by J. Thorn
“Shit.”
10
“Stay here.”
“No, Jackson. I’m coming in with you.”
Chloe looked at him with tight lips. The color had drained from her face, and her big brown eyes appeared wet. He felt as if they were back in high school again, sharing a thread of mental communication.
“No, you’re not. Stay here at the front and keep a lookout.”
Chloe scoffed, shaking her head.
“I’ll call out if I find something.”
He turned back toward the interior of the daycare center, holding his gun out in front as he walked through the front lobby. The check-in desk had been toppled onto one side, a broken computer monitor lying on the floor next to a chair. Dax peeked over the counter and saw a printer next to some office supplies and a ream of paper.
No blood. That’s a good sign.
Dax walked to a second door which led into the central area. He drew a deep breath as he put his hand on the knob.
“Be careful.” Chloe’s voice came from behind him.
He turned around to give her a mean look and shake his head, trying his best to scold her for not staying out front. Instead, he placed his finger to his lips.
Dax put his ear to the door.
Nothing.
He pushed the door open with his left hand while raising the gun with his right.
Dax scanned the room, letting the door shut before Chloe could follow him through. The room was empty now, but someone had been there recently. Furniture had been flipped, pictures had been torn from the wall, and children’s toys lay scattered on the floor.
Unnecessary destruction. They wanted someone to find this mess. They knew not everyone belonging to this camp was in the day care center when they raided it.
He followed a short hallway off the central room toward an open door. A cramped office sat on the other side and Dax could already see the legs of a desk in the air. He caught a whiff of gunpowder and the unmistakable copper-like smell of blood. The red smear and gray matter on the wall outside of the office made him retch. Dax looked down to see what remained of a woman who had been shot at close range. He was thankful that Chloe didn’t have to see this.
They must’ve been in there when whoever broke into this place found them. But why would anyone kill a...
Several gunshots came from the street outside. Dax ran toward the front door.
Chloe.
When he ran into the central area, Chloe was already standing there. “Where did that come from?”
“Down the street.”
“It sounded really close. Did you find anything or anyone in here?”
Dax hesitated. “No. I’m sorry. Your friends aren’t here.”
Chloe looked to the left where a note had been taped to the wall. Someone had scribbled “Neil” on the front fold with a pen. She took it down, unfolded the paper and read it.
“What does it say?” Dax asked.
Chloe dropped her hand holding the note and shook her head. He could see the tears welling in her eyes.
“Some guys showed up and shot Marie. They left the elderly and youngest children.”
“We’ll find them,” Dax said.
“Doubtful. The kids are now on the streets and who knows where Isaac, Neil, and the rest might be.”
More gunshots rang out.
Dax looked at the front door and then back to Chloe. “Come on. Those sound close.”
He hurried through the door, back into the short hallway that led to a small office on the other side of the building from where the woman’s body had been left.
Dax led Chloe into the room, shutting and locking the door behind her. This space had a single exterior window which gave them some light, but no windows into the hallway. Dax adjusted the curtains to make sure no one could see inside before sitting on the floor in the corner of the room.
“Take the chair,” Dax said, pointing to a leather one by the window.
Chloe sat down, leaning the crutches against the wall. She let out a long sigh and massaged her quad. She’d not only made the walk, but she had forced him to keep up with her.
“How long are we going to stay here?”
“I don’t know. . . Do you have any idea where they could’ve gone or who would’ve taken your friends?”
“Nothing more than what was in the note, but we’ve got to find them.”
“How many people were in your group?” Dax asked.
“Twenty-four, roughly.”
“It would’ve had to have been a big gang to come in here and do this to your people.”
“Not really.” Chloe stopped massaging her thigh and looked to Dax. “Our group was mainly older people and children. No real weapons. A small, armed group could’ve come in here and taken them quite easily.”
Two people on the street yelled at each other, followed by a pause and then more gunshots. Dax saw Chloe shift on the chair, her eyes fixed on the window.
“I’m really worried about my sister. And her kids.”
“Gabby? Remember she used to roll with that girl Denise back in high school?” Chloe turned away from the window and gave Dax a wide smile before continuing. “Denise came into the bank I’ve been working at a couple months back. I asked her about your sister, and she said she was doing well.”
“You know if she still lives in the same neighborhood?”
Chloe furrowed her brow. “I think so. Shouldn’t you know that?”
Dax shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at the ground. “We kinda drifted apart while I was away.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right. For a while, she was one of the only people coming to see me. One day, I kinda went off on her for something stupid, and she didn’t come back after that.”
“That had to be difficult. For you and for her.”
Dax nodded, rubbing his head. “I need to get to her place. That’s where I was headed when I found you.”
“So, wait... You’re gonna leave me behind? You’re not going to help me find my friends?”
“I didn’t say that. But the longer I wait, the better chance there is that the same thing that happened to them will happen to her.”
“She’s your sister. I get it. You gotta take care of family. I’ll be okay.”
Dax sighed. “I don’t want to make it sound like I don’t care about you, Chloe. I—”
“It’s fine, Jackson. I understand.”
