The Red Phoenix 12: Strength Comes in Numbers (34 page)

“Kerry? Start CPR, just like I showed you,” said Chris, standing. “Kirks Eight through Ten? Stand by and guard Kerry.”

“Yes sir,” they answered.

Kerry began administering chest compressions.

“The rest of you, come with me,” said Chris, rushing down the corridor.

Chris and the clones hurried around a corner into another passageway, hearing the roaring sounds of a mutated creature become louder.

“Kirk One? We know what sound that is,” said Chris, concerned.

“Yes, we do,” Kirk One answered.

Chris ran past a glass wall in the corridor, coming to a stop after glancing over his right shoulder.

“Hold up, guys,” said Chris, gazing through the glass wall, sickened.

They watched a creature hold a male employee, wearing a lab coat, by the throat, bite him on the shoulder then throw him against the glass wall, causing it to crack with a loud thud.

“Good hell!” said Chris, stepping back with the others, gripping their weapons as the creature roared at them.

The employee lying on the floor began to change. His head increased in size as his hair follicles were pulled into his scalp, making his head bald. His shoulders, arms, chest grew overly muscular, tearing his clothes from his body as he slowly stood from the floor, turning to Chris and the clones, staring at them through the glass, snarling his teeth, making a hellacious whispery hissing noise through his mouth.

“My God, it’s worse than I thought,” said Chris, looking up at the creature that glared at them through the glass wall.

“What do mean, Chris?” asked Kirk Four.

“Please explain,” Kirk Six asked, aiming his weapon.

“Their bites are contagious,” Chris answered. “The venom or virus, or whatever it is, passed on to another host. Are you ready?” he asked, aiming his weapon at the creature through the glass wall.

“We’re ready, sir,” Kirk Three responded.

“Here we go,” said Chris.

The creature punched through the glass wall, roaring, sending shards of glass over their heads, striking against their body armor.

“Now!” hollered Chris as he and the clones fired at the creature’s chest, shoulders and head.

The creature fell back on the floor and died. The second one rushed them through the hole in the glass wall, striking Kirk Five, sending him across the corridor. It backhanded Kirk Seven in the head, roaring, forcing him to the floor. It grabbed Kirk Three by the throat, lifted him up, bit him on the shoulder then threw him into Kirks Four and Six, knocking them to the floor like pins in a bowling alley.

Chris and Kirk One aimed their guns at its head, riddling his gaping-jawed, sharp teeth face with bullets until parts of its head blew off and it collapsed dead on the floor.

Chris moved up to the dead creature, breathing hard, his gun on him.

“Is it dead?” asked Kirk One.

“It’s not moving, that’s a good sign,” Chris replied, lowering his gun.

“Are you guys okay?” he asked, amazed they’d survived again.

The clones picked themselves up off the floor.

“Yes sir, Chris,” Kirk Three answered, holding his shoulder where the creature bit him.

“Let me have a look at that bite on your shoulder, Three,” said Chris, pulling Three’s body armor down, examining his shoulder.

“Its teeth were sharp,” said Three.

“The creature bit you hard. Do you feel anything?” asked Chris.

“Only right at first; now I feel nothing,” Kirk Three answered.

“I never tested you clones for levels of pain tolerance,” said Chris. “I was too busy increasing your intelligence and training you in firearms and military tactics. It never occurred to me.”

“Not experiencing pain the same as a human would doesn’t bother me,” said Kirk Three.

“Good, you should feel lucky,” Chris responded. “At any rate, it doesn’t appear the creature’s bite is having the same contagious effect on you. Are you okay to continue?”

“Oh yes, Chris,” Three said, moving his bitten shoulder in a circular motion. “I’m fine.”

“It’s just as well you’re a clone,” said Chris with a smile. “I couldn’t be more proud.”

More roaring and glass shattering was heard near the corridor. Chris was startled, turning around, checking all directions for threats, scared.

“More of them are going to come, Chris,” said Kirk One.

“Everyone, pick up your gear,” said Chris. “Let’s get back to Kerry and head to the transit depot.”

***

Kerry stood up from the old man who lay on the floor.

“Well?” asked Chris, hurrying around the corner.

“His name was Frank Bensely,” Kerry replied, a tear rolling down her face. “I couldn’t help him, Chris.”

“Like you told me earlier, you did what you could,” said Chris in a compassion voice, wiping her tear. “Perhaps it was just time to go.”

“Is this what humans feel?” asked Kerry, sniffing as another tear rolled down her other cheek.

“Emotion? Yes,” Chris answered. “And I think you’re beautiful for being caring and experiencing true feelings for someone else.”

“I’ve never experienced this before,” said Kerry.

“It’s in your DNA,” said Chris.

“Was she an emotional woman?” asked Kerry.

