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Deadlocked 3

Page 7

by A. R. Wise


  "That's right," I said. "Hero, or Levon, said you were into good music." I emphasized the word 'good' to tease Mark's brother.

  "Huge metal freak," said Mark about himself. "You?"

  "Oh yeah. Big time."

  "Check out my iPod." Mark handed me his mp3 player and I started to search through the artists. He had an impressive collection that far outdid my own.

  Reagan tapped my shoulder and handed me a note. It was the scrap of paper that Laura had written the name of the antibiotic on. 'Doripenem.' I thanked him and then continued to browse Mark's music.

  "I've got to take a piss," said Reagan.

  "Plumbing's shut down," said Mark. "But you can piss in the sink if you want. Toilet's full of my brother's shit."

  "Is that what the smell's from?" I asked.

  "Yes. I've been sitting here in the stink all fucking day," said Mark.

  Reagan went to the bathroom and I watched as Levon and Mark gathered their things. They argued over what they should bring and I laughed at their interaction. They were twins, but their personalities were entirely different. Levon was abrasive and cocky, but Mark had the ability to cut him down to size in seconds.

  My earpiece chimed to alert me that a new message was coming in. The tiny earpiece fit so perfectly that I kept forgetting it was there.

  "Williams and Thomas have been found. They are KIA. I repeat, Williams and Thomas are KIA. Captain Reagan is still missing."

  I wondered if I should replace the one in my ear with Reagan's unit. It would probably give me more information than the one I had in now. I reached in my pocket to retrieve it and then remembered I was wearing a pair of Levon's jeans now. The Captain's earpiece was in the sweat-drenched pants I'd just taken off.

  The pair on the floor.

  The pair that Reagan had just searched through.

  My heart sank and I rushed to search the pockets of my discarded pants. The earpiece was missing. I looked at the bathroom door where the Captain had gone. If he had the earpiece then he just heard the truth about Williams and Thomas.

  I got out my pistol and prepared to shoot Reagan if needed. I watched the door as if waiting for a zombie to appear. Mark and Levon continued to argue about the items they would bring and were oblivious to the tense situation that played out beside them in the loft. I knew that Williams was dead, but to hear that the other one had died made me nauseous. I was a murderer twice over, but none of that mattered now. If Reagan had the headset then I was certain I would have to kill him to get away.

  I tried to imagine the different ways this could've gone. Would the old man come charging out on a warpath to kill me? Would he call me in there to try and contain the situation and murder me without the brothers noticing? Or had he pried open a window and escaped? What was taking him so long?

  Reagan appeared in the threshold and said, "It stinks like something died in there."

  He didn't know. I breathed a sigh of relief and put the gun in my pocket. The earpiece must have slipped out of my pants at some point during our trip.

  Mark tossed a set of keys onto a table near the door. "Won't be needing these anymore. I'm ready to get the hell out of here. How about you guys?"

  "Yeah, same here," said Levon. He shoved a pack of things he'd collected into the space under Mark's chair. "I think the elevators are on the back-up, if you want to take those."

  "Fuck that," said Mark. "Who knows what'll be waiting for you when the doors open. You'll have to carry me down."

  "God damn it. That chair's heavy."

  "It's not that heavy," said Mark.

  "With you in it, it sure the hell is."

  "He can help out. Right Billy?" Mark asked me as he rolled to the door and halfway into the hall.

  "Sure." I motioned at Reagan to head for the door as Levon got behind his brother to push the wheelchair.

  "You out of juice?" asked Levon.

  "Not yet," said Mark. "I just want to save as much power as I can."

  Levon pushed his brother out of the apartment and down the hall as Reagan walked behind them. The old Captain reached the doorway and set his hand on the frame to his right. I almost bumped into him as he paused and when I looked up I saw his knuckles had turned white from the force with which he held the trim. A trickle of blood leaked out of the bandage as the muscles of his forearm tensed.

