Ultimate Attack

by Michael P. Spradlin

  Dr. Catalyst exited the police car and made his way through the crowd toward them. The nameplate above the badge on his uniform said FULMAN.

  Now came the hard part. The area in front of the hospital was teeming with people. He would need to be very careful and hope the boys didn’t recognize him from the school. All he needed was a few minutes. Just a little luck, and he would have his revenge.

  He worked his way through the crowd until he was in front of the boys.

  “Hey, guys,” he said, a friendly tone in his voice. “Are you by any chance Emmet Doyle and Calvin Geaux?”

  “Yeah,” Emmet said, with a wary look on his face.

  “Officer Stukaczowski just radioed ahead. I’m Officer Fulman. Your parents are going to be moved to Miami General, because of the fire. He wants to meet us there. Asked me to transport you.” Dr. Catalyst didn’t wait for an answer. If you acted like you were in charge, most people would follow along. So he turned and started walking back toward the cruiser.

  With a quick glance over his shoulder, he found Emmet and Calvin were following him.

  His plan was working to perfection.

  EMMET AND CALVIN FOLLOWED THE POLICE OFFICER through the chaotic crowd in front of the hospital. There was an obstacle course of wheelchairs, hospital beds, and ambulances to maneuver through before they finally reached the curb where the cruiser was parked.

  Fire trucks were starting to arrive, which only added to the noise and confusion. As firefighters jumped off the trucks, the space in front of the hospital grew more crowded. Additional ambulances and paramedics were arriving by the second. Emmet and Calvin had a hard time keeping up with the policeman in all the confusion.

  Something was still nagging at Emmet, though. Everything felt off-kilter. He couldn’t tell what it was that bothered him. Maybe he was just all jangled up. After all, it wasn’t every week that he was attacked by a giant ball of claws and teeth. More like every other.

  “Doesn’t this seem a little odd to you?” Emmet said quietly to Calvin.

  “What?”

  Officer Fulman was a few feet ahead of them, dodging through the crowd. Every so often he glanced over his shoulder to make sure they were following along.

  “All of this. First, that monster cat attacks us. A few hours later we’re in the hospital, and while everyone is in surgery a fire breaks out?”

  “Fires happen sometimes. Even in hospitals,” Calvin said.

  Emmet sighed. Thank you, Captain Obvious.

  Then he felt guilty. Calvin was probably worried about his mom and uncle. It was natural to be preoccupied.

  But Emmet didn’t like this. And he didn’t like how quickly this Officer Fulman had led them away from the crowd.

  Calvin wouldn’t naturally suspect someone in authority of being up to no good. Officer Fulman was a law-and-order guy, with the uniform and everything. But ever since Emmet moved to Florida and met a couple of giant Pterogators on his first day, he had grown to suspect everyone.

  “Have you ever seen this cop before?” he asked.

  “No. Why?”

  “I just wondered why Stuke’s dad would send someone unfamiliar, if he couldn’t come himself,” Emmet said.

  Calvin shrugged. “Just because we don’t recognize him doesn’t mean he isn’t legit. Florida City has a lot of police officers. Heck, there are even people on the task force we haven’t met.” Calvin always shrugged. It was his natural reaction to Emmet’s conspiracy theories.

  The cop looked over his shoulder, and for just a brief moment, Emmet saw something flash through his eyes before he spoke. It wasn’t concern. Or even politeness. It was anger. It was only there for a second. Emmet tried telling himself he was being paranoid, but he knew he wasn’t. Officer Fulman had looked at him with hate in his eyes.

  “Hurry up, fellas. I need to get you out of here,” Fulman said.

  Warning bells were going off in Emmet’s head like crazy. He looked around for another police officer. Right at that moment, they all seemed to be inside with the firefighters, helping to evacuate the patients. Officer Fulman reached the back door of his car and opened it, standing aside for Emmet and Calvin to get in. He smiled, but his face was all stiff and wrong. It was the fakest smile Emmet had ever seen.

  “Did you say Sergeant Stukaczowski wanted you to take us to Miami General?” Emmet asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as he could.

