By the time we got out of the prison wing, there were more of us than I couldn’t quickly count … more than fifty. Dad lead us down a side hallway to his lab.
We found a large, dark, empty workshop halfway there and had all the prisoners hide inside.
“Stay here. Stay quiet, and we’ll be right back,” Jack whispered to a room full of wide eyes. Then he pointed to a workbench along one wall with tools and pieces of metal pipe. “And if they come here before we do … feel free to defend yourselves.”
Dad’s lab was more than ten times the size of the cells. There were tables set up with chemistry equipment and several different instruments I didn’t recognize. The shelves on one wall were lined with row upon row of small jars, each with a neatly printed label. A large whiteboard stood on a stand in the back. It was covered with incomprehensible scribbles that I could only assume were formulas and advanced equations that were way over my head.
The moment we entered, Jack slid a metal lock quietly across one door and sent me to guard another entry. There were several more, though, and we couldn’t cover them all.
“We need to hurry.” Jack’s voice was calm, but we could both hear more activity in the surrounding halls than had been there before. He held the walkie-talkie to his ear, but it was turned down so low I couldn’t make out any noise from where I stood. If no one had noticed the empty cells yet, they would soon.
Dad moved from shelf to shelf picking up different chemicals, turning on burners, mixing concoctions. Every few seconds I heard him whisper, “No … no, this won’t work,” under his breath and then move on to the next shelf.
Boots ran directly past my door and I glanced out to see three guards running by with guns raised. They definitely knew about the prisoners now. When I turned back, I saw Dad speaking low and fast to Jack, whose skin looked ashen.
They both jumped when I spoke. “Um … Dad? You almost ready?”
He stopped in place and stared at me, slowly shaking his head. His eyes looked sad but sure as Jack left him to stand by a third doorway. “Yes. Give me a couple more minutes.”
“That may be all we have,” Jack said.
Now Dad moved with purpose, mixing this and that in a small pot over a burner. He brought over a few other ingredients, nodded twice, and then pulled a paper and pen out of a desk drawer.
Boots ran past again and I held my breath as I waited. This base was so big, it would take them a couple minutes to organize an effective search.
At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.
“I’m done. Come over here, quickly.” Crumpling up the paper, Dad waited as we both came back to the table.
“You’re ready?” Jack’s voice sounded uncertain and his eyes were locked on Dad’s vials and ingredient labels.
“Yes.” Dad pushed the paper into Jack’s hand and then drummed the fingers of his right hand against his thigh. “This is for after.”
“After what?” Jack opened the paper. His eyes squinted at the scribbles while Dad turned to me.
“Is this what I think it is?” The mixture of awe and anguish in Jack’s voice snapped me out of it.
“Yes.” Dad lead us toward the door we’d come in through and peeked out into the hallway. “You must get out of here as fast as you can. Take care of each other.” He put one hand on each of our shoulders and pulled us in for another hug.
“You—you’re coming with us. You have to come with us.” My voice shook, my body shook, my whole world was shaken at the idea of losing him again.
“I’d hoped I could … but this lab must be destroyed to ensure the end of Eclipse. There’s too much information they could use to build on here. And I don’t have the right ingredients for a time-delay.” He gave me a sad smile. “I’m afraid I have to stay here to make sure you both can escape.”
“No … you can’t.” My heart ripped a new tear with each beat and I was flooded with memories of losing him the first time.
“From the moment I realized what Eclipse could do, my life was over.” Dad’s eyes were haunted, tortured. “But I’ve never told anyone how to make it or even what goes into it.” He gestured to the wall with a proud half-smile. “I’ve requested hundreds more ingredients than I actually needed. Even if they had a list, it could still be a century before they figured it out.”
Then the smile turned fierce. “And I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure they don’t have any list … or me to chase down anymore.”
“No—no—” The repeated word was empty hope, but I clung to it anyway.
“This hasn’t been a life, Parker.” Dad’s eyes were sad and so tired. “Not for me, and not for Jack. This is my gift to you, your mother, your friends, and everyone you will ever love. They know the prisoners are out of their cells by now, but they don’t know you’re here. I can distract them, and then destroy this lab while you two get yourselves and the prisoners out safely. This is the only thing I can give my boys that’s worth anything. Please don’t take that from me.”
He turned toward Jack. “Remember me as Dad. You’ll never have to call me anything else ever again.”
Jack’s shoulders were trembling, but when Dad looked at him, he gave him a firm nod and a hug. Dad whispered. “You’ll be the answer. You’ll know what to do.”
“I love you … Dad.”
Jack’s eyes were wet, but I was numb. How was I supposed to know how to finally find, and then lose, my father in under an hour? How could I do this? But knowing what he was about to do, about to sacrifice, so that our lives wouldn’t have to be spent on the run like his had … how could I not give him whatever he needed from me?
Dad pulled me against his chest and rubbed his hand across my hair as tears broke free and fell down my face. “I’m so sorry you couldn’t see me, but know that I was always watching over you. I’ve always been more proud of you than you’ve ever known. I couldn’t be there for you myself, but I gave you the greatest treasure I’ve ever had—your mom.”
