Living Proof

by Peter J Thompson

  “Yeah, well, next time, just say, ‘yes, sir’—I don’t know, do something.”

  They continued on, hurrying through the back ways and least traveled sections of the building. They came to another bank of elevators and took one all the way up to the first floor. At the end of another hallway, they stopped.

  Green gripped Ramon’s elbow. “Okay, this is the last checkpoint. Once we get past this, we’re out of the building. It should be easier then.”

  Ramon nodded his head.

  Green continued, “Just be ready – follow my lead.”

  The door slid open and they moved into a rectangular room with a guard station in the center. Two guards stood behind it, both were sergeants. One was short and dark, the other taller with fair hair and wire-rimmed glasses. They saluted as Green moved to the desk.

  “Good morning, sir. May I see your papers?” The taller sergeant stood straight and held out his hand expectantly.

  “Yeah, sure thing, Sergeant.” Green handed the passes over, “So how’s the the day going for you here?”

  “Very good, sir.” The guard took the papers and began to read through them.

  “Have you guys been out recently? I’ll tell you, I’m raring to get outside—it’s been so long since I’ve seen a real girl I’m not sure I’ll recognize one.” Green forced out a chuckle, but sweat pooled up on his collar.

  “Yes, sir.” The tall guard continued to study the papers.

  Green shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Where you from, Sergeant?”

  “Dubuque, sir.” He turned the papers over and peered at them closely, not being drawn into a conversation. He took his time, reading the papers closely. The other sergeant moved in closer to see what was going on.

  Green tried a new tactic. “Come on, soldier, let’s hurry this up. We’re on a tight schedule.” His voice had an edge of apprehension. Ramon moved in close.

  The sergeant turned the paper back over and looked directly at Green.

  “I’m sorry, sir, this pass doesn’t appear to be valid.” He motioned to the side of the room. “Please stand over there while I call the watch commander for authentication.”

  Green’s mouth dropped open, shocked. “What do you mean it’s not valid? Hell yeah, call the watch commander and tell him you’re wasting my time with this bullshit!”

  Green slipped his right hand into his pocket.

  The tall sergeant reached down toward his hip, where he had his sidearm holstered.

  “Sir, please step to the side while I make the call.” His voice was stern and authoritative. The shorter sergeant reacted to the tone and moved out of the desk area with his hand on his pistol too.

  “I sure as hell won’t step to the side, Sergeant!” Green leaned in so his face was just inches away from the guards. “Unless you want to have a personal talk with Colonel Pope about why you detained me for no god damned reason, I suggest you let us go right now!”

  “Sir, please step over right now. This is your final warning,” the tall sergeant barked. He held his ground and tightened the grip on his gun.

  Ramon’s chest tightened and his breath came short as adrenaline surged through his body.

  The dark sergeant started to pull the pistol from his holster.

  Green made his move. He swung his hand out of his pocket, holding a small black taser device. He connected with the tall sergeant’s neck and pulled the trigger. A spark came out and the sergeant’s back went into an extended arc.

  The shorter sergeant ripped the gun out of his holster. Ramon jumped in and grabbed him in a bear hug. Squeezing tight he pinned the sergeant’s arms to his side.

  The taller sergeant fell to the ground, his body jerking frantically.

  The shorter sergeant screamed as he struggled violently, but Ramon was too strong. Green stepped over the body of the taller sergeant as he went to help Ramon. The guard was holding his gun by the butt of the handle, but with Ramon squeezing the breath out of him, he couldn’t move it any closer. Green grabbed the guard’s wrist with one hand and pried the gun out with the other. Green looked up at Ramon.

  “Let go,” he yelled.

  Ramon stared into the guard’s eyes. All he could see was fear and hate. He released his grip. Green hit the trigger on the taser and the second guard arched forward, then hit the floor.

  “Shit! God damn!” Green was panting as he stared at the two prone men. “God damn shit!” He hit the top of the desk with his open hand. “Now we’re dead.”