  I was about to ask what was wrong when he turned on me. He spun to his right and used his left hand to violently shut the door. His right foot smashed into the side of my leg and I tumbled to the ground. My head bounced off the wooden floor and I struggled to find the gun in my pocket.

  Reagan latched a bolt on the door to keep the brothers out and then dropped down over me. He had the screwdriver that I'd stolen from the supply closet where I'd left Williams and Thomas. He must have pretended to put it under Mark's chair and then pocketed it. The edge pressed into my throat as the Captain used his right hand to reach for my gun.

  I tried to fight with him for control of the pistol, but he dug the screwdriver into my throat until I had to give in. It felt like the tool would pierce me any second.

  Levon screamed from the other side of the door and pounded on it. Reagan held the screwdriver with his left hand and the pistol with his right. He gritted his teeth and leaned in close to speak to me.

  "You killed them."

  "I'm sorry," I said. "Please don't kill me."

  "Get up," said Reagan as he took the screwdriver away from my throat. I did as he asked and he turned me around so that my back faced the door. He pushed me against it and I felt the pounding on the other side as Levon tried to get in.

  "Billy's on the other side of the door." Reagan shouted to the twins. "If you try to shoot the door down you'll kill him. If you try to kick it in I'll shoot him."

  The pounding stopped. Reagan pulled his earpiece out of his pocket and put it on.

  "You okay, Billy?" asked Levon.

  "Yes. He's telling the truth. I'm on the other side. Don't shoot."

  "You boys should just take off," said Reagan. "Billy and I have some things to talk about."

  "Fuck that, old man," said Levon. "You fuck with him, you fuck with me. Got it?"

  "Just tell me why," said Reagan to me. "Why'd you kill those boys?"

  "Why'd you kill those kids?" I asked.

  "I never killed any kids."

  "You stood by and let it happen though. At least I was fighting for my life. You just stood by and let other people die."

  "Did you know that Williams had a kid on the way?"

  "Yes," I said. "But didn't you say you were all already infected? What's it matter if he died back there or later?"

  "I said I was infected. I never said they were."

  "They were taking their helmets off too. They had them off and were smoking. If the bacteria went airborne, then they'd be infected too. And I heard them saying that they were cut off from the other civilians in the camps. Is that because the civilians were infected, or was that because they were?"

  "I don't know what you're getting at," said Reagan, but I knew he was lying. I could see it in his grey eyes.

  "Did they know they were going to die?" I asked. "Did they know everyone in the city was already considered infected? Did you tell them they were going to die, just like you?"

  "You don't know what you're talking about." His voice trembled.

  "You said it yourself, Reagan. No one's making it out of here alive. You said it yourself, but you never told them. You signed their death warrant and you never even told them about it. Is that why you're so pissed at me for killing them? Are you pissed at me because I got to them first? You already killed them, didn't you? They just weren't dead yet."

  His lip quivered and the pistol he pointed at me started to shake. Devastation was evident on his face and I knew I was right.

  "I didn't want to do it," I said. "I never wanted to kill anyone. It was the worst thing I've ever done. I'll never get over it. I didn't want to do it. I didn't mean for t
hat to happen."

  Reagan glanced at the floor and then back up at me as he lowered the gun. "You're right," he said. "They've all been infected, but they don't know it. We've been quarantined, but the boys think it's the civilians that are sick. That's why we're moving so fast. That's why we're pulling out tonight and letting them drop bombs in the morning. Because by then our boys will be feeling the effects." He raised the gun to point it at me again. "None of us can make it out of this city alive, but I thought I could give those kids a chance to see their families one last time. You stole that away from them."

  I was terrified that he was about to shoot me. I scrambled to come up with a reason for him to let me live. "You told me something earlier, about a kid with a bomb strapped to his back. You said it would be best just to kill him. Right?"

  "Yes. That's why we all have to die here."

  "What if it were your kid?" I asked in haste before he pulled the trigger. "What if you had to kill your own son? Would you do it, or would you try to figure out a way to save him?"

