by Ryan Hill
“Who are you? Why are you helping us?” Bailey bit his lip. “And who are you?”
“Name’s Franklin. This is Julie. The better question is who are you, and what the hell were you doing at Percy’s?”
Bailey wished he hadn’t opened his mouth. Alexis was dying right next to him, and playing twenty questions with Franklin felt stupid, doubly so if he found out about the museum. “Is Alexis going to be okay?”
Head down, she tugged Bailey’s shirt. “Did I trade legs with a monster?”
What? Legs? Oh, hell.
The black poison swallowed Alexis’s leg whole, and inched toward the toes on the other. Bailey felt the infected leg. It almost burned to the touch. That anxious, claustrophobic feeling wrapped around his body.
“Jesus.” If only he could do something to help.
Alexis leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Bailey fought back the nerves, focusing on his one chance to help his friend.
Don’t let her pass out. Don’t let her pass out.
“Hey. Open your eyes.” Bailey shook her. No response. He tapped Franklin on the shoulder. “How do I keep her from passing out?”
“Snap your fingers. Shout. Slap her. Whatever it takes, just keep her awake.”
“Alexis.” Bailey shook her again, but still nothing. He decided to shout. “Alexis!”
She’d passed out. He snapped his fingers. Time was running out. Bailey hated the idea of slapping her, but it seemed like the only option left on the table. He took a deep breath and gently hit Alexis across the face with his fingers. Her eyes opened.
“Go away.” She shoved his hand away. “I’m tired.”
“No, stay with me. You need to keep your eyes open.” Bailey tried to think of something to say, but putting himself on the spot made his mind go blank. “Hey, tell me about your sixth birthday party.”
He knew it was a stupid question, but whatever. It wasn’t exactly the most ideal setting for coming up with topics for conversation.
“Maybe later.” Alexis closed her eyes.
No, no, no!
Bailey felt panicked. He glanced toward Franklin, who kept his eyes on the road. Bailey raised his hand and then let it fall. He tried again, with the same result.
“How we doing back there?” Julie asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Do what you have to do,” Franklin said. “But don’t let her die because you insisted on being a gentleman.”
He was right, and Bailey knew it. If only he’d been wearing a wife-beater shirt. Such was life. He raised his hand and held it there. He’d never hit anyone in his life before. And of course it would be a girl taking the shot. Of course! Bailey took three quick breaths and then let loose with all the fury he could muster. His hand connected, making a loud clap sound.
Alexis jerked awake, rubbing her face. “Did you just hit me?”
Bailey was thrilled Alexis woke up but ashamed of the way she looked at him. It was a combination of hurt, anger, and sickness—the latter due to the poison. Damn Mr. Lovell for putting me in this position.
“I’m sorry. I had to.”
“Had to?” Alexis seemed alarmed. “You had to?”
“Yes, sweetie.” Franklin turned the steering wheel hard to the right, pushing everyone in the car to the left. “He had to. You should be thanking him.”
Bailey furrowed his brow. Really? Alexis should thank him for slapping her across the face? That Franklin guy seemed to be nothing but class.
“No.” Alexis said, her voice already weakening.
Bailey leaned forward, his head between the two front seats. “Where are we going?”
“My place.” Franklin peeked in the rearview mirror. “I have some stuff there that might save your friend.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” Bailey shouted. “Drive faster!”
“Yeah,” Franklin said with a chuckle. “Already going ninety.”
Bailey looked at the speedometer. Huh. They were going ninety. “Oh.”
“Relax, kid. I’ve done this before.” Franklin made a back and forth motion with his hand. “Kind of.”
“That’s inspiring.” Bailey sat back in his seat and then glanced at Alexis. Her eyelids fluttered, and all he could see were the whites of her eyes. The irises must’ve rolled back in her head. Panic sped everything up to warp speed. “She’s shaking!”
“Lift up her shirt,” Franklin said.
“Are you crazy?” Bailey’s voice cracked. Thanks, puberty. “I’m not sneaking a peek right now.”
“Grow up. I need to know if the poison has spread to her chest.” Franklin turned on the overhead light.
