by Kip Nelson
“We always were trying to get more funding,” Miranda said when this was pointed out, with an almost apologetic tone to her voice. It was difficult to see in the dwindling light, but the grounds of the garden did seem to be well-kept. There were no sounds around, aside from their breathing, and Mack noticed that Miranda was breathing slowly.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Miranda nodded. “It's just strange to think of this place as not being safe for me. I worked here for a little more than five years, and I had come to think of it as home. Now it's been taken over, and I know there's still a chance I may never be safe in there again. No matter what happens I want to thank you for listening to me and helping me. You're good people.” Mack and the others smiled at each other, but Saul looked away.
“I am so worried about the patients, though. I can't imagine that many of them really know what's going on, and Ethan isn't going to have their best interests at heart. At some point, I'm sure he'll get tired of holding the doctors, and without anyone else around he'll no doubt turn to the patients. Not to mention that there are some people in there who shouldn't be anywhere near fire, let alone carrying around lanterns and candles.”
“Do you think they'll listen to reason? The other patients I mean?” Mack asked.
Miranda tilted her head. “I think I could get them to listen, as could the other doctors. If any of you tried, well, maybe, but some of them can be quite picky about who they trust and it can take a lot of time to form a bond with them. Do any of you have any experience at communicating with people who have mental disorders?”
She meant the comment to come off as lighthearted, but it only made the rest of them feel as though they were unprepared for this. The five of them were crouched down opposite the institute and watched with interest. As a tactician, Mack would have placed sentries around the building and had regular patrols, but it didn't seem as though anything like that existed. That would suggest that if everything was as Miranda had said, Ethan paid little attention to anything outside the institute and focused on maintaining control inside. Perhaps he thought nobody ever would come across this place.
After making sure nobody was around, Mack signaled for everyone to cross to the other side of the road, where they sat down with their backs to the wall. They removed their packs and set them beside their feet. Mack craned his neck up to peer over the wall, through the metal bars, but could see little that helped him. The doors seemed thick and the windows had safety bars on them as well, which meant they would not be able to climb through one of them. It also meant they would not be able to climb out so easily, and they would have to have an escape plan as well.
“Right, so I'm thinking we can dismiss an all-out assault right off the bat. I'm assuming there aren't any guns in the building?” Mack asked.
Miranda shook her head, “No, the guards had Tasers and batons, but that was more for show than anything. We tried to encourage a spirit of non-violence.”
“Well, at least we know we outgun them, but I don't want to risk going in shooting in case we end up harming the innocent patients. It also doesn't really look like we can get in from the front. I don't see any guards, though, which is a good thing. Hopefully the lack of security is the same on the inside as it is out here. But still, we have to figure out a way to get inside.”
Now that they were outside the building Miranda was getting more anxious by the minute. She chewed her lip so much that Mack thought she was going to draw blood, and her eyes darted all around. It was a reminder that not everyone was as primed for these situations as he had been, and his heart went out not only to her, but also to all those other people around the world who had been thrust into this dangerous situation with no chance to prepare.
Mack was about to speak again when suddenly he heard Grace chuckling. He furrowed his brow as he looked at her, as did the others. It did serve to prevent Miranda from biting her lip, though, as she, too, was distracted by Grace's laughter. Mack was worried. So far Grace had been through a lot. Literally her entire world had changed and it was understandable if she was beginning to crack under the pressure. Yet this was the worst possible time to do that as he needed everyone at their best if they were to emerge from this endeavor unscathed.
“What are you laughing about?” Luis asked in a hushed whisper. Grace took a few moments to get her laughter under control, shaking her head.
“It's just that we're here talking about what we're going to do when we get inside, but we haven't even talked about how we're going to get inside. I mean, what? Are we just going to walk up to the front door and knock? It's not like we're going to be able to waltz in there unnoticed,” she said, and talking about it only made her laugh even more.
Mack was pleased to see that his worries had been unfounded, and that it just had been a case of her finding humor even in the darkest of moments. That was a common coping mechanism, and one that he had encountered many times during his time in the army.
“Maybe we can get them just to bring their prisoners out to us?” Luis said, joining in the laughter. Soon enough, all of them, even Saul and Miranda, were laughing heartily.
But soon enough it was time for the laughter to subside. Mack curled his fingers around his gun and gazed up at the stars, resting his head against the rough stone of the wall. When he looked up, he saw the bars of the fence rising up above him, and things seemed hopeless. He didn't look at Saul, but he thought about what Saul had said and wondered if it had been a mistake to take on this mission. After all, they were just four people. It wasn't like they were a specialized commando unit, and maybe there was something about him being a hero...maybe he was overcompensating after losing everything.
However, now was not the time to lose himself in a self-analysis. He had made the decision to help and that was what he was going to do. They were at the institute and they would have to find a way in. “How was it you said you got out, through a cellar?” Mack asked. Miranda nodded.
