by R. Brewer
Noah looked at him, confused. “Do you mean Fester? Did you find Fester?”
“Sure did. Got him and his mom hidden in a room a ways back,” Chuck said, happy to see a smile cross Noah’s face. “How about Mei? Is she still with you?” Chuck asked.
“No. And we don’t know where they took her,” Christy said. “She was hit in the head by one of the guards when they caught us. She looked terrible. I just hope they’re helping her, wherever they've taken her.”
"And Leah?" Chuck asked.
Christy shook her head. "She was with Mei when the quake hit. They had an accident."
Leah, kind Leah who treated him as if he were a friend. She was finally finding answers to questions that had plagued her for her entire life. But now, she was gone. Chuck felt his sadness being overtaken by rage. He wondered what kind of people these Gypsum guards had to be to inflict such damage on women and children. “Christy, I have to tell you something in private. Can we go into the hallway?” Chuck didn’t want Noah to hear what had happened to Fester’s mother. He watched Christy hesitate for a moment.
“Yeah, I guess so,” she said, looking at Nick, then moving across the room and sticking her head out the doorway. She stopped abruptly and backed up a few steps. “Um, Officer Wending?” Christy said, looking into the hallway.
“Yes?" Chuck turned toward her.
“Why is there a man with no pants out there?”
Chuck looked toward the hallway, seeing Billy standing in the doorway, his hands covering his privates.
“I can hear those things crawling through the vents,” Billy said, jerking his head at the dead creature on the floor.
Feeling embarrassed over not remembering his charge, Chuck said, “I’m sorry. That’s Billy. I forgot about him in all the commotion. You just stay out there, Billy. There’s a lady in here,” he said, looking reassuringly at Christy.
“You really are the same Chuck Wending, aren’t you?” Christy asked, a smile spreading across her face.
Chuck nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Now that we’re in agreement that I am who I say I am, how about we find some pants for Billy, here, and get out of this place before we meet any more of them?” he said, pointing to the creature.
“There’re some scrubs in the cabinet. I’ll grab a pair,” Nick said, carefully sidestepping the gore covering the floor.
"Good, thank you," Chuck said. Glancing back at Noah, Chuck noticed him pacing in the corner of the room. He seemed anxious and Chuck realized he must be worried about his friend. “Noah, after I talk with your mom, how about we go and get Fester, first, then find a nice empty elevator?” Chuck asked.
Noah nodded, trying to coax Hunter from the corner of the room. The dog was hunched down to the floor and had his eyes fixed on Chuck.
“Don’t push him too hard. It’s good he’s scared of things that look like me,” Chuck said, feeling somewhat dejected by his own statement.
Nick crossed the room and handed the scrubs to Billy, out in the hallway.
When he returned, he approached Chuck. "Who is that guy, anyway?” Nick asked, gesturing to the hall.
“He’s a Gypsum guard,” Chuck said. “I needed him to show me where you were, but we don’t have much use for him anymore, I guess.” Chuck felt sad that they’d come all this way and no one had any idea where Jodie could be. “But, I don’t have the heart to let those things get him, so I guess we’ll drag him along. I’m not gonna take any crap from him, though. If he puts us in jeopardy, he’s gone.”
“I’ll help get you out,” Billy said, entering the room, dressed in scrubs. He bowed his head at Christy. “Ma’am.”
Chuck passed Christy and stepped into the hallway far enough to be out of earshot of Noah, but still visible to Nick, thinking it might put everyone’s fears at ease if they could still see Christy. He bent over and whispered into her ear. When he was done explaining what had happened to Bonnie, he stood up straight and looked at her, seeing shock registering on her face. He wanted to comfort her, but held back, thinking it might scare her.
Christy reached over and touched his arm. “Thank you for telling me that."
Chuck looked down at her hand on his arm and they both jumped a little, seeing his arm starting to glow red. "Um, well, sorry about that," he said, not knowing what was happening to him.
Christy nodded and Chuck followed her back into the room. “Okay, let’s be on our way. Do you have any weapons?” Chuck asked.
