“You’re right Cody,” Mackenzie said. “You don’t understand. It’s as pointless to fight them as it is to try and stop the tide coming in. Our time is up in this world. It’s a hard concept to grasp I know. But individual lives are no longer relevant – that means my loved ones, your loved ones and everyone else’s. Don’t waste your time clinging onto a history that no one will remember. The universe has moved on and we - the human race aren’t invited.”
“We still matter,” Cody said.
“If you keep thinking like that,” Mackenzie said, “you’ll have more pain to endure.”
Cody sat up straight. His back muscles were stiff thanks to the cheap seats.
“So what happens to you?” Cody said. “When it’s over. When the last man or woman is gone. When they have Rachel and everything else they want. You’ve served them well. What happens to you after that?”
“I’ll be betrayed and killed,” Mackenzie said. “Or perhaps they’ll keep their promise and take me out of here with Rachel. That’s as close to eternal life as I can hope for.”
The door to the medical room swung open. The doctor walked out and approached Mackenzie with a toothy smile.
She didn’t even look at Cody.
“She’s still in pain,” the doctor said. “But it’s not quite as severe as it was. I’d like to keep her overnight for observation if I may. Usually I’d discharge, send her back upstairs to rest but considering who it is…”
“You’re the doctor,” Mackenzie said, getting slowly back to his feet.
“Can I see her?” Cody said, standing up.
The doctor shook her head. “Not yet.”
“Why not?” Cody said.
But the doctor had already turned her attention back to Mackenzie. She reminded Cody of an overexcited schoolgirl, fawning over the local heartthrob who’d just pulled up outside the gate on a motorcycle. “You look tired,” she said. Her arm twitched, like she was desperate to reach out and touch Mackenzie. “When did you last sleep?”
Mackenzie scratched at a dark shadow of stubble under his chin.
“It’s been a while.”
Now there was a stern look in the doctor’s eye, like she’d reverted to playing a mom role. “Doctor’s orders,” she said. “Get someone else to keep watch over him and you go get some shut-eye upstairs. You’re no use to anyone if you’re not firing on all cylinders. Okay?”
She winked at him.
“Okay,” Mackenzie said. “Thanks Helen.”
“No problem,” she said. “I’ll go grab a guard from upstairs. Back in a minute.”
The doctor walked down the corridor, her heels clicking off the floor tiles.
“I think she likes you,” Cody said.
Mackenzie dusted down his suit jacket with his hands. “You should go back up…”
“I’m staying here,” Cody said. “I told Rachel I’d be here.”
Mackenzie looked too tired to argue. Cody was counting on it.
“Suit yourself,” Mackenzie said.
It wasn’t long before the doctor came back down the corridor with a guard in tow. The guard was a young man in his late twenties. He was clean-shaven with a slim build, and dressed in a tight fitting black suit. There was a faintly exotic look about him, a hint of East Asian origins with his light brown skin and monolid eyes.
The guard looked eager to please. He walked up to Mackenzie with a spring in his step like he was going to ask for the man’s autograph.
“Want me to put him in cuffs boss?” the guard said, looking over at Cody. The guard reached a hand inside his suit, as if to pull out the restraints.
Cody watched. At that moment, the seed of an idea sprouted in his mind.
Mackenzie looked at the guard and shook his head.
“No cuffs unless he misbehaves,” he said. “Just stay on him like a rash. If he goes for a piss then you hold his dick. Stay close, understand?”
“Sure thing boss,” the guard said.
Mackenzie turned around and trudged back down the corridor. The doctor watched him go, her ravenous eyes lingering on the man’s firm butt.
When he was gone, she went back into the medical room and shut the door.
The young guard settled into his shift. He leaned his back up against the wall and let out a bored yawn. Cody sat down on the plastic seat again, watching the man out of the corner of his eye. He noticed the black pistol grip poking out of the guard’s waist. Cody had a feeling the man was packing a Glock 19, similar to his own.