“Yeah, it's around the back. There's a path that runs around the side. That will take you into the lower level, where everyone else is being kept.”
“And what about Ethan? Is he going to be on that level as well?”
“No, he'll be on the main floor with all his cronies. You're going to have to be careful with him. He'll act like he's your best friend even as he's twisting the knife in your gut. They may not have guns, but they are willing to kill for nothing. So you can't let your guard down at all.”
It had been a long time since Mack had been on an operation like this, but it was all coming back to him. The army had trained him in a certain way of thinking, a way to sift through the various possibilities of any given scenario and choose the best one, or the least worst. As a commander, he had developed an array of tactics for various situations and it was clear this one required some stealth. If they could make it into the building and take out Ethan quickly, then the situation would be dealt with and they could move on. If they could not, then things would prove far more difficult.
“Our goal is twofold,” he said. “We have to get Miranda's colleagues out and take care of Ethan. I suggest we try accomplishing the latter first, as then it will be easier to get everybody else out of there.”
“But how are we even going to do that? How are we going to get inside?” Grace asked.
It had been a joke earlier, but suddenly it was far more serious as it dawned upon all of them. This was real, it was not a game. They already had been through a lot at the camp, but somehow this felt different. At the camp they were trying to inspire other people to fight back, here they were trying to covertly invade a building and nullify a target. It was an operation that required precision, almost like surgery, and they all were looking to Mack to lead them and help them make it through this alive.
Fear was simmering in them all as they thought about the near future and what it would mean, for this encounter was not going to be just a one-time thing. They all knew there would be more scenarios like this, and co
uld they really handle them? Could they turn themselves into the type of person who could carry the weight of these types of memories, instead of just living a sedate life where nothing they did had much of any consequence? They had been used to losing themselves in movies and television shows, and living their lives vicariously through them. So much had changed in such a short time, not just in the grand scheme of the world, but in themselves as well.
They looked around at each other, five separate souls now coming together on this one mission. Trust was essential, yet there were fractures in the group. Saul and Mack had their own difficulties, Grace still was unsure of how she felt about Luis, especially after he had agreed with Saul on some matters, and Miranda was still a wild card. This all was based on the information she had given them. If she actually was a patient, and this was all some delusion, there was no telling what was waiting for them inside the old, foreboding building.
But they had come too far to turn back now, and, as yet, there had been no reason to distrust Miranda.
“Miranda, can we get into that cellar you escaped from, or do you think there will be people guarding it after you escaped?”
“I can’t say, but I don't see why they would. I think they would be more concerned with keeping things under control on the inside. There aren't really that many who are truly capable, and Ethan would have to have people he could rely on. I think it should be okay, but you'll have to be careful when you work your way up to the other levels. Noise echoes easily. Other than that, I don't really know if there are any good ways to get inside. Don't forget that this place was built to keep people in. They took security very seriously,” she said.
“That's fine. It's settled then. We'll go in through the cellar, then make our way up the levels until we find Ethan. We'll take him out, subdue anyone else who offers resistance, free the doctors and get the other patients into their cells,” Mack said.
“It sounds so easy when you say it like that,” Luis said.
“We can pray,” Mack said, and took a deep breath.
It was still a risky undertaking. Because of all the trouble Saul had been giving him, Mack had his doubts, but deep down he knew that what he was doing was right. He only hoped this would not prove to be his death. The sight of that broken piece of yellow wood still played on his mind. He knew that death could come at any moment, and though he always had been willing to give his life for his country, he found now that, more than anything, he wanted to live.
Chapter Nine
It was fortunate they were not under time pressures as they had been sitting outside the Archer Institute for what seemed a rather long time. Being around other people had not had as calming an effect on Miranda as Mack had hoped, but he wasn't surprised she was in such a state, considering how much emotional investment she had in this place. Grace and Luis seemed to be the same as ever, but Saul, well, Mack wasn't sure how to deal with Saul anymore. There was something odd about him, and Mack couldn't quite put his finger on it. He had tried speaking to Saul reasonably, and harshly, but neither approach had worked. There wasn't time for them to have a heart-to-heart, so Mack had to just hope Saul would not do anything to jeopardize their plans. It was difficult to help someone when they continually had their guard up, and Mack wondered if he could get some counseling tips from Miranda when this was all over.
“Okay,” Mack began, “we're going to go through the back, but I'm just wondering if a couple of us should stay behind? We're going to need to be quiet in there and the fewer of us the better. It's going to be easier if we can leave our packs here, but I wouldn't want to leave them unguarded in case somebody comes along and steals them. I think Miranda and I definitely should go in, and then one other. Two can stay out here to guard the place and watch in case we get into any trouble.”
“I'll stay,” Saul said.
“Me too,” Grace agreed, looking at Saul and smiling, although she got no sense of camaraderie from him.