Dax listened to what Chloe was saying, and yet, he felt as though something about it bothered her like she couldn’t say what she really felt.
“I want to make sure my sister is okay.”
“I’m going to check out what’s left, see if there’s anything we can use.”
Chloe went through the door and, when Dax stood, she turned around.
“I’m fine. Be right back.”
Dax put his hands on his waist. He shook his head and gestured toward the front of the building without saying a word.
Chloe turned and headed down the hallway.
Dax sighed and collapsed into the office chair as Chloe rounded the corner and headed for the main door, away from where the gang had left the woman’s body. He leaned back, raised both hands to his head and massaged his temple.
A single scream pierced the momentary silence.
Dax jumped up and ran out of the room, drawing his gun from its holster.
When he entered the main room, five black men stood near the entrance, the largest holding Chloe by her arms, the crutches on the ground at her feet.
Dax had the Glock in both hands and ready to fire, but each of the intruders had drawn weapons of their own—pistols, shotguns and ARs.
“I suggest you put that down.”
The voice had come from behind him. Dax turned to a tall man wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball cap and a hoodie.
Dax kneeled and set the Glock on the ground.
The man in the hat smiled.
“Look, y�
�all. Chloe brought a friend,” said Chuck. “I knew she’d come back to look for her friends. She’s been busy since letting all my workers go. And this dude was the one that opened the gate, ain’t that right?”
Dax grimaced.
“Search’em for any other weapons.”
Two patted them down, finding no other weapons on either Dax or Chloe. The men then turned to the man in the hat.
“What do you want us to do with them, Chuck?”
“Zip tie the cripple and her boy. They’re coming with us.”
11
The gang led Dax and Chloe back to the same building Dax had rescued her from earlier.
The same fucking thugs. What are the chances?
One of the men opened a sliding door at the side of the building, and Chuck pushed Dax through the barrier ahead of him. Dax looked back and gave him a cold stare, but Chuck only took hold of Dax’s arm, squeezing tighter than before.
The men pushed Dax and Chloe through a corridor that reeked of urine. Although it was probably near midday, darkness cloaked the hallway. Dax could see the top of Chloe’s head as they dragged her deeper into the building. Following, they saw a staircase.
Chloe cried out.
A man had lifted her off of her feet and was carrying her down the steps when Chuck smacked Dax in the middle of the back. He had to grab the railing to keep from tumbling down the staircase and into Chloe. . . and whatever awaited them at the bottom.
The man in front pulled out a set of keys and opened another door which appeared to lead into a sub-basement of the building. Body odor wafted from the space and Dax heard someone cough from within the darkness. A gravelly voice followed.
“Chloe?”
“Shut the fuck up.” One of the captors tapped the end of his rifle on the door.
The men shoved Chloe into the room first. Another man used the end of a crowbar to push Dax inside after her. His eyes adjusted to the dim light and he was able to see shapes emerging from the black void. He couldn’t tell how many people the monsters had locked up, but he now understood what had happened to the people camped out in the day care center.
A hand pushed Chloe to the ground. She collapsed into a corner and Dax stiffened. The tense muscles in his neck were met with an iron grasp.
“Don’t you fucking move, big boy. Or I’ll do more than toss your cripple into a corner.”
One of the other men walked into the room and tossed Chloe’s crutches on the floor next to her.
Isaac took a step forward until one of the guards blocked his path. The others in the room watched silently, their eyes wide.
Dax heard the knife coming out of the sheath, a sound like a serpent’s hiss. Before he could say another word, the cold steel slid beneath his wrists and the plastic zip tie, cutting it free. The blood surged back to his hands, and Dax used his fingers to massage his wrists. He turned to look at the man who had cut his binds. Chuck stood there, twisting and turning the knife in the air as if daring Dax to make a move.
“Welcome, my dear,” Chuck spoke to Chloe while staring at Dax.
The rest of the people in the room remained still—not even a whimper came from the children.
Chuck circled Dax, looking him up and down. The five men in the room had their weapons aimed at Dax.
“Good day, officer. I don’t think that uniform is going to do much for you down here.” He stopped in front of Dax, staring down at him. “Gotta find new employees, thanks to you. And you roughed up my guys pretty good. Is that their blood on your badge?”
“Some of it. Don’t be thinking they’re the only ones I’ve fucked up since all this shit started.”
“Well, boys. Looks like we got ourselves an American badass.”
“What the fuck do you—”
His sentence ended in spittle as Chuck knocked Dax’s head sideways with a backhand to the face. Dax flinched and balled his hands into fists. The men in the room all took a single step forward, holding their weapons on Dax.
“I’m sorry. Were you saying something?”
Dax bit his bottom lip and shook his head.
“Good. Because if you talk to me like that again, all I’ve gotta do is snap my fingers and you’ll be picking your teeth up off the floor.” The smile returned to his face. “We might even have to take it out on your girlfriend here.” Chuck looked at Chloe. “Welcome back, darlin’. We did miss you.”