  "I did kill my son."

  "I know, but what if you could've saved him. You would have tried, right?"

  "Get to the point."

  I fished the piece of paper out of my pocket and read it to him. "Doripenem. They said it was the cure. On the radio, they said this was the cure." I held it out for him to see.

  "It's probably not," said Reagan.

  "But what if it is? What if they're right? If you shoot me now, it's like killing that kid without ever giving him a chance to get the bomb off his back."

  Reagan relaxed and lowered the gun. "Where can you get that stuff at?"

  "There's a pharmacy on the way back to the docks. I can stop in there and grab some. We can try it on you first. To see if it works."

  Reagan smiled and shook his head. "That's not going to happen."

  "Why not? Give this a chance. If it works then we could save a lot of people's lives. Why won't you just give it a chance?"

  "I will, but not on me. I'll tell my superiors about the rumor and we'll go from there." He pressed the button on his earpiece that would allow him to speak with his men and I heard the familiar chirp in my ear before his voice chimed in through the earpiece. "This is Captain Reagan. I'm alive. I was taken hostage."

  "Don't do this," I pleaded.

  Reagan looked at me and winked. "I'm alone now. I've been bitten and will need evac. Williams and Thomas were killed by one of the police fugitives and I was taken hostage. I escaped, but the fugitives are still on the loose. They're headed west, to the yachts in Paramour Park." He clicked the button again to turn his microphone off. "That should give you some time."

  "I don't understand," I said. "Why aren't you coming with us? We might be able to save you if we can get some of this stuff."

  "I gave up on me a long time ago."

  There were three quick pounds on the door behind me. "What's going on in there?" asked Levon from the hall.

  "I'm fine. Give us a second," I said back.

  "You'd better get going," said Reagan. "Find that medicine, get your mom, and make it to the docks. I'll give you time to get there, but I can't let you leave the city. Not until I know the cure works. Understand?"

  "Not really," I said.

  Regan put up his finger to keep me quiet as he answered a message that came in through his earpiece. I wasn't privy to what he was being told, but he answered quickly.

  "I'll give you my location in a second. Hold on." Then he clicked his microphone off again to continue speaking with me. "They won't give you the chance to test this cure if I turn you in. I don't know what's going on in the city anymore, but if there's a chance to stop this from getting worse, then I'm willing to give you a shot. Get the cure, get to the docks, and wait for me to contact you. I'll send a couple of the medics from Alpha Squad out there to meet you. They can scan for the infection. If, after you take that stuff, you're clean, then we can go from there."

  "What about you?" I asked.

  "I'll tell them about the cure and see what happens. Hopefully they'll test it out, but I'm not sure of anything anymore. I'd rather have you out there as my wildcard. You've been a pain in my ass since we met, but I've got to admit, you're a tenacious little shit. I'd feel better knowing you were out there trying to figure this mess out."

  I wanted him to come with us. As we stood there in the twins' apartment and stared at one another, I felt I needed him. He could offer me something I'd lost, something I never knew I needed so much. His strong will, determination, and strength of character inspired me, and losing him felt like losing my father a second time.

  "Don't go," I said.

  He flipped the gun around and held the handle out to me. "Here, you'll need this."

  "Come with us."

  "Bill, take it." He shook the gun to prompt me. I reached out and took the gift with both hands as if it were something precious he was entrusting me with. "Now go get your mom."

  I unlatched the lock on the door and was about to leave him when he stopped me to say one last thing.

  "Hey Bill," he lit a cigarette and took a long drag as he stared at me through squinted eyes. "You're the good guy now."

  I nodded and left. It wasn't until sometime later that I realized I had no idea where he got the cigarette and lighter. I never did frisk the son of a bitch.

  CHAPTER NINE - GOODNIGHT MY SON

  Mark and Levon were pissed, and they tried to confront Reagan when I finally opened the door. I pleaded with them to leave while the old man stood in their apartment, smoking his mysteriously produced cigarette. He grinned at them as if more than happy to fight if necessary. I finally calmed them down and we left the apartment behind.

