by Jeff Olah
Everyone looked around in stunned silence as they exited the room and went their separate ways. Adam avoided any form of eye contact with Savannah, knowing she would be extremely upset by his actions, even though he got the exact response he was looking for out of his adversary. The goose egg on the back of his head reminding him of how serious these guys were began to sting as it rose from his head, although it was worth it. Lurch split the two of them up.
. . .
Stumpy led the way through the maze of corridors as the group followed close behind. They entered the stairway and climbed the three flights of stairs to the skybox level. As they followed him out into the plush halls that were designed to impress even the most elite of society, April and Karen were in awe of the stunning artwork and its beauty that adorned the walls. The contrast between these expensive wall coverings and the bloody handprints and stained carpet that had dried only days before was unsettling.
As they approached the door, Stumpy stopped them. Hanging his head and staring straight ahead at nothing, he said, “Don’t speak to her unless she asks you a question. She’ll tell you what to do. Let’s go.”
As he placed his hand on the doorknob and looked back towards them, his face went flush and instinctively he raised the gun to April’s head. “Where the hell is your son?”
“What… what are you asking?”
April and Karen turned around. He was gone.
“JUSTIN!”
57
The fat short man went first with his mother and Karen close behind. The sound of their shoes against the metal stairs muted any noise the door made as he closed it and hurried back in the direction of the room he had called home for the last several days. The stench of death was his compass, guiding him down the narrow corridor that preceded the home team’s locker room.
The smell intensified as the hall grew deeper and darker. Justin began to run as he crossed the hall that led to the rest of the building and caught the attention of Lurch pushing Adam and Savannah toward the other half of the facility. He didn’t look back and feared the next thing he would hear would be a bullet leaving the chamber of Lurch’s gun before he blacked out. The hall was longer than he expected and as he turned the final corner, he realized where the sounds and smells of death were coming from.
. . .
Being pushed from behind, Adam resisted once again as Savannah tried to coax him forward in hopes of not pissing off this man that already had some sort of permanent vendetta against their whole group. “Adam, let’s go. This man has had enough, can’t you see that. We don’t need to add to it.”
“Yeah, you should listen to her. You don’t know me or what I am capable of. I’ll tell you once only, you need to behave! Trust me; I couldn’t care less what happens to either of you.”
Adam spun around and took a swing at his rival… and missed. Lurch stepped aside avoiding contact and came back hard with a fist of his own, straight into Adam’s ear. Blood started to trickle from the side of his face as he vigorously rubbed away the pain. Savannah pulled Adam forward, begging him to stop. “What the hell is the matter with you? This man is obviously crazy and if you want to get us out of here we need to cooperate.” She looked up for confirmation, although Lurch didn’t even acknowledge her, he just pointed down the hall.
He was sure this man was under the direction of someone else and he was determined to prove it. “Hey, why’d you let the kid just pass in front of us and not even go after him? You waiting for approval from your boss?”
“Where that kid is headed, there’s nothing but trouble. He’ll die in here before he becomes a problem for us anyway. Now move, I can’t wait for this next part.”
. . .
The sliver of light that weaved its way out of the locker room only illuminated a small portion of the gate that held back the hundreds of Feeders trapped behind the chain link fence. It acted as a semi-transparent obstruction between not only Justin and the power grid, but also the horde that had not yet noticed his presence. He crawled in silence on all fours through the waste left behind by the painters, electricians and plumbers as he held tight to the far wall estimating thirty feet to the locker room entrance.
Brushing aside soda cans and candy bar wrappers he stopped behind the overturned trash cans that had previously housed the filth he was wading through. One of those things on the other side of the hall must have knocked it over attempting to feed on one of their victims before being locked in the cage.
There was no sense to be made of how they all were trapped behind the fence in the first place. There were men in overalls, women in business attire and even a few in warm-ups. This mixture of demographics would be odd to see all in one place, even if they weren’t Feeders. Moving around the trash can to get a better view proved to be his undoing. A small glass soda bottle rolled out of the can making just enough noise to attract the attention of the horde. They turned as a group and stumbled into the gate like cattle at feeding time.
The initial feeling of terror soon washed away and he was once again intrigued by these things who were only ten feet away. He slowly approached the chain link barrier trying to make eye contact with the biggest of the Feeders. This thing was massive; it had to be at least six and a half feet tall and well over three hundred pounds. Well-muscled, this former athlete would have been terrifying even before it turned into whatever it was. When it finally turned to face him, Justin froze in place. The hair on his arms and back of his neck stood up straight.
It only took two thunderous steps to close the gap between the two and Justin felt a streak of icy sweat run down his spine. They were less than eighteen inches apart now and this behemoth dripped blood from its mouth that splashed on the ground and ricocheted through the fence and onto Justin’s shoes. The beast slowly slid its meaty fingers through the links, gripping the fence tight and began violently shaking it back and forth, trying to rip it from its foundation. Justin slowly backed across the hall wading through the amber glow and turned back into the locker room.