“I guess that means I'm going with you,” Luis said, and held his gun a little more firmly. He hoped he would not have to use it, and that, somehow, they would be able to find a peaceful way out of this situation. Mack nodded at each of them in turn.
“How are we going to know if you're in trouble or not? Are you going to give us a sign?” Grace asked.
“If everything goes according to plan we'll open the front door for you. I don't know how long we'll take, though. Just keep your wits about you, but if the worst does happen don't put yourself in danger. I don't want you to go on some kind of revenge mission if we're killed. If we're captured then they'll have our guns, and you'll lose your advantage. So move along and try making a new life for yourself,” Mack said.
“What? You can't possibly think we're going to do that,” Grace said, shocked that Mack ever would suggest such a thing. “We've been through too much together to give it up so easily.”
“Grace, I don't want you throwing your life away on something where you don't have a chance. Trust me, if we get captured you'll still be able to get away without any problems and we'll try handling things inside. But hopefully, we won't have to worry about that. I'm just telling you in case it does happen. Keep an eye out for anything, there still could be other people in the woods, so don't let yourselves get distracted. We'll try being as quick as we can.”
With that they looked at each other and gave each other the go-ahead. Before they left Mack looked at a gun and offered it to Miranda, which shocked Saul, but Miranda shook her head vehemently.
“No, I don't want to ever use one of them,” she said.
“You may need it. You did say there are dangerous people there,” Luis said, although Miranda did not need reminding of that fact.
“I'm well aware of that, but as I told you, I am a woman of science. I'm a doctor. I vowed to do no harm to those people under my care, and despite everything, the people inside are still my patients. I have to help them, not shoot them.”
“Sometimes people need tough love,” Saul growled.
“We formed a bond together, and if they see me coming in there shooting at them I'll lose all the progress I've made. I must think about their future as well as my own. I'm sorry if you don't agree with my principles, but they're not going to change,” she said haughtily. Then she twitched again, the left side of her face flinching more noticeably the more emotional she became.
“Okay,” Mack replied, putting the gun in the small of his back, shooting a glance toward Saul to tell him to leave it. They took a few more things from their packs, such as knives and matches, before they left them with Saul and Grace.
“Well, I guess this is it. Wish us luck,” Mack said.
Saul and Grace both did so, and the party split up. Mack, Luis, and Miranda left the other two as they skulked into the grounds, keeping low and keeping their bodies close to the wall. In the dark night, they clung to the shadows and disappeared. Yet it was hard not to think that people were watching them.
“Do you think it's okay leaving Grace with Saul?” Luis asked in a hushed whisper.
“Yeah, why? Are you worried?” Mack replied, his hands stretched out to feel the rough brickwork, his eyes never leaving the building in case they came across anyone they were not supposed to see.
Against the bricks, he could feel the crumbling cement that had dried almost a century ago, as well as the soft moss that had grown over the bricks. He imagined what it was going to be like in another century, or even just another few decades. Without anyone to maintain the grounds, Nature would creep over this building and envelop it; an irresistible force that slowly would overwhelm everything that mankind had built and eventually swallow it up. The apocalypse hadn't just ended the world, it had reset it, allowing Nature a chance to catch up. Humans had spent so much time violating the world, using it for their own means, and now it was Nature's turn to fight back. Eventually, everything that had stood, all the concrete and glass buildings, the statues that reached into the sky, would be brought down into ruins, remnant
s of an ancient era, and the stories behind them would turn into myths of a forgotten era.
But that was for future generations to worry about. Mack had enough on his plate in the present, and it would be a long time before Nature overwhelmed him. They moved around the side of the building. On this side, there were fewer windows and most of them were dark. Miranda told him this was the stairwell. He was glad to see it dark as it meant they had a better chance of moving up it unnoticed.
“I'm not really worried, but you know what Saul is like. I wouldn't be surprised if he's left already,” Luis said.
“Do you have any idea what's going on with him?” Mack asked.
“I haven't noticed any change since we first met up. He's always been out for himself. It doesn't surprise me, really. Maybe it's better if we do just let him go his own way after this is over, that's what he wants, after all.”
Mack murmured in reply, but he didn't like to think about that. He thought of the three of them as his unit and to think of one of them leaving was a disconcerting thought. He wanted to help Saul, but Saul was a stubborn man, and one who didn't seem willing to talk about his feelings. Mack had known many people like him in the army. Getting someone to open up always had been a challenge, but often it turned out they were the ones who were most in need of an open and honest conversation.
“There's still a lot we don't know about him anyway,” Luis continued. “I mean, sure, we know about his brother, but we don't know about Saul's life. And who knows what other kinds of problems he had before this all happened? Sometimes I think it's not surviving Nature we have to deal with, it's surviving ourselves. He was there when we agreed we'd all travel to the city, though, and it's not like you've made a secret of the fact you want to help people.”
