Coffee (30 page)

McKinsey
frowned again. “I think Maslow can handle that, now please
leave immediately!”

Bryce
was desperate. He had to start the device now or fail his mission.
He needed McKinsey out of the office. “But Sir, begging your
pardon, there is more. We suspect the Bishop woman may be
attempting to leave the premises.” He looked at McKinsey with
an expression of ‘I can’t say everything in front of the
woman.’ McKinsey bought it.

He
stood and bowed deeply. With his head still facing the floor, “I
would like to ask your permission to attend to this issue. I
realize this is at a great inconvenience to you, and I beg for your
forgiveness.” The woman gave a nearly imperceptible nod.
McKinsey straightened and walked humbly out.

After
closing the door, he shouted at Bryce, “What’s going
on! If Bishop leaves this complex, our entire operation may be
compromised. Where is she?”

“I
was on the grounds and noticed her window broken open, and some
rope. She must be outside someplace.”

“Where’s
Bart in all this? Why are you coming to me?”

“He
wanted your help and sent me to you.”

“Help?
Ok, gi’me your radio. What is it, star 9 to get to the
general broadcast?”

Bryce
had no idea. “Yes, star nine,” he lied, hoping.

He
bellowed into it, “This is the President of WIC, Bill
McKinsey. I am sorry to interrupt your activities, but I have an
important request. A woman, Harriet Bishop, is on the grounds
outside the building. We have a very important message for her -
please look out your windows right now. She is short with long
black hair and very light skin. If you see anyone even vaguely
fitting the description, call Security right away.” He turned
it off. “There, my help.”

Bart
had just arrived at the WIC security gate when he heard the
announcement. He immediately called McKinsey’s office.
McKinsey noticed his personal emergency number light up on the
secretary’s desk, and bent to pick it up. Bryce ducked quietly
backwards and into his office.

“Excuse
me,” Bryce said while nodding to the Japanese guest. “I
just have to adjust something in here, Ma’am.”



Warren
and Etty huddled in the far corner and spoke in whispers. “I’m
so mad at you Warren!”

“Mad!
But Etty, I’ve risked everything to help you! I’ve
never been so happy to see someone in my life. Is it because of
Jennie?”

“There’s
Jennie, but more because you’re here! If you had any idea how
evil these people are. I thought you were safely outside. I may
die today, Warren, and with Knut murdered, the only salvation was
that you, at least one of us, would live to bring this company down.
And now you’re in as much danger as I am!” She
wrinkled her forehead.

“So
you too think he was murdered.”

“I
know it. Global did it. I caused it by calling him.” Warren
had wanted to hold her from the moment he saw her. He urged her
closer with the slightest touch, testing her resistance. She fell
forward on to his shoulder. He hugged her warmly. Her small body
fit tightly with his. Her hair smelled sweet.

“You’re
not going to die today.”

Etty
pulled away. “What time is it?”

“Almost
seven. So where’s Bryce.”

Etty’s
breathing shortened. She rubbed her arms. “You don’t
know what’s going on, do you?”

“Not
a thing. Bryce used me to get in, used my head.” He pointed
at the stitches, smiling. She didn’t acknowledge. “You’re
scared. What is it? Is Bryce ok?”

“What
time is it?” Her dark eyes looked black in the dim morning
light.

“Still
almost seven. Tell me!”

She
touched her lips with quivering fingers as she told him of the
bacteria. Warren’s hand, still on her shoulder, tightened as
the dreadful story unfolded. He felt her pain and fear.

Speakers
in the ceiling snapped, and a man’s voice gave a public
announcement.

“It’s
McKinsey. They’re on to us.”

“At
least they think you’re outside the building.”

“They
must have seen my broken window, and the rope.”

They
went to the window and saw guards taking positions at the gate. “It
won’t matter soon anyway. Now the Doctor will never get
back.”

Etty
suddenly yelped. She wrenched backwards, clutching her stomach. “Oh
God! Warren! I feel it! They’re coming!”

Warren
pulled her back to a chair, and kneeled in front of her. “What
can I do?” he said helplessly.

