Cold Sanctuary (John Decker Series Book 2)

by Anthony M. Strong

  The elevator reached the lobby. They exited and crossed the expanse of tiled floor, skirted the fountain, and headed for the front doors. The lobby was empty, but even so, Silas kept them moving at a fast clip, his eyes darting from side to side as if he expected to be caught at any moment.

  Once outside they turned toward the north tower. A young couple loitered next to a pickup truck, their laughter carrying on the breeze. They ignored the passing trio, lost in each other. Decker stole a glance toward Mina, a silent warning not to cry out. The concealed gun was a very real threat, and he could not take the chance of a bloodbath.

  Once they were beyond the shadow of the south tower, halfway across the parking lot that divided the two structures, Mina spoke up. “We’re going to the north tower?”

  “Not exactly,” Silas replied, his voice guarded and low. “Just keep moving. I’ll tell you where to go.”

  They reached the base of the tower. Decker expected their captor to order him to open the main doors, but instead he nudged them along the perimeter of the building and around to the rear. A minute later they arrived at what looked like a service entrance set into the back wall. A sign on the weathered steel door read AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.

  Mina and Decker exchanged looks.

  Silas took the key card from his pocket and swiped it through a reader set into the wall. For a moment nothing happened, and then there was a soft click.

  The door swung inward to reveal a dark corridor. The air wafting through the door smelled dank.

  “Quickly now.” Silas motioned for them to enter.

  “You want us to go in there?” Mina peered through the opening.

  “Yes,” Silas replied, a hint of frustration in his voice. He pulled the gun out again. “Now move.”

  “Do as he says.” Decker placed a guiding hand on her back and together they stepped into the corridor with Silas close behind.

  They moved forward.

  Silas stayed a few steps behind. Decker was all too aware of the gun pointed at their backs. He wondered where they were being led, and to what end.

  At the end of the corridor they came across another door. This one was different than the first. Decker recognized it immediately.

  An elevator.

  He studied the door. Why would they hide an elevator in a dead end corridor behind the building? His mind flew back to the Naval history book. There was talk of laboratories at the Shackleton base. Maybe they had not been stripped back when the Navy left. Maybe they were still here, and what better place to hide a secret test facility than deep underground, with an innocuous office block sitting above. After all, the place was built at the height of the Cold War, and Russia was close by. This was a perfect place to develop and deploy weaponry.

  Silas flashed his key card again, this time using it to access the elevator. There was a low mechanical throb, and the door slid open.

  58

  At nine-thirty that evening Adam Hunt found himself at one of only two restaurants in town, a seedy, seen better days, diner that looked like a thousand other places up and down the country. He sat propped up at the counter, nursing a cup of black coffee and picking at a plate of fried shrimp.

  He would never show it in front of Dominic, but he felt a little disturbed by what he had heard in the lab. It wasn’t just the dreadful wailing from the creature, but the scientist’s belief that the thing was still changing. Heaven alone knew what the end result of the mutations might be.

  “Would you like a refill, Hon?”

  Hunt looked up.

  The waitress, a middle aged woman with long red hair and a pale complexion, raised an eyebrow. In her hand she held a half full pot of coffee.

  “Sure. Why not?” He watched her pour the liquid to the brim of his cup.

  “You look like a man that has seen his fair share of troubles.” The waitress, her nametag read Chloe, smiled and leaned against the back counter.

  “I’ve been in a few scrapes, that’s for sure,” Hunt replied, not sure why he was engaging in idle chat. He should be out there, trying to track down the creature that was slaying town folk. Despite his gruff exterior he could not help but feel responsible for the situation. If he had done his job right none of this would be happening. He took a sip of his coffee. "What do I owe you?”

  “Twelve bucks even.” Chloe’s eyes fell to his plate of food. “You’ve hardly touched your shrimp.”

  “I’m not hungry.” Hunt pulled out his wallet and found two ten-dollar bills. He slipped them across the counter.

  Chloe picked them up and turned toward the cash register. “I’ll just get you some change.”

  “Don’t bother.” Hunt was already sliding from his stool. He downed the last of he coffee and started in the direction of the door.

  “Are you sure?” Chloe sounded surprised.

  Hunt waved his arm in reply, without looking back, and then he was outside.

  It was getting dark.

  He hurried toward the south tower and rode up to his apartment, eager to check the day’s audio and video transmitted by the surveillance equipment he had placed in both Decker and Mina’s apartments. With Wilder dead the ex-sheriff had taken over the investigation, something he had not anticipated. If Decker discovered what was really going on in Shackleton there would be trouble. Things were bad enough already. He didn’t need his mistakes to become public knowledge.

  He slipped down into his chair and keyed up the footage.

  At first he didn’t see anything amiss. He hadn’t checked the audio and video since the day before, and it didn’t look like he would have much to worry about. The motion-activated camera in Decker’s apartment was still up and running, sending its signal to his laptop where it was logged and recorded. He watched Mina and Decker talk about the stack of books on his kitchen table, saw Decker leave to attend the crime scene at the docks, and watched him return. The next clip however, was different. Mina was back, and she looked upset.