. . .
Being scolded like a dog wasn’t uncommon for Stumpy. While in the police academy, he suffered many tongue lashings meant to instill teamwork and confidence under pressure. This was different. This woman had nothing to gain by treating him that way and did it simply to show her new guests that she was not one to be toyed with.
“How on earth did you lose the boy? Where did he go? I cannot believe that you were actually a man of the shield before two weeks ago. You are a disgrace.”
He didn’t even look up. He knew she would finish soon. This was just a game he needed to play until someone else showed up here and took over control from her. Maybe it should be him.
“I’m going to give you one last assignment before I have you thrown in the cage. Go get the two men and bring them here… BOTH OF THEM! Can you manage that, without losing anyone?”
He didn’t respond. Instead he turned his back to her and walked defiantly into the hall. That was his answer.
. . .
The air felt thick and heavy as the sun began to die behind the western hills. Weaving their way through the opposing player’s locker room broke the tension between the two men. Savannah finally was able to stop prodding Adam with mundane questions to get his attention off Lurch. There were chairs, water bottles and preseason uniforms strewn across the floor and Adam couldn’t stop staring. His dreams of being a professional athlete had long since been dashed due to a college career-ending knee injury he suffered in a freak accident at the hands of his own teammate. He had been in many professional stadiums and their locker rooms, although this felt different. It hadn’t been used by anyone. This could have been his.
“Let’s go!” Lurch said as he climbed the two steps that led to the dugout and into what remained of the day’s last light, pushing Adam forward. “This should be fun kid, you’re about to learn some manners.”
58
The temperature had risen ten degrees within the last hour and the quiet whisper f
rom the ventilation shaft had stopped, indicating the air conditioning was no longer running. Even though neither could determine exactly when it happened, the proof was in the damp circles starting to form mid-chest on both men. “A cold one would definitely do me some good right about now, whadda ya say, Mason?”
“I don’t think these idiots have any idea how to control the power in this building. Either that or they’re trying to screw with us.”
“Could be they’re screwing with us for what I did to the little guy the other day,” Randy said.
“Don’t you mean what he did to you?”
“Let’s just say the two of us haven’t finished our talk. I need to meet with him one more time before it’s all said and done.”
“I agree that he deserves a beating, although you need to be sure it doesn’t get all of us killed,” Mason said.
“Stumpy doesn’t have it in him; trust me, I know his type. I’ll show you some time.”
With his ear to the door, he tried listening to the activity inside with absolutely no luck. He already knew he wouldn’t be able to hear anything other than muffled tones and inaudible murmuring. Withdrawing his pistol with one hand, he used the other to slide the key into the lock ever so gently.
While trying to avoid alerting his reluctant detainees of his entry, Stumpy couldn’t help thinking that the key slowly passing against the lock tumblers one at a time sounded quite a bit like soldiers marching side by side to their own death.
Pushing the door open and in one motion pointing the gun at the man he had so boldly knocked to the ground only days before, he figured he would catch them off guard and immediately get the upper hand.
“Whooooaaaaa, what’s going on,” Mason said.
“You two need to come with me. I don’t want any trouble.”
“We’ll come with you, but put the gun down. We’re not looking to cause you any trouble… isn’t that right, Randy?”
“Sure, but we’re not through little man.”
“Where are we going?” Mason asked.
Lowering the pistol and softening a bit, he looked at both men a brief second before continuing, “SHE wants to see you, ALL OF YOU. The rest of your family and friends are with her now and I don’t know what she wants, so don’t even ask.”
Randy stepped toward the little man and smiled. “Good, let’s go see her, whoever she is.”
Mason slid his shoes back on and met the others at the door. “Where’s your buddy?”
“He’s taking the rest of your friends to her now. You are the last ones; they’re waiting for you two, so let’s get going… One last thing, I know you both have reason to feel a certain way toward me, especially you,” Stumpy said pointing to Randy. “However, this woman is not to be messed with. If you want to live to see tomorrow, you’ll do whatever she asks. I’m serious, WHATEVER she asks.”
“Yeah sure,” Randy said. “We’ll see.”
Not about to let someone else get past him, Stumpy took the rear and let the two men lead the way under his direction. “Turn left at the end of the hall and the door to the stairwell is straight ahead about fifty feet. Don’t try anything. Your family is already there and waiting for you.”
Randy laughed. “Yeah, you already said that.”
Making eye contact with Randy and then looking back at the man with the gun trained on their backs, Mason thought he’d redirect. Looking back again he asked, “Any idea why the sudden change in temperature? It went from ice cold to desert hot within the last few hours.”
“Not really sure, it’s not my thing,” said Stumpy.
Randy stopped, turned and took three quick steps, now face to face with Stumpy. “What IS your thing… little man? I’ll bet my last dollar we are about to find out.”
“Tough guys like you are all the same. Your last dollar won’t do you a bit of good here, although you’re right, you ARE going to find out…” Stumpy said, putting the gun against Randy’s forehead. “Last chance, MOVE.”