“My
skin - it’s tingling. Bryce must have set them off! Where’s
the Doctor!”

Warren
ran and cracked the door to peek down the hallway. “Come on
damn it!” He heard Etty retching, and turned to see vomit
splattering onto the floor. He ran back and pulled the hair from
her face, and wiped her lips with a tissue. “Hold on Etty,
please, hold on!”

The
closet door began pushing the desk into the room. Warren saw
Jennie’s face pressed against the opening as she shoved. “Let
... me ... out ... of here!”

“Jennie,
you have to help me. Go find that Doctor. Please, she’s
dying.” Etty continued to gag, hunched over on Warren’s
arm.

Dr.
Jenkins burst in, wheeling an IV trolley. She rushed to Etty’s
slumped figure. “I’m so sorry. Move out of the way.”
She quickly swabbed her arm, and inserted the needle. Saline
dripped down from a hanging bag. She plunged two other syringes
into a plastic shunt. “How long ago did it happen?”

“Only
a few minutes ago. I can’t believe how fast it hit her - will
she make it?”

The
Doctor wiped Etty’s face with a warm cloth. “I’ve
given her the anti-toxin, and a strong dose of vancomycin. My
friend’s seen a high survival rate, especially for those
caught in time.”

“She
already threw up!”

The
doctor gave an reassuring look toward Warren. “I doubt the
bacteria made her vomit. I’d say she was sick from fear.”

Etty
watched the liquid flow into her. She breathed deeply to ward off
more nausea.

“She’ll
need to be on medication for at least a week. I have some oxycillin
and anti-toxin in pill form that she must take twice a day.”
She handed him two small envelopes. “The IV will meet the
onslaught and get a good dose going. You’ll need to keep her
on for 30 minutes.” Etty took them from Warren’s hand
and dropped them in a breast pocket.

Jennie
watched. Things were moving along so rapidly, she wanted to contact
Maslow. But the phones on the desks were too close to make a call.
She could run for it, but she’d lose control. No, she’d
have to wait.

Dr.
Jenkins straightened awkwardly. “I’m sorry, but I have
to go. I’ll be implicated in this whole affair, I’m
sure. I have a young daughter at home. I need to take her far away
from here before I get any more involved.”

Etty
raised her heavy head to speak. “I understand. Go. Be
careful. I owe you for my life.”

She
headed toward the door. “Get her to a hospital if she lapses
at all . . . My, what have we come to.”

“We’ll
meet again, Dr. Jenkins, so I can thank you properly.”

She
nodded, not convinced, and left.

- Chapter Nineteen -

Bryce
walked into McKinsey’s office. The Asian woman twitched
uncomfortably in her seat with this new alarming development. He
followed around to the back of the office and to the little hallway
that led to the adjacent room. There on the wall, five video
monitors displayed various camera output from key Complex entrances.
An amplifier-like box and a small keypad was marked, “Satellite
Transmitter”. He pushed in the power button, typed 5358, and
hit another stamped
Transmit
. ‘Please be ready. I’ll
never forgive myself.’

Another
set of switches caught his eye.
Roof Single Point Air Filtration
System
was inscribed above two switches, one showing
Intake
and the other
Output.
He had noticed the full model of the
Complex in the enormous office, and briskly approached it to see if
he could see where the roof air vents were located. Sure enough, up
against the edge of the large dome, two massive vents were depicted
by tiny black squares connected to tubing which disappeared into the
roof.

An
idea struck him. He returned and switched the
Intake
to the
on position. He stepped up to the business woman. “You don’t
happen to have a match, do you?”

Now
furious, she stood abruptly. She forcefully reached into her purse,
threw some matches on the table, and stomped out.



McKinsey
was still standing in the hall, talking angrily on the emergency
line. “Who is this? Speak to me!?”

“Sir,
this is Bart - why did you make that announcement?”

“What
did you expect me to do when you sent the guard to my office - the
Bishop girl’s escaped out her window and someone has breached
security in this building!”

“Bishop
girl out the window? What are you talking about?”

“You
mean to tell me you don’t know? You’re out of control,
Maslow! You didn’t send the guard up here to tell me?”

