He knew his plan wasn’t foolproof, but it was all he could think to do. “Unfortunately, yes. If they make a move, it’ll be loud. The place must be full of enemies. That means we just need to follow the sound of fighting. Once we’re inside, we have to tread carefully and avoid using our weapons until we have to.”
Emily didn’t respond. She was trained in basic self-defense, but she’d never had to use it. It was hard to say just what she remembered. “Okay, but do you expect many people to get in our way?” She sounded much more frightened than she’d meant to.
Barry shrugged. “Not really, but in all truthfulness, I have no idea.”
Barry scrambled to his knees, peering over the wall. The zombies still shrieked and yelled into the air. They wandered in circles without a purpose.
“I don’t think anyone is controlling these guys,” Barry said as Emily crouched beside him.
Without saying another word, Barry and Emily quietly made their way to the back of the building. Large dumpsters spilled open with all kinds of waste. A smaller one shoved in the far corner of the courtyard groaned and clanged.
Barry reached the service entrance and pulled at the door. The metal entryway didn’t budge, so he yanked again, but nothing happened.
Emily felt strange about hearing the dumpster clang in the distance, but she pushed the thoughts away. She imagined a zombie had found its way inside and couldn’t get back out. There was certainly no need to save it. “What the fuck do we do now?” she whimpered as she held onto Barry’s arm in desperation.
Barry wriggled free from her grasp. “Hold on; there’s a code pad.” He felt the smooth metal beneath his fingers.
Emily sighed. “Well, that’s no good. I knew something would go wrong. We don’t know the code!”
Barry held one hand up to silence her. They needed to be as quiet as possible. “Shhh!” he hissed at her.
She gawked, placing her hands on her hips. “Don’t tell me to shut up!” Though her words were sharp, her voice was quiet. We’re stuck in a courtyard with a loud ass zombie banging around in a dumpster! Trust me. I think that will get attention faster than me questioning you and our poor predicament!”
Barry shook his head as he inspected the keypad. “Hang on. I think I know it.” He firmly pressed the one, followed by the nine.
“Barry!” she yelped as a zombie emerged from behind the wall. They had followed the noise—just as she’d predicted. “There’s another one!”
“Hang on!” he said through gritted teeth.
He pressed the five.
Emily got closer to Barry. “hurry up!” she begged him.
“I’m trying!” he shot back.
He frantically pushed in the rest of the code.
“He’s coming closer!” Emily whined, cowering behind him.
The door clicked open, and Barry pushed it just as the zombie came within a few feet. Barry and Emily tumbled through the door, falling in a haphazard pile on the floor. They kicked the door shut behind them, leaving the zombie outside.
Barry breathed a sigh of relief. “We’re safe. See? I told you I had it! Now, please get off me,” he grunted, pushing Emily off the duffel bag.
Emily teetered to her feet. The passage was dark and echoed with every tiny noise they made. She stepped quietly, following the hallway to a long flight of stairs. Barry rushed to her side, careful to keep his steps light.
“Shall we?” he offered, placing his foot on the staircase.
Emily squinted. She could see shadows at the top of the stairs. “Wait!” she whispered, grabbing Barry’s arm.
Barry was confused. The flight of stairs led directly to the main floor of the building. It was the easiest way to get to Lena and the others. He looked at her hand on his arm. The duffel had grown heavier as they wasted time loitering at the bottom of the stairs.
Emily backed against the wall, silently moving to an interior door she saw not far away. “In here!” she hissed at Barry.
He followed her to the adjacent room, wondering what her reasons were for halting their progress so soon. His footsteps made little noise as he trod behind her. They waited until the door quietly closed behind them before Barry used a flashlight he had tucked away. The room was large with a table and benches in the middle. An enormous whiteboard was nailed to the far wall and divided into different sections. Barry furrowed his brows as he studied the scrawled lines.
“This is the home,” he said, pointing up at the board.
Emily stood beside Barry. “It’s the blueprints to the whole building,” she added.
