Jason nodded and reached for the door handle. Far outside, past the thick concrete and brick that made up the Factory, the two men heard the faint popping noise that came along with gunfire. At first one or two rapid shots, then a crashing tidal wave of gunfire. In the building it was muted, but Mike knew outside it would be louder than a hundred claps of thunder.
“Jason, time is a factor. He is here, and he is clearly not here to talk,” Mike said.
Jason swallowed hard, and charged out the dressing room door, leaving it wide open. Mike slowly raised himself to his feet, and walked to the doorway, hoping to follow the huge body to whatever plan he had.
*****
Outside the firefight was raging in earnest. The two sisters had put four shooters on the roofs of the buildings surrounding the Factory. Almost a year ago they’d come up with a fairly clever system to get from one roof to another. A few blocks away was a moving company, complete with a slew of large rental box trucks. Inside the back of these trucks was a large aluminum loading ramp that slid out to help the renters load the truck. When removed, they became incredibly strong twelve foot long bridges. Two of the buildings adjacent to the Factory were reachable with the re-tasked bridges, and they used them to move about above street level constantly. When they didn’t need the bridges, they pulled them back onto the roof, and no one was the wiser.
Of course today, they desperately needed the bridges. Mike’s friends had come in force, and the gunfire came at them like angry metal rain. Accurate, angry metal rain.
“I can’t even get a shot off for Christ’s sake. Every time I poke my head anywhere near where I can shoot, one of them sends another bullet right at my fucking face!” One of the shooters hollered into a tiny walkie talkie, pleading to the others who were trying to defend the Factory from the assault.
“We’re moving from this side to yours to give you some help Fred. Just keep low and everything will be alright,” a voice responded across the air waves. Fred dutifully kept his head below the concrete lip of the building. He didn’t want to get his head blown off today.
Two of the other strip club shooters were sprinting across the roof of the building next to the Factory to lend fire support. As they reached the edge of the building they slowed to gingerly walk across the aluminum bridge one by one.
Down below the bridge in the street stood a tall, thickly muscled man wearing military issue body armor and carrying an arsenal of weapons. He had a single row of hair running down the center of his head. It was trimmed tightly, standing only a quarter inch from the tanned skin of his otherwise shaved skull. His Mohawk made him look like a savage, but the expression on his face showed his true nature. He was a cunning predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike at his prey. As the second man put his feet on the bridge the warrior quickly lifted a shotgun and squeezed off a heavy round, hitting the edge of the bridge opposite where the man stood. The bridge kicked sideways abruptly from the force of the slug’s impact, sending the man off balance. The man in the street pumped another shell into the chamber as fast as a strike of lightning and squeezed it into nearly the same spot he’d just shot, sending the bridge permanently off the edge of the building. With a scream, the man on the metal walkway plummeted two stories down to the hard pavement, where both his legs shattered on the sidewalk. He let out a guttural moan as his head rolled on the dirty gray concrete.
The man with the Mohawk racked the shotgun once more and watched the edge of the building above him, waiting for the first man who ran across to point a weapon down. After a few moments, he turned his attention back down to ruined man who just fell. He took a few cautious steps before dropping down into a crouch near the man’s slowly flailing head.
“You know it’s not the falling that gets you. It’s that sudden stop at the end. I’m Adrian. Sorry we’re meeting this way,” the man said to the fallen shooter with the two busted legs.
The man on the ground let out a laugh that could’ve passed for a dying wild animal’s moan. “Yeah me too. How bad am I?”
“Fucking horrible. Both of your legs are broken in…” he looked down at the legs kicked out in multiple directions at places they shouldn’t have been bent in, “looks like about six places. You’ll probably need surgery to walk again. Our people might be able to do that for you, if you think you can make it.”
He shook his head powerfully, sweat pouring off his face, “Ah fuck it. This hurts like a bitch, and by the time I see a doctor, I’ll wish I was dead already. Just pop me and I’ll call it a day.”
