by Dirk Patton
“Dibs,” I mumbled to Crawford as I walked past him into the hallway.
I took a moment to check the fire door, glad to find it was securely locked as well as having a stout chain and padlock that would prevent it from being opened. The Colonel and I made our way back to the VIP area where Katie, Martinez and Dog waited for us. They were behind a long bar, rifles trained in the direction of the stairs and the exit to the casino floor.
Behind the bar was a paneled swinging door that blended well with the surrounding wall. It led to a small kitchen.
“Did you check it?” I asked Martinez in a low voice, tilting my head towards the door.
“Didn’t go in,” she answered without taking her attention off the area she was responsible for. “Just pushed the door open and stuck my head in. Dog’s keeping an eye on it.”
I patted Dog’s head and shot a look at Crawford. He nodded and we moved to the door, a moment later pushing it open as both of us aimed into the room. It was most likely there to service the five high roller suites. This time, with the ladies at our backs, he followed me in and we cleared the space quickly before returning to the bar.
“All good,” I said in a low voice. “Just don’t open number four down that hall. I left a mess on the floor.”
“What’s next?” Katie asked.
“We’re going to get some rest, but first this whole building has to be cleared. I don’t know if we accounted for everyone when we got you out, and I’m not about to go to sleep until I know we’re alone. After that I want to find a maintenance closet and get some tools to put that door on the roof back in place.
“We stay in pairs. You and Martinez remain here and make sure no one slips into this area behind us, or comes down the stairs. The Colonel and I are going to take Dog and go clear the building.”
“Big building,” Martinez said. “The power’s on, so why don’t you find the security office? I’m betting the cameras are on, and there’s probably not an inch of floor space in a casino that isn’t covered by video.”
I nodded, glad she was here. Digging in my pocket I pulled out two small tactical radios with earpieces. I had taken them off the bodies of the two Marines in the downed Osprey. Handing one to Martinez I clipped the other to my vest and inserted the earpiece. We briefly tested them and I was happy when they worked. Giving Katie a quick kiss I headed for the exit to the main floor, Dog at my side and Colonel Crawford right behind me.
We spaced out several yards so as not to give anyone lying in wait a nicely bunched up target. They might get one of us, but by keeping some distance between us it would be much harder for an ambusher to get both. Dog stayed close to me, ears straight up and nose twitching as we moved.
I had forgotten just how large the building was. And how many hiding places there were. Martinez was spot on, as usual. With only two of us we needed an advantage, and finding security would hopefully give us just that.
We made our way through the dimly lit interior. I kept half an eye on Dog, counting on his keen senses to alert me to any danger before I could detect it, but he remained quiet. The smell of the bodies had been noticeable as soon as we’d left the VIP area and grew as we progressed across the floor. Soon the stench of decomposition was nearly overpowering, but it wasn’t anything we hadn’t dealt with before so we pushed on.
Passing the poker room that Martinez had assaulted I noted the carnage from the grenades she had used. Bodies and body parts were tossed about, blood and other fluids staining the carpet, furniture and walls. Nothing was moving and I pushed Dog farther away so he didn’t step on any of the shattered glass that was scattered across the floor.
I remembered seeing an entrance to the administrative offices and suspected that was also where security would be located. Reaching a set of heavy wooden doors I tugged on the handle, but they were secured with an electronic lock and didn’t budge. Stepping back I fired a burst into the bolt that held the doors closed. Wood splintered, but I had to fire a second burst to damage the mechanism enough to force it open.
We made entry into the hall the same way we’d cleared every other space, and it took a long time to work our way through a rabbit warren of small offices and cubicles. The casino apparently had employed a lot of people that worked behind the scenes. One of the rooms we’d cleared as we moved through the area was a large space with banks of monitors mounted to the wall and a control station that looked like something out of a Sci-Fi movie.
