I opened the fire door and went back into the lobby. The other boys were already gone. I dragged a chair to wedge the door open and took the steps two at a time, pausing at the landing and checking I was clear before I moving up to the next floor.
I listened through the heavy door before peering through the small viewing window. It was another reception area with no signs of life. I pulled the door open and eased into the room before closing it gently behind me. The click the door bolt seemed as loud as a gunshot in the (hopefully) abandoned building and I flinched.
I crept to the desk. It was identical to the one on the ground floor. There was a desktop computer and a phone, but not much else. I continued to the entrance of the corridor to the right and looked cautiously around the corner. Big windows ran the length of it, allowing in plenty of light. There were four doors at regular intervals down the left of the hall. I tiptoed to the first one. Again I put my ear to the door. Nothing. My guts were churning as I raised my gun and twisted the handle, pushing open the door.
The stench in the room slapped me like an open hand. I clapped my free hand over my mouth and nose, not daring to breathe the tainted air. I spotted the source of the smell immediately. A bloated body in a khaki military uniform was lying face up on a sofa against the wall to my left. There was a gaping, blackened hole in the top of his head and a spray of dried brains, blood, and bone chips fanning out over the arm of the sofa and the carpet beside the body. The gun lay where it had fallen from the dead man’s grip.
To the right, there was an expansive, polished timber desk and above it on the wall was a framed photograph of two men shaking hands. I recognized the Chinese Premier. He was shaking the hand of a General as they stood in front of a column of soldiers. I didn’t want to go any further into the room, but forced myself to take a few steps forward and have a closer look at the body.
It was the General in the photograph. I was sure of it, even though the dead man’s face was bloated and a corrupt shade of grey, his uniform gave it away. While not quite as elaborate as the one in the image, there were three gold stars on each of the shoulders.
A dead General of the Chinese Army. There was a crust of blood flecked green under his nose and over his mouth and chin. The reason for his suicide was clear.
Across the room, on the far side of the desk was a door. It looked like it had only recently been fitted, the timber frame and wall around it unpainted. I thought briefly of checking that room too, but the smell drove me out. It would lead to the next room anyway and I could just as easily go through the entrance in the corridor.
I burst out of the room slamming the door behind me and ran to the window. I swallowed some deep breaths of the stale but clean air, wishing I could open the window for something fresher. Slowly the sick feeling in my throat dissipated. When I was composed again, I went to the next door.
I opened it cautiously and went in gun first. It had clearly been a small office, but now was furnished with a large king-sized bed. The general had been bunking next to his office. There was nothing else of interest in the room and I moved on. The next room was more interesting. It looked like it had been converted to a makeshift dormitory. There were six bunkbeds, all unmade and messy, and a scattering of clothes and weapons covered the floor and a table in the corner.
I picked up a pillow, removed its case, and began to pick up the discarded weapons. It was quite a haul: two handguns and a machine gun, the same as the one Ben had found downstairs, plus six clips of ammunition. I also found a Kevlar vest. There was no way I could fit it in the pillowcase and I didn’t want to carry it, so I put my haul on the bed and slipped it on. There was nothing else of value in the room. I left the room feeling pretty good. If nothing else, we would be going back with weapons and there was hardly a more valuable commodity in the world at that moment.
I was conscious of time and toyed with the idea of not bothering with the other room but decided I would do a quick scan just in case it contained more weapons. There was an overturned chair by the door and the fact there was a deadlock on this one, a few inches above the handle, and clearly not a part of the original door furnishings, intrigued me.
I had to check, right? There was obviously something valuable in there. I tried the handle. It was locked. I thought briefly of trying to shoot the deadlock out, but had a vision of the bullet ricocheting back into my eye.
I stepped back, put down the pillowcase and my gun, and gave the door a solid kick just below the door handle. The wood cracked, but both locks held. I kicked it again and again just below the handle until finally I was rewarded with the sound of splintering. I gave it two more kicks, causing more damage each time, then tried the handle. It rattled and when I leaned against it, the door bowed inward, not obstructed by the flimsier lock, but still held firm by the other.
Luckily it wasn’t a solid door. Once the veneer was dented and cracked, I could see corrugated cardboard inside it. I grasped the handle and rammed my right shoulder against the timber door. I had to do it three times before the door crashed open. In the end, it was the door that gave way, as the deadlock actually broke free and fell to the floor. I picked up my gun and scanned the room, a little disappointed.
Before I had broken in, I had imagined the secured room might contain crates of guns and ammunition, maybe even a rocket launcher. What I did find when I looked in was two empty beds. I lowered my gun and was about to turn away when I heard a scuffling sound from the closet to my right. The sound was brief but loud enough to cause my heart to race. I raised my gun and stepped into the room. Hugging the wall, I crept to the closet door and stopped and listened.
I thought I heard a whisper. There was someone in there, possibly two someone’s. I decided I would take a risk. I cupped my hand around my mouth, trying to throw my voice so it sounded like I was in front of the door.
“I can hear you in there. I have a gun. Come out with your hands up!”
