Mutation: Parables From The Apocalypse - Dystopian Fiction (11 page)

Escape Gone Bad

Alex led Christa out of her living quarters and into the surrounding labs.  Chaz stood outside, waiting, with Dr. Montgomery behind him.  Chaz and Christa exchanged smiles. 

"Nice to see you, ya grumpy old bastard." Christa grinned from ear to ear.

"Hello, Christa, it's nice to see you too."  Chaz did his best to hide his concern for the changes so visible in Christa.

As Alex walked past Chaz, he asked Judith, "What happened to your face, Doc?"  He looked back and forth between Chaz and Judith.

Chaz replied, "I learned something new about myself.  Seems it's possible to annoy me enough to hit a woman.  Guess I still have some hidden monsters."

Alex stifled a grin.  "Yeah, I know exactly what you’re talking about."

Wiping the blood still coming from the corner of her mouth, Judith replied, "You fools think you know about monsters, but you have no idea what you're doing.  Do you really think she's just a kid?  She's a bigger monster than any from your nightmares.  You're making a huge mistake here."

Alex moved toe to toe with Judith.  "Lady, you think you know anything about monsters, hiding safe and sound in your labs behind test tubes and computers?  You ever killed one with your bare hands?  Have you ever pushed a blade through an orifice so far your fingers ended up inside it?  Ever had their rotten, decaying breath so close you could taste it?" Alex's chest heaved, then he turned and walked away.

Judith held back for a second, then said, "Just because I'm not covered in rotting flesh, doesn't mean they don't keep me awake at night.  It doesn't mean I don't have nightmares over these things.  I know.  I know exactly what they're capable of.  I may not be in the trenches covered in muck and guts, but there's still blood on my hands.  Don't think you're the only one that makes sacrifices here.  We all do."

Chaz interrupted.  "Alright, if you two are done with your little chit chat, we have more work to do.  We need to get out of here, and there’s a whole mess of soldiers between here and the front door that will do their damnedest to stop us."

Judith replied, "Even if you get out the front door, those things outside will rip you to pieces." Looking at Christa, she continued, "If you think she's going to help you, you’re more naive than I thought.  She's not the girl she used to be.  She may act the same, but she has more on the inside then she has on the outside.  She's not your golden ticket anymore."

Chaz grabbed Judith by the shoulders and pushed her towards the front door.  "Get that blood wiped off your mouth.  You and I are taking the lead all the way to the front door."

Alex and Christa followed out of the lab and down the hall.  Christa remained uncharacteristically quiet heading down the hallways past researchers returning from the cafeteria.  There were plenty of odd glances directed at the odd group of Judith, Chaz, Alex and Christa.  Only one researcher tried talking with Judith, but Chaz just waved them off, saying she was too busy.  None of the suspicious researchers were inclined to interfere with armed soldiers.  One of them, however, did pick up a phone and make a call to General Chambers. 

The ride up the elevator was quiet until Christa finally spoke up.  "She's not totally wrong about me.  I know I've changed, I've seen myself in the mirror.  I look all grown up on the outside now, I know that.  I don't know why or how, but they had something to do with it." She looked at Judith. "They didn't treat me horribly, but they weren't bubbling with kindness either.  I was just another piece of lab equipment.  I know I'm different, but I don't understand how."

Alex looked down at her.  "It's alright, Christa.  People change all the time, but it doesn't change who they are.  A big part of you is still the same."  He looked to Chaz. "Right, Colonel?  She's still her." He spoke reassuringly.

Chaz looked at Judith, who was shaking her head with pursed lips. "Christa, you're still you.  No matter what those bastards did.  There are parts of us inside that even they can't mess with.  You are who you are from cradle to grave.  There's nothing anyone can do to change that."

The elevator beeped on reaching the ground floor.  Before the doors opened, Chaz and Alex readied their weapons.  They pulled Christa behind them, and pushed Judith out front.  As the doors slid open to an empty hallway, Judith walked out first with Alex holding the doors open. 

"Hold that door," Chaz said.  "I'm going to find something to jam it, and block their path."

Chaz entered an unlocked janitor's closet.  Alex held the door, and kept an eye on Judith moving down the hallway.  "Don't go far, Doc.  We're not quite ready to let you go yet.  Maybe we'll take you outside and give you a chance to face some of your nightmares in person.  Who knows, we may just cure your insomnia."

"Stay close, Christa, we're not sure what's behind the next corner.  Some of the lab rats down there didn't look too comfortable with us just walking out with you."

Christa came back to the elevator as Chaz came out of the closet pushing a crate of cleaning supplies.  Christa helped him push it down the hall, and they placed it between the elevator doors.  The four of them quietly made their way down the hall to the next corner as the elevator beeped, insisting it be allowed to move.

The next hallway looked clear.  There were several doors to vaults and offices, but no one emerged as they made their way past.  Chaz led them through one of the too-quiet back corridors.  It was tight moving down the corridor.  There wouldn't be much room for maneuvering if they came across patrols. 