Satisfied the entire area was clear, we moved to the monitoring room and stepped through the door. All of the monitors were dark, but the control station had numerous lights of different colors glowing softly. It looked like things hadn’t come back up when the power was restored.
“You have any idea what you’re doing?” Crawford asked me as he turned to check the hall behind us.
“Nope,” I said, pulling out a rolling office chair and taking a seat at the station. “But it’s not like I’m going to start World War III if I push the wrong button, so…”
I took a close look at the buttons, switches and keyboards in front of me. Everything was neatly labeled, but it was all technical terms specific to the system and none of it meant anything to me. Saying the hell with it, I reached out and began flipping switches and pushing buttons.
It took some time but I finally hit the right sequence to activate all the monitors at the front of the room. They flared to life, each resolving into a blue screen. Several minutes later I finally figured out how to start the computer that ran the whole thing, a large screen set into the console winking on.
Once the PC finished its boot sequence it automatically loaded a menu for controlling the casino cameras and I smiled when I realized it was actually very user friendly. I grasped the mouse next to the keyboard and began clicking. With each click a monitor changed from blue to a sharp, color image of part of the casino.
On the lower half of the PC monitor a graphic outline of the building appeared with about five hundred red dots scattered across. As I activated each camera a corresponding dot on the schematic changed from red to green, letting me know what part of the structure I was viewing. I clicked until all of the monitors on the wall were in use, but only a small fraction of the dots were green. This was going to take a while.
Getting the hang of the system, I took a video tour of the large property. When I got to the VIP area I could see Katie and Martinez still behind the bar, keeping an eye on the two entrances into the space. They were talking, but the system didn’t seem to have sound so I couldn’t listen in.
Rolling through the cameras I moved up to the roof, getting a clear shot of both helicopters, then came back down into the building. I eventually spotted a maintenance area, making note of where it was. I kept moving, having failed to detect any sign of life by the time I’d viewed every location. But there were still some areas that didn’t have video. Restrooms and a few storage closets couldn’t be viewed.
“We’re in pretty good shape,” I said to Crawford. “Have to clear the restrooms and four closets on the far wall, but I’ve been able to see everything else and it looks like we’re alone.”
“Let’s get moving,” he said without taking his attention off our rear. “I saw some food in that kitchen that’s calling my name.”
7
The restrooms were clear, the only occupant the dead sentry I’d killed while rescuing Katie. Once we had checked each of the closets I led the way to the maintenance area where I had to shoot my way through another electronically secured door. Inside, I found some power tools and large screws and tossed them into a canvas bag.
Approaching the VIP area I alerted Martinez on the radio to let her know we were coming in. We held back until she acknowledged, just in case. It’s rare, but I’ve known guys who were the victim of friendly fire because they just suddenly appeared right where nervous men were watching and waiting for the enemy. Not that I didn’t trust Katie and Martinez, but why tempt fate when all I had to do was make a simple call.
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“All quiet. We’re alone,” I said when I walked into the room. Both women visibly relaxed.
“We need that door fixed and we need food,” I continued. “Am I going to catch a load of shit for being sexist if I ask you two to put a meal together while the Colonel and I go up on the roof to work on the door?”
If it had just been Martinez I wouldn’t have worried about it. But with Katie… well, there’s a reason I’ve been married as long as I have.
“No worries, sir. We’ll take care of the women’s work,” Martinez said before Katie could open her mouth. “You go kill a bear or whatever.”
The two women snickered as they turned and pushed through into the kitchen.
“Makes me think I should have gone to the Bahamas,” Crawford mumbled as we began climbing the stairs.
“Welcome to my world, sir.” I said, stepping through the opening and dropping the tool bag.
It had taken a long time to clear the massive building. The clouds were gone and the sun was well above the horizon when we stepped out onto the roof. It was going to be another hot day. Sweat immediately popped out when I left the shelter of the stairwell, but I’d take heat over cold and wet any day of the week. As long as you have enough water, heat is just uncomfortable. Cold and wet? That’s downright miserable when you’re in the field.