They studied the board and saw hidden entrances across the floor plans. Each room had a secret door that somehow led back to the basement. Barry traced an imaginary line around the building.
“Now what, Willis?” she asked. “I don’t know about you, but I can’t hear anything that sounds like fighting, but I did hear someone at the top of the stairs out there. That’s why I pulled you in here. We still don’t know where they are, and we can’t risk going up there and getting caught so soon.”
He thought for a moment. “We’ll use the narrow stairs on this wall.” He pointed to the far side of the whiteboard. “It leads directly to the attic. We should be able to hear something.”
“Sounds good, but the stairs look narrow.” She gestured to the large duffel bag. “Maybe it isn’t wise to take the whole bag. Maybe we should arm ourselves and then go?”
Barry knew she was right. He nodded. “We’ll grab what we can comfortably carry and hide it.”
He removed the heavy burden from his shoulders, and they shuffled through, grabbing knives, guns, and a vest each. They hid the bag behind a shelf and put a few stray boxes on either side to conceal what was behind.
Barry and Emily hurried to the far wall. The winding staircase was dark, but a glimpse of light shone at the very top.
Carefully, they made their way up the stairs, stopping to listen as they went. The glimpse of light grew brighter, but neither of them heard a single voice. Barry reached the attic quickly, leaning against the wall to catch his breath at the top.
Emily ducked under the doorframe, joining Barry in the brightly lit attic. “No voices,” she said sadly.
Barry inhaled deeply before letting it go in a heavy sigh. “True, but there were also no bad guys.”
A soft mumble came from below the floor. With how loud it was even with being so muffled, he thought it sounded like someone talking loudly or yelling softly. Barry knelt, holding his good ear as close as possible to the floor. He could hear a faint chatter, but he couldn’t tell if it was his friends. He scanned the attic, trying to search for something to listen with.
On a dresser, shoved under a window, was a glass. “Emily, can you pass me that cup please?” he asked, motioning to the dresser.
She quickly retrieved the glass, and he placed the mouth flat on the floor while pressing his ear against the bottom. He strained to hear the voices below. He could hear a man’s voice, one he’d never heard before. He hoped someone else would speak—someone he might recognize.
“Joel… no!” a woman’s voice cried out.
Barry smiled triumphantly, though the moment of happiness that came with recognizing the voice was muddied with worry. The voice belonged to Lena Turner. Emily crouched beside Barry, smiling at the sound of the voices. They had found them.
Emily sat up. “How do we get to them?”
Barry gently placed his weapon beside him. “I don’t know.”
Emily racked her brain. She remembered an episode of Dwindling Fire where Daines was stuck in a zombie-infested building. He had to get to his friends on the floor below before escaping. “Wait,” she said aloud. “I remember seeing something on TV.”
Barry stared at Emily. “Okay? I’m gonna need a little more info than that.”
“We need to look around, but we have to be quiet. If we can hear them talk, they can hear us walk. So, keep quiet and look around for a vent in the floor. There has to be one som
ewhere up here,” she said.
Barry smiled and nodded. “That’s really good!” he cheered quietly. “If we can get it open without much noise, we can look through it and find out how many enemies we’re looking at. It’s obvious Lena’s in trouble. Otherwise, she’d be down there kicking ass.”
Emily nodded before making her way across the attic, walking on her toes to make each step as silent as possible. It didn’t take long before they found the vent leading down into the room they’d heard Lena in.
There was a large rectangular duct attached, which he would have to remove before they could climb down.
“Shit,” Barry whispered. He pulled out a light and looked. There were steel clamps in most of the ductwork, but the wide piece that connected to the floor was new. Whoever had been there and replaced it had only used tape—a lot of it. “Actually, we might not be in too much trouble.”
Emily was quiet as he grabbed his knife and began to cut around the base of the duct as well as the piece it connected to.
“If you can, find something to brace this,” he whispered. “Once I break this apart, I’m worried the part that goes through the wall will fall.”