It was a waiting game now. He’d make his move when it felt right.
Cody was thankful that he’d gotten some sleep upstairs. His mind was alert. It had to be – they were relying on him.
There was little chance of Cody striking up a rapport with the guard. What must the young man have been thinking? Here he was, watching over a stranger in the corridors of a random office building in the ruins of San Antonio. It sure as hell wasn’t what he’d dreamed of doing with his life. How many people had this young man lost? What had Mackenzie promised him in return for his service?
“I need to go,” Cody said.
The young man looked over at Cody. He lazily scratched his chin with the tips of his knuckles, as if out of boredom more than need.
“Go?” he said.
“Take a leak.”
The guard’s eyes rolled over. “Can’t it wait?”
“No,” Cody said. “I’m happy to go by myself. Or I can piss right here all over the floor. But I don’t think your boss would like either one of those options.”
“Fine,” the guard said. He drew the pistol out of his waist. Sure enough, it was a Glock. Cody peered at the weapon but he couldn’t tell if it was the same one that had been taken from him earlier.
“C’mon let’s go,” the guard said. “On your feet.”
Cody walked down the corridor with the guard at his back. The guard called out instructions, directing Cody to the nearest bathroom, a mere thirty seconds hike from the medical room.
They walked inside and Cody ventured over to the urinal trough. He reached for the zipper on his pants. The guard followed him up to the trough, stopping just a few inches behind Cody’s back.
“Are you serious?” Cody said, glancing over his shoulder. “You’re actually going to hold my dick?”
“Not quite,” the guard said. “Don’t get excited.”
“Give me a break,” Cody said, turning around and unzipping his pants. “I understand there’s not a lot of women around San Antonio these days but still...”
“Shut up and piss,” the guard snapped.
But Cody struggled to get the waterworks flowing. He wasn’t used to someone standing so close behind him while he emptied his bladder. His mind raced back and forth. The guard would get suspicious if Cody didn’t start peeing right away. Would that put him on red alert?
Cody needed the guard to stay bored. He needed him off guard.
With a grimace, Cody closed his eyes and envisioned waterfalls and heavy rainstorms. After a few seconds, he got going although it sounded more like a leaky tap than Niagara Falls going into the trough.
When he was done, Cody zipped up his pants. He walked over to the sink and the large mirror that stretched across the bathroom wall. Once again, the guard followed close behind. Fortunately the young man’s face reflected a mood of profound boredom. He was operating on autopilot, like someone standing in a long queue at the bank.
Cody took a deep breath. His heart was racing. He stole a glimpse at the guard in the mirror as he ran the hot water tap.
The Glock was hanging at the man’s side.
“Hurry up,” the man said in a flat voice. He moved closer to Cody. He couldn’t get any closer now without touching.
Cody cupped his hands and pooled the water. A cloud of hot steam rose out of the sink, floating towards the white ceiling. The water was growing increasingly painful as it gushed onto Cody’s skin.
This is crazy.
The water s
pilled over in Cody’s hands. This was it. He had to do it now or his skin would melt. A voice screamed in his head.
Think about Rachel.
Cody spun around fast. He threw a handful of scalding water at the guard’s face. The guard was so close that he took a direct hit in the eyes. He yelped and staggered backwards, his arms flailing in the air. It wasn’t much – it was a distraction but it would buy Cody a precious few seconds.
It was enough.
Cody threw himself at the man, clamping one hand around his neck. He pushed backward to disorientate the guard further while he couldn’t see. With his other hand, Cody twisted the guards’ wrist backwards, trying to force him to drop the gun.
The guard shrieked. The gun spilled from his hand and fell to the floor. With a howl of rage, he charged forward and threw a big left hand at Cody’s chin. Cody saw it coming and slid underneath the punch. At the same time, he dove in and locked his hands around the guard’s right leg, lifting it up and pushing him back to tip him off balance.
Both men fell fast and hard.