Crawford lifted the top edge of the door and walked it into place while I dug through the tools. While he held, I drilled several new holes in the doorframe then drove long, thick screws through into the surrounding structure. Door secure, we packed up and headed down to eat.
The meal they had prepared was simple, and unsure of the last time I’d eaten I devoured every bite. Katie is normally a very lite eater, consuming about a third of the calories that I do, but she ate like a ravenous teenager. So did Martinez. I noted this, wondering if it had something to do with whatever effect the virus was having on them, but chose not to bring it up and spoil their meal. Dog devoured whatever it was they had put together for him, burped loudly and stretched out under the table.
Bellies full, Crawford and I cleared the table, returning the dishes to the kitchen and washing them before all of us headed down the hall to select our rooms. He and Martinez each took a room, Katie following me down the hall to Room 5. We walked in, Dog leading the way, and I locked the door behind us.
“Wow!” Katie said, looking around. “I always knew there were good things in store if I stuck with you.”
She looked over her shoulder at me, smiling as she headed for the bedroom. I followed after tightly closing the heavy drapes that covered the window looking out onto a greenbelt. By the time I caught up with her she had already stripped off her meager clothing and cranked on the shower.
“Hot water!” She said, holding a hand under the stream.
She grabbed a wrapped bar of soap and bottle of shampoo off the granite counter and stepped under the steaming water. I tossed a fluffy towel onto the top edge of the shower wall, stripped and followed her in.
Sometime later I stepped out, dripping water on the shiny floor and rummaged through the cabinets. Thankfully there was a supply of disposable razors. Back in the shower Katie shaved my head, careful to avoid all the gashes in my scalp. Twenty minutes later I was clean and had a freshly shaved dome and face.
Leaving my stinking clothes where they were I carried my weapons into the bedroom while Katie finished showering. I deposited everything on and near one of the nightstands before crawling into the bed. Dog tried to join me but I made him stay on the floor. He curled up at the foot of the bed with an indignant grunt.
The linens were crisp and smelled like an April shower. The mattress was firm and the pillows were soft. The ceiling fan over the bed turned lazily, stirring the air and keeping me just cool enough. I lay my head back, thinking I’d close my eyes for a few moments until Katie joined me.
I woke to a dark room, still in the same position. Katie’s nude body was sprawled across me, her steady breathing telling me she was asleep. Careful not to wake her, I craned my head around to see the clock on the nightstand. 11:37. Had to be PM since it was so dark. We’d just slept almost fourteen hours.
Katie has always been a lite sleeper, and as I turned back to lay my head down she raised her face and kissed me as her hand began wandering down my body. Soon I didn’t care what time it was.
8
It was 0300 by the time Katie, Dog and I walked out of our suite and down the hall. We were both freshly showered and wearing thick, terrycloth robes that had been hanging in the bedroom closet. I probably looked ridiculous with a rifle slung over the robe and flip-flops on my feet, but I didn’t care. I was in the best mood I could remember being in for some time.
Martinez looked up and smiled a bright smile when we entered the bar area. Katie smiled back and I groaned inside, just waiting for it to start. Mercifully, Martinez somehow managed to keep her mouth shut, but the look on her face told me she had several good one-liners prepared.
“Seen the Colonel?” I asked as we walked over to where she was sitting with a tumbler of something from the bar in front of her.
“Nope,” she said, taking a sip. “Still sleeping as far as I know. Care for a drink?”
“Maybe some food first,” I said, looking at Katie. She nodded and sat down next to Martinez, leaving me to wander into the kitchen to get us something to eat.
Sometime later we had finished our meal and Katie went to rummage through the back area of the bar, hoping to find her favorite brand of Vodka. Dog had inhaled his breakfast and lapped up what had to be a quart of water from a silver-serving bowl I’d filled and placed on the floor.
