. A seventh man standing at the edge of the parking garage grinned as he spoke. “Come on out, all of you.”
Mason started forward, weapon in hand and began to speak as the sat phone rang for the fourth time. He stopped and pointed the nine millimeter at the man without a weapon. “Who are you?”
The man stepped away from the retaining wall at the edge of the garage and walked to a spot eight feet from Mason. “My name is Mitchell Blake and I don’t want to hurt any of you. In fact, I may just be able to help.”
Mason took another step as the phone rang yet again. “Where are our friends?”
The man paused and waited for the phone in Mason’s jacket to ring one final time. “Answer it, I have a feeling it may just save your friends’ lives.”
224
Sitting with their backs to the wall, freedom was less than fifty feet away. The pair was driven out of the parking garage and marched through the front doors as the day faded into night. The room was dark, although they both knew what this place was. Concrete block walls at their back and metal bars lining the front and sides, their captors weren’t screwing around.
Randy and Sean sat with their backs to the wall. The pair of three-inch thick foam mattresses and rusted metal bedframes were the only remaining items in the otherwise immaculate room. The floors were recently swept and the air tasted of fresh flowers and citrus.
Not completely alone, the group who’d come out of nowhere left one of their own behind. The older man of more than twice Randy’s age stayed to watch over them and was now seated at the end of the hall playing solitaire. Behind the desk of the front lobby, the older man could be heard whistling, although the familiar melody escaped them both.
Sean stood and moved to the bars at the front of the cell. “Randy, it’s kinda weird. I feel like I deserve this.”
Only half aware that Sean had engaged him and still more annoyed than angry, Randy looked up from the floor. “What?”
“Those men, bringing us here. I feel like what I did back there to Mason… well it’s almost like instant karma. I mean, yeah I screwed up and now I’m in a jail cell.”
“Really, is that what’s running through your mind? What about using that massive brain of yours to think of a way to get us out of here?”
“I just think that if I’d done what he asked and just left the roof, we’d be out of here. We’d all be out of here.”
“Okay,” Randy said. “So we all get outta dodge. Then what? We go to the secret hiding place your dad told you about? Do you actually think Goodwin would let us leave without a fight?”
Peering down the hall, Sean could see the older man slide his chair away from the desk and pick up two cards that had gotten away from him. “I don’t know, I guess I just thought—”
“Trust me when I tell you that there was never a possibility that we’d leave here without going through that group. And there is no way Mason is driving out of this city before he pays a visit to Goodwin.”
“You think Mason really wants to see him again, but why?”
“To finish the job. I guarantee that once we get out of this mess, he’s gonna go back and have a long talk with Marcus Goodwin. If I know Mason, there won’t be anything that will stop him.”
Wincing as he flashed back to the second it happened, Sean asked, “What about his hand?”
“He’ll live. Cedric’s wife was able to stop the bleeding and as long as that thing doesn’t get infected, he’ll be fine.”
As the older man in the lobby slid his chair back behind the desk and began dealing himself another hand, Sean turned from the front of the cell and sat with his back to the bars. He didn’t respond to Randy’s assertion and instead wondered aloud, “I hope he was right.”
“Who?” Randy asked.
A tear quickly formed as Sean fought the quiver near the corner of his mouth. “My dad, he said we’d be safe once we got to his old lab. I remember where it was, but I don’t know why he’d want us to go there. I’m sure it was overrun just like every other place.”
Although it forced the boy to remember the horrific images of his father’s death, this was something Randy needed to explore. “Where is this place?”
“My dad’s old lab was in the basement of a mall where he had an antique shop. He inherited
it from his father and was going to pass it on to me until… well, you know.”
“Antique shop?” Randy asked. “I don’t ever remember him talking about that, where is it?”
“Yeah, I don’t think he told too many people about it. I know he mentioned it to Megan once or twice, but she never really listened to anything he had to say after the third or fourth time he left us. She knew what she wanted to know and the rest was just noise to her.”
“Yeah, your sister can hold quite the grudge. I hope I never land on her bad side.”
The gravity of their situation didn’t appear to have had an effect on Randy and his relaxed demeanor was beginning to agitate Sean. “You are aware of what’s happening here aren’t you? My sister and the rest of our group are still out there and we have no idea who these people are or what they want.”
“Sean, I don’t think these are the people we need to worry about. They didn’t hurt us, they didn’t threaten us, and as a matter of fact, they seemed almost too friendly. Yes, they had us outgunned, but they weren’t interested in us. It’s hard to explain, but there’s something else, something bigger.”
“I don’t think we’re going to have a sit-down dinner with these guys anytime soon. They are holding us here against our will. I’m going to assume they went back for the others and we really have no idea what they’re putting them through. We may want to put together some sort of plan for getting out of here. Don’t you think?”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Probably…is there something I’m missing? Why aren’t you pissed? At the very least we should be worried about Megan and the others. We should be fighting to get out of here. Are you even hearing me?”
“Here’s the thing,” Randy said. “We could get that old man over here, close enough to the bars that we could pull him in and somehow overpower him and take the keys. So we get out and then what? We run out into the city with no weapons trying to find your sister and the others? If we somehow find them and things go south, the others, especially your sister, could suffer.”