Bailey took a deep breath and lifted her shirt. He bit his lip, nervous about seeing Alexis’s bra, let alone her boobs. The hem of her red underwear peeked above her shorts. Beyond that was the faintest hint of black creeping toward her belly button.
“It’s near her belly button.”
“We’ve got about fifteen minutes.” Franklin sat up, eyes focused and arms straightened. The engine’s hum got louder. Bailey felt momentum push him back in his seat. Franklin spoke to himself. Bailey saw Franklin’s lips move, but nothing came out.
“How long ‘til we get there?” Bailey asked.
“Five,” Franklin said. “Then another five to get her inside, and maybe ten to mix the antidote.”
“I can do that part to save some time,” Julie said.
That sounded like too much time to Bailey. “We don’t have enough time, do we? God, she’s going to die.”
“Calm down.” Franklin held up a hand. “I’m not saying that. I’m just saying we’re cutting it close.”
“Too close.” The rush of emotion was too much for Bailey. Eyes watering, his body pushed out the feelings he couldn’t handle.
“Then we don’t have time to argue semantics, do we?”
Bailey’s head jerked forward as Franklin slammed on the brakes. Bailey tried to stop Alexis’s momentum but accidentally grabbed one of her breasts in the process. His hand jerked back, and she slammed into the seat in front of her.
Great. I felt up Alexis and let her face get plastered in the past two seconds. What’s next? A rhino jams its horn up my ass?
Franklin made a right turn into the parking lot of a nondescript apartment complex. He yanked on the emergency brake, tires screeching as they slid to a stop in a spot. The seat belt caught Bailey’s body as it lurched forward. His head kept going, and when it couldn’t go any further, it snapped back. Something in his neck popped. It hurt, but there wasn’t any time to worry about whiplash. He climbed out of the Mustang and then reached back in to get Alexis out. Franklin took her by an arm and pulled. Bailey sneezed, agitating his neck. He let go, and Alexis fell onto the pavement.
“Come on.” Bailey’s frustration made him want to kick something. Really hard.
“Don’t worry about it. She’s fine. You’d be surprised how often I’ve had to do this.” Franklin threw Alexis over his shoulder and they rushed to the elevator.
Bailey watched Alexis, head jerking up and down as Franklin ran. Bailey wished she’d open her eyes. Everything would be okay if that happened. One day, he’d maybe forget about tonight all together. Deep down, though, he knew that wouldn’t be the case. She probably wasn’t waking up. Franklin was probably full of it.
Julie was the first to the elevator. She pressed the up button, and the four of them were left to wait in agonizing silence for the elevator car to arrive. It felt like hours to Bailey.
“Hurry up.” He pouted, stomping his foot.
“Easy kid,” Franklin said, adjusting Alexis on his shoulder. “Julie, reach into my pants.”
Julie looked like Franklin said something that wasn’t funny. “Excuse me?”
“Get over yourself,” Franklin said. “My keys are in my left pocket. You need to take them out and—”
Ding!
The elevator doors opened. They stepped inside. Franklin pressed the button for the third f
loor and then repeatedly stabbed the close door button. After the tenth try, they shut. Julie reached in and took out the keys.
“We have about five seconds before the elevator opens. I’m in 307,” Franklin said. “The gold key unlocks the door. Go as fast as you can.”
Julie went through the keys and then held up one. “This it?”
“Good girl. Now. Kitchen’s to your left. In the first cabinet to your right, you’ll find a leather medicine bag. Take out the book and go to the page that says Remedium de Caeles at the top. After that, just follow the recipe. It’s around page twelve, I think.”
“Page twelve.”
Julie moved closer to the doors, waiting for them to open. Bailey felt the car’s momentum stop. They’d reached the third floor. The elevator doors dinged open. Julie sprinted out, her steps pounding on the concrete. Bailey followed behind Franklin.
“You’ve got this,” Bailey said, trying to reassure both Alexis and himself. Never mind that in her state, she most likely wouldn’t hear a death metal concert if it was being played three feet away.
“Just a few more feet.” Franklin carried Alexis on his shoulder, like she was a bag of flour, into his condo. “Hang on, sweetie.”