  He listened in as she told Decker about her encounter with the creature and about the bag she had found.

  That was a troubling development.

  Next he brought up the footage from Mina’s place. Sure enough, there was the bag. He wondered what was in it.

  The next video showed Mina and Decker in the bedroom, huddled around the bag, talking. He listened for a while, with a growing feeling of dread.

  But it was not until he brought up the final recorded video that he really knew he was in trouble. He watched it twice, saw the stranger force his way inside her apartment, hold her at gunpoint, lure Decker down, and take them away. He listened to their conversation, and then swore under his breath. The time stamp on the video indicated that they had a good hour on him.

  Hunt stood and went to the bedroom. He knelt and withdrew a large suitcase from under his bed. He lifted it up, placed it on the mattress, and opened it.

  Inside, padded with soft gray foam, were two guns. He lifted the first gun out, a Beretta Model 92 semi-automatic. Hunt slipped the weapon into a shoulder harness and strapped it on under his jacket. Next, he turned his attention to the other gun, an MK 18 assault rifle, which he plucked from the case and weighed in his hands. The gun felt good, like an old friend.

  He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts, then walked to the closet and rummaged around until he came out with a dark blue duffel bag. He dropped it on the bed next to the suitcase, unzipped it, and laid the assault rifle inside, along with a couple of extra 30 round magazines.

  Less than a minute later Hunt was back in the corridor and making his way toward the elevator. It was time he took care of business.

  59

  Dominic Collins sat in the laboratory. He ignored the screen behind him, and the creature upon it, which kept up its strange wailing. With the sound turned down he was able to pretend it was not there. Instead, his attention focused on the pile of research papers spread across the desk in front of him. For the last two hours he had been scouring these old documents, wri
tten by the original researchers back in the sixties and seventies, but so far he had not found much in the way of useful information. A great deal of the paperwork was scientific mumbo jumbo; talk of gene mutation and crackpot theories about mixing species. He failed to see how any of it would be viable, let alone useful.

  What really troubled him was the talk of human experimentation. Apparently, the research had progressed to such a stage that test subjects were brought in. Whether those subjects volunteered or were conscripts, he had no idea. The notes did not go into detail about that, but judging by the horrendous results of the tests, outlined in several hundred pages of meticulous, shocking detail, he doubted many people would be lining up for the honor of participating. What he did learn however, gave him a much keener insight into what had befallen the creature kept captive in the quarantine wing and serve as a reminder that it had once, not long ago, been a man.

  He tried not to think about his earlier conversation with Hunt, or about Hunt’s strange reaction when he asked about the second thief and what happened to him. Hunt had become tight-lipped, evasive even, and Dominic backed off. It was not worth getting on the bad side of a man such as Adam Hunt.

  He flipped a page, his eyes scanning yet another droll, dry report written with the sleep inducing tone of a scientist who was putting things down merely for posterity, without any thought that any soul might one day read them.

  He stood and stretched, bored, then turned toward the perpetually ready coffee maker.

  Only it wasn’t coffee that drew his attention now.

  It was the trio of strangers, two men and a girl, standing in the doorway, and the gun that was pointed in his direction.

  60

  Dominic froze for a second, numb with fear.

  The only other person who was supposed to know about this place was Hunt. So who were these new arrivals? A more urgent question was, why did one of them have a pistol?

  “Can I help you?” Dominic did his best to sound nonchalant, but he didn’t succeed. The quiver in his voice came through despite his best efforts to conceal his fear.

  “Who are you?” The man with the gun looked surprised. “What are you doing down here?”

  “I could ask you the same thing,” Dominic replied. He wondered where Hunt was. He could sure use the ex-marine right about now. “You don’t have the authority to be here.”

  “Sit down.” The man pointed toward the chair with his gun.

  Dominic did as he was told.

  The intruder stepped into the room, making sure to keep a few steps behind his two companions, who looked as nervous as Dominic felt. The gun never wavered in its coverage of the three hostages.

  Dominic plucked up the courage to speak again. “You haven’t told me who you are and why you are here.”

  “You don’t need to know my name.”

  “This is John Decker, and I’m Mina Parkinson.” The girl spoke up. “The man with the gun calls himself Silas. He’s looking for his friends. They came here and went missing. He seems to think we can help him somehow.”

  “That’s enough.” Silas shot a glance at the girl.

  “What, are you going to shoot me?”

  “Just keep your mouth shut, or I might.” He edged into the room. His eyes fell upon the monitor. “What the hell is that thing?”

  “That is why I’m here,” Dominic answered. “I’m studying it.”

  “Sure is ugly. I’ve never seen anything like that.” Silas peered closer. “What is it?”

  “I think that might be one of your friends.” Dominic took some pleasure in the shocked look on his captor’s face. “I believe it was a man named Boyd?”

  “Boyd?” Silas shook his head. “Holy shit. What did you do to him?” He pointed the gun at Dominic, his finger tensing on the trigger.

