Changes (9 page)

“I know it’s him,” the big, blonde-haired guy stated just to Jimmy’s left.

He didn’t look. He just listened as they moved past the counter towards the front doors.

“I didn’t believe that it was him before, but I do now.” The big guy’s voice stated at the front glass.

“We have to double our efforts around the facility? If it is him, then we’re going to have to protect ourselves?” the older man stated as a creaking of metal followed his voice.

Jimmy guessed that someone opened one of the doors.

“We’ve got too much involved in this to have him fuck it up now?” and with that they all left.

Jimmy heard the door shut and looked up over the counter, and saw no one there. The lobby was empty, and seeing it, he breathed a solid gulp of heavy air.
That was close.
He sat back down, and looked to the screens. On them, he watched the group walk down the sidewalk and make it to the lot. They vanished fast, and then and only then, he breathed. Then he relaxed.
What the hell was all of that about?
He thought about Collins.
Tomorrow I’m going to have to ask him about it.
He looked back to the desk, and on the same screen that the people left on, he noticed Frankie Jones, his young first shift relief, getting out of his car.
Yes, I’ll do it tomorrow.
He watched him make his way up the sidewalk.
But first, I’m tired. I need to sleep.
He watched him reach the front doors. As he opened the door, he sighed. He stood up, and took his thermos in his hand.

Frankie smiled and yawned when he came to the counter.

Jimmy blinked. His relief was there, and he felt relieved to be able to go home.

“Yet another animal attack occurred last night, early this morning, and it has prompted those in the community to demand for more police patrols from all law enforcement in the county. The fear is becoming rampant, and as of yet, there are still no answers for what is now going on in this small town.”
The news report wasn’t something Jimmy expected to hear on his drive back to work. Overall, he had a great day. He had a great sleep, and he was looking forward to having a great night. Hearing what he was, turned all of that into a deep and cautious fear. He now had to look all around with an intensity that he hadn’t done before. He now had to watch for anything out of the ordinary. He now had to watch his own back. To top it off, he had no idea what he was even looking for. That made everything harder. He felt paranoid. When he turned onto
Route 46
, that paranoia exploded through his heart.

Two police cars were parked along the left side of the highway just near where he turned. He could see two or three people off in the field beyond the cars. They looked like officers. They looked like they were searching the area. The moon was almost full, but it was still hard to see anything to tell for sure, so he drove by them quickly. He didn’t want to think. He just passed the cars, and headed straight to work.

Driving down the entrance road to the labs, he took the drive with care. Any movement caught his eye. Anything that looked like an animal drew his attention to it like a shot put would draw a shooter to take aim at the disk. Feeling exposed, made everything catch him just right.

He pulled into the lot, and parked his car by the side of the two vans. He turned off the engine and took a huge breath. Doing so, he looked over the lot to the sidewalk and looked to the front doors. He could see shadows everywhere. Even with the parking lot lights on overhead, he still couldn’t see everything that made him calm. In fact, it made him feel instantly worried. He looked back inside the car, grabbed his thermos, and held it firmly in his hands. He took another deep breath before he could move another muscle.
All right Jimmy. It’s time to go. It’s time to move.
He was as ready as he was ever going to be, so he looked back to the sidewalk, and opened the door. He stood by the car for a second, looked to every direction, but saw nothing. The air felt still. Everything felt calm. Nothing moved, so he took another deep breath.
Just go. Just move, and don’t look back.

He moved quickly, and moved with purpose. He made his way up the sidewalk, and reached the front doors. He opened them quickly, and kept the thermos out in front of him as he moved, carrying it like a knight carrying his shield into battle. He didn’t breathe until he stood inside the lobby. Only then did he relax. It wasn’t an easy walk in the least.

Pat Moore stood right inside the front doors and watched him come inside. He was much older than what Jimmy was, he was also much taller, and was as thin as a rail. He was also not in the best shape of his life. He smoked too much. He liked his beer, and he ate all of the worst foods that a man in his sixties shouldn’t be eating. It all said, that he wasn’t in the best circumstance to have to try to get out to his car. He knew he couldn’t run. He knew he couldn’t fight. He also knew that if the animal came after him, he didn’t have a chance. It made him, quite frankly, scared to his very core. “You made it?” he asked Jimmy with his hands on his hips and a strange look on his face.

