by R. Brewer
“What’s going on?” Nick asked.
“No time to explain. Just get up here, if you can, and bring the gun.”
Evan stepped forward, visible through the escape hatch. “I’ll help,” he said.
Christy moved to the other side of Nick. “Better let me help, too,” she said. Christy passed the gun to Isaiah and together, she and Evan helped Nick up through the access port and Isaiah pulled him on top. Christy handed Nick a section of pipe Chuck had procured earlier.
“What’s going on?” Nick asked.
Isaiah pointed, running his flashlight up the cable until he found the creature again. It seemed disoriented for a moment and clung to the steel bracing lining the walls.
“Shit. That’s one piece of ugly, isn’t it?” Nick said.
Isaiah redirected his light along the walls, finally finding what he was looking for. “I don’t know what stopped us from going all the way up, but I think we need to find a way to get out from here. It looks like we’re between floors.”
Nick shook his head. "I thought this elevator only went to one floor."
"Maybe that's what the handprint reader was for," Isaiah said. "You know, access to different levels depending on the level of security clearance."
“Well, we'll have to crawl up there, next to that thing, first" Nick said. "We’d best dispose of it.”
Isaiah found himself confused, feeling sympathy for the creature that would likely kill them if it had a chance. He shook his head, dismissing his thoughts and wondering what could compel him to think that way. Feeling unsteady on his feet, he swayed toward Nick, who grabbed him as he started to fall.
“What’s wrong, Isaiah?” Nick asked.
Isaiah felt Nick’s hand on his forehead.
“Man, you’re burning up. You’d better sit down.” Nick helped him sit on the elevator car. “Lend me that flashlight for a minute, okay?”
Isaiah handed the flashlight to Nick. He felt a sudden flash of anger course through his body, images of flesh tearing and carnage filling his mind. Isaiah remembered the creature screaming in his face, its saliva blasting into his eyes and mouth. In that instant, he knew he was infected. Soon, he would be like all the other creatures wandering aimlessly through the installation. He would lose his humanity altogether and become a danger to his friends.
Nick shined the flashlight up at the creature, who clung to the wall next to the elevator doors on the next floor. “He still hasn't moved,” Nick said.
Isaiah tried to stand, feeling his skin tear ever so slightly. He gritted his teeth and pushed himself up.
“Whoa, pal. You gonna make it?” Nick asked, reaching out to steady him.
“I think we both know the answer to that,” Isaiah said.
Nick looked at him with a pained expression. “What do you mean?”
He had asked the question, yet the look on Nick’s face told Isaiah that he already knew the answer. Nick looked away, turning his face back toward the creature hanging on the wall above them.
“There’s has to be something we can do for you,” Nick said. “You can hang on until we get out of here and we’ll go straight to a hospital.”
“You know I can’t leave, Nick.” Isaiah rubbed the back of his neck. His joints felt as if they would burst any moment. “I could infect everyone up there. Maybe I could even infect you, if I stay here with you for too long.”
Nick shook his head. “There’s no way that I’ll let you turn into that,” he said, motioning toward the creature.
Isaiah peered down into the space between the elevator and the shaft wall, seeing the vast distance to the bottom. He stepped behind Nick, grabbed onto the wall bracing and reached up to gain a handhold.
“Where are you going?” Nick asked, his voice shaking. “You’re too sick to climb up there.”
“What’s happening, Nick?” Christy called from inside the elevator car.
Isaiah kept going. “You’ll have to get them all out of here by yourself,” Isaiah said as he reached down and handed Nick his weapon. “I’m going to knock that thing down and you climb as fast as you can.”
“Are you sure?” Nick asked, his eyes full.
“If I can’t control myself . . . if I come after you, don’t hesitate, okay?”
Nick shook his head and groaned.
“Promise me,” Isaiah said.
Isaiah stared at Nick for a moment, feeling his blood growing hot. If he was alone, he would've jumped to his death through the gap next to the elevator, sparing himself from what was to come, but there was no choice now. He had to save his friends. He had to kill the thing standing in their path.