Mason reach in, grabbing Randy by the back of the shirt. “Let’s go, the time will come, just not now. Let’s get to the others. They need us alive.”
The trio started forward again and quickly reached the stairwell. “Listen to your friend, he knows what he’s talking about. Start climbing, I’ll let you know when we’re there.”
. . .
This woman looked like anyone else they might have seen only weeks ago on the street and passed without a second glance. Nothing special or distinct about her physical appearance, although she stood leaning against the bar with an aura of confidence and strength that was obvious. “Where do you suppose your son has run off to?”
“I have no idea, are you sending someone to find him?” April asked.
“No, I do not have time for his childlike games. I’m sure he’s fine.”
“My son is out there somewhere in this building with those monsters running loose and you think that’s fine?”
“April, the building is completely secure and there are none of those things loose in the entire facility.”
“But, your men said…”
“They told you what you needed to hear so you’d stay in your rooms. I couldn’t have eight new strangers running around this place doing who knows what. I wanted to be sure of your intentions.”
Her patience had just about run out. They’d been cooperative for far too long with these people holding them captive. Karen wasn’t afraid of this woman and had dealt with her type many times while negotiating in heated boardroom discussions. “Our intentions? The only plan we have is to stay alive. That shouldn’t threaten you or whatever it is you have going on in this stadium.”
They could all sense that this woman wouldn’t respond to anything less than the same confident demeanor she so boldly displayed. “So,” Karen asked. “Where are the rest of our friends and family? Where are Savannah and Adam?”
“You heard me ask to have the rest of your group brought here, so if they don’t cause any trouble along the way, they’ll be here any moment. As for the two lovebirds, you’ll also see them in just a few minutes. So just relax. Can I offer you a glass of water?”
. . .
Upon reaching the door, Stumpy asked Mason and Randy to stop, stand to the side and stay quiet. He moved around in front of them with his back to the door and slid the gun back into his waistband. “Gentlemen, DO NOT mistake my sudden kindness for weakness. If you pull anything while we are in here I will not hesitate to…”
His words were broken by sudden laughter coming from both men which was obviously condescending. Randy reached around the little man grabbing the door handle, half surprised it was unlocked and looking back shook his head. “Nice speech, we completely believed you, but let’s get on with this. We don’t need you anymore. I want to speak to whoever is giving you your marching orders.”
Leaning in, Randy pushed the door open and walked across the threshold.
59
The cherry wine lockers and light blue carpeting made him feel as though he entered an amusement park and was caught in the fun house. The other parts of the stadium were a much toned down version of what was happening here and Justin finally realized everything in this vicinity of the building had a very specific color for a reason.
He picked up a football jersey from a pile of waste in the center of room and knew that other than a few members of the press, he was the only one that had ever seen these new uniforms up close and that no one else ever would. With baseball season next, he tried to imagine how the team might attempt to shove these hideous colors into uniforms of their own. He didn’t think it could get much worse than the one he was holding and tossed it back on the pile before turning his attention to the equipment room.
He had his mind on something very specific and with a quick scan of the room he knew it wasn’t here. “They have to have one, where is it?” Justin quickly moved from one room to the next within the enormous player area checking closets, offices and film rooms, with no luck. Just
when he was about to give up while leaning against the door outside the General Manager’s office, he spotted his treasure. It hung on the wall next to the fire extinguisher like a trophy he had just won and now needed to come forward and make the obligatory acceptance speech. “Perfect… Absolutely PERFECT!”
The bright red handle and stainless steel blade had him mesmerized. Plucking it from the bracket, the axe felt much lighter in his hand than he anticipated. A smile slid across his face as he took a few two-handed swings at the drywall, now not so new. “Here we go,” he said as he rested the axe on his shoulder and headed back to the gate that housed what looked to him like hundreds of Feeders. He didn’t care what happened to the rest of them; he only wanted the big one. Justin wanted to let him loose.
“UP ON THE FIELD NOW!”
Stopping instantly, the voice was coming from a good distance away. Justin turned back and made his way around the overturned equipment cart, helmets and shoulder pads showcased for high level investors, now just a mess no one would ever clean up. The voice was familiar and getting louder or closer, he couldn’t tell which.
“I SAID MOVE, NOW!”
Pushing past the remaining debris, Justin came to the steps leading to the dugout. He paused for a moment, set the axe against the wall, crouched down and proceeded up to the benches. In the shadows granted ever so ideally by the recessed player area, Justin peered out over the grass and saw his friends.
Lurch had Adam by the neck, dragging more so than guiding him out toward the center of the field, while holding Savannah at bay with the gun he had trained on her head. She followed close behind and wasn’t saying a word. Adam’s blood-speckled and bruised face showed he’d been on the opposite end of Lurch’s less than even temper more than once. Still thrashing about and attempting to break free from the vice-like grip Lurch had on his neck, it was fairly obvious Adam was just about out of gas.