Double Or Nothing

by Sean Patten

  I hoped that the set of keys that Whorley had told me about weren’t among them.

  After stepping over to the desk, I looked down at the third shelf on the right. Whorley had told me that the administrator always kept a spare set of master keys there in a hidden compartment. How he knew about this, I could only guess.

  With a quick yank I opened the drawer, revealing a large, leather-bound book, just like Whorley said would be there. I grabbed it and move it aside, revealing a set of three keys on a small metal loop.

  I let out a sigh of relief as I took them into my hands. With them I’d be able to get down to the bottom floor and into the supply rooms where I’d hopefully find everything I needed. The end of my hellish errand was in sight, but I wasn’t about to rest on my laurels. I couldn’t afford to relax for a minute until I was back at the substation, supplies in hand.

  After shoving the keys into my pocket I headed back to the stairs and down to the second floor. Whorley was still waiting at his door, his dark eyes lighting up like a kid’s when he caught sight of the keys in my hand.

  “You got ’em!” he said. “Now, open up that door and let me out!”

  “Easy, buddy,” I said as I tried the first couple of keys.

  The third one did the trick. The lock opened with a thunk, and Whorley didn’t waste any time blasting through and out into the hallway.

  “Holy hell,” he cried. “I’m free!”

  Before I could react, he turned towards me, wrapped his burly arms around my body, and pulled me into a tight hug, an “oof” shooting out of my lungs as he did.

  “Okay,” I said. “That’ll do.”

  He let me out of his arms and stepped back.

  “What’s your name, anyway?” he asked.

  “Justin,” he said.

  “Whorley,” he said, tapping his stout chest with his thumb. “But I bet you already knew that.”

  He flashed me a wink and another million-dollar smile.

  “I do,” I said. “Gotta admit, though, I’m surprised to see you at a place like this.”

  “Hey,” he said, raising his palms. “You try living a life on the road for years on end and see how you hold up. Nothing wrong with taking the edge off every now and then.”

  I wasn’t about to moralize—more important things to worry about.

  Before I could get a move on, however, a thoughtful expression formed on Whorley’s face.

  “Just thinking,” he said. “All the staff’s been down on the main floor—they figure that if the people outside get in then that’s where they’re gonna need to be.”

  “Right…” I said, curious as to where he was going with this.

  “So, the bigger a distraction we can pull, the better.”

  He glanced down the hall towards the common areas where the rest of the patients were being held.

  “You’re not seriously considering what I think you are, right?”

  “Listen, J—can I call you J?”

  He went on without waiting for me to give my answer.

  “The staff’s keeping us penned up in here like we’re in the hoosegow. That’s no way to live—these people might still be doped up, but they deserve a chance to get out of here. And, maybe more importantly, you need as big a distraction as you can get.”

  I considered it. The idea sounded crazy and totally ludicrous—but it also sounded to be about the best chance I had. Whorley was right—the bigger the distraction, the better.

  He held out his hand for the keys.

  “I’ll do it,” he said. “You just get ready.”

  No sense in wasting any time. I took the keys out of my pocket and dropped them into Whorley’s large, rough hand. He gave me one last smile and nod before setting to it.

  He went from one door to another, opening up the locks and yelling inside.

  “Come on!” he shouted. “Get out of your gilded prisons and fly, you beautiful birds!”

  I watched as some of the patients glanced towards Whorley, not sure what to make of the situation. Some of them got to their feet and hurried towards the door, others stayed put, either not sure what to do with their newfound freedom, or more interested in the steady stream of medications that the staff had likely been bringing them.

  “Let’s move it, boys and girls!” shouted Whorley.

  The patients followed his lead as Whorley ran towards the stairs leading down. Once there, he pulled open the door and let the stream of a couple of dozen men and women in, their footsteps echoing through the space.

  “All right, y’all!” he said to me once the last patient had left. “Let’s cause some chaos!”

  I couldn’t help but smirk at the insanity of what was happening. But no point in standing around. I followed Whorley down, keys in hand.

  “Now,” he said as we trotted down the stairs. “What we’re gonna do is let these kids run free. I’ll try and herd them as best I can, but where you’re headed is the maintenance door on the far west end of the lobby. Should lead you right down. Grab whatever you need and get the hell out. Got it?”

  “Got it.”

  We reached the door to the first floor, Whorley and I squeezing through the pack of rich and famous to get to it. Not sure what to expect, I slipped the key into the lock and gave it a turn.

  It was on.

  “Let’s move it!” shouted Whorley as he blew past me so quickly I nearly stumbled onto my ass.

  The group didn’t waste any time. In a wild blur they all poured into the lobby, the staff there taken totally by surprise.

  From my vantage point in the stairwell I watched as the commotion broke out, the patients running here and there like kids hopped up on sugar. A few stragglers emerged from the stairs above me and joined the fray, the white-clad staff doing everything they could to wrangle them.

  Now was my chance.

  I ran out of the stairwell and through the massive lobby. Looking around as I moved, I saw that there wasn’t a single member of the staff paying a bit of attention to me—they were focused on the insanity all around them.