“You sure man? We can fix this I think,” Adrian asked him, still crouching at his side.
“Yeah. I’m good. Been at this too long. Time to pay the piper,” the man smiled painfully, clearly ready to be done with the agony he was in.
“Fair enough. One question if you don’t mind,” Adrian asked as he fished a small pistol with a large suppressor from the small of his back.
“Quickly please if you can. This hurts like a motherfucker.”
Adrian nodded. “How can I get inside easiest? I don’t want to kill people I don’t have to.”
“The roof. Hit the fire escape down the alley here, and head inside. Just watch out, we have three men still up there, though they’re probably about to give up. We don’t get enough pussy or food to die for those two bitches. Others do. We don’t. Oh, and everyone should be locked away. Only people moving around now are going to try and kill you.” The man made a strange face, as if he was unsure of what he’d just said. He looked at the man named Adrian and his face went strangely absent of pain and emotion. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. I… I don’t get it. Good luck man.”
“Amen brother. Best of luck in the next life,” Adrian said, and as the man closed his eyes, he pressed the tip of the suppressor to the man’s temple and squeezed a round off, sending a 9mm bullet tumbling around inside his skull like a subsonic whisk, destroying the brain inside.
Adrian stood and thumbed the transmit button on the heavier duty walkie attached firmly to his shoulder. He spoke into it, “Suppress the shooters on the southeast roof. I’m heading to the roof on the north side. Watch your over fire. Try and pepper the side of the building and send your rounds short.”
A female voice responded to him, “You got it. We’re doing great here. Take your time.”
“Thanks Abby. Soon as I am inside I’ll try and get the front door open for you to breach,” Adrian responded. He picked up his shotgun and took off running for the fire escape, holstering the pistol as he went.
*****
Mike followed Jason as he ran to the back stairwell of the Factory, heading upwards. Mike didn’t know exactly where they were heading, but he had a good feeling that wherever they wound up, there would either be weapons, or a way out. Either would be acceptable for Mike. He could always come back for Blake once he and Adrian met up. Mike just hoped Adrian had a gun for him.
Round and round they went, scaling the two flights of stairs to reach the third and top floor. Jason took an abrupt turn and went down a hallway lit with candles that Mike thought were homemade. The hallway felt vaguely archaic and old in the candle light, almost like a passage in an ancient European castle. He suddenly felt like he was a knight moving towards the goal of a quest he had been tasked with.
Jason stopped at a sturdy metal door that didn’t look at all like it belonged in a castle. It was marked SECURITY and was bright red like a fire engine. Jason reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a ring of keys. As he fumbled to get the right key out he spoke to Mike, “Andy is in here with the security system. He will be instructing the shooters how best to attack your people. With any luck, he’ll listen to you make your case against the sisters. He’s materialistic. Not a bad guy, just really materialistic okay? If he balks, we knock him the fuck out and trash the system. Either way, it’s all good. Ready?”
Mike nodded, and Jason inserted the key and twisted it. The red door swung in, revealing a dark room filled with keyboa
rds, electronics and small monitors in black and white, and shades of green. A small man sat centered in the room at a large counter, operating a joystick that panned the cameras around. He feverishly toggled from monitor to monitor, issuing short commands into a headset he wore.
“Andy, stop for a second,” Jason said loud enough to be heard through the headphone Andy wore.
"Jason now is not a good time," Andy said irritated.
"Andy now is the only time," Jason said.
Andy stopped talking and swung around in his office chair to face the two men. When the thin, geeky looking figure saw Mike his face went whiter, which Mike felt was impossible. The man looked as white as porcelain in the dark room. Andy swallowed hard and looked back to Jason.
“This is Mike, the man we captured the other day. He wants to talk to you. I suggest you listen.”
Andy nodded, clearly frightened.
Mike cleared his throat quickly, and spoke as concisely as he could. In the background his eyes saw Adrian climbing a fire escape. At the top of the building were three shooters waiting for him. Reinforcements had gone to the roof. If Adrian reached the top of the escape and wasn’t ready, he’d be riddled with bullets.