  Green bent over and cradled his head in his hands.

  Ramon’s heart raced. He put his hand on Green’s shoulder. “Come on, man, what do we do now?”

  Green stood straight, took two quick deep breaths, and regained his composure. “Okay,” he looked around the room, “first we need to keep these guys out of action. Then we need to buy some time. If anybody comes through here before we make it out, then it’s all over.”

  Green reached into his bag and rifled through the contents. He came up with a spool of copper wire, some wire cutters, and a large roll of duct tape. He tossed the tape to Ramon.

  “Work on these two. Make it so they can’t move.” Ramon nodded and went to work wrapping the tape around the two guards.

  Green took the copper wire and cut four pieces, each about six inches in length. He took the first piece and fed it down into the slot for the key cards. When it was in as far as it could go, he propped it up so that a few inches were still sticking out of the top. He then picked up the taser and pressed the trigger, sending an electrical current through the wire. There was a loud pop and a puff of smoke. He knocked the charred wire out of the slot and passed his key card through. Nothing happened. The door remained shut. Satisfied, he repeated the process at each doorway except for their exit.

  By the time Green was done, Ramon had the guards taped up like mummies.

  “Let’s move,” Green said. “We’ve got to get out of here quick.” He picked up the duffel bag and headed for the exit.

  The sergeants’ guns were sitting on top of the counter. Ramon grabbed one and slipped it into his waistband before following Green out the door. Green used the last piece of wire on the door after they left the room. They went down a short corridor, through a final door, and out into the bright midday sun.

  Ramon stopped for a moment, squinting against the light. He sucked in the fresh air and felt tears come to his eyes. So much of his life, his freedom, was wasted. He’d come so close to losing it all for good. Now he’d been given another chance. As warped as this all was, he was still alive. And he wasn’t going to give that up easily. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve and hurried after Green.

  A Humvee was waiting for them in the loading bay near the exit. Green put the bag down between the seats and started up the engine. They eased out into the roadway and circled around the front of the building to the main road. Traffic around the center was moderate, just the normal comings and goings of people moving from place to place and supplies being delivered. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No MPs searching or alarms sounding.

  Green took the main road out to the gate, the first checkpoint before leaving the Installation proper. There was a double fence enclosing the perimeter of the compound. The gate was electrified and topped with razor wire. It appeared formidable, but getting through was easy. Green handed over the papers while he laid out a smooth chatter. The guards gave a quick check of the documents before waving them on.

  “That was it?” Ramon gave a sigh of relief as they went past the gate. “We’re out of there?”

  Green stepped on the accelerator, bringing the speed up past sixty before he responded, “No. No, that was just the first step. We’re still on the base. This road goes on for another eight miles before we leave the complex. Let’s just hope they don’t find out what happened before that. We’ve been lucky so far. I hope our luck holds.”

  They rode on in silence. Ramon’s mind was spinning. There was too much happening. The smell of fresh air; t
he warmth of the sun on his face and the flow of the wind through his hair. The feeling of motion and the blur of colors rushing past. After years of the drab gray prison, and his time here in the flat white of the room, this was overload. He’d lived so long with fear, anger, and boredom. The fear was still there, but now it was mixed with exhilaration and hope. But what was going on? There were so many things he needed to know.

  After a minute, Green broke the silence. “You know, I’ve never disobeyed an order before. I just hope I’m right. If not, what I just did is treason.” He gave a humorless laugh. “God, I better be right.”

  Ramon stared at him. “Tell me, what’s going on? Until you came in, I was sure I’d lost my mind.”

  “Yeah? That fits right in. Everything about this place is crazy.” He glanced around. They passed a row of narrow concrete barracks, their metal roofs gleaming in the sun. The parking lot in front was filled with military vehicles. On the other side of the road, two personnel carriers sped past, heading in toward the complex.