“I said, promise me.”
Nick looked down at his feet for a moment, as if he was trying to decide what to do. He looked up and nodded.
Isaiah grabbed the next bracing and pulled himself up toward the creature.
* * *
Jodie pulled a plastic plaque from the wall and slipped the paper map out. “This shows evacuation routes,” she said, holding the map for Chuck to see. “Over here,” she pointed, “is the restricted area. It must be where the access to the Area 51 property is.”
“You’re sure you want to do this? I could go by myself and try to find Mei,” Chuck said. “What if we run into a big group of those things?”
“Well, then, you’ll need my help, won’t you?” She looked up at Chuck, seeing the concerned expression on his face. Or, was it something else? Not having eyelids or facial muscles made him very difficult to read. Regardless, she wasn’t leaving until she found Mei and after that, after her friends were safe, she’d find a way to blow the Area 51 installation to smithereens.
“Okay,” Chuck said. “I know better than to argue with you. Let’s go.”
Jodie walked as quickly and quietly as she could in front of him, following the route leading to the restricted area, concerned that the map didn't show the location of elevators or stairs. All around, she could hear the sounds of non-human feet skittering down the hallways and scraping in the vents above. It felt as if the entire building was alive with movement. She stopped and examined the map. “We have to go up at least two floors to get out of the medical wing and it doesn’t appear that there’s an elevator anywhere in the vicinity.”
“At least, none we know about,” Chuck said. “There has to be one somewhere. Otherwise, how would the people who worked down here move back and forth?”
"It must be somewhere we can't see on this drawing." Jodie pointed to a symbol on the map. “That’s the symbol David showed me for access to the utility shafts. There’s one in the next corridor.”
“Utility shaft?” Chuck asked. “I don’t know if that would be such a great idea with all of those things crawling through the vents.”
“We don’t have much of a choice. It’s either take that route or go back up on top and drive through the gate to Area 51,” Jodie said. “It’s not likely they’ll welcome us with open arms.”
“No, not open arms. More like automatic weapons,” Chuck said.
Jodie found herself thinking the same thing, almost at the exact moment the words came from Chuck’s mouth. “I do believe your sense of humor is improving, Chuck,” she said, feeling like she didn’t know this Chuck at all. At the same time, she felt as if she’d known him all of her life.
“That symbol you pointed out,” Chuck said, gesturing at the far wall of the corridor. “It’s there.”
“Let’s go,” Jodie said. Chuck followed her as she ran toward the sign, thankful that her injured knee was allowing her to move again. She stopped, out of breath, and reached for the handle to the access panel. “Wish me luck,” she said. Chuck’s hand clamped down over hers.
“Let me,” he said. “Just in case it’s not empty.”
Jodie pulled her hand back. “Yeah. Okay,” she said. “Thanks, Chuck.”
Chuck turned the handle and slowly opened the access panel, far enough to put his head inside. A blue-green glow emanated from the shaft, reflecti
ng off Chuck’s metal skeleton. He pulled his Hello Kitty bag over his head and handed it to Jodie. “Can you hold this for me?” he asked.
“Sure,” Jodie said, taking the bag of candy bars and slipping the strap over her shoulder.
Chuck slowly stuck his head into the utility shaft and looked down. He shifted his body and turned to look up. “Nothing in here that I can see,” Chuck said. “There’s a ladder. Should we give it a try?”
Jodie was about to answer when one of the things turned the corner and saw her. It looked like it had been a lab assistant at one time. Dressed in a white coat that was saturated in blood and vomit, and pants that Jodie cold hear tearing as it crouched, the creature appeared to be disintegrating before her eyes. What remained of its skin was covered in pustules that oozed a greenish slime.
“Jodie?” Chuck called to her.
“Yeah, Chuck. I’ve got a visitor out here.”
Chuck pulled himself out of the access door, while Jodie watched as, one by one, more creatures came forward out of the darkness and filled the hallway.
“Jodie, get in the shaft,” he said.