"It's only two more turns, then we're into the main corridor that leads to the front lobby," Chaz whispered. 

Halfway down the next hall, the sergeant came around the next corner with his weapon ready.  More soldiers took position behind him.  The sergeant called out, "That's far enough, Colonel.  We can't let you leave with the girl.  Just send her down here and nobody has to do anything crazy."

Chaz looked back to Christa and saw her huddled next to Alex.  Chaz pulled Dr. Montgomery to the front of their group, and the rest fell in line single-file behind her.  As they backed up from where they had just come, two more soldiers leaned around the corners behind them.  They raised their weapons at the group.

The sergeant spoke again.  "C'mon, Colonel.  We've got you from both ends.  There's no way for you to get out of here with the girl.  Let the doctor and the girl go.  Then you and Alex can walk unharmed out the front door."

Chaz replied, "We'll give you the doctor just before we head out the front door.  That's the best we can do.  The girl stays with us.  She came with us, and she leaves with us."

Chaz began pushing the doctor towards the sergeant.  Christa followed directly behind Chaz, with Alex in tow.  The narrowness of the hallway didn't give the soldiers at either end much of an angle to shoot from.  The corridor didn't help Chaz much either.  There was one door along the hall between the group and the sergeant.

"Get the general down here.  I'd rather be talking with him than some subordinate." Chaz stalled as they moved closer to the door.

"That's not going to help your case any, Colonel," the sergeant replied.  "The general has eyes everywhere.  He knows exactly what's going on."  The sergeant put a finger to his earpiece.  "Letting you and Alex out of here in one piece is your best bet.  I suggest you take him up on his offer."

As Chaz got closer, he took a quick step towards the door and turned the handle. It was locked.

"C'mon, Colonel, that's not a way out.  There's nothing behind that door that can help.  You're just trapping yourself."

Chaz stepped back from the door and yelled, "Stand back!" 

Alex pulled Christa behind him as Chaz fired two shots into the door lock.  The guards behind the sergeant returned fire down the hall, narrowly missing Chaz.  Chaz leaned back and kicked the door open, shattering what was left of the lock.  The four quickly ducked inside, closing the door. 

The room was dark, but Chaz found the light switch and illuminated the room.  It was a small waiting room, with half a dozen chairs around the walls, a coffee table in the center and magazine tables in the corners.  The ventilation duct in the ceiling was much too small for any of them to crawl through. 

They paced back and forth for a second before Alex spoke. "We can't stay here, Chaz.  We're just delaying the inevitable.  The only way out is through that hallway.  We have to fight our way out."

"Yes, I know, I just needed some space and time to think.  At least we can use the room to protect Christa and keep her out of the line of fire.  There are some things we can use here.  And, of course, the doctor.  Just give me a minute and I'll figure something out."

Chaz pulled the door open and looked quickly up and down the hall.  The soldiers were both still in position, but the sergeant was nowhere in sight.

"It looks like they're content to just wait us out.  They haven't moved, but they haven't left either.  We've got what they want, but they don't have an easy way to come and get it.  Maybe we should give them one.  We could draw them out by letting them think they have Christa.  Get them to come out of cover and pick them off."

Alex shook his head.  "I don't like it.  It's too risky.  Look what they've done to her already.  I'm not convinced they care about her wellbeing.  The doctor would be better bait." 

Judith sat in one of the chairs and picked up an old magazine from the floor. 

"When you two Einsteins figure out a sure-fail plan for how to get out of this impossible situation, be sure to let me know.  I do have a lab managers' meeting in the morning, and I really should try and get to bed early tonight."  Judith crossed her legs and flipped through the magazine.

Alex leveled his gun at her, and replied, "Maybe we just shoot the bitch here, and throw her corpse into the hall.  That would convince them that we're serious, and maybe they'll back off.  They've got plenty of lab rats down there.  I'm sure they'd get by just fine without this one."

Chaz reached over to Alex's weapon and lowered it.  "That's not a bad idea, but it might work better if we changed it up a bit."

Judith looked up from her magazine.  "You can't be serious.  They'll kill all three of you if you hurt me.  Don't overestimate her value in any of this.  She may be important to you and me, but the general and his monkeys are a whole different level of stupid.  You should have left her where she was.  You've not only endangered your lives by going this far, but now you've put hers in jeopardy."

Chaz raised his weapon, pointing it at Judith's forehead.  Judith's eyes widened. Then, just before he pulled the trigger, he flicked his wrist right and two bullets whizzed past her ear. 

Judith was silent and shaking.  Chaz began to speak. 

"You're probably having a hard time hearing me with that ear, so you better listen carefully with your good one.  I want you to understand exactly what it is you're up against.  We're incredibly desperate people, and you shouldn't overestimate your value in this situation.  We're barely smarter than the general's monkeys, and who knows what we might try next.  If we get any more desperate, we may just decide to dispose of any extra baggage and make a mad dash for the exit.  Offering helpful suggestions may get all of us out of here in one piece."