  “I don’t know,” Green continued. “I’ve got part of the picture, but I’m missing a lot. Here’s what I do know. This is a top-secret base. Everyone who works here has to have the highest level of clearance. They’ve been bringing people in—people like you. Some of them seem to be bums or derelicts, but they’re healthy enough when they first come in. The people—they call them ‘subjects’—are transported down to the quarantine area. None of them leave alive.”

  Ramon nodded his head. “I guessed that. I knew that they were going to kill me. I just didn’t know when. But why are they doing this?”

  “I don’t know all of it. It’s biological, though, something to do with germ warfare. They’re testing toxins and trying to find some kind of a cure, a vaccine. From what I’ve found out, you’re the first one who has survived and remained healthy.”

  “But if it’s the army that’s behind this, the government knows what’s going on. What happens when we get out?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t gotten that far.” Green thought for a moment before going on. A convoy of trucks rumbled past on their way in to the camp. “All I know is what I’ve seen is a violation of every law on the books. I guess I’ll go to the top brass. I think this is a renegade project. I go to the brass and they’ll be in a position to stop it. Hell, they’ll have to stop it. I’ve got documentation of what’s been going on here, I’ve got enough data to blow this whole place inside out. This shows names, dates, all the specifics. And besides that, I got my ace in the hole.” Green paused a moment before looking back at Ramon. “I’ve got you.”

  Ramon felt like he’d been punched in the stomach. The thought hadn’t occurred to him—he was evidence. Walking, talking, living proof. Things were moving so fast. Until now, his only thoughts had been on being free. What would he do once he was outside? He wanted to bear witness against the Installation and the people who had tormented him. If he could bring the place crashing down, he would do it. But was he prepared to give up his freedom to do so? He’d already been executed once. After the State realized their mistake, would they want to do it again? He wanted to do the right thing, but there were other things that he wanted too. Other things that he needed to prove. They rode the rest of the way in silence.

  `

  The guard station was a glass and metal enclosure that straddled the road into and out of the base. It was the only opening in a long stretch of heavy gauge electric fencing that surrounded the entire perimeter of the property. Access into or out of the Installation was regulated by metal gates that swung down from the station like windshield wipers, blocking or granting access at the guard’s command. Two guards were inside the enclosure. Seemingly clones, they were both young, lean, and blonde. Each was armed with an automatic rifle.

  The Humvee pulled to a stop at the side of the enclosure. Green reached down, pulled out his order papers, and handed them up to the guard.

  “How’s it going, Sergeant?”

  “Not bad, sir. Not bad at all.” The guard quickly flipped through the papers. “How long do you intend to be off base, sir?”

  “I’d expect we’ll be back within forty-eight hours. But if we finish our chores early, we might cut loose with a night of R and R. Being around nothing but guys so long, A goat would look mighty attractive now, if you know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, I hear ya, sir, it’s been way too long.” The guard laughed. “Just give me a minute, sir. We need to put everything in the log and stamp your papers. I promise I won’t keep you away from those loose women any longer than I have to.” He stepped back, fully inside the enclosure as he worked on the papers.

  Green glanced over at Ramon and gave a slight nod. On the other side of the roadway, a desert patrol buggy pulled up, winding its engine down as it came to a stop at the opposite side of the guardhouse. The second guard stepped over to check the papers.

  “Hey, Willie, what’s up.”

  “The usual, man. Patrolling the perimeter and kicking up some dust.” The driver handed over his papers. He wore sunglasses and his khaki shirt had sergeant’s stripes.

  It took an uncomfortably long time, but finally, the first guard returned and handed the papers back to Green. “You’re all set, sir. Have fun with all those single women out there.”

  Green took back the papers and slipped them into a folder in his bag. “You got a deal, Sergeant.” He put the Humvee into gear and waited for the gate to raise.

  Inside the booth, a phone rang. Ramon’s muscles tensed. The gate wasn’t rising. The phone rang again. The second guard looked up from the papers he was working on and picked up the phone. The gate slowly started to move up.

  “Stop them!” The second guard shouted from inside the guardhouse.