7
I waited for the crash of gunfire but only silence greeted my demand. I strained to hear anything at all as I stood there waiting. I was at a loss as to what to do. I considered going to get the others, but decided against it. I also considered just shooting through the door. I couldn’t; it went against all I stood for, especially not knowing who was in there.
I decided to give one more warning. I stepped in front of the door, assuming whomever was in there didn’t have a firearm. To be safe though I got down on one knee to make myself less of a target.
“I’ll count to three, if you don’t come out I will start shooting through the door. One ... two ....”
Nothing. My heart was thumping in my chest and I paused a little longer before saying, “Three!”
I saw the lever handle of the closet move and I paused, my finger hard against the trigger. The door slowly opened.
“Please don’t shoot,” said a voice in an American accent.
I stood up and took a step backwards, my weapon still aimed at the closet. A frightened looking teenager with his hands raised stepped out of the closet. He was followed by a bigger boy who didn’t have his hands up and didn’t look frightened. I was struck by his pale blue eyes. Both of them were about my age and sported shaved heads and a uniform of black pants and a shirt with red piping.
“Stop there.”
They both looked underfed and pale. I pointed my gun at the bigger boy.
“Put your hands up, please.”
His eyes locked on mine, but he didn’t obey my order.
“Ash, please ... put them up,” the smaller boy pleaded.
Without taking his eyes off mine, the one who had been addressed as Ash slowly raised his hands. I walked over and warily patted them down one handed. Neither of them were armed.
“You can put your hands down,” I said, stepping back in front of them.
They lowered their hands.
“Thanks,” said the smaller one, looking relieved.
“What are your names?”
“I’m Danny.
This is Ash.”
Danny seemed happy and eager to please, now that he had assessed me as non-threatening, but his bigger friend looked indifferent. He was well-built with chiseled features. Danny had a softer look about him and a spray of freckles on his nose and cheekbones.
“You were hiding in there?”
“We heard noise and a crash down the hall,” said Danny. “It must have been you ... we’ve been locked in this room for days. We thought it might be the Chinese coming back.”
“I don’t think they’re coming back. Not for a while at least.”
“Why? What’s happened?”
“I know you’ve got lots of questions and so do I. My friends are downstairs waiting though. Let’s go down. We can talk then.”
I still had my gun in hand and kept a wary eye on them as I directed them through the door. I tensed when the one called Ash paused and looked down at the pillowcase, its opening bristling with weapons. He moved on in short order, but I couldn’t shake the feeling he had been tempted. I bent and picked it up as I followed them down the corridor.
Before we entered the fire stairs, I turned to them.
“We’re going to walk down the fire stairs to the ground floor. Walk in front of me, and don’t try to run or I’ll shoot.”
It didn’t seem right giving orders and making threats to kids my own age, but until I was surer of them I had to give the impression of strength.
“We’re not gonna run,” said Danny sincerely.
His closet buddy gave me an unreadable look before starting down the steps. When we reached the exit to the foyer, I told them to wait until I gave them the all clear. I didn’t want to surprise Paul and Ben and risk an accidental shooting.
I pushed the door open and walked around the chair. Ben and Paul were lounging on sofas when I emerged. They shot to their feet at the sound of the door but quickly lowered their guns when they saw it was just me.
“You’re back,” said Paul, “We were about to come looking for you. Did you find anything?”
“You could say that,” I said. I held the door open and placed the pillowcase on the floor with a clunk. “Don’t freak out.”
I waved the Danny and Ash into the lobby.
“Whoa!” said Ben, when he saw the strangers. Paul didn’t comment but pushed his glasses a little further up his nose, his gaze thoughtful and wary.
“This is Danny and Ash. I found them upstairs locked in a room. I also found a dead General and more weapons and ammo.”
I didn’t fail to notice the look that passed between the two shaven headed boys.
“General Chang is dead?” asked Danny. He looked surprised more than anything. “What about the rest of them? Are they all dead? We knew they were getting sick and leaving. No one has come for days.”
“I’ll answer all your questions,” I said, holding up my hand and then pointing to the sofa. “But I have some for you first. Sit down, please.”
“We under arrest or something?” asked Ash. The first words I had heard him speak, dripping with sarcasm.
“Um, no,” I said, a little taken aback at his question. “Just sharing information, I guess.”
He looked at my handgun pointedly. That look made me feel like a kid playing cops and robbers. I reached behind me and slipped it back into my belt. He seemed to relax a little after that and they both sat down without any further prompting.
Danny perched on the edge of the seat, almost eager, while Ash slouched back and folded his arms over his chest. I sat on the sofa opposite to them.
“Okay. So I guess the first question is what were you doing in this building?”
Danny answered. “This was their headquarters in the region. General Chang was the regional commander. We were like his assistants, I guess...”
“More like slaves,” said Ash, bitterly. “I’m glad that asshole is dead and I hope the rest of the ugly fuckers are too.”
Danny paused before he went on; I couldn’t help but feel he was frightened of Ash.
“We ran errands and fixed his meals when he ate in his quarters. Also did the cleaning and other stuff they didn’t want to waste soldiers on, I guess. But he treated us okay.”