  Levon and I carried Mark down the stairs, which was a lot harder than I'd expected. I took the top as Levon squatted beneath his brother's chair and labored through each step.

  Mark told me that his brother was used to this, and that it was good exercise for him. Levon had been a track star, but life after high school left little time for running. Mark, on the other hand, had found new life as an athlete after high school. He'd joined a Murderball league a year back and had been exercising endlessly since, which explained his massive chest and arms.

  Once we were back on the street, and had checked for any military presence, we ran down 13th Avenue. This section of town wasn't abandoned, at least not completely. I spied several cautious faces peering out of windows at us as we went along. Mark saw them too.

  "Shouldn't we tell these people to get out of here?" he asked.

  Levon panted as he ran behind his brother, pushing the wheelchair. "Fuck that. What're we going to do? Stop at every damn building and yell at them. We don't have that kind of time." I thought about how he'd yelled at Reagan for doing the same sort of thing at the Baylor Projects, but I didn't want to argue the point. Levon was right; we didn't have any time to waste as evening loomed.

  The street was littered with debris from the chaos that had enveloped the city during the evacuation. Cars packed the street and garbage was strewn about as if people had dropped what they didn't need as they ran. Then there were the bodies. No one had been here to collect them and they sat bloating amid junk we trampled through.

  Catching sight of a corpse on a city street is foreign enough to startle you, but the ever-present concern of those dead bodies standing up and trying to eat you makes it considerably worse.

  "Damn," said Levon. "These streets are fucked." He tried to weave his brother in and out of the mess, but it was getting harder the further we went. "I can't make it through this shit."

  "They haven't sent any of the teams up here to clear this yet," I said and kicked a briefcase to the side.

  "Leave me here," said Mark. "Put me in that market, there on the corner. I'll hang and wait for you guys."

  "No way, bro," said Levon. "Sorry, Billy, but I can't leave my brother. You're going to have to go on without us."

  "I understand. Why don't you guys head into that s
tore and grab some food, if there's any left."

  "They've got medical shit in there too," said Levon. "We can get some bandages and stuff like that. You go get your mom and meet us back here. Okay?"

  "Sounds good. Thanks for this, guys. Thanks for helping me out."

  "World's gone to shit, brother," said Levon. "Us rats got to stick together if we're going to get through it."

  I started to walk away when I remembered the note in my pocket. "There's a pharmacy in there, isn't there?"

  "Yeah. Why?"

  "Here," I said as I handed him the note from Laura. "See if you can find this. It's an antibiotic they think might be a cure."

  "Will do. Be careful out there, man," said Levon as he grabbed my hand and shook it in a series of movements I couldn't keep up with. "See you in a bit."

  We went our separate ways and I wondered if this would be the last time I saw them. They had little reason to stay for me, and I never told them how long they should wait. However, I had a way out of the city, and that might have been enough to keep them there. They could also simply be good people that were true to their word.

  Mom's apartment was above a butcher shop, a fact I bemoaned throughout my time living there. The metallic scent of blood that would rise through the vents each morning was enough to drive down the rent a good amount and I remember cherishing the rare cold mornings that could stave off that scent, even if for just a few hours. The sight of the plaster pig head that hung over the shop was something I dreaded on my walks home from school, but as I caught a glimpse of it in the distance, over the sea of cars ahead of me, I got excited.

  The earpiece I'd stolen from Williams was buzzing updates into my ear every few seconds. However, the connection was getting worse as the team moved further west in search of the cops Reagan had lied about. I eventually took the crackling thing out of my ear and put it in my pocket. Then I heard someone calling down to me from above.

  "Where ya going?" shouted someone from one of the windows near me.

  I glanced up to see an old man gazing down at me. I waved at him and said, "Going to get my mom and get out of here. You should too."

 

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