“Andy, the man on that fire escape is the leader of my group. He is also a very good friend of mine. If you cut the intel to your shooters, and power this shit down, when we get done here, we’ll give you a safe home, with food and shelter. You won’t have to deal with these two insane women, or kidnappings, or rape, or anything else like that. Just safety, and good people. You could be someone really important with us, but you gotta decide right now.”
Andy thought for a second and replied, “Hell no. I get pussy and decent food here. I’m not in love with this place or those women, but I am not giving up what I’ve got for a long shot. Give me one good damn reason I should switch to your side.”
“I’ll give you two. First, we have chickens and cows, so we have eggs, poultry, beef, and milk. The second reason is much easier. I’ll fucking kill you with my bare hands right now if you don’t. Clock is ticking,” Mike threatened him with every ounce of malice he could muster.
Andy raised his hands in mock defense. “Whoa whoa big fella. You had me at beef. Christ. No need to be an asshole about it. Shit.” Andy spun back in the chair and hit the transmit button on his headset, “Hey guys there are people approaching from the south, move to that side immediately.”
The shooters waiting near where Adrian was about to crest the roof turned immediately, leaving his approach clear. Adrian slowed, and switched weapons quickly. Mike thought he was putting a shotgun away in favor of his M4. Mike’s face opened into a smile as he watched the friend he’d die for slide into that familiar, silent, hunter-of-men walk. Adrian’s gun barked silently twice at each man visible in the image on the monitor, and those men that had been sent in the wrong direction by Andy moments prior fell to the ground one by one, dead before they could do anything about their fate. On the screen it looked like a greater power had simply plucked their life away like a vengeful god.
As Adrian walked into the camera's view, rifle held in firing position, Mike wasn’t sure how far from the truth that thought was.
*****
Adrian walked across the roof of the building carefully, remarking at his good fortune. All three of the men he’d just shot were facing away from him. He suddenly was thankful for whatever guardian angel was looking out for him.
“Adrian, can you hear me?” Mike’s voice came across on the walkie on his shoulder suddenly. It was a voice that triggered intense relief, and quick rush of adrenaline. Mike was still alive.
“Holy shit brother. You’re alive? Where the fuck are you? Where is Blake?” Adrian dropped behind a heavy air conditioner on the roof for cover as he talked. He could see two more shooters low on the roof far from him popping off scattered rounds down at his people. He didn’t want to attract their attention just yet.
“Yeah I’m inside. I’m captured, and Blake is shot. He’s fucked up real bad Adrian. We don’t have much time, he needs blood. I’ve got two of the guys in here helping me. I’ve got their security guy on board. They have cameras everywhere, and they can see your every move. Well, they could. Now they can’t. Now we can see their every move.”
Adrian smiled. His guardian angel was one hell of a guy. “Mike I love you. To hell with Patty. I’m blowing you when I see you.”
“Fair enough. If we get out of here alive I’ll suck your dick too. It won’t be gay or anything. Just an appreciative pair of blowjobs amongst purely platonic heterosexual men.”
“Hey you two assholes know Mallory and I have a radio, right?” Patty said over the walkie. Patty was Mike’s girlfriend, and a fellow shooter on Adrian’s team. Mallory and Adrian had been sleeping together for months now as well. She was in one of the humvees currently being shot at by the two shooters Adrian was hiding from.
Both Adrian and Mike laughed to themselves. Mike spoke first, “Sorry girls, but men need to boys sometimes. Just tune it out.”
“Sure do Mike. Hey brother, tell me what you can. Steer us along. I heard the hostiles are mobile, and the civvies are locked up, is that correct?”
Mike responded after a moment. The gunfire outside was slowing down as targets became more scarce. “Yeah Adrian, my guys say that’s legit. If it’s moving, you can shoot it. Unless you see me, then don’t shoot me please.”