  Up ahead, right where Whorley had said it would be, was the maintenance door, the words “BASEMENT ACCESS — STAFF ONLY” written in big, bold letters.

  “Hey, kid!” shouted Whorley as he ran up to the front doors of the treatment center. “Thanks! And good luck out there!”

  I gave him a thumbs-up before heading on. What would become of Whorley and the rest, I had no idea. But I had my own business to worry about.

  When I arrived at the maintenance door I jammed the key into the lock, turned it, and shoved the door open with my shoulder. Once the other side, I pulled it shut and locked it, the noises in the lobby turning into a low, muffled roar.

  I was clear. But it wasn’t over yet—I still had to get the supplies and get out.

  The door had opened onto a small concrete stairwell leading down. I pulled out my flashlight and flicked it on, the bright beam cutting through the dark.

  I headed down, reaching another door that needed to be unlocked. Once I took care of that, I opened it up and stepped through, emerging in a narrow hallway lined with doors, each of them reading “Supply Room” followed by a number.

  The one right ahead and to my left looked as good as any. I did my thing with the keys, opened it up and looked around, only to find that there was nothing in this one but toilet paper, soap and other sanitary supplies; useful, but not what I needed right now.

  I went onto the next one in the line and opened it, finding bowls and plates and silverware—more of the sorts of supplies I wasn’t looking for.

  I felt a tinge of worry at the idea that what I was looking for might not be there, that all of this had been for nothing. But when I opened the third door on the right what lay before me was such a sweet sight that I nearly dropped to my knees.

  It was full—totally packed full—of medical supplies. There was everything from painkillers to antibiotics to antihistamine to numbing gel for aching teeth. Row after row of first
aid kits was on the top shelf. And it was all there for the taking.

  I had no idea where to begin. After scanning the room I spotted a small red-and-white backpack with the logo for Green Fields on it. I snatched the bag up and began filling it with everything I needed.

  Before too long it was packed full of supplies. I slung it over my shoulders and took a moment to get used to the weight before reaching up and grabbing one of the first aid kits.

  Total joy took hold. I’d done it—I’d found exactly what I’d been looking for. All I had to do was get the hell out of there.

  After shutting the door behind me I hurried back into the hallway and took the map out. According to it, a staff entrance could be found at the far end of the hall, one that would lead me back to the far end of the property. From there, I could enter the parking garage, make my way up, and climb back over onto the other building.

  I had to force back a smile as I went down the hallway. Before too long I turned the corner and spotted the exit—so close that I almost wanted to break out into a run.

  “Hey! What are you doing?”

  I stopped in my tracks.

  “Stop where you are,” came a booming, male voice from somewhere behind me. “Then turn your ass around.”

  Shit.

  Chapter 15

  “Drop the bag and whatever else you got. Don’t even think about taking another step, asshole.”

  I did as he asked, slipping the bag off my shoulders and onto the ground before gently setting down the first aid kit.

  “Just here for some supplies,” I said, my eyes locked onto the exit. “Not looking to cause any trouble.”

  Part of me wanted to snatch everything up from the ground and take off in a sprint. But I had no idea if whoever behind me was armed and waiting for an excuse to drop me.

  “Yeah,” he said. “Looking for as much oxy as you can carry, I bet.”

  “No,” I said. “Just some first aid stuff. My brother’s hurt bad.”

  “I’ll bet,” he said. “Now put your hands on your head and turn around.”

  “What are you, a cop?”

  “As far as you’re concerned, I’m the law,” he said. “Now, turn your ass around.”

  Moving slowly, I weaved my hands together behind my head and turned towards him.

  The man standing ahead appeared to be around fifty. He was tall, easily around six-and-a-half feet. He was round-faced, with a paunch to match. His hair was dark and curly, his eyes a deep brown. A few days’ worth of stubble was on his face, and a name tag on his all-white uniform read “Carlos.”

  And he didn’t look like he was in the mood to screw around.

  Thankfully, a quick scan of his hands revealed that he was unarmed.

  “All right,” he said. “You can follow simple directions. Good. Means I don’t have to pound your ass into the dirt.”

  “No needs to be pounding anyone’s ass into the dirt,” I said.

  “You see that shit that’s going on up there?” he asked. “Gonna need to crack a few skulls to get that all back in order.”

  I didn’t mention the fact that I’d been responsible for it—figured I was in enough shit as it was.

  “Listen,” I said. “Like I said, I’m not a junkie or a looter or anything like that. My brother’s hurt, and I just came to get some supplies.”

  “Did you break in here?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” I said.

  “And you broke in here for the exact purpose of taking things that don’t belong to you?”

  I realized where he was going with this.

  “And that somehow makes you…not a looter?”

  “Okay,” I said. “I guess I’m technically looting. But this here’s all I need. I’m not here to cause trouble. Just want to take this and get out of here.”

  His eyes stayed on me, and I got the sense that he was trying to decide if I was worth his time.