He lifted my face and smiled. “Now it’s your turn to take care of her. And when you finally decide to tell her all of this, please tell her that I have never, will never, stop loving her.”
I drew in a shaky breath. “I will. I love you.”
Dad turned his gaze on Jack, then released me as he reached out and pulled Jack into his arms. “I know you can do everything you’ll need to. I’d never trust anyone else with that paper. No one else.” Jack hugged Dad back, but he kept a firm hold on his emotions as Dad continued. “I’ve always had more faith in you than you’ve had in yourself. Now is no different. I love you and I know you can fix everything I’ve broken.”
“Are—are you sure—” But before Jack could finish, Dad patted him on the shoulder and turned him back toward the door.
“Now go. Be careful. Make sure you get everyone out safe.” Dad met my eyes and I understood his message. Then he grabbed the walkie-talkie from Jack’s belt and waved us out.
We listened, waiting for boots in the hall. I looked back one last time before following Jack around the corner. Dad gave us a brave smile, then ducked back into his lab.
“Wait … ”
Jack looked at me, his voice still choked up with emotion. “What? We can’t … he won’t … ”
“I know. Is he … how is he going to do it?”
Jack blinked at me. “He’s a phenomenal chemist with a lab full of chemicals. You have any wild guesses?”
“That’s what I thought.” My words shook as I swallowed back the massive lump of loss in my throat. Then I walked quietly toward the room we’d left the prisoners in. “Let’s make sure we hold up our end of the deal.”
“How many are there?” I whispered, my voice so small I could just barely hear it.
“Eight in the hall, more inside.”
I could hear whimpering and crying from the prisoners on the other side of the wall we were leaning against. The walkie-talkie of one of the guards sparked to life and I heard Dad’s voice loud an
d clear. “This is Daniel Chipp. You’ve done just about all you can do to make my life a living hell. You’ve stolen my family and my freedom. Eclipse isn’t what I started out trying to make, and I’ll be damned if I give you a way to extend your lives when you’ve cost me so much of mine.”
I peeked around the corner just in time to see the guards exchange panicked looks. One spoke sharply to the others. “We’ve got this situation under control. You five go check his lab and cell. Find him!”
Five gone—at least three to go.
As soon as the group of guards was dispatched, I decided to move. Even though I knew this might be the stupidest thing I’d ever done, I didn’t let myself think about it too much, just untucked and rumpled my shirt and messed up my hair, letting it hang down across my face. “Don’t let them kill me, okay?”
Before Jack could even question me, I turned the corner into plain view of the remaining guards. Stumbling noisily as I walked down the hall, I yelled, “Jennifer! Are you here?” I sniveled and argued with myself. “No, she isn’t. She wouldn’t leave us.”
“You, stop there!” The guards turned their attention on me.
“I’m not, you are. No—no, I can’t.” I kept muttering, careful to keep my hands open so they could see I had no weapons. I slid one foot like I had a limp and breathed as loudly as I could.
The front guard drew his gun. “I said, stop!”
But I was almost there … just a few more feet and I’d make it. I’d seen Jack at work; for this to have even a chance, the positioning had to be right.
“Jen-ni-fer?” I sung out the name and slowed down, leaning against the far wall like it was the only thing keeping me upright. Then I grew even more agitated with my muttering. “You promised she wouldn’t leave me. Shut up! Yes, you did.”
“STOP!” The front guard pointed the gun at my right temple and I froze, breathing hard, knowing I wasn’t quite in the right position yet. I still needed another couple of feet.
I stared straight at the gun and squinted as my palms sweated like mad. “Jennifer?”
Then I fell straight forward, letting my body go limp and pushing off my toes so my face crashed into the floor first. My head exploded in pain, but I knew I’d made it. The guards bent over me, their backs exposed to Jack as they muttered about “another prisoner going crazy.”
And my brother didn’t waste the opportunity.
He sprinted silently up and kicked the legs out from under one guard, sending him crashing headfirst into the stone wall. Then Jack grabbed the now-lowered gun out of the hand of the other guard before he could react and brought it down hard on his head. More guards came out into the hallway, just as Jack pressed the gun to the third guard’s temple.
“Everyone drop your guns and move back inside the workshop.” Jack voice was low and almost sinister.
The first guard to follow orders lowered his gun directly in front of my face. When I grabbed it from him and climbed to my feet, the guards’ eyes went wide.
“Jennifer?” Jack grinned over at me. “Nice … but maybe clue me in next time?”
“Just the first thing I came up with. I’m hoping there won’t be a next time.”
Jack kicked the foot of one the guards who was moving too slow. “Then you’re more optimistic than I am.”
As soon as we were back inside, a couple of prisoners stepped forward and tied the guards up while Jack and I kept our guns trained on them. As soon as they were secure, I took one of the walkie-talkies and we lead the group down the halls toward the medical center where we’d come in.
We hadn’t made it far when we heard an emergency beacon come over the walkie-talkie. “Red Alert: All security to the lab. Red Alert: All security to the lab.”