The guard took the worst of it. The back of his head cracked off the tiles with a sickening crunch and he went out like a light. His arms went limp.
Cody jumped back to his feet. The man’s body had cushioned his fall and he was unharmed.
With his heart pounding, Cody rummaged through the guard’s pockets until he found the handcuffs. He put them down on the floor, sliding them next to the Glock.
Cody stopped.
He looked up at the door. What was that? Footsteps in the corridor? For a second, Cody thought he’d heard the light tip-tap of someone walking towards the bathroom. He tried to listen over the sound of his heavy breathing.
Nobody came in. Cody put it down to his overactive imagination and went back to work, removing the man’s dark suit jacket and pants from his body. The shirt and tie came off too. Cody dropped the pile of clothes on the floor and then dragged the unconscious guard over to the sink. He cuffed the young man to the drainpipe and thought about gagging him. In the absence of a decent gag, he let it go. With any luck, the guard wouldn’t wake up for a while.
Cody undressed and put on the man’s clothes. They were a decent fit. Looking in the mirror, he ran a hand through his dirty hair, pushing it off his face. He had to look presentable if he was going back out there. A throbbing pain was growing in the back of his head, perhaps from the fall. There were no cuts on his face or visible signs of damage.
He picked up the Glock. After checking the magazine, Cody tucked it into the waist of his pants. Then he walked over to the bathroom door open and pulled it open.
Taking one last deep breath, he walked outside.
His first instinct was to go back for Rachel. Cody wanted to get her out of that medical room as quickly as he could. But he knew it didn’t make sense to make that his first stop. That would mean he’d have to drag Rachel back upstairs to bust Nick and Crazy Diamond out of the office. That was putting Rachel at even more risk. It was best to leave her till the end. The medical room was close to the front door. Once they broke Rachel out, they’d be home free.
Cody walked back towards the stairs. The journey up to the sixth floor was long and there were a few wrong turns on the way. As he climbed the stairs, his ears pricked up at the slightest sound.
Fortunately he saw no one.
He wandered onto a familiar looking corridor at last. In the distance, Cody saw two guards sitting in plastic chairs, playing cards. Further down the corridor, he saw the wooden door with the slim glass panel – the office prison.
The guards were new. The man who’d carried Rachel downstairs was gone and so was his companion. These two men were probably just starting their shift.
With any luck they hadn’t seen Cody before.
He pulled the pistol out of his waist and kept it tucked behind his back. Then he walked slowly down the corridor towards the two men.
Both guards looked up at the same time.
“Hey guys,” Cody said. Nothing to worry about – he was dressed like they were. He was one of them. Still, Cody’s voice came out a pitch higher than usual.
“Boss sent me up here to update the prisoners,” he said. “That little girl – she’s real sick.”
Cody stopped a few feet back, keeping out of reach of the light bulb hanging off the ceiling.
One of the men nodded and dropped his cards on the chair. With a sigh, he got to his feet and rummaged around in his pockets, searching for the office key.
The other man didn’t get up. Cody could feel the man’s eyes burning a hole through him.
“Wait a minute,” the guard who was sitting down said. He inched slowly off his seat and was about to stand up. “I know you…”
Cody pulled the Glock out from behind his back.
“Sit your ass down,” he said to the guard. “No wait. Drop your weapons on the floor first – both of you, do it now.”
The man who’d been searching for the office keys held his hands up. He looked at his companion for guidance. After a moment of hesitation, both guards reached for the pistols in their suit pocket. Slowly, they put the weapons on the floor.
Cody kept the gun on them. He kneeled down and picked up both pistols, slipping them into his jacket pocket, one on either side.
“Now open that door,” Cody said, nodding towards the office. “Be quick and stay quiet or you’re dead.”
The man with the keys walked down the corridor without protest. The other guard lingered, scowling at Cody. Had he been outside the mall earlier? Cody wasn’t sure how the guard knew him – he didn’t care. It was too late for that.
“Move it,” Cody said, pointing the gun at the guard.