  Green didn’t hesitate. He popped the clutch on the Humvee, and with the accelerator jammed to the floor, shot forward. They hit the gate head on. The metal pole ripped off its hinges, flew into the air and clattered down on the asphalt road.

  Everything happened at the same time, so fast, but it played out in slow motion. Ramon glanced back. The guards grabbed their rifles and rushed outside.

  The patrol buggy driver reacted, jammed the gearshift into reverse, and accelerated, racing the small vehicle backwards, attempting to cut them off. The Humvee raced forward, past the gate, and on toward the road leading out to the interstate.

  The first guard tripped, fell to the ground, and picked himself back up.

  A big oil tanker truck was coming up the road. It blared it’s horn in warning.

  The two guards scrambled out onto the road, raised their rifles, and without fully aiming, each fired a burst at the Humvee. Green shifted the gears frantically, trying to push the Humvee to its maximum speed. Ramon slumped down in his seat as the bullets whistled past. One bullet slammed into the windshield, shattering the glass and sending fragments flying.

  The buggy, rushed backward, moving faster than Ramon would have thought possible. It pulled even with the Humvee. The driver cut the wheel toward them.

  The big tanker hit his breaks and started to swerve. It was too close and couldn’t stop. The buggy hit the side of the Humvee, trying to force it off the road, but Green kept the gas pedal full down and cut the wheel in the opposite direction.

  The tanker’s horn blared. Brakes screeched. The Humvee skidded and nearly flipped as it shot away from the buggy, straight toward the tanker.

  Ramon’s breath caught in his throat. The buggy cut its wheel back, tires squealing. The Humvee skidded, momentum pulling it toward the tanker. Ramon braced for impact. Green didn’t let up on the gas, and cut the wheel hard back the other way. They were off the road, bumping, jolting, dust flying.

  The guards sprayed the air with their automatic rifles. The bullets came in a flurry. Some slammed into the body of the Humvee, others ricocheted off the hull of the tanker, a stream of errant bullets hit its front tires and the cab skidded in one direction as the tanker jack-knifed in the other.

  The
Humvee sailed past and cut back onto the road as the tanker teetered, tipped up until the weight shifted, and the momentum took it down, right into the desert buggy. Tearing metal, shrieking, screaming, a thunderous horrendous sound. The tanker hit the ground hard and slid on the asphalt, sparks shooting up like a roman candle. The smell of spilled diesel weighed heavy in the air.

  The Humvee was back on the road and racing outward. Another burst of gunfire rang out. The sand on the side of the road seemed to dance as the bullets screamed past the Humvee and tore into the ground. Ramon felt a flash of exhilaration. They were outside the base and headed toward freedom. Against all odds, they’d made it. He almost felt joyful. Then he looked at Green. Green was slumped forward, a red hole at the base of his skull. There was no doubt he was dead.

  The Humvee began to drift. Ramon grabbed the wheel and jerked it back toward the road. The change in direction caused Green’s body to shift. He fell out of the seat, tilting toward the ground. Ramon grabbed on to his arm and tried to drag his body in, but the Humvee was slowing, its engine sputtering. Ramon let go of the arm as he grabbed the steering wheel and reached his leg over to stomp hard on the gas. Green’s body fell onto the roadway as Ramon stepped all the way over into the driver’s seat and regained control. The Humvee sped away and turned onto the gravel road. Ramon glanced in the rearview mirror. The guards were running back as the fuel began to burn.

  10

  The Installation’s command center was abuzz with activity. The room was a gleaming enclave of glass and stainless steel, computers, and telephones. There were six officers in the room, all talking on the phone at the same time. For all the activity, the center was a haven of relative tranquility compared to what was happening outside. Out in the adjoining hallway, the maddening on and off shriek of a siren was enough to put everyone’s nerves on edge.

  Major Bob Durmo was on the phone in the center of the room when Colonel Pope entered. As soon as he saw the colonel, he cut his conversation short. “Listen, I’ll call you back.” Durmo hung up the phone, quickly stood up, and saluted the colonel. “Hello, sir…”