“Ah,
no Sir. A guard told you about this?”

“Yes,
His tag said Stan something.”

“Bald?”

“Yes.
Hurry, I have an important customer.”

“Is
he right there?” Bart asked. McKinsey looked around. “No.”
Mrs. Kinichi charged through the door. McKinsey laid the phone on
the table and rushed to her. Bart’s voice spoke to no one as
it squeaked through the abandoned receiver, “Mr. McKinsey,
that guard
is our security breech
!”

Bryce
stepped out behind the woman. McKinsey groveled for her to return
to their meeting, but she insisted on leaving. As he hustled to
keep up with her, he yelled back to Bryce, “Stan, call Bart,
he needs an update on the Bishop situation.”

Bryce
hoped the guards would focus on the outside, but 30 uninterrupted
minutes for Etty required another miracle. The elevator in the
reception area opened, and 3 guards tumbled out with weapons drawn.
Bryce dived down the hall toward the stairwell. He slipped out the
door to the stair landing. He once again unlocked the roof access
door. While he held it open with one foot, he grabbed two of the
plastic waste baskets and heaved them up the thin stairs. He bent
the key back and forth until it broke off, and let it slam behind
him.

Within
seconds, guards were bashing at the door behind him. Thankfully, the
reinforced steel kept them back. He dragged the two wastebaskets
through the door at the top of the stairs onto the roof, into the
warm morning light.

Under
his feet in the hallways below, the world spun nearly out of
control. Up here, all was calm and sweet. Deep blue sky fringed a
still reddened horizon. Balmy air filled with sugary fragrances
arose from the blankets of blooming flowers. Colorful birds
fluttered from tree to tree without a care.

He
hauled the wastebaskets across the roof. The air vents towered at
the base of the dome. The whining of air sucking into the filters
swelled as he approached. He placed the plastic trash cans side by
side a few feet from the vents. With a pen knife he cut holes in
multiple places around the bottoms for better air flow. He cupped a
match and lit the corner of a crumpled paper. The wind pulling
toward the fans spread the flames quickly. He transferred a burning
page to the second can.

Soon
flames licked past the top edges of both cans. Once the loosely
packed paper on top burned off, the heavier material started a
hotter, smokier burn. The plastic edges of the cans buckled in, and
burned a dark black. The smoke rushed directly into the large vent.
The “single point” air intake fed every fresh air vent
in the complex. Within moments, tiny wisps of smoke began curling
up from grids in each wing. Soon, the smell of smoke permeated
every room.

Bryce
punched star-nine on the radio. He knew the cans would burn out
before any serious health effects were created, but the suggestion
was enough to create a distraction. He lowered his voice and spoke
officially.

We
are experiencing a fire emergency. All personnel are to evacuate the
building immediately. Please do so in an orderly fashion. Do not,
I repeat, do not run, or crowd stairwells. Do not take elevators.
Follow exit signs to the nearest stairway, and proceed to the second
floor, and out to the lawn. This applies to all wings of the
building. However, any individuals receiving life sustaining care
are to remain in their rooms until proper removal procedures can be
executed.

Bryce clicked off the radio, and again marveled at his peaceful
surroundings, knowing that below him, the world had just boiled up
into a wild frenzy.



Etty
whispered to Warren, “She makes me nervous.”

Warren
jumped up, wanting every comfort for her. “Jennie, just a
little longer. I’d like you to wait in the closet.”

“This
is ridiculous!”

“I’m
not asking you. I’ll leave the desk off if you stay put. Go
on.”

Her
only alternative was to leave the room, but this would jeopardize
her mission. With loathing, she obeyed.

“She
doesn’t seem like a woman in distress to me, Warren. I don’t
trust her.”

“Hush.
She’s fine. You feel any better?”

“Yea.
The Doctor was right, I was petrified. I thought I could face it
after all I’ve been through. I don’t want to die,
especially here.”

“You’re
not going to die! 30 minutes to go. Bryce will be back and we’ll
be on our way.”

“I
appreciate your optimism.” A smile flickered. “But I’m
not so sure. Look how heartlessly they killed Knut.”