She nodded and quickly found a large box. She opened it enough to see that it was full of books. Trying to lift it proved nearly impossible, so she quickly removed some of the larger ones before trying again. It was difficult, but she only just managed to pick it up and carry it over.
“Can you pull that apart without making any noise?” Emily whispered.
Barry sighed, his hands on either side of the piece that connected to the newer piece that covered the air vent in the floor. “I don’t know, but I’ll need your help.” He pointed to the lower piece. “Hold on to that one while I pull this one off. I have to move slow. That way, we can prevent any instability and loud noises before they happen.”
She nodded and knelt, placing her hands on either side of the large, rectangular duct piece rising from the attic floor.
“One… Two… Three,” Barry counted before pulling. He paused, looking around and making sure all was well. So far, so good. He pulled again and heard a tiny squeak, bringing him to an immediate stop.
Neither one of them moved for several seconds as they stared at one another. Emily listened for a second but heard nothing out of the ordinary below. “I think we’re good,” she whispered.
He nodded. “I’ll pull one more time. When I do, it should come off. Turn the light off. We shouldn’t need it because light will come in through the vent.”
He counted down once again before pulling up. With another squeak, the duct pulled free. Emily killed the light, and Barry placed the bottom of the freed duct on the top of the box. He loosened his grip but didn’t completely let go, testing the balance.
“Did you hear something?”
Emily and Barry both gasped. Someone below them had heard the noise.
“Yeah. Without a brain, I’d say it’s the sound of air passing through your fucking ears.”
Barry had to bite back a laugh as he heard Harrison toss out the insult. He nodded over to Emily and she pulled up on the larger piece of duct that had been taped to the vent. Because of Barry’s earlier precision, it pulled away without noise.
“You know, I’m getting a little thirsty,” Lena said below. “What’s a girl gotta do around here to get a glass of wine? Red. Not too sweet, but not too dry.”
A man laughed. “You always have been quite sassy.”
“I think Lena and Harrison heard us,” Barry whispered. “They’re talking and distracting whoever that guy is.”
“What do we do now?” Emily asked.
Barry checked to make sure he still had his weapons secured on his person. “I’m gonna drop down first. You come down after. Bend your knees when you land—tuck and roll if you have to, but don’t break anything.”
She smiled. “Yeah, now that you reminded me not to break anything…” She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
Barry braced himself and kicked downward, breaking the grate free. He pulled his foot back and took a deep breath before sitting on the edge and sliding through in one move. He knew if he hesitated for even a second, he might not be able to pull off what he needed to.
He landed on the floor below hard, but he was relieved he didn’t pull anything or worse.
“BEHIND YOU!” Lena screamed.
Barry wheeled around, bringing his gun up and taking a few steps away from the vent above him. Within no more than a breath, Emily fell down through the hole in the ceiling, grunting as she landed hard.
“You good?” Barry asked.
Emily quickly rose to her feet and lifted her gun. She grimaced, having tweaked her ankle a bit in the landing. “Yep. I’m good.”
Joel Pearson stood staring at Barry and Emily. He was obviously surprised to see both of them. They didn’t fit the hero profile at all. They looked like normal people to him.
Joel scrunched his face up at the sight of them. “Who are you?” he asked, his voice slightly squeaky.
Barry smiled. He really was the hero for once. “Harrison, Barry Harrison,” he said dramatically. “We’re here to save our friends.”
Mrs. Owens rolled her eyes. She grabbed the chair closest to her and swung it at the back of Joel’s head.
Joel crashed to the floor, unconscious as Lena, Barry, Emily, and the others gawked at Mrs. Owens. The slim, well-mannered prime minister smiled back at them.
“You were taking your time,” she said. “So, I did what I had to.”
Chapter Thirteen
Barry stood staring in amazement at the prime minister. He would never have imagined she could throw a hit like that one.