Nick held up the scissors. “Nothing except this,” he said.
Chuck wanted to laugh, but he felt himself admiring these people. They’d been brave the entire time he knew them. “Okay, let’s go. Stick close together and stay behind me. We’ll find weapons along the way,” Chuck said, ripping a handrail off of the wall as quietly as he could. Tearing it in pieces, he kept one and handed the other sections to Isaiah and Nick. “In case your scissors get dull,” he said, smiling at Nick.
CHAPTER 17
Jodie shouldered her handgun and helped David out of the drawer. "We have to be quiet. A couple hundred of those things followed me," she said. "I think I lost them for the moment."
"What did they look like, exactly?" David asked.
"Kind of like a praying mantis with the head of a T-Rex," Jodie said, remembering the face of the creature so close to hers. "They spit, too," she said, pointing at her clothes. "Some creation, David. Your idea, by any chance?"
David's face registered shock. "Did they all look like that?" he asked, the worry evident in his voice.
Jodie wondered what news he was about to lay on her. "The ones I saw did. Why do you ask?"
David looked directly at her. "We have to get out of here. Fast. Those are the third generation hybrids. They're almost indestructible."
"Almost?" Jodie asked. "Do you know a way to kill them?"
"Not without getting very close. They have an exposed spine . . . it's very weak, but you have to approach them from behind."
Yeah, Jodie thought, that or stick your gun right inside their open mouth and pull the trigger.
"You need to get that off of you," David said, pointing to the gobs of spit on her clothes. "There are lockers in this room. Why don't we see if we can find you some clothes?"
"David, I don't really think we have time for that," Jodie said.
"You'll want to take the time. That stuff is meant to act just like any saliva does, but it digests organic compounds at an extremely high rate. If you leave it on your skin, it'll bore right through you."
Jodie thought of the spray the creature had blasted across her face, into her eyes and mouth. The mild burning sensation in her eyes made her wonder if it had already done some damage. "Great. Just great. Okay, but you're coming with me. Let's go," she said waving to him to go first.
Jodie followed David into an area filled with lockers. As quietly as they could, they opened each one, piecing together a Gypsum uniform for Jodie. She undressed to wash in the sink and he turned away. Thinking of everything he'd been a part of so far, she found his attempt at manners almost laughable. A few minutes later, she was ready to go. "Now to find everyone else. What did you do with them, David?"
David looked down at the floor. "I left them locked in exam rooms back in the medical wing. Let's hope those things haven't moved in that far," he said. "Follow me."
* * *
Chuck crept ahead of the rest of the group as silently as he could. They'd stopped earlier so that Christy could wrap his feet in torn-up sheets and medical tape because the sound of his metal soles striking the floor would be certain to attract attention. Chuck was leading them to where he’d left Fester and Bonnie and prayed they would make it there without meeting anyone or anything. Periodically, they would stop, keeping still, waiting and listening as one of the things clawed its way through the vent above them.
For the past half hour, the installation had seemed eerily quiet, though. Even the vents were silent. Chuck had succeeded in finding enough pipes, handrails, and blunt objects t
o arm everyone except for Hunter, who seemed less afraid of him than he had earlier. Finally, they came upon the hallway where Fester and Bonnie were hidden. Chuck peeked around the corner and froze. He guessed about a dozen of the creatures were coming his way. He signaled for everyone to move. "We have to go back," Chuck whispered.
The familiar scraping noises grew louder as the things moved closer and Chuck had just enough time to usher everyone around the next corner before they would be seen. "Keep going. We'll have to make a loop and go around another way," Chuck said. Directing his gaze at Billy, he asked, "Can you get us to the other end of that hallway back there?"
Billy nodded. "Yeah, but it's gonna take some time."
"We don't have any other choice," Chuck said, worried that the longer they took to get back to Fester and Bonnie, the more dangerous it was becoming for everyone. "It's the only way."