She noticed movement from the other end of the hall. Suddenly, the air was filled with a horrible odor, the stench of rotting flesh wafting, the smell so intensely repulsive that Jodie clamped her hand over her face. A horde of hundreds emerged from the shadows, their bodies dripping and exploding with decay.
“Get in the shaft, now,” Chuck said, grabbing her arm and pushing her toward the access door.
Jodie ducked her head into the shaft and grabbed the ladder, moving up a few rungs. From behind her, she heard the horde begin to hum, their voices growing into a deep growl. The walls seemed to resonate with the vibrations created by their collective voice. “Get in here, Chuck,” she yelled.
“Sorry, Jodie. I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Chuck said.
Looking down, Jodie saw the door close behind her. “Chuck,” she called out, hearing the stampede headed toward him and the clash when they converged on him. She pulled herself up as fast as she could, knowing Chuck would only be able to fend them off for so long. The sounds of battle quieted the further up the shaft she climbed.
Reaching for the next rung, Jodie was aware of the tears falling from her cheeks. This was the second time she’d cried for Chuck, the second time he’d saved her life, and the second time she’d lost him. She stopped climbing and wiped her eyes and face.
Her vision clearing, she noticed the red glow coming from below, streaming in from the gap between the access door and wall. Growing brighter, it illuminated the entire shaft. Beneath her hands, the ladder began to vibrate as pipes running along the wall clanged against each other. The vibration grew in intensity until Jodie worried she would lose her grip. She wrapped her arms around a ladder rung and held on.
Moments later, an explosion rocked the shaft, blasting the door inward. Jodie nearly lost her grip altogether. Her feet slipped off of the ladder and she hung by her one arm, feeling her shoulder nearly dislocate until she managed to get her feet back on the rung. The door slammed into pipes and ducts, careening downward, finally hitting bottom.
Jodie tried to shake off the ringing in her ears. She noticed movement down by the door and held still, hoping the creatures wouldn’t see her. Instead, the reddish glow grew brighter as Chuck’s face appeared in the doorway. His body appeared to be glowing a deep shade of crimson.
“Jodie? Are you okay?” Chuck called to her.
“Chuck? What happened? Your body . . . where did all of those things go?”
Chuck stepped into the shaft and grabbed onto the ladder, the glow from his skeleton gradually fading. He climbed up just beneath her.
“Well, I’m not sure what happened. They were all coming at me and I thought about you in here, all alone and I, well, I started to glow again. You know, like before? But brighter. And then this thing happened. Shock waves, or something like that, came from my body. It was like an explosion, except worse. It tore them all apart.”
Jodie didn’t know what to say. She knew he was a super soldier, but she had no idea he could be capable of such destruction.
“Jodie, do you think I could get my bag back?” Chuck asked.
“Huh?” she asked, not knowing what he was talking about.
“My bag,” he said, pointing to the Hello Kitty purse strapped over her shoulder. "I'm really hungry all of a sudden."
“Oh. Yeah, sure,” she said, slipping the bag off and handing it to him.
“Would you like one?” he asked, holding out a candy bar to her. “I think we missed dinner.”
Jodie looked down at him, laughing at the irony. Not only was it strange that he was thinking about a missed meal, but the thing her mother had created to destroy her way of life had actually saved her twice now. Plus, it had impeccable manners. “Sure, Chuck. I’d love one.”
CHAPTER 21
Nick stood with the others on top of the elevator and watched as Isaiah made his way up the ladder. He’d stopped to rest twice, in obvious pain. Nick wondered if Isaiah would have the strength to fight the creature hanging on the wall above them. But what he feared even more was Isaiah losing control. He didn’t want to have to watch the process taking over his friend. Even more, he didn’t want to have to deal with the aftermath.
Isaiah clung to the metal bracing, breathing hard. Nick could see blood seeping through his clothes and caught a glimpse of his face, agony contorting it into a foul grimace. The creature snarled as Isaiah moved closer, its growls and the sound of its jaws snapping echoing in the elevator shaft. Isaiah paused for a moment and looked down at Nick.