  “That’s right,” he said. “And we need to hurry.” He took the radio microphone from his shoulder. “Unit three-six-five, show me inbound,” he said into the mic. Emmet didn’t wait for the dispatcher or anyone else to respond to his radio call. Because there was no Sergeant Stukaczowski. Stuke’s dad was a lieutenant.

  “Calvin, run!” he said, shoving his friend away from the police car. Calvin’s face was a mask of surprise and confusion. He nearly stumbled over an elderly patient who was being pushed in a wheelchair on the sidewalk. The police officer — Emmet was now certain it was Dr. Catalyst, or someone helping him — froze for a moment. “You boys! Quit messing around. We need —”

  “Help!” Emmet shouted “It’s Dr. Catalyst! Help! Help!”

  “What?” Calvin said, still momentarily confused.

  “Run, Calvin! Get help!” Emmet shouted.

  Dr. Catalyst started toward Emmet, who was backing up and still shouting. They were starting to attract attention over the noise and confusion. A few nurses and orderlies stopped what they were doing to gawk.

  “I’m taking you boys in!” Dr. Catalyst called. “Police matter! Everyone step back!” He continued to advance.

  Calvin looked unsure of what to do, standing between the face of authority and his shouting friend. Dr. Catalyst must have decided he’d be an easier catch. He turned and lunged at Calvin.

  “NO!” Emmet shouted. “Calvin! Run!” Calvin finally seemed to snap out of his stupor. He darted around the wheelchair, with Dr. Catalyst in pursuit.

  “What’s going on here?” a burly orderly asked Emmet. He had a thick beard and glasses, and looked like he could handle himself.

  “That’s not a real cop! It’s Dr. Catalyst! He’s trying to kidnap my friend!”

  “Yeah, sure, kid,” he said. “What’d you do? Steal something?”

  “No! My dad is in sur —” He stopped. Dr. Catalyst was closing in on Calvin. The crowd in front of the hospital made escape too difficult.

  “Get a cop! A real one!” Emmet shouted at the orderly as he took off after them.

  There was plenty of light outside from the hospital, streetlights, and all the emergency vehicles, but Emmet still couldn’t spot any police officers. The parking lot was packed with people, like a river of human beings was flooding out of the doors. Calvin’s instincts had told him to run back inside to safety, but he was running against the onslaught of people who were evacuating. Dr. Catalyst was closing in. Emmet sprinted hard after them. He had to yell really loudly to be heard over the din.

  “Hey! Fake cop who’s really Dr. Catalyst! Isn’t it me you want? Emmet Doyle? Your archnemesis?”

  Somehow, over all the noise, Dr. Catalyst had heard him. Emmet waited until he saw Calvin dart out of sight into the mass of people. At least he would be safe and could summon help. Dr. Catalyst looked at Emmet, then back at where Calvin had disappeared. He didn’t hesitate.

  “Somebody stop that kid!” he shouted, pointing at Emmet.

  “Come and get me!” Emmet yelled back.

  He turned and ran as fast as he could.

  Away from the hospital and into the dark Miami streets.

  SINCE EMMET LIVED IN FLORIDA CITY, HE HAD ONLY been able to come to Miami a couple of times to visit Stuke in the hospital. Now, running blindly into the city, Emmet realized he had no idea where he was. He only knew there were two directions he could go: forward, or back toward his pursuer. He should have run around the side of the building and gone in another entrance. Once there it would have made sense to find a police officer, a real one, and have them get Lieu
tenant Stukaczowski on the radio.

  But Dr. Catalyst had been there, right there, dressed like a police officer and about to grab Emmet’s best friend. Calvin had saved Emmet more times than he could count, and in that moment, drawing the madman away from his friend was the only thing Emmet could think to do.

  He knew Dr. Catalyst hated his dad and Dr. Geaux. He probably hated Uncle Yaha, and maybe even Calvin, despite him being his grandson. But if there was one person the crazed scientist really hated, it was Emmet himself.

  The feeling was mutual.

  Calvin had made it back into the hospital, Emmet was sure of it. Calvin was calm and respectful. He was the kind of kid a police officer was likely to believe if they said something was amiss. That would come in handy when he was trying to explain what was going on, while Dr. Catalyst chased Emmet.