He glanced at Ash who stared straight ahead with an ugly, faraway look on his face.
“Mostly, anyway,” continued Danny. “Better than the chain gangs anyway.”
“Chain gangs?” I asked.
“Yeah, they are more like slaves than we are ... were. They had to clear all the dead out of the buildings and houses.” The memory of the dead girl floated across my mind and I forced myself to concentrate on what he was saying. “After that they were working on clean up gangs and stuff, making the town look good, I suppose.”
“Where was this chain gang kept?”
“At the hospital. They made the main building into a barracks for the soldiers, but the carpark was fenced in and they put up a few portable buildings. That’s where the kids are locked up when they’re not working. I’ve been there once. I can show you,” said Danny.
I was thankful for Danny’s willingness to share. By contrast, Ash seemed disconnected. I put it down to shock and lack of food, but wondered if there was something deeper behind it.
“Thanks,” I said. “That’s really good intel. Just sit here for a sec, I need to talk to my friends.”
Paul, Ben, and I went to the other side of the room.
“What are you thinking?” asked Ben.
“I’m thinking we need to scope out the hospital and see if ... how many survivors there are. We can’t leave them locked up. I’m also thinking we should ...” I was going to say take whomever was willing back to the Valley, but thought better of it. “... well just wait and see what we find when we get there.”
They both agreed.
“We’re going to need food,” said Ben, nodding at the two strangers. “If they’ve been locked up like these blokes they’re going to be starving. I saw a market across the road.”
“Okay, we’ll make that our first stop. Come on.”
I walked back over to the sofa. I had decided not to give too much away about us and the Valley where we had settled.
“I want to talk more, but I think it’s important we get to the hospital to see if we can help anyone else. I want to get you two some food and water, too.”
“Thanks!” said Danny. “Yeah, it’s been a while since we ate. We had tap water in the room, at least.”
Ash just shrugged.
“Okay, let’s go.”
Ben, Paul, and I picked up our gear and collected the two boys on the way outside. I decided that until I knew more about him, I would need to watch Ash carefully.
“Paul, Ben, you take Danny across the road and grab as much food as you can. Make it simple, ready to eat food -- chocolate bars, cookies, that kind of stuff.”
“Okay,” said Ben. “Come on.”
I turned to Ash as the others ran across the road. I smiled and nodded to the nearest Humvee.
“Any chance you know how to start that bad boy?”
He shrugged sullenly. “Could probably work it out ...”
My smile faded as he turned his back on me and walked towards the vehicle. Despite my best intentions, I found myself annoyed at his attitude. The Humvee was unlocked and I went to the passenger side as he climbed into the driver’s seat. I had considered putting the weapons in back but decided to hold onto them for the time being.
“Is there a key in the ignition?” I asked.
“No, it doesn’t operate by a key.”
I craned my neck. I could see a switch on the dash by the wheel. It was a lever on a small black square of sheet metal with three positions, Eng Stop – Run – Start. It was currently pointing to Eng Stop. Ash moved his hand to the lever and clicked it through Run and then to Start. There was a dull click, but the engine didn’t start. He let the lever go and it fell back to the run position and an orange light blinked into life above it. He tried it again but there was still nothing. He let
it fall back to Run and again the orange light came on. He looked at me.
“Hmm, maybe a dead battery?” I said. “It shouldn’t be though; hasn’t been that long since they evacuated.”
I looked over the other gauges and buttons on the dash but couldn’t see anything else that gave a clue as to how to start it. Pity Luke wasn’t here, I thought. I was about to say we would try the next vehicle when the orange light above the switch winked out. Did that mean it was ready?
“Try it now,” I suggested.
This time when he clicked it into the Start position, the diesel engine rumbled to life.
“Yes!”
My high five was met less than enthusiastically, but I was too happy at our success to let it bother me. I looked down at the automatic gearshift; it looked simple enough.
“Okay, cool, looks pretty easy. Let’s help the others.”
I pushed my door open and stepped out, looking back at him. He was looking through the windscreen into the distance and for one horrible moment I thought he was going to drive off. If he was considering it, he didn’t follow through, and shut the engine off a second later. Feeling uneasy, I met him at the back of the Hummer and opened up the rear hatch. A second later, the door of the store across the road opened and the boys spilled out carrying two bulging plastic bags each.
I smiled when I saw Danny. A chocolate bar protruded from his mouth, gradually getting shorter as he chewed his way through it a bite at a time.
“How did it go?”
“We did great; it was pretty well-stocked,” said Paul. “We got some canned stuff to take back, too, although most of it had Chinese labels on it. I guess it will be a mystery box kind of thing until we open them.”
Danny struggled and lifted his two bags into the rear of the Hummer then grasped the melting bar in his mouth and finishing it quickly. I pulled one of the bags opened. It was loaded with a variety of candy bars. I picked up the bag and spread it further, offering it to Ash. He didn’t hold back, nor did Danny, quickly diving in for seconds. They tore into the packaging like their lives depended on it.
The After Days Trilogy [Books 1-3] Page 51