* * *
Jodie still didn't trust David. There were too many loose ends to his story. Yet, the idea of being consumed by a horrific-looking creature didn't exactly appeal to her either, and she felt she needed to arm him. She re-loaded her automatic weapon, then handed him a pistol and two full clips. "David, if you decide to shoot me with this, you'd better make it count or you’ll regret it,” she said.
David took the gun. "Point well made. Not a chance of that happening, though. I just want us all out of here, safe. Then, I'll explain what I've been doing to undo your mother's plan."
Jodie knew what he was saying was really a cheap shot at her in a way. Yet, how was she supposed to feel at all responsible for something she knew nothing about? "You know, David, you're just as responsible for this as my mother. Why didn't you tell anyone about this installation? Why keep Gypsum's secret all these years?" Jodie could see him clenching his jaws.
"Let's go. We'll talk later," he said, checking both directions before sliding out into the hallway. Jodie followed, even though she wanted to set him straight about who would be giving orders.
They moved in silent unison down the corridor until they reached the medical section and David held his fist up in a stop position. He pointed up. Something clawed and scratched its way along the vent above them. Jodie knew all too well what it was. The creatures had made it into the medical area using the vents.
They came upon an intersecting corridor and David stopped, ready to take a look around the corner. That's when Jodie heard it. One of the vent grates, like the one they had used when they’d first entered the Gypsum installation, was opening. The grate squeaked as it swung down, followed by the sound of feet hitting the floor. Jodie lost count of how many she heard. She pulled David back, whispering, "Let's get out of here."
They retreated to a different part of the medical wing that seemed to be quieter. Jodie followed David, creeping along the hall silently, glancing into the rooms they passed by. Something caught her eye as she passed one of the windows. A shadow. Not of an alien creature or a hybrid. A human. Jodie backed up and looked inside the darkened room, glimpsing a boy stepping away from the door.
“David, stop,” she said, motioning for him to come back.
“What is it? We need to keep moving.”
“I saw something . . . someone, I mean,” Jodie said. “In this room.”
David looked in the window. “I don’t see anything. You’re sure?”
“Yes,” Jodie said, trying the door and finding it locked.
“Here,” David said, handing her a set of keys. “Try the one with the yellow tag,” he said, looking over her shoulder down the hallway. “You’re sure it wasn’t one of those things?”
“Pretty sure,” Jodie said, inserting the key. She opened the door slightly and looked inside, seeing nothing. The glow from an exit sign dimly illuminated part of the room. “I might have been mistaken, but let’s check it out,” she whispered.
“Great,” David said, a sarcastic tone to his voice. “Hurry up, okay?”
Jodie slowly crept into the room, trying to see in the dim light. She didn’t dare turn the overhead lamps on for fear of attracting the creatures. Yet, she could feel someone’s presence. “Who’s --”
The muzzle flash lit the room as a shot rang out, obviously intended for Jodie, but missing her by several feet. She dove to the floor and took aim in the direction of the shooter. Temporarily blinded by the flash, Jodie could barely make out shapes. Finally, she could see in the corner, next to a gurney where someone else lay, what appeared to be a boy holding onto a gun, his hands shaking.
“Hey, I’m not here to hurt you. I want to help,” Jodie said.
“I . . . Are you a Gypsum guard?” the boy asked.
Jodie recognized the voice immediately. “Oh, my God. Fester? Is that you?”
“Yeah. Jodie?”
“Yes, it’s me. Put the gun down,” Jodie said, thinking the guard's uniform she was wearing had almost gotten her killed. She watched as Fester lowered the gun. David burst into the room, shutting the door behind him.
"What the fuck was that?” David said, obviously irate. “Those things are going to be crawling down our necks any time now. You need – Tim, is that you?” David made out his son's face in dim light.
“He thought I was a Gypsum guard,” Jodie whispered, crossing the room to retrieve the gun from Fester's hand.
David ran to his son and grabbed him. "Are you okay, son?" he asked.
Fester nodded, looking up into his father’s face.