  Emmet scanned the streets as he ran, searching for his best escape route. The very heavily traveled South Dixie Highway bordered South Miami Hospital to the east and south. Running toward the highway was not an option. Emmet had no desire to escape Dr. Catalyst’s clutches only to be flattened by a semitruck. The hospital’s main entrance was on 73rd Street, so he ran along the sidewalk. He glanced over his shoulder and didn’t see Dr. Catalyst coming after him. Maybe he was taking a different route and trying to cut him off somehow. Or maybe he’d given up….

  Emmet couldn’t take the chance. He kept running up the street until he came to the first intersection. With a fifty-fifty shot, he turned left. Now he was running along Sunset Drive. As he ran, Emmet clutched at his pockets, looking for his cell phone. He realized with a pang of dread that he’d left it at Calvin’s house amidst all the confusion. Emmet cursed his luck. Sometimes, when you’re attacked by a giant furry ball of rage and have to rush off with your dad in an ambulance, you forget stuff.

  Emmet ran on, hoping to see someone walking by, or an open storefront, anyone to call the police. But it was too late in the night. He tried flagging down a couple of cars, but no one stopped.

  It was no good being out in the open like this. Dr. Catalyst could be anywhere.

  A police car came screaming up 73rd Street, screeching to a halt at the Sunset intersection. Its lights were flashing and the sirens were running. Emmet wanted to believe this was a real cop, but something told him he wasn’t that lucky. He tried to hide by cutting to his left, lunging off the sidewalk and into the shadows.

  But he wasn’t quick enough. Dr. Catalyst must have spotted Emmet because the car turned onto the street, speeding after him. But the madman didn’t think like a real cop. This stretch of Sunset was a wide boulevard, separated in the center by a tree-lined median. He had to pull over to the far side of it to travel in the right direction. There was a grassy divider between them now, which gave Emmet a temporary bit of extra time.

  He was really sprinting now. His legs burned. He came to another intersection and faked like he would keep running along Sunset, then quickly cut down the side street. The move caught his pursuer by surprise. He had to accelerate farther down the street, until there was a spot where he could cross the boulevard and zoom back in Emmet’s direction.

  Emmet frantically searched his surroundings. He’d entered a residential street. He thought about trying to knock on one of the doors for help, but decided that yelling and screaming “Call 9-1-1!” might seem suspect if there was already a cop car chasing him. By the time he got a chance to explain, Dr. Catalyst would be right there, hand on Emmet’s shoulder, feeding the homeowner some line about delinquent kids. Emmet had to find a place to hide. A place to lose him.

  Up ahead, Emmet spied the lighted parking lot of an elementary school. Schools were locked up at night, but they had playgrounds. This was his chance to get off the street. It would be dark and would take away the advantage of the car. Emmet could outrun Dr. Catalyst until Calvin brought the cops. Or called the Marines. Or however he chose to get Emmet out of this mess. Hopefully the Marines.

  The cop car was turning onto the street just as Emmet reached the elementary school. He ran across the parking lot, where he discovered the tiny flaw in his plan. The street and parking lot were well lit. The playground was not. It was shrouded in shadows behind the school. Good for hiding, but not good for seeing where he was going.

  The sound of the siren drew closer. Emmet sped around the corner of the building and sprinted for the farthest, darkest corner of the playground. The cruiser screeched to a halt in the parking lot. Then a car door slammed.

  Dr. Catalyst was coming.

  Come on, Calvin, Emmet thought. Where’s my backup?

  He kept running, dodging the dim shapes of jungle gyms and merry-go-rounds, risking a look over his shoulder to try and catch sight of his pursuer. All Emmet saw was a bouncing flashlight beam coming from the direction of the parking lot. Dr. Catalyst would turn the corner any second. If Emmet didn’t find a place to hide, he’d be toast.

  That’s when he ran face-first into a tetherball pole. It knocked Emmet flat on his back. The last thing he remembered was seeing stars. He couldn’t tell if they were the stars up in the night sky or the kind you see when you smack your head up against a piece of iron.

  It didn’t really matter, because after that one final thought, Emmet didn’t see or remember anything at all.