“I’ll knock it down. I’ll try to push it into the space between the elevator and the wall. You go as soon as it comes down. Don’t look for me after. Understand?”
“Yeah, buddy,” Nick said. “Isaiah?” he called out.
Isaiah turned back to look at him.
Nick wanted to say something, but couldn't force words out of his mouth.
"It's okay, Nick. Better get them ready." Clinging to the bracing, Isaiah took another step up. Only a few more lay between him and the creature.
“Okay, everybody. We have to climb,” Nick said.
“What are we gonna do with Hunter?” Noah asked.
Nick didn’t want to tell the boy they might have to leave the dog behind. He didn’t think he’d be able to carry Hunter up the bracing, and the extra time it would take could put them all in even more danger.
“I’ll stay down here with him until you find something we can tow him up with,” Evan said. “There are fire hoses in every hallway. I can rig a harness for him and you can pull him up.”
Nick had thought of that solution, but didn’t want to put anyone in harm’s way by leaving them behind for even a moment. “Evan, I can’t let you do that,” Nick said.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re not letting me. I’m telling you,” Evan said, taking Hunter’s makeshift leash from Noah. “Now, get started on climbing so that Hunter and I don’t have to wait long.”
Nick patted Evan on the back. “Thanks, Evan. Looks like Isaiah is almost there,” Nick said, pointing upwards. “I’ll go first. Fester, you follow me. I’ll need your help at the top getting that door open.”
Fester nodded.
“Noah, you help your mom,” Nick said, reaching over and kissing Christy on top of the head. “Let’s go.”
Nick grabbed onto the bracing, careful to hug the wall as much as possible, not wanting the creature to fall on him after Isaiah dislodged it. Fester, Christy and Noah followed. Nick looked down at Evan, who huddled at the far corner of the elevator roof. Suddenly, the creature above Isaiah screamed, showering Isaiah with rancid saliva. Isaiah pushed off of the bracing, throwing himself up at the creature, grabbing it around the midsection. He struggled with it, trying to dislodge it from its perch as the thing gripped him back, tearing at his clothes, blasting everyone below with blood and bits of flesh.
“Don’t look
up. Don’t get it in your eyes or mouth,” Evan called out.
Nick knew he'd taken the brunt of it, his body shielding everyone below from the spray of body fluids, yet he worried that they would all be infected by the time the fight was over.
Isaiah continued to battle with the thing, tugging on it. The metal brace it stood on was wet with blood and body fluids. The thing turned, trying to push Isaiah off of itself, but lost its balance, sliding on the slippery beam. It bellowed an ear-splitting, terrifying scream, thrashing at the air, trying to regain its balance.
Finally, it toppled, Isaiah still gripped firmly to its mid-section. As they spun through the air and fell past Nick, he could see the terrible changes to Isaiah’s body. Skin replaced by scales, a reptilian glint to his eyes, which locked on Nick’s for a brief moment.
The two creatures slammed onto the edge of the elevator, sending up a spray of blood. The sound of bones breaking and flesh tearing echoed through the shaft as Isaiah flipped the creature over and slid down and out of sight between the elevator and the wall.
“Everybody okay?” Nick asked.
No response came from below. He looked down, seeing the horrified expressions on the faces of those he loved. He wanted to give them time to recover, but he knew they were in even greater danger than before. The thing had screamed and if any of the other creatures had heard it, they would already be on their way. Nick knew he was no match for them. “Let’s go. Isaiah did that for us, so let’s not waste our time.”
Nick climbed quickly, arriving at the narrow platform by the elevator door a few minutes later. Fester came up right behind him. “Fester, I’m going to hand you the gun. I’ll try to open those doors. If anything comes through them after they’re open, you shoot it.”
“Okay,” Fester said, taking the gun from Nick and looping his arm through the bracing.
"It's just like your rifle at home, but it has a bigger kick. Short bursts or it'll knock you back. Got it?”
“I’m ready.”
Nick wedged his feet between the wall and a bracket that housed the elevator cables.