  “Got a hundred or so lunatics pounding at the gates,” he said. “And now the fucking patients are running around totally out of control.”

  He shook his head, as if realizing that he was just venting.

  “You got a brother?” he said. “Where’s he at?”

  I wasn’t sure if he was making conversation or if he was trying to find holes in my story. Either way, I didn’t see any reason to lie to him.

  “Yeah,” I said. “He’s over by O’Donnelly-Reeder. What’s left of it, that is.”

  “Damn,” he said. “Do you know what went down over there? I’ve been stuck here at work since all this shit went down.”

  “It’s…bad,” I said. “There was a mob of people when I showed up—bigger than the group here.”

  “‘Was’?”

  I gave it to him straight.

  “Plane came in,” I said. “Crashed right into the damn terminal. Everyone panicked and fled and…it was bad.”

  Carlos let his head tilt back as he ran his hands through his hair.

  “Shit,” he said. “I had no idea.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Maybe you’re right about hiding out here.”

  He shook his head.

  “Not really like it was a decision anyone made,” he said. “The head of the hospital took off an hour after the power went out. Ran out of here with a big box of stuff. One of us asked him what we were supposed to do, and he just said ‘keep things running until I get back.’”

  “And then he never came back,” I said.

  “You got it.”

  He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, as if not sure what to do next.

  “I’m Carlos, by the way,” he said. “Carlos Hernandez.”

  “I know,” I said. “I saw the tag. I’m Justin.”

  He looked surprised for a moment before glancing down at the tag on his shirt.

  “Shit,” he said, yanking it off. “I hate this fucking thing.”

  He tossed the tag off into the dark where it disappeared with a plastic clatter. I was beginning to get the impression Carlos was no longer viewing me as much of a threat.

  “Okay,” I said. “I’m going to get out of here. You might want to come with me.”

  “You serious?” he asked. “There’s no way I’m letting you—”

  A deafening bang sounded out, cutting him off right in the middle of his sentence.

  “What was that?” he asked.

  He turned his back, and I realized that I could take the opportunity to get out of there. But I didn’t want to risk having to run, maybe dropping the supplies.

  “Come with me,” he said before heading down the hall leading back to the stairs.

  I was a little surprised to see how quickly he’d softened to me, getting the impression Carlos wasn’t the canniest guy in the world. For all he knew I could clobber him with my flashlight.

  But I wanted to know what the sound was. I was about to be back outside, and I needed to know what I was getting myself into.

  Quickly, I grabbed the supplies from the ground and threw the backpack over my shoulders. With the flashlight in hand, I followed after Carlos, his heavy footfalls fading in the distance.

  “Come on!” he said as I caught up. “Shit’s going down!”

  More commotion sounded from up the stairs. The two of us hurried along, rushing up the stairs as quickly as we could. By the time we reached the top I could see that Carlos was winded, his big body clearly not used to this level of exertion.

  “Shit,” he said, putting his hand on the door. “I got a bad feeling about this.”

  “Do it,” I said.

  Carlos took a breath and slowly opened the door.

  However chaotic the scene had been before, it was ten times worse. Hordes of looters rushed into the lobby, overwhelming the staff and taking anything that wasn’t nailed down. The noise was deafening, and as I stuck my head out the door I realized that the bang had been the gate of the place finally giving in under the weight of the masses.

  “Holy shit,” said Carlos, staring dumbly a
t the horde. “What the—”

  I wasn’t about to stick around.

  “Come on!” I shouted, pulling him back from the door. “Before they see us.”

  The door slammed shut, and I didn’t waste any time rushing back down the stairs.

  “Where are you going?” asked Carlos, following after me.

  “Getting the hell out of here!” I shouted. “And unless you want to deal with that, come on!”

  “Shit, shit, shit,” he said as he trundled after me, back down the stairs and through the hall. “They were like animals in there!”

  “Get used to it,” I said as we made our way back towards the exit. “Because that’s pretty tame compared to what I’ve seen.”

  “Oh, man,” Carlos groaned.

  “Just forget about it and come on!”

  We soon arrived at the exit. This time I didn’t wait before yanking the door open and stepping into the bright light of the early evening. I covered my eyes for a moment until they adjusted, then took off towards the parking garage.

  “You said you were by O’Donnelly, right?”

  “Near-ish,” I said as I ran. “Why?”

  He panted as he spoke.

  “I…I got family over there,” he said. “People. Makes more…makes more sense for me to be there than here, you know?”

  I stopped running once we arrived at the parking garage, flicking off my flashlight and tucking it away before checking to make sure I hadn’t dropped any supplies. Relief settled as I realized they were all there.

  “You want to come with?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” he said, nodding. “I do.”

  “Then keep up. Because I’m not waiting if you fall behind.”

  Chapter 16

  Getting over top of the parking garage took twice as long with Carlos in tow. I’d never considered myself the peak of physical fitness, but Carlos made me realize I was in better shape than I’d thought. He was keeping up, just, but his breathing was labored and I could tell he was struggling.