Julie left the door open for them. Bless her. Franklin ran into the dining area, and set out a chair. Bailey helped Franklin get Alexis off of his shoulder and then made sure she wouldn’t fall out the chair. Her limp head fell to the side, exposing her pale neck. Bailey was glad there weren’t any vampires around. They’d probably take that as open invitation.
Franklin lifted Alexis’s shirt up to her belly button. The poison turned every inch of her stomach. He lifted the shirt all the way to the bottom of her bra. Still all black. He pulled the shirt off completely. His head dropped. “Damn.”
Bailey couldn’t believe it. Alexis’s entire chest was black. The poison had made it up to her collarbone. He didn’t see any way the antidote would be ready in time. They were really, truly, grade A, 100 percent screwed.
“Almost there.” Julie stirred the Remedium in a coffee mug, the spoon clanging against the ceramic with each turn.
“Almost there isn’t fast enough.” Franklin rushed over to Julie. He pressed his hands down on the counter as hard as he could. “Need to go.”
“Going as fast as I can.”
Bailey was frantic, watching the two of them in the kitchen. He squeezed his hands together, trying to relieve some of the stress. Please, God, tell them to hurry the hell up. They weren’t making a cup of tea. It was medicine. What was taking so long? He glanced back at Alexis, the poison creeping up her neckline. “Shit!”
Franklin looked over at Bailey and Alexis, grimacing. “Shit.”
Bailey rocked back and forth, grabbing at his hair. “Any time you’re ready.”
“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Julie said.
“What the hell does that mean?” Bailey shouted. Neither responded. “Tell me!”
Franklin slammed his fist on the counter. “It means shut up and let her work.”
The outburst hurt Bailey’s feelings. He didn’t mean to screw them up. Sometimes, his anxiety got the better of him. Damn it, why did it have to happen?
The poison moved farther up Alexis’s neck. All Bailey could do was stand and watch, a helpless feeling eating him alive. He’d have given his soul for the chance to cure her. Watching her die a slow death was worse than any torture the CIA, or anyone else, could’ve done to him. He’d jump out of a window if that antidote wasn’t ready within the next five—
Julie clapped. “Done!”
Franklin carried the coffee cup with both hands, taking care to keep it from spilling. His gaze darted over to Bailey. “Keep it together, kid. I can’t do this without you.”
Bailey took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. When they opened, the poison covered almost all of Alexis’s neck. Okay body, this is our chance. Don’t screw it up. Anxiety, I’m talking to you now. I will pump myself up with so many meds we’ll be in a coma the rest of our lives if you fuck with me right now. “What do you need?”
Franklin stood next to Alexis, slowly lowering the cup to her lips. “Hold her mouth open.”
Bailey pushed on her cheeks, but that only gave Alexis a fish face. He pulled up on her nose and down on her jaw. That did the trick. Franklin held the cup against her mouth. Bailey saw the poison crawl up to her jawbone, and had to look away. It was too much.
“Eyes on her,” Franklin said.
“Sorry.”
The cup tilted toward Alexis. The antidote reached the edge, ready to slide into her mouth like a smooth coffee. Her eyes opened. She gasped. Bailey struggled to hold her mouth open. Franklin started pouring, but Alexis convulsed, spilling some of the antidote on her cheek. Franklin tried to move the cup away and let the tremors pass, but a flailing arm flew up, knocking the cup, and the antidote, out of his hand. Everything moved in slow motion as Bailey watched the cup fall on the linoleum and shatter into pieces, spreading the antidote, and Alexis’s hope for survival, all over the floor.
“Sweet Mary mother of…”
Bailey couldn’t hear the rest of what Franklin said under his breath, but it seemed to be variations of words that rhymed with buck, flit, and lamb. Franklin reached through the opening in the kitchen for some paper towels and then used them to soak up as much of the antidote as possible. Unable to keep the stress inside any more, tears streamed down Bailey’s face. He held Alexis, hoping in vain it would stop her seizure.
Julie grabbed a new cup from the cabinet and got to work mixing another batch. With the paper towels soaked through, Franklin held them over Alexis’s mouth, straining the liquid down her throat. Some of it missed, dripping on her chin.