  “Me, nothing,” stammered Dominic, suddenly realizing the danger he was in. “He was like that when I arrived.”

  “So if that is Boyd, where the hell is Jerry?”

  “The other man? I don’t know,” Dominic said. “I do know that they were both exposed to some sort of pathogen. Actually, it wasn’t really a pathogen per se, but rather a genetically engineered substance that contained DNA altering capabilities.”

  “Jesus. It does exist.” Silas said. “Goddam. Jerry was right.” He tore his eyes away from the monitor. “How did they get infected?”

  “Accident, I believe. They dropped a tray of vials trying to steal them.”

  “A tray of vials?” Silas voice rose in pitch. “Are there more vials down here?”

  “No.” Dominic lied. He hoped Silas didn’t detect the slight tremble in his voice, or the vein throbbing below his left eye, like it always did when he was under stress. “There was just one.”

  “I don’t believe you.” Silas shifted position. “Where are these vials?”

  “I told you, there was only one.”

  “Don’t lie to me!” Silas screeched. He reached out and took a hold of Mina, pulling her close. She let out a startled yelp as he raised the gun and placed it against her skull. “Tell me about the vials, or I put a bullet straight through this pretty young thing’s head.”

  “Don’t tell him anything.” Mina struggled against her captor, a look of terror on her face.

  Decker took a step forward. “Leave her alone. If you want to kill someone, shoot me.”

  “Sorry. The girl makes far better leverage,” Silas said. “Now stop right there before something happens that we both regret.”

  Decker lifted his arms. “Fine. I’m done. Just don’t hurt her.”

  “That depends on our friendly egghead over there, and whether or not he tells me what I want to know – no lies this time.” Silas turned his attention to Dominic. “I’m waiting.”

  “Down the hall, in a cold storage locker behind one of the labs.” Dominic was aware he shouldn’t give away the location of the vials, but he also knew he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he was responsible for the girl’s death.

  “Good boy. See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Silas let Mina go.

  She hurried away and joined Decker, huddling close to him.

  “Now why don’t we all take a walk along the corridor and see what we can find.” Silas pointed the gun toward the door. “You first, mister scientist man, then the cop. The girl goes last. If either of you try anything I shoot her first.”

  Dominic stood up and crossed the room toward the door.

  He didn’t look back, not wanting to see the gun again, and entered the corridor, with the others close behind.

  He turned left and led the group down two doors, then entered the laboratory on his right, all too aware that if the vials reached the surface and were unleashed on an unsuspecting population, it would cause havoc. There would be pandemonium. Those who were exposed would succumb just like the man in quarantine, and those that were lucky enough to be further from ground zero would end up fighting for their lives against an unstoppable and remorseless enemy. On the other hand, he could not stand there and watch an innocent girl get gunned down in cold blood.

  “They are in that walk-in freezer.” Dominic pointed to a large metal door set into the far wall of the room. “At the back, in a glass cabinet.”

  “Move.” Silas nudged the group forward. When they reached the metal door he ordered them to stop, then spoke to Decker. “Open it up.”

  “I don’t think so,” Decker said in a low voice.

  “Do I have to remind you what will happen if you don’t do as I say?” Silas raised the gun, his eyes never straying from Decker.

  “Alright. Just put the gun down.” Decker stepped up to the door, gripped the handle and depressed the latch. He swung the door open.

  A sudden blast of chilled air gushed from the freezer.

  “Inside, now.” Silas motioned toward the freezer. “All of you.”

  Together they stepped into the freezer. As soon as they moved past the door Mina froze.

  A startled scream esca
ped her.

  She backed up, barely avoiding Decker.

  “How did that thing get down here?” She stared at the creature on the gurney with a look of horror upon her face.

  “Jesus.” Silas stopped short. “Is that Jerry?”

  “No.” Dominic pushed past them and walked over to the gurney. “It’s one of the original test subjects. It had been frozen down here for years, decades. It’s perfectly safe, I assure you.”

  “Test subject?” Mina stared at the body. “It looks just like the monster that chased me.”

  “Chased you?” There was a blank look on Dominic’s face, and then, suddenly, it was as if he understood. “Oh my God. No wonder Hunt wouldn’t tell me what happened to the second thief. It’s because he’s on the loose.”

  “You mean that thing that chased me used to be a man?”

  “Yes. Just like the one I have in quarantine.” Dominic scratched his head. “Oh, this is bad. I didn’t know we had a containment breach. I assumed Hunt had killed the other guy.”

  Silas interrupted. “Wait. Are you trying to say that Jerry is out there somewhere, and that he has turned into one of those…?” He struggled for words. “One of those monsters?”

  “Yes.” Dominic nodded. “That is precisely what I’m saying.”

  “And Boyd is in your quarantine area, the same way?”

  “Yes.”

  “Shit. Goddamit.” He stood in silence for a while, and then took a long, deep breath. Composing himself, he spoke again. “You know what. It doesn’t matter. It’s just two less people to split the money with. Lucky me, I get to keep it all for myself.”