“Oh yeah,” said Chris, rolling his eyes. “But she cared about others too. Just like you showed us,” he added, smiling.

“Running out of time, Chris,” said Kirk One.

“We make for the experimental lab,” said Chris, taking the lead. “This way!” he added, leading them down the corridor.

***

Chris and Kirk One kicked open the experimental lab door, scanning the room with their weapons as Kerry and the rest of the Kirks poured into the room with their guns raised.

“Room is clear!” said Kirk Five.

“Eight and Nine? Watch the door, please,” said Chris.

“Yes sir.”

Chris lowered his weapon as he approached the door that led to the room with Siddoway’s weapons awaiting approval.

“Shoot the door,” said Chris as he and Kirk One fired at the handle and the lock, filling the door with holes.

Chris kicked it open. They hurried to the glass case containing the freeze weapon. Kirks Two, Three and Four followed them.

“What are these weapons in here, Chris?” asked Kirk One.

“They’re advanced and highly effective,” Chris answered, typing in the codes on each of the glass cases’ keypads. “This is a freeze gun. The gloves over there make fire and the other metallic gloves in the case against the wall over here can shock an enemy by its grip,” he added, taking out the freeze ray.

“Looks impressive,” said Kirk One.

“This will chill those ravenous monsters out a bit, I think,” said Siddoway, gripping the weapon. “Two and Three? Collect the gloves and conceal them on your person.”

“Yes sir,” they replied.

“Now, let’s get to level minus fifty,” said Chris.

“Let’s hope the transit depot is operational,” said Kirk One.

“Only one way to find out. To the elevators,” said Chris, leading them out the door.

***

“I was trying to help you guys out, Ron!” said Siddoway, babbling to himself, pulling bags up the corridor to the multi-elevator vestibule.

He slammed the
up
button, waiting for it to arrive.

“You guys don’t know me!” he said angrily, breathing hard, talking to himself. “Do you have any idea what I’ve been through! Huh!”

Siddoway looked at the wall, seeing a reflection of himself there on the shiny tiles. The elevator was almost ascending from lower levels. He looked at his reflection again at another area of the wall. The shiny tiles distorted his face a tad. He felt his face, running his fingers down his cheek.

“You’re not going to lose your mind, Alex James Siddoway,” he said with conviction, staring at himself. “You’re not going to slip into mental illness. Not like your father. Do you hear me? Hmm?”

Two elevators arrived at the vestibule, making a
ding
sound. Siddoway turned. The doors opened. Chris and his clones’ eyes widened at the sight of their enemy.

“Siddoway!” said Chris, gripping his Mp5, backing into the elevator.

“Michaels!” Siddoway growled, backing away, raising his XD but noticing the others in the elevator. “Kerry? Kirk? You’re alive?”

“Shoot him!” said Chris, aiming his Mp5.

Siddoway ran down the elevator foyer as Chris opened fire, ripping holes in the wall and the other closed elevator doors, sparking bullets off the floor before Siddoway had a chance to aim his XD. Siddoway dove swiftly into an open elevator that was a few down from Chris on the opposite side of the vestibule for cover, barely avoiding getting shot.

“Hold your fire, dammit!” Siddoway shouted out his elevator door, gasping, taking off his XD that was slung over his shoulder.

Chris’ gun jammed.

“I said hold your fire!” Siddoway said in loud voice, blocking his elevator door with his foot, peeking around the edge of the door.

“What do you want, Alex?” Chris yelled, while he and Kirk One aimed their weapons towards Siddoway’s elevator.

“Why are we trying to kill each other, Chris?” he asked.

“Well, for starters, you tried to kill me, before you blew up the entire facility,” Chris answered in a stern voice.

“I never tried to kill you!” said Siddoway.

“Liar!” Chris replied.

“If that hot-shot Reese hadn’t have tried to take a shot at me, I—”

“It doesn’t matter!” said Chris, cutting him off. “You’re a murderer, a traitor and I have no trust in you at all! We’re in this world of shit because of you! The friendship is over!”

“Oh I see. So, you think you’re just going to kill me, walk out of here with your new family of clones and move to the country somewhere where no one will find you?” asked Siddoway, chuckling. “Wake up, Chris! You’re living in fantasy land, buddy.”

“Your words have no meaning, Alex,” said Chris.

“You’re just as much a criminal as I am, Chris,” said Siddoway.

“You care to explain that?” asked Chris, raising his voice.

“They’re going to know that you’ve been working with me and my weapons,” said Siddoway.

“Yeah, but you created the bomb, Alex,” said Chris. “I had nothing to do with that. I tried to stop you.”

“Unfortunately, you’ve most likely been branded a traitor just like me, maybe even an
Enemy of the State
,” Siddoway added. “We’re nothing more than another target to be killed on sight, Chris.”