“Hopefully that’ll slow things down.” Franklin finished wringing the towels out and dropped them on the floor, landing with a wet thump. “How are we coming on that second batch?”
“Almost.” Julie moved quickly but carefully. Another accident would absolutely be lethal to Alexis.
The poison reached her eyes, and the violent shaking calmed down. Bailey hoped that meant the poison was slowing down, buying them a little extra time. He whispered into her ear that she was okay, rocking her back and forth in his arms. Franklin motioned for him to stop and then opened her eyelids. The poison shrouded them in darkness.
So much for extra time. Anybody have an axe? If so, please chop my head off, quick and easy. Won’t feel a thing.
“Almost isn’t good enough.” Franklin spoke through gritted teeth. “Now or never.”
Bailey let go of Alexis, her skin cooling down. He didn’t know much about medicine, but that reeked of death to him. He slid down on the floor, wrapping his arms around his body, wishing he could squeeze the pain out. Face buried between his arms, stuck in that terrible moment before reality crashed down like a meteor, Bailey could barely handle the truth. Alexis was dead. Dear Lord, she was dead.
“Here.”
Julie handed Franklin the new mix. He pried open Alexis’s mouth, poured it in, and then tilted her head all the way back so it wouldn’t just spill out. The three of them sat, frozen in suspense, waiting for Alexis to get better. She didn’t.
“Sh—she’s dead, isn’t she?” Bailey’s voice broke.
“Don’t say that.” Franklin waved him off. “There’s still a chance.”
“God. I’ve never seen a dead body before.” The realization bothered Bailey as much as the fact that Alexis was gone.
“I can’t remember how many I’ve seen.” Franklin didn’t sound too beat up about that, more like he’d stated a fact.
The poison didn’t move beyond Alexis’s eyes, but it didn’t retreat either. Bailey scanned her almost-completely-black body for any sign of life. Nothing. No pulsating artery, no chest moving up and down for breathing, nothing.
Franklin laid his fingers on her wrist, checking for a pulse. He shook his head. “I thought we had time.”
Julie pulled Bailey close.
She smelled like chicken fingers and chili. Bailey hugged her back, face locked in disbelief. His stomach did a loop-de-loop, threatening to empty its contents onto the floor. He let go of Julie and ran into the bathroom, making it to the toilet without a second to spare. The acid in his stomach burned his throat as he yakked. After emptying the contents of his stomach, he spit out bits of bile. He took a moment to catch his breath before the dry heaves set in. His abdomen feel like it was being ripped in two.
The heaves made sure there wasn’t even air left in Bailey’s stomach. The episode mercifully ended, and Bailey fell back against the bathtub, sweat on his forehead and out of breath. He wiped innards off his mouth with the back of his hand. With his mind–and body–cleared, there was nothing left to occupy his thoughts. Alexis was so excited about going on an adventure. The leukemia couldn’t get her, but that burnt toast looking asshole did. Damn him. Damn everything.
Percy checked on Mr. Lovell, making sure he was okay. He shoved the stoner off him.
“Not me,” he wheezed. “Franklin.”
“You sure?”
“Go!”
Percy ran out the door. Mr. Lovell’s eyes recovered from seeing his reflection, the tiles on the floor coming into focus. There was the rumble of an engine leaving the parking lot.
Don’t worry. Franklin will be too busy trying to save the girl tonight. We’ve bought ourselves a little time.
Percy came back inside and slammed the door. “They’re gone.”
So perceptive, this one.
“Doesn’t matter.” Mr. Lovell sank into the couch, taking a moment to relax. “Franklin came for the Shell, and wound up with a bunch of kids, one of whom will probably be dead by dawn, if not sooner. Kind of funny, if you think about it.”
“How’s that?”
Mr. Lovell snapped his fingers, but with the gloves on, they made no sound. “Just like that, he’s gone from bounty hunter to babysitter. The man’s spent two thousand years hunting his brother, and now he has to read a bunch of children bedtime stories.”
That is funny. Even I didn’t think about it like that.
“But don’t you want to go after them?” Percy motioned toward the door. “They couldn’t have made it that far. We can take care of everybody at once.”