Lena wriggled in her chair. “Excuse me. I don’t mean to interrupt your awkward staring, Barry, but everyone just take your time. We’re not tied to chairs or anything. Did you have a list of questions or something?” She rolled her eyes.
Harrison pulled his arms up, his wrists digging deeper into the thick ropes. “I’m not as patient and sarcastic at this point. Get me the fuck outta here!” he yelled as he continued to pull at his restraints.
Joel groaned on the floor. He rolled over onto his back.
“Oh, shit. Sorry,” Barry mumbled, walking over to Lena.
Lena looked up at Barry. She was proud of him. During the flight, he’d been a hero alongside her, but now he was a hero on his own two feet. She smiled at him as he pulled at the ropes. The bonds didn’t budge.
Barry pulled again, hoping they would give. “This is some really tight rope,” he announced tugging again.
Harrison rolled his eyes. “Hmm. We hadn’t fucking noticed. Thanks for the update, Captain Obvious.” He was restless and angry from being restrained.
Barry didn’t turn away from Lena. He didn’t have the energy to argue with Harrison. He pulled the long-bladed knife from his belt and sawed at the ropes. He was afraid to cut them with his large and clumsy hands. He didn’t want to hurt her.
Lena trusted him, but his movements were rough. She could feel his every rough jerk as he sawed through. “Don’t hack at them. You won’t get anywhere,” she said as he continued slicing the rope.
He nodded quickly. “I’m a video game designer not a pro with blades, okay?” he replied through gritted teeth. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and his hands ached from holding the knife so tightly in his hands.
Emily rushed to Harrison. She took the knife from her belt and sawed more carefully.
Harrison observed her careful movements. As much as he wanted to be free from his chains, he preferred her to take her time.
“You work like you’re trained at this,” he told her, his voice soft and quiet.
Emily kept quiet while she worked through the ropes. Harrison made her feel uneasy. The ropes were thick and tightly wound over his wrists. Long red lines traced across his skin where he’d fought to break free.
Emily snapped the rope, letting the two ends fall apart. She smiled at the success, and Har
rison growled as he pulled his hands around and rubbed at his wrists. Holding his hand out, Emily handed him the knife without a word. He quickly began work on the ropes around his ankles.
Joel groaned, shifting his torso up off the ground. He rubbed his eyes like a baby.
“Uh, Barry!” Lena gasped, wiggling her fingers as Barry continued to cut.
Barry snapped the rope. “Got it! Wait, what?” he asked, unaware that Joel was mobile behind him.
Lena pulled her hand free, scratching her skin. “Bad news at nine o’clock!” she breathed, flexing her sore hands.
Lena stood with violent purpose, swaying a little as the ropes around her ankles held her back. Barry dove out of her way, reaching for the chair legs to keep her from pulling it and taking herself to the floor. He hacked away at the rope as fast as possible, ignoring the burning pain in his shoulder. His wound from the zombie encounter much earlier had not fully healed, but he still pressed on.
Lena struggled to keep her balance, but she put her hands up, ready to defend herself if necessary. As soon as Barry had her freed, she planned to rush Joel with all the rage she’d held back.
Joel stepped back, putting his hands up in defense. “Oh, little Lena coming to seek her own revenge; how cute. How fucking cute,” he mocked, stepping back with ease.
Lena growled through her teeth. She loathed the very sight of him. “I’ll rip you to shreds, you fucking lying bastard!” she yelled, wishing like hell she could take a swing without falling on her face.
“You dear, sweet, summer child. If only you knew how great this job really is.” He shook his head slowly, giving her a small, evil smile as he did. “If you knew, you’d join me,” he added, chuckling maliciously to himself.
Lena screamed with exasperation. “You better watch your fucking mouth, you prick. Soon, I’ll be free, and you’ll be shoved into the cement!” Her voice became louder with each word.
Joel tutted mockingly. “No, no, no, sweet Lena,” he mocked, jabbing his finger towards her. “You’ll be the one losing. Not me!”
Pandemic Z | Book 3 | Pandemic Z 3 Page 11