By listening to the team’s coordinates, we were able to avoid the guards remaining in our section. Dad had security fully distracted, as he’d promised … now we had to get out of here before he finished his plan. I reminded myself not to think about Dad and pushed back another devastating wave of loss. Focusing on getting Audrey and the other prisoners out alive, I forced myself to keep everyone moving.
I stood beside Chloe’s bed, trying to decide on the best way to move her. The curtain shifted aside, and the nasal man with the medical training stared at me before suddenly laughing.
“I should’ve known you might be here. Your father is so—” He made a soft whining noise as Jack swung twice and knocked him out cold. Jack stepped on the man’s fingers.
“Do not talk about our dad” were the only words he spoke as he turned and lead the way through the labyrinth of curtains.
Most of the people behind us stepped carefully around and over the man, but I saw a couple of light kicks as well. I figured he might be a little sore … if he survived the coming explosion.
And after what they’d done to my family and these prisoners, I didn’t feel even a little bit bad about that.
Picking up Chloe, I swung her IV bag over one shoulder and her body over the other. Then I felt a slight tug on my arm. Audrey reached up and took the IV bag for me.
“Thank you.”
She gave me a shy smile, and when she said “You’re welcome” it made a little whistling sound between her teeth.
Jack found a couple of flashlights in a nearby supply room. We’d reached the end of our secret tunnel when he turned to face the rest of us. “Okay, looks like the easy part is over. Everyone ready?”
The prisoners stared back, determined and terrified. And they waited for directions.
“We’ll be leaving through this hatch directly above me. To the left is a building where they have keys for the cars in the parking lot on the right. We’ll be going out in groups of about eight, so everyone find a group. Make sure you have someone who can drive. The driver is responsible for getting everyone in the group back to their homes. I’ll go out first and break into the building to hand out keys. I’ll signal my brother when it’s time to send a new group. When you climb out, come to me to get the key, then go to your vehicle and duck down inside it and wait. If you start the car and leave early, they’ll catch you and you’ll die. Only start your car when you hear my whistle, or if you hear nearby gunshots. If we all leave at the same time, I can dump the rest of the keys and they won’t be able to catch us. Everyone understand?”
Murmurs of assent spread through the group. I was impressed.
“Dad teach you that?” I asked as Jack reached one hand up onto the ladder.
He gave me a sad smile and nodded. “Dad taught me everything I know.”
Instead of my normal jealousy, I felt curiosity … and a little pity. I’d had a pretty normal childhood. Jack had been raised to fight and to lead. “Maybe when all this is over, you can tell me more about that.”
“Deal.” He climbed up to the top and listened. I silenced the prisoners and we waited. After a few minutes, Jack gave me a thumbs-up and opened the hatch. I handed Chloe off to one of the stronger prisoners and climbed to the top, then watched the path for the security patrol as Jack took off his black jacket, wrapped it around his fist, and punched through the glass pane next to the door of the key shed. The glass was so old that it broke like spun candy. Jack unlocked the door and crept inside.
Then I saw the patrol coming in the distance. It seemed that due to the breakout, they’d doubled the frequency of their perimeter sweep. It was obvious from the lack of a bigger search out here, though, that they believed the prisoners were still inside the base.
I lowered the hatch, hoping Jack had seen them … but the door to the key shed was still open. It would be obvious. Turning off my flashlight, I waited, hoping and praying in the hushed shadows of night. Just before the patrol rounded the closest corner, I saw the door close softly and silently. I finally relaxed.
Listening close, we stood motionless in the pitch-black tunnel. Every tight breath and muted gasp of the prisoners felt like it was lending its tension to me. We were their only chance, and I wasn’t sure how long Dad would give us
to get out of here. He probably thought we were already gone. How would he know? I heard a soft sob from a couple of the prisoners, but nothing loud enough to be heard outside. Finally the patrol was out of the area, and I lifted the hatch an inch. Jack already had the door open again and was using something metallic to bounce the moonlight back at me—car keys.
“First group, time to go.”
chapter twenty-seven
It took about twenty minutes to get almost everyone into the vehicles, but Jack’s plan worked smoothly. At the end the only stragglers were Audrey, Delilah, and a grumpy middle-aged man named Mason. He kept watching Audrey like she was an animal he didn’t trust.
“You sure we shouldn’t … tie her up? Or gag her or something?” he grumbled to me when Audrey wasn’t looking. Delilah’s eyes went wide.
“Um, why?” I stared at him and could almost swear he flushed behind his full beard.
“She’s a kid,” he said as she looked up and he took a small step away from her. “Kids are loud.”
Delilah smothered a laugh behind her hand and turned away.
“Yeah … I’m pretty sure she’s been quieter than half the other people in the group.”
Mason turned away and I barely made out his response. “So far … ”
He was definitely not a kid person, but at this point it didn’t matter. This last group would go with Chloe’s body and me in one of the vans.
Jack put one key in his pocket and brought all the rest back to me as we climbed out. I handed him Chloe—my shoulder was aching. Taking the final key we’d need, I tossed the rest of the keys down the hatch.
[Night Walkers 02] - Paranoia (2014) Page 22