Jodie looked in the corner of the room, realizing who was lying on the gurney. She looked at Fester, seeing the tears streaming down his face. “What happened?”
“A guard hurt her and then Officer Wending came and helped us and gave me a gun. He told me to shoot the Gypsum guards if they came in.” Fester wiped his nose on his sleeve.
“Wait,” Jodie said. “I don’t understand. You said Officer Wending?”
Fester nodded. “He’s this cool metal guy now. He kinda looks like a bug.”
“And he told you he was Officer Wending?” Jodie asked, wondering how that could be possible. “Chuck Wending?”
“Yeah. He helped my mom,” Fester said, obviously very distraught as he looked over at his mother.
David let go of his son and went to Bonnie’s side.
“Oh, David. What happened to her?” Jodie reached out to feel Bonnie's face, stopping herself from jerking back when her hand touched cold, clammy skin. "Fester, has your mother been unconscious?" she asked, reaching to the woman's neck to feel for a pulse.
"Yeah, but she woke up for a little while. She's been sleeping for about a half hour," he said.
David touched Bonnie’s hand, grief filling his expression. Jodie felt a deep sense of revulsion settling in her gut, seeing the bruises and scrapes covering Bonnie's face and neck. She found no pulse and looked up at Fester, not wanting to have to be the one to tell him that his mother was dead. "What's wrong?" he asked, his lower lip starting to quiver.
Jodie knew he already understood what was happening. "I'm so sorry, Fester," she said, pulling him close. "She's gone."
Fester pushed away from her and stared, flashes of disbelief, anger and frustration crossing his face. He reached out and shook his mother. "Wake up, mom. You have to wake up," he said, tears filling his eyes, showering his mother's body. Fester pulled away as his father attempted to hug him. “This is your fault. You brought us here,” he screamed at his father.
A look of shock registered on David’s face and he moved away from his son and wife, stepping over by the door. He slid to the floor and covered his face with his hands.
Jodie turned to Fester and drew him near again, letting him release his anguish as he sobbed in her arms. As she held onto him, she thought, we've both lost our mothers. One worthy of her son's love, the other, the most heinous monster in the history of all humanity. Jodie wanted to feel sadness over the loss of her mother, but all she could manage was anger. She realized her mother didn't deserve her sympathy.
Jodie held Fester until he started to calm down.
She leaned over and grabbed a box of tissues from the counter and handed it to him. From the corner of her vision, she saw David motion frantically. She pushed Fester away gently and drew her gun. "Fester, you have to be very quiet now," she whispered in his ear. "We're in trouble." Jodie watched as David slowly backed away from the door.
* * *
Chuck walked behind Billy as silently as he could, sensing movement coming from all directions. About five minutes ago, they'd heard what sounded like a muffled gunshot. That meant one of two things. Either some Gypsum guards were still in the installation, or Jodie was. Knowing how many of the things likely surrounded them now, he hoped it wasn’t Jodie. Yet, he knew she would be doing whatever she could to save her friends, so he had no doubt she was near. If she was already inside the installation, Chuck wanted to find her quickly and get her out. He didn't know how many creatures he could fend off at one time and was starting to become very concerned that everyone with him was in danger.
Billy held up his hand for them to stop and turned to Chuck. "The med wing is right up here. We take a left at this next corridor."
Chuck hoped there would be nothing waiting for them, save an empty hallway. Hopefully, Fester and his mother were okay. He glanced at his companions, their weariness evident. Clearly, this entire group of people had been through a lot and he didn't want them to have to go through more. Plus, he was feeling weak. Several hours had passed since he'd eaten anything and he was experiencing a peculiar sense of emptiness. Finding another vending machine had to be prioritized if he was ever going to make it out of this place. But, then what? He'd been asking himself that question for hours. If and when he got out of this maze of hallways, then what would become of him? He'd likely be hunted his whole life by Gypsum or by people looking to place blame. After all, he was their product, the result of some sort of laboratory concoction. Whether it was an experiment gone right or wrong didn't matter to him. No one would understand that he was still just Chuck.