  FOR ONE OF THE FEW TIMES IN HIS LIFE, CALVIN GEAUX defied the rules. As he darted through the crowd, dozens of hospital personnel yelled at him to turn around and go the other way. He just put his head down and kept going. Once inside the lobby, he found it was even more chaotic than outside. Some of the patients being evacuated were no doubt seriously ill or injured. It was a carefully coordinated dance to get everyone out as quickly and as safely as possible.

  Just past the information desk, Calvin spied a police officer helping an orderly push a large, heavy gurney.

  “Officer! I need to report a crime!” Calvin said.

  “Kind of busy right now, kid,” the officer replied.

  “It’s Dr. Catalyst! He’s here at the hospital. My name is Calvin Geaux, my mom is —”

  The police officer was actually a Dade County sheriff’s deputy. His nameplate said SGT. J. D. ARTH. He was medium height, his black hair lined with streaks of gray. And he was concentrating on the task at hand — not paying attention to Calvin.

  “Catalyst? You mean that joker from down in the Glades? The one that’s been all over the news? What would he be doing at South Miami Hospital?” The officer never looked at Calvin as he spoke, his attention focused on the crowd and the patient he was assisting.

  “Right now he’s trying to kidnap my friend Emmet. Look, my mom is Dr. Geaux. Dr. Rosalita Geaux. She’s the head of the governor’s Dr. Catalyst task force. She’s in surgery. We were attacked by one of Dr. Catalyst’s newest genetically enhanced creatures tonight.”

  “Listen, kid, we’ve got an emergency here. Why don’t you call it in and if we can get a spare person down here we’ll take your statement, and —”

  Calvin didn’t wait for him to finish. He dodged through and around another group of evacuating patients and dashed toward the elevators. Now he was certain Dr. Catalyst was behind the fire. It was the perfect cover.

  “Hey, kid!” the deputy shouted. “Get back here; you need to get out!”

  All Calvin could think to do was to make his way back to the OR waiting room to find Nurse Hernandez, if he could. She would believe him, and at least find help. Emmet didn’t have much time. Dr. Catalyst had planned this perfectly. No matter how convincing Emmet was, he’d never get anyone to believe that he wasn’t just trying to evade the police.

  There were two orderlies watching the elevators, making sure they were being used exclusively for patients who could not walk. Calvin tried to get on one when the door opened, but one of the orderlies put out his hand.

  “No way, kid. Patients only on the elevators. You need to exit the hospital.”

  Calvin was beyond the point of listening to the authorities. Instead of leaving as he’d
been instructed, he raced to the nearby stairway. It was also crowded with a crush of descending patients and staff. Calvin dodged his way through and around them as he made his way up toward the OR waiting room. It took him much longer than he’d hoped, and with each second ticking by, he grew more worried about Emmet. He finally reached the floor and burst into the hallway, running to the waiting room.

  It was empty.

  He wondered if perhaps they had already evacuated his mom, Uncle Yaha, and Dr. Doyle because they were high-priority patients. There might not be anyone here to help him. The alarm was still blaring loudly, giving him a headache.

  There was a desk in the corner of the waiting room, and behind it were doors leading to the surgical units. Calvin approached the desk. Each door had a small window in it, but he saw no one moving about. And he certainly couldn’t hear anyone.

  “Hello?” he shouted as loud as he could. His voice was drowned out by the alarm.

  “Calvin?”

  He jumped and spun around to find Lieutenant Stukaczowski standing there.

  “Oh, geez,” Calvin said, suddenly realizing how out of breath he was. He’d been running on adrenaline the whole time. Now that Stuke’s dad was here, he felt an enormous sense of relief. But they still had to find Emmet.

  “Where’s Emmet, Calvin?”

  “He … There was a fire. We had to leave. The nurse said they would transport our parents to another hospital. And then when we got outside, there was a policeman, and he said you had radioed ahead for him to take us to the hospital because of the fire. Emmet thought something was wrong, and then right before we got in the car, Emmet asked him if Sergeant Stukaczowski really wanted us to leave before he got here. And the cop said yes. That’s when Emmet must have known he was a fake cop, because you’re a lieutenant.”

  “That Emmet is a smart kid. Was it the same guy you saw in the school?”

  “I don’t know. He had blond hair instead of black and a mustache. But he could have been wearing a disguise, I guess.”