Brian cleared his throat and stepped into the glare of death coming from Lisa. “Ma’am I served one tour in Iraq and one in Afghanistan with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which means I saw battle and took fire. I have seen men dying and dead with wounds that looked nicer then Stacey’s. I have forced the guts of my friends back into their bellies, while trying to get them medical attention. Unfortunately, I lost more than I was able to save. So you ask if anyone was qualified to assess Stacey or Marco's wounds, I have to say yes, my experience is more than enough. We could not have saved either one, even if I had a combat medic available to help. Again I have seen things that would give you nightmares for years and with what is in that stairway, I would not open it and face it or allow anyone here to face it. So ma’am, why don’t you calm down. Dan here has been doing a fine job trying to keep us safe, fed and organized.”

  Lisa didn’t look like she even cared or heard what Brian said but did sit down on her chair and cross her legs and looked away like she was trying to control a tantrum. “Thank you Brian, I appreciate your help and I’m afraid we will need more of it till we get rescued. Now anyone else have something to offer or ask?”

  A balding over weight man with a bad comb over raised his hand into the air, as I could recall I thought his name was Gilbert. I nodded at him to take the floor. He stood up from where he had been sitting. “Dan, I know things have been bad today and I know you are trying to do your best to lead us and I appreciate it. But do we have any ideas about what’s going on or maybe a plan to get us out of here? I have two kids and a wife at home waiting for me. I need to get home.” His upper lip was sweating badly and he looked very pale.

  “I have no idea what’s going on out there. I’m as lost as you, but be assured I am keeping nothing from you guys. Again it looks like Marco had the flu and died from it just like the news said was happening on the east coast. Things are bad over there and I do not want this to happen here. I don’t even know if what happened to Stacey or the people in the stairway are related. My plan is for us to eat, sit tight tonight, and hope for someone to come to our rescue. We have no way to protect ourselves and I am not sending anyone out to the stairs after what happened.” I was getting tired of repeating the facts.

  Everyone seemed to shrink back and closed off from questioning. “Why don’t we all line up and get us something to eat? Maybe it will help us relax and think of a way out of our predicament.” I noticed Matt had moved the crackers and granola bars off the table and stowed them under the table. Smart guy, seemed he had the same idea I did in regards to rationing.

  I sat on the floor and finished my sandwich and carrots. Washed it all down with a bottle of water and looked around our little bedraggled group. The first thing I noticed was everyone seemed to be alienating Lisa. “I’m going to have to watch her. People who are shunned seemed to do stupid things,” I thought to myself. Brian seemed to be telling some stories from when he was in the service. He had a pretty good amount of people around him. That’s good he can keep control of these people since they felt assured with having him around. Matt was on the end of one of the couches talking to a couple of people from our team. So far, so good, everyone was relaxing and settling down.

  The sun was going down and the office was starting to darken. I looked up at the emergency battery lights and wondered how long they would last. Our offices were pretty high up, and not much light was going to filter in through the windows during the night.

  I looked at my watch and saw it was getting close to 9 pm. I yawned and looked over at Matt. I was amazed to see him still awake. He had to have been up for at least 19 hours since he started at 2 am. His eyes had that glazed over look but looked like he was hanging in there. “Alright team I think we need to get some sleep. But in order to give me and hopefully you some peace of mind, I’m going to lock the lobby doors.” Everyone looked over to me and nodded their agreement. “If someone does come for us, they will surely pound on the windows or hopefully get the phones fixed and ring us up.” I walked toward the doors, closed them and engaged the frame locks. Then yanked on them hard to make sure they were secure.

  “Uhm I don’t mean to be a pain, but what if we have to pee? Do we have to ask for permission from daddy?” Lisa asked sarcastically.

  Brian stood up and fielded that question. “For safety and convenience why don’t we take turns on watch? I’m not that tired and don’t sleep much anyway. So I’ll take the first watch and then wake Dan in 3 hours, who then will wake Matt for 3 hours and then wake me so I can take the final watch.” I agreed and so did Matt, who took this as a cue to go ahead and pass out. I found a semi comfortable place between two of the couches, leaned back my head, resting on the wall, and fell into a restless sleep.

  My sleep was fitful and filled with images, not dreams mind you. It was just a slideshow of images. I saw Stacey and Marco, but not as alive and not really dead either. They both looked as they did when we found them but they looked like they were alive. Open eyes and open mouths as if being caught screaming by a photographer. I awoke with a start, Brian had been whispering my name and gently moving my shoulder.

  “Hey Boss time for your shift. It’s been quiet. I took three people to the bathroom, here’s the door keys. Mind if I steal your spot?” I smiled up at him and held out my hand. He grabbed it and nearly ripped my arm out of its socket and simultaneously launched me into the air. He caught me before I lost my balance. “Alright Boss wake me if you need me. I’m used to taking cat naps so don’t worry about it.”

  “Don’t worry Brian you deserve to crash out. If I can’t handle something I’ll just scream like a little girl, I’m sure that will wake you up.” I croaked out.

  He chuckled a little and within seconds was snoring softly. I quietly ambled around the office for an hour, looking out the windows and down at the Bay Bridge and could see the new lights dancing on the wire strands. Everything just felt surreal. How could everything look so normal out there but be so wrong in here I thought. I rested my head on the window and tried to think about what I may have missed or could’ve done differently. I knew I had to lead these people, I was responsible for them. I knew I had a support staff in Matt and Brian but for the first time of my life, I felt lost, wandering in a fog with nothing to guide me. “Things can’t get worse can they?” I said quietly to myself. I then felt a hand grab my arm and I swung around as fast as I could. Lisa jumped back with a terrified look on her face.

  “You’re not going to hit me are you?” She said while covering her face and slinking back away from me.

  “No of course not, you just surprised me that’s all. What can I do for you?” I said forcing a smile on my face.

  “You said if we had to pee you would let us out remember? Well I need to pee.” She complained.

  “No problem let me see if anyone else needs to.”

  I turned to walk away and Lisa grabbed my wrist. “Later, I need to go now! Just take me and you can come back and get the others.” She started yanking on my arm pulling me toward the doors. I rolled my eyes and followed her. I unlocked the lobby doors and left one slightly open. I figured since I was here I would also go and maybe get some cold water splashed on my face. She bounded down the hallway and into the girl’s bathroom. I slid into the men’s bathroom, headed over to the urinals, and took care of that pressing need. Now that I think of it, is the first I had gone all day. I walked to the sinks and washed my face taking time to wet my head and stretch. I took my time drying my hands; Lisa will just have to wait for me. Suddenly I heard a guttural scream which tore through to the core of my being. Then there was the padding of feet running and then a door banging open.

  “Oh shit Lisa!” I screamed and slammed the bathroom door open. She was not in the hallway but the stairway door had been untied and left open. I ran to it yelling for Lisa. I got to the door and looked out, I couldn’t see anything through the pitch dark. But I could hear someone, or was it more than one set of feet, pounding on the metal stairway. It sounded like they were headed up not down though. I was tempted to run up the stairs but thought better of it. I couldn’t see anything through the pitch black and to tell you the truth I was afraid, more than any other time in my life, I was afraid. I stepped back and closed the door making sure to retie the fire hose back onto the handle. I ran through the lobby and into the office leaving the door wide open.

  “Brian get up I need you now!” I yelled. Everyone woke up with a start and just stared at me in shock. Brian was not one to be shocked awake though. He came to full awake in seconds and jumped to his feet.

  His eyes went wide and he yelled at me to “Move now!” in his best drill instructor voice. I didn’t even think, I just reacted. I figured if he was warning me then I should move toward him since he was safety. That saved my life. I got to him and noticed everyone was running into my office. I stopped and whirled around. What I saw next I knew would stay with me for the rest of my life. Stacey stood there with her intestines and organs hanging out of her gaping wound. Her eyes were the color of spoiled milk. Both arms out in front of her, hands opening and closing as though she could grab us from there. Her mouth kept snapping open and closed, her teeth clacking so hard I thought they would break.

  “Holy fuck Brian what the hell is wrong with her? She can’t be alive right? Holy shit how can she be walking with her guts hanging out?” I was asking questions in a panic. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

  “Boss I have no idea how to answer any of your questions. And to be truthful I don’t think right now it matters. Get your ass in your office and lock the door. I’ll do what I can do for her.” Brian kept backing up slowly toward my office door.

  I stopped in my tracks, and looked at my office and door. It would be so easy to chicken out and leave Brian to his own demise. Something inside me shook its head and told me to grow a hairy pair and stand by Brian’s side. “Fuck that, I got your back. Matt close that door now.” I yelled. I heard the door shut and then the locked clicked. I looked around the floor looking for a weapon. Nothing, fuck me really? Water? No help unless I could hold her down and drown her with it. Food? Well if she was hungry that might help. Plastic forks? Yeah ok never mind, that’s just stupid. Finally, I saw an old chair that had been dragged from my office. It had these modern looking metal legs supporting its base. I kicked the chair over and was trying to pull the legs off. Suddenly I was slammed against the wall. Brian reached down grabbed a leg in each hand and pulled inward then outward ripping them free. He handed one to me and turned. Suddenly there was Stacey in all her gory puss filled glory.

  She grabbed Brian and started pulling him toward her. He dropped his chair leg and put his hands on her chest trying to push her away. I could see the veins on his neck and forearms bulging from the exertion. He had her almost at a stalemate. But then she started craning her teeth toward him snapping them hard, trying to bite him. “Stop fucking being a spectator and do something Boss. This bitch is way stronger then she looks.” He was grimacing hard.

  I realized I was just standing there with the makeshift weapon hanging by my side. I raised my arm and yelled her name until my voice went hoarse. “STACEY!” I brought down the chair leg and hit her left arm as hard as I could. I heard bone snap but she didn’t even yelp in pain or stop her action of trying to get a tasty Brian sandwich. I raised the chair leg again and started hitting her on the shoulder with all my strength. I could’ve been hitting her with a pool noddle with all the same results. She was now inches from biting down on Brian’s cheek. I could tell he was fading, his massive strength at its limits. I lost all control and started hitting her in the head over and over again. Hair and bone exploded all over with each hit I landed. I raised the leg high over my head and shoved the sharper broken side into her head wound that I had created and pushed with all my might. Her body started to falter as she lost her grip on Brian and he was able to push