“So, what’s your thoughts on that Pave Hawk?” I asked, taking a sip of the Tequila I’d poured. “Is it worth trying to get in the air, or are we better off to pump the fuel into the Huey and stick with it?”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Martinez said as Katie let out a small cry of triumph and held up a bottle. I glanced over at her and grinned. “I think we should just transfer the fuel to the Huey. There’s too great of a chance that something in the Pave Hawk is going to cause us a problem once we’re in the air. Not that the Huey isn’t older than my grandmother, but it seems to have been well maintained and quite airworthy.”
I nodded, taking another sip and watching Katie walk towards us with a glass in one hand and a bottle in the other. I wasn’t wild about any of us drinking, me included, but we were probably as safe and secure at the moment as we would ever be again. And all of us had earned a little break.
Then I thought about Scott, Irina and Igor out there somewhere. They had gone out to help me, and I doubted they were getting a break. But I didn’t have a clue where to even start looking for them. The best idea I had come up with so far was to get airborne in the Huey and start transmitting blindly, hoping they would pick up our signal.
Thinking about them soured my taste for the alcohol and I pushed the glass away, drawing curious stares from my two companions.
“Thinking about Scott and company,” I explained, pushing my chair back and standing up.
“What are you doing?” Katie asked.
“Going to find us some clothes,” I answered. “I’m guessing out of all those people in the group that held you, at least some of them had some spare clothing with them that will be clean. Want to come with me, or do you trust me to pick something out for you?”
We all looked toward the stairs when Dog whined. He was sitting near the first step, staring at us.
“You’d better walk your dog, first.” Katie said.
“I’ve got him, sir.” Martinez pushed her glass away and stood up. “It’ll give me a chance to check over the Pave Hawk one more time.”
I nodded my thanks and headed for the casino floor. A moment later I heard the slap of Katie’s flip-flops as she hurried to catch up with me. When we pushed through the door she wrinkled her nose at the smell from the bodies, but stayed right next to me.
“So
what’s the plan?” She asked.
“Find our missing people and get our asses to the Bahamas.” I answered. “Nothing left here for us and I hear the beaches there are topless.”
“Down, boy.” She said with a laugh. “You have a plan to find these people?”
“I have an idea, but don’t know if it will work. Once we find them it should be easy enough to locate a plane that Martinez can fly and we’re on our way.”
“Then what?” Katie asked, reaching out and taking my hand as we walked.
“Then… I don’t know,” I said. “I guess we live our lives. I don’t know. Haven’t thought that far ahead. I’ve been focused on staying alive and finding you.”
“Do you miss her?” Katie asked after a few minutes, referring to Rachel.
“Of course I do,” I answered honestly. “But not in the way you’re probably thinking. She’s my friend. We walked through hell together. I wouldn’t be here with you if it weren’t for her. But I’m where I want to be.”
Katie tugged on my hand and when I stopped and looked at her she stretched up on her toes and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her to me, enjoying the feel of her body against mine. We stayed that way for a few long moments before continuing on.
I had guessed right that the group had brought luggage with them. A large pile of duffels was in one of the rooms they had used for sleeping. Picking my way through the rubble and broken bodies in shower shoes wasn’t exactly fun, but it had to be done. We’d stopped at a large gift shop and found plenty of T-shirts and sweatshirts, but no pants. At least they had underwear and both of us had found a package in our sizes.
As I pulled each duffel free of the pile, I turned and tossed it through the missing window. Katie grabbed them, took them to an area that wasn’t carpeted in glass and started going through the contents. It took a while, but we were both eventually dressed.
I had hoped for cargo pants, which are much more practical than jeans, but didn’t find any so jeans it was. A rough, canvas shirt completed my ensemble. It would be hot but it would also provide some protection. Katie found a pair of jeans that were so tight they looked like they had been painted on, but every other choice was way too big. We stopped in the gift shop on our way back so she could grab a bikini top. She hadn’t found any bras and that part of the bathing suit would work as a substitute.