Seeing his face made Jimmy flinch. He recognized the look of terror, and of worry, all rolled into one giant stare. “What’s wrong?” He sighed. He had an idea, guessing that it had to do something with the attacks in the area. It only made sense.

“All hell is breaking loose,” Pat began. He turned back and looked at the stairs. He had to make sure that no one else could hear him, and when he didn’t see anyone there, he began with what he needed to say. “Apparently something’s got out? The entire security staff is looking for it now. They‘re going ape shit, all armed to the teeth.”

“What?” Jimmy looked back to the glass, and could see the parking lot clearly. “Does it have anything to do with what’s going on in town?”
That would explain so much.
But yet, still nothing at all.

“I don’t know, but I think it does?” Pat turned again to the stairs, sighed, and turned back to Jimmy. “It has to be what they’re looking for? They’re acting like they are panicked or something close to it?” he whispered. He couldn’t tell if anyone was at the top of the stairs and listening, so he had to make sure that no one could hear him if they were.

“I see.” Jimmy left the front doors, passed him, and moved behind the counter. He sat down his thermos behind him on the cabinet along the wall, and pulled out the chair.

Pat joined him at the side of the counter, but kept his eyes flaring at the stairs. “Did you see any of the teams?” His hands stayed on his hips, but his mind was almost running out of breath. “Did you notice anything on your way in?” He needed to know if it was safe to leave. He wasn’t all that sure if he wanted to go. It had already become pure darkness outside, which made it feel more than just dangerous, it also made him nervous. He didn’t want to leave
alone
.

“I didn’t see anything.” Jimmy sat down, signed onto the computer, and signed his name to the time sheet at the corner wall of the counter.

Pat nodded hoping that he wasn’t going to see anything either. He turned to the stairs, thought that he heard someone coming, looked, but saw no one there.

“Anything else I need to know?” Jimmy took his paperwork and put it in front of him on the desk. With it there, he was now ready for the night.

Pat looked back to the stairs and then back down to Jimmy again. He sighed shallow. “Nothing more.”

Jimmy nodded.

Pat said nothing else. He turned, and moved slowly to the doors. He took ahold of the left handle, and stopped. He looked outside, expecting to see something, anything, but saw nothing. It all looked too dark, and it made him feel that he wouldn’t see anything even if that something was right in front of his face. It all made his heart skip several beats. He forced himself to look back to the counter. “Are you busy?” His voice quivered. In fact, it actually shook.

Jimmy looked up from his paperwork, and the look on his face surprised him some. Pat looked absolutely terrified. “Pat you okay?” He felt bad for him. He didn’t know what else to think or say.

“Would you mind walking me out?” Pat tried to swallow, but couldn’t. Hell, he considered himself lucky that he was still breathing.

“You want an
escort
?” Jimmy couldn’t believe what he just heard. He never thought that he’d see the day that one guard would ask another one for an escort to their car. He tried to smile, but couldn’t.

“Would you mind?” Pat also tried to smile, but also couldn’t.

Jimmy sighed and nodded. In a way, he understood.
What could it hurt?
He stood up, walked around the counter, and joined him at the front door.

Pat’s face lit up, watching him step towards him. “I owe you brother.” The smile came again as relief flowed out of him like water flows over a falls.

Jimmy walked him to his car. He watched him pull out of the lot. When he left, he ran, in a full sprint, back to the lobby. He didn’t blame Pat for feeling what he did, being that he obviously felt the same way.

Back inside, he walked back to the counter and sat back down, having to catch his breath. He gasped for air, showing that he too wasn’t used to running, turned to the CCTV screens and then to the clock. It was now only eleven, and seeing it, he sighed strongly. He had another hour before he could start the tour, and again, he couldn’t wait. He thought all night about finding Collins and wanted to ask him about what he overheard last night. The curiosity felt overwhelming and his lack of patience showed yet again. Being so, he had to keep breathing, and try to relax, so he sat there, and stared endlessly at the screens. He waited for the turning of time. On the center screen, he could see a man walking up the sidewalk, and coming to the front doors. At first, he thought that it was Pat again.
He must have forgotten something.
The thought vanished when he noticed that the man looked large, he looked built, and he also had blonde hair. Seeing that, he knew who it was, and it made his heart sink like a rock in his chest.