The man turned around and followed the other guard to the door.
The first guard unlocked the door and pushed it open. When Cody walked in behind the guards with a pistol on their backs, Nick and Crazy Diamond, who’d been sitting at the main table, leapt to their feet.
“Holy shit!” Nick said, grinning from ear to ear. “Guess who’s coming to dinner?”
Crazy Diamond ran over and gave Cody a hug. “You did it,” she said. “I knew you would.”
“It’s not over yet,” Cody said. “We’ve got to get Rachel. Nick – how about you put on one of those suits?”
Nick looked at the guards, both of who were significantly smaller and slighter in build than he was. There was a bemused expression on his face.
“You serious?” Nick said. “It’d be like dressing up in a doll’s costume.”
“Alright,” Cody said. “Screw that. We’ll just pretend I’m moving you guys downstairs or something.”
Cody pulled out the guns in both pockets. He handed one to Nick, who took it and checked the magazine.
“What about me?” Crazy Diamond said.
“I thought you didn’t know how to use a gun,” Cody said.
“I don’t like guns,” Crazy Diamond said. “But that’s not going to help us around here, is it?”
Cody handed the spare pistol over. “You sure?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Crazy Diamond said, taking the gun. “Needs must. C’mon Cody, let’s go get that girl of yours.”
Cody nodded and walked over to the door. “You two hide your guns on the way downstairs,” he said, looking at Nick and Crazy Diamond. “You’re my prisoners remember?”
They locked the guards in the office and crept back downstairs.
Cody kept to the back of the line, whispering directions to the others while pointing a gun at them. When they reached the first floor, they crept down the long empty corridor that led towards the doctor’s room.
“Almost home,” Cody whispered.
“Thank Christ,” Nick said. “I never want to see this place again.”
They slowed down as they approached the medical room. Tense glances were exchanged in the corridor. Crazy Diamond and Nick pulled out their guns and braced themselves.
Cody’s Glock was pointing at the door.
He gave the others a nod, then reached for the metal handle.
The door swung open before Cody could touch it.
The doctor was standing in the doorway. A smug grin was wrapped around her face. It stayed there, even when she noticed the guns in their hands. Rolling her eyes, the doctor pulled the door open further.
Rachel was sitting up in bed. Mackenzie was standing beside her, along with his two bodyguards, plus a third male guard.
All the suits, except Mackenzie, were pointing their guns at Rachel.
“Oh shit,” Nick said, lowering his pistol.
Crazy Diamond and Cody did likewise.
Mackenzie walked over to the door. His stride was casual.
“Welcome back,” he said, a half-smile on his handsome face. “The good news is that Rachel is feeling much better. She’s going to be fine. The bad news however, is that we don’t need you three anymore.”
Mackenzie snapped out a crisp salute. Then he stepped backwards.
“Nothing personal,” he said.
13
“Hand over your weapons,” Mackenzie said.
Cody ignored the command. He was looking at Rachel who had three rifles pointing at her head. She was looking back at him. She sat up straight in bed with a sheepish look on her face, like a kid who’d been caught stealing. Cody wasn’t stupid – he knew that if they handed their guns over, Mackenzie was going to kill them anyway. Five minutes, ten minutes from now – it didn’t matter. They were dead. And with nobody to look out for her, Rachel would suffer an even worse fate.
“Give me the guns,” Mackenzie said. “I won’t ask again.”
There was a quiet voice in the back of Cody’s head.
Kill him.
But he couldn’t do it. If Cody started a shootout in the corridor, it was almost certain that Rachel would get caught in the crossfire.
He handed the Glock over.
Crazy Diamond and Nick followed Cody’s lead.
“You’re an asshole,” Nick said to Mackenzie as he handed the pistol over. “You ain’t nothing without your invisible buddies backing you up. Isn’t that right?”
Mackenzie ignored Nick’s jibes. He took the guns and looked at Cody.
Mega Post-Apocalyptic Double Bill Page 71