Dax took a deep breath, his eyes locked on the man.
“I’ll tell you what, tough guy. I’ll give you a chance to cool down for a while, and then I’ll come back, and we can talk. Sound good?” Chuck patted Dax on the shoulder and turned around.
The bigger guard watched Dax, his finger on the trigger and the barrel of his gun only six inches from Dax’s head.
“Come on, boys,” Chuck said. “Let’s let them settle in.”
The guards turned and walked out, slamming and locking the heavy door behind them.
Dax turned around as the people in the group gasped in relief and cried, surrounding Chloe.
One, in particular, a kid with a short afro and a patchy beard, glared at Dax as he waited his turn to hug Chloe.
He was young, maybe barely old enough to buy beer, and couldn’t have weighed more than 160 pounds.
The skinny kid was finally able to turn his attention to his lost friend, kissing her on the cheek and wrapping his arms around her. He glanced up at Dax with a smirk while Chloe hugged him back. Dax smiled and chuckled once beneath his breath.
Chloe turned toward an older, balding white man. “Neil, what happened to you guys?”
Neil rubbed his forehead and looked down at the tops of his shoes. “They broke into the place and ambushed us. We hid in one of the back offices, but they found us anyway and brought us here.”
Chloe looked around the room. “Why did they kill Marie?”
Neil shook his head, his eyes still fixed on the concrete floor. When he looked back up to Chloe, he had tears in his eyes.
“I don’t know. That animal killed her for no reason. And the gang left the rest of the babies with the elderly. There’s no way they’ll make it on their own.”
Chloe shook her head. “One of the women left you a note, but I don’t know who because she didn’t sign it. They weren’t at the daycare when we got there. They left.”
Dax looked from Chloe to Neil, and then at the others in the room. He felt a tightness in his throat and his eyes burned.
Neil then asked Chloe what happened to her when she’d left the day care center. She explained how she had reconnected with Dax and how they had been trying to survive in the chaos on the streets.
Neil nodded and held out his hand to Dax.
“I’m Neil.”
“Dax.”
“You’re a cop?”
Dax gave Neil’s hand one more firm shake before letting it go. He sighed and started to say something, but Chloe spoke before he could.
“Yes. He’s N.O.P.D.”
Dax looked over to Chloe, who glanced up at him. Neil exhaled and smiled at the others in the room.
“Great, Officer Dax. Glad to have you with us.”
“Not that he’s going to be much help down here,” the younger black guy with the Afro said.
Dax turned to the boy and inhaled deeply, pushing his chest out and up. “And you are?”
“I’m Isaac. I’m second in charge around here.”
Dax smiled. “All right, well, nice to meet you, Isaac.”
Dax stuck out his hand. Isaac stared at it for a second before accepting, only shaking hands for a moment before breaking free of the older man’s firm grip.
Dax looked past Isaac as something on the far side of the room caught his attention, though the tiny candles made it difficult for Dax to see anything more than the faces of the people standing before him.
“What is it?” Chloe saw Dax’s head move, and she followed his gaze.
Dax grabbed Isaac by the collar and dragged him toward the corner of
the room.
“What are you doing, man? Let me go.”
Darius and Kevin whimpered, and Chloe called out Dax’s name several times. He ignored all of it, letting go of Isaac’s shirt when they reached the back of the basement where someone had stacked boxes against the wall. Two massive, metal filing cabinets sat behind two columns of boxes. Earlier, Dax had noticed that these were the only things in the room.
Why would they leave filing cabinets and boxes down here, but nothing else?
“Help me move all these, Isaac.”
“What?”
“Just do it.”
The boxes toward the bottom sat covered in black mold, and they smelled like a stagnant swamp. Isaac and Dax slid the boxes off the top of the stack first, dropping them to the floor in loud bursts of noise and dust. The boxes weighed thirty or forty pounds each and felt as though they contained paper or books. It wasn’t until Dax removed the third row of boxes from the top that Isaac saw it between the filing cabinets.
“Oh, damn. There’s something behind the filing cabinets.”
Dax chuckled at the boy. He moved past Neil and grabbed one of the candles from the other side of the room. When he waved the candle at the newly exposed wall, they saw the side of a ragged opening in the cinder block, about two feet off of the ground. Dax put the candle into the hole to reveal the mouth of a tunnel.
12
“Why would they put us in a room with a way out?” Isaac asked. “Seems like a trap.”
“I doubt they knew what was behind the filing cabinets,” Neil said. “Those things are so rusted that the look like they’ve been there for decades.”
“When Dax rescued me, he destroyed the pen they were keeping us in. So they must’ve decided this was the best place they could keep us in the building. Maybe they don’t know about the tunnel?”
Neil used his hand to rub the outer edge of the hole. Someone had used a hammer or ice pick to chip the moldy mortar away until entire cinder blocks had been removed. “Maybe we should try going through it.”
“What?” Isaac asked. “No way. We have no idea what’s in there or where it goes. For all we know, they coulda been stashing dead people in there.”