Gary walked down the sidewalk and kept his right hand on his sidearm as he moved. In his mind, he knew that he had to stay cautious. He had to stay ready. He knew that the freak could be anywhere. If it wanted to, it could jump him fast. It could kill him even faster and he couldn’t give it the chance. When he walked to the front doors, he stopped, and turned back around. He looked to the small trees and to the bushes to the left of the doors. Shadows were everywhere. The dark looked all-consuming. He took a deep breath, and saw nothing. With that, he sighed and opened the door.

He walked to the counter fast, just as the chubby shy guard stood up. Seeing him made his heart grow solid all too quickly, and it hardened him just as fast. “Hey you?” He walked up to the chubby
rent-a-cop
and stopped just opposite from him across the counter. He kept fixated on him and wanted to see the fear again in his eyes. He had to feel the power. It felt almost like a drug and he loved it more than life itself.

“Yes sir?” Jimmy flinched, kept his head down, and couldn’t bring himself to look up. Without knowing it, he gave the man exactly what he was looking for. He gave him fear. Hell, he oozed with it. He couldn’t help himself.

“Have you seen anyone around the building that shouldn’t be around?” Gary made his voice sound powerful as he brought it down deep. In fact, he let it boom. It even rattled the glass, and shook the air. The large lobby only amplified it ten times over. God he loved the sound.

Jimmy took the point and swallowed a heavy tongue. “What?” If he wanted to look up, he couldn’t. Hell, he couldn’t even think straight.

“Have you seen anyone in the building tonight, or last night, or the night before, that you’ve never seen before?” Gary again made his voice go lower in pitch. He stared the fat guy down, and smiled, seeing all of it.

Jimmy’s blank mind switched to Collins instantly. It had to be him that he was talking about.
He wants me to tell him about Collins.
He couldn’t think of anyone else, especially hearing what he did yesterday.
They don’t know that I was there. They know that he’s been running around. It makes sense,
but there was more to it than that. He knew it, but he had to talk to him first. He had to find out what was going on, and before that, he wasn’t going to tell them anything. He wouldn’t anyway, especially not to this big
asshole
. “No one.” He nodded, sighed, and held his breath.

Gary sighed, and bowed his head. He knew that the fat guard wouldn’t lie to him. He hoped he was, but he also knew he wouldn’t. “You sure?” He locked his eyes on him like a laser beam. “You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?” He smiled.

Jimmy emphatically shook his head no. “I haven’t seen anyone.” He swallowed again.
Can he see I’m lying? Am I showing it? Was he reading my eyes?
He wasn’t sure. He was awful at telling lies. He was never any good at it, so he had no idea if he was right or not.

Gary nodded, feeling slightly disappointed. This wimp couldn’t lie to him, he just knew he wouldn’t. He was far too afraid of him to do it, and that made him sigh again and swallow dryly, realizing that small fact. “If you see anyone, I don’t care who, you call me on that radio of yours. Channel four, got it?” He pointed towards the desk, as he turned and walked to the stairs. Quickly, he went up them to the second floor, and said nothing else.

Jimmy watched him leave, and sighed with a hefty breath. He couldn’t believe that he just pulled it off, so he turned back to the clock.
Only 11:30. Goddamn it.
It wasn’t time yet. He couldn’t start his round until twelve, but seeing the time, his impatience exploded through his soul.
I can’t just sit here. I have to see him. If I keep waiting, it might be too late.
He looked back to the glass doors, and then looked back to the stairs. Seeing nothing, he looked back to the clock.
It won’t hurt if I start early, would it?
He thought hard, but he didn’t know. Quite frankly, he didn’t care. He had to find him. He had to see him.
Ah, fuck it!
He decided, and removed the radio from its base and clipped it to his belt. He made sure it was set to channel four, and then grabbed the wand and placed it in his back pocket. He left the desk and pushed in the chair.

He walked to the center of the lobby, and looked outside quickly. He saw no one there and everything looked peaceful. Again, seeing that, he turned and walked to the stairs. He walked up them quickly, and at the top of the stairs, he took his wand and hit the chip. The soft beep rang out. Finished, he turned right, and started the tour.

He walked fast and he moved with purpose. All the while, he hit the chips as he went along. He didn’t hesitate, as his heart raced hard and his breathing grew short, and when he reached the double doors to the labs, he stopped. He hit the chip to the right of the door, reached for the access card on his shirt, and brought it down to the pad. He looked through the windows in the doors, and his hand stopped cold. He froze and locked in place.

On the other side of the door, halfway down the hallway, two large uniformed men stood in the center of the hall, and had their backs towards him, obviously looking the other way.