Desperate Moves

The sergeant spoke through his microphone.  "Did you hear that, General?  There were two shots fired in the room.  Should we move in?"

"Yes, Sergeant, I heard the shots.  I'm well aware of the situation.  Hold your ground.  They're trapped and they know it.  It's just a matter of time before they surrender."

"Yes, sir."

Chaz sat directly across from Judith. "So, Doctor ... things don't look so good for you, surrounded by a few desperate men and a little girl.  Any grand ideas for getting yourself out of this little mess?"

Judith remain silent, while Alex paced around the small room. 

Eventually Chaz said, "Alex, sit down.  You're not helping. There's always a solution, usually more than one.  The trick is picking the one that doesn't make things worse." 

Alex reluctantly took a seat.  Christa took the seat next to him, wrapped her arm around his and looked up at him.  Alex acknowledged her, but had nothing to say.  For a few minutes, no one said anything.  Finally, Chaz spoke to Judith again. 

"So, Doc, all those years of higher education don't seem to be helping you out of this situation.  I only have to assume from your silence that you've got nothing.  I've got three ideas in my head.  Do you care to hear what they are?"  Judith threw her magazine on the table and looked away.  "Well, since you're not interested, I guess I'll just go with option two.  It's my favorite, but it is painful.  Painful just for you though.  Hmmm, maybe that's why it's my favorite."

Chaz gave the doctor a little smile, raised his pistol, and shot her in the leg, just a few inches above the knee.  Judith screamed in pain, grabbing her leg, but managed not to pass out. 

Chaz looked at her and said, "That stings a bit, doesn't it?  Don't worry, it won't last long.  The stinging should go away once you go numb from blood loss.  I think I missed the major bones, so if you manage to get out of this fiasco alive, you'll be up puttering around your test tubes in no time.  You're welcome."

Judith looked up at Chaz.  "You goddam son of a bitch.  What the hell is wrong with you?"

"That's not helpful dialog there, Doctor, and I'm sorry again for what I'm about to do now."

Chaz stood up, raised the butt of his pistol this time, and brought it down hard on the back of Judith's head.  She started to reach for the back of her head, then lost consciousness, and fell in a heap to the floor.  Chaz looked to Alex.  "Give me a hand here with her, will you?  Christa, can you get the door for us please?  We're just going to toss her out before the smell gets too bad."

As Christa held open the door, Alex and Chaz heaved Judith's still breathing, but bleeding body into the hallway.  Chaz held the door open as the other two took a seat, both looking confused as to what was going on.  Chaz stood in the door and yelled loud enough for all the soldiers to hear him. 

"Don't worry, guys, she's not dead.  We're not heartless bastards.  She just passed out from the pain, it seems.  She is however bleeding really badly, and I'm not too sure how much longer she has till she bleeds out.  I would have patched her up myself, but we don't seem to have any medical supplies in here at the moment."  Chaz waited a few moments.  There was no response from either end of the hallway.  "Oh, and don't worry about the kid.  She's fine."

Chaz went back inside and closed the door.  "I don't think I hit a major artery, so I figure the doctor has about fifteen minutes before she dies."  Chaz raised his palms up.  "I'm not an expert though, so I could be wrong on that. I think we'll have an answer pretty quick."

Chaz opened the door just enough to see Judith. 

Alex finally spoke up.  "So, now what?  If she dies out there, that can't be good for us.  Are you sure she's got fifteen minutes?"

"Well, I can't be sure about the fifteen minutes, but I agree: it won’t be good for us if she dies.  I was betting they really want her alive.  Either they try and save her right there in the hallway and we pick them off one by one, or they clear a path and let us go.  We should know their decision pretty quick.

"That's a big gamble, Chaz."

"I agree, but it's a much better bet than the other two options I had.  Trust me, you don't want to know what they were."

They waited a few minutes in silence, but nothing happened.  The soldiers held their posts, but nothing came from the sergeant. 

Chaz finally broke the silence.  "Looks like it's time to force their hand.  Alex, Christa, start ripping all those magazines up and put them in the waste basket.  Pull the tissues out of that box as well, and throw them in."

Soon, they had a rather large wastebasket full of crumpled magazine pages. 

"Alright, here's what's going on.  We're heading for the front door, but we're going to need some cover.  They're not showing it, but they’re panicking about the doctor, so let's force their hand.  We're going to move all this furniture between the doctor and the soldiers that came up behind us. That should cover us as we move down the hallway.  Then, we're going to light that waste can on fire for a smokescreen.  Stay low and move quickly.  They won't risk putting another bullet in the doctor or hitting Christa.  Once we get around the next corner, we'll be in the lobby.  Then, it's just a matter of walking out the front door and putting distance between us and them."

Alex gave Chaz a sideways glance, then looked away.  "Don't forget what's outside that front door, Colonel.  It ain't your friendly neighborhood welcoming wagon."