Adrian heard movement to his rear and spun fast. One of the shooters he’d brought down had reanimated as a zombie, and had crawled far enough to almost bite his ankle. Adrian brought the stock of his M4 down like a piston into the temple of the dead man, sending his face into the pebbles on the roof. He cracked it down a few more times fast, smashing the man’s skull open, killing him once more.
“Alright I’ve got to kill some folks, a few of them again from the looks of it. Radio us as you can. Let’s do this clean. No one dies unless they have to,” Adrian slid his M4 to his back and reached for his suppressed pistol. He looked over the top of the air conditioner unit at the two men threatening his people.
It was time to finish bringing justice to the savages.
*****
Abby listened to the sound of near silence from her crouch behind the humvee. The men shooting at her had gone quiet. The radio on her hip came alive with the sound of Adrian’s voice, “Roof is clear. Move to the doors and secure them. Smash the fences down with the HRT and push their vehicles out of the way if you can. I’ll get the doors open as fast as I can.”
Abby hopped up and barked out a series of commands to the folks gathered around her. Despite her young age of 18, and her tiny blonde frame, she exuded confidence and experience. She’d been fighting alongside Adrian for almost a year now, and he’d taught her well. Alex and George, the gay couple that had come along, jumped into one of their humvees and drove off towards the front of the Factory to follow her commands without hesitation. Amanda and Angela, pretty middle aged blonde sisters, hopped into the other humvee with Mallory and Chris, one of the men who had come with them on the mission.
Abby climbed into the Heavy Rescue Truck that had been armored with welded steel and a massive plow blade to allow for ramming. She sat down in the driver’s seat next to Caleb, Adrian’s older brother. Caleb held an M4 out the window of the truck with practiced ease. His time as a Marine was not lost.
“So far so good,” Caleb said as he scanned his side of the truck for targets.
“Shhh idiot. You’re as dumb as your brother. You’ll tip off the Jinx Fairy Adrian is so scared of.” Abby threw the massive rescue truck into gear and gave it some gas. She had some plowing to do.
*****
Adrian came down to the same red door Mike, Jason and Andy were behind. Mike let Adrian knock before he opened it. Mike knew when he told Adrian that if it moved he could shoot it Adrian would take that advice to heart.
The two men embraced warmly at the door, gripping each other tightly for a long hug. Adrian’s eyes we
lled up when he let go, happy to have reunited with his friend. “Remember this guy?” Mike asked as he stepped aside. Behind Mike was the substantial Jason.
Adrian let out a single, "Ha!" in disbelief. Adrian stepped inside the room and shook Jason’s hand heartily. Jason patted Adrian hard on the shoulder, and the two men shared a moment of camaraderie. Mike gauged Jason for hostility, but didn’t detect any. He wondered what was up earlier when Jason nearly turned on him after mentioning Adrian’s name. The two large men exchanged a few seconds of greeting before Adrian backed away, returning his attention to Mike.
The armored rescuer retrieved his silenced pistol from the holster on his hip again and handed it to Mike. He dug out a few spare magazines and passed those along as well. Once Mike was armed, he turned back to Jason and Andy. “You two are on our side now then eh?”
Jason nodded, and Andy replied, “At your service sir. This better be worth it.”
“I’ll see what I can do. Thank you. You’ve done the right thing here. If we kill the sisters, will this all end? Can we just be fucking done with this?”
“Yeah. You’ve already killed all but two or three of the most nut-job guards. They’ll be with the sisters guarding them in the office. There’s no exit, and they’re in there now. It’s the only area of the club with no cameras. I can’t show you what’s in there, sorry.” Andy pointed sadly at the monitors.
“That’s fine. If we can spring the captives, we can bring them back. How many other people are there? How man innocents?” Adrian inquired.
“Twenty or so. Mostly women, a few kids. Few men who were unwilling to fight you guys,” Jason answered him.
Adrian's Undead Diary (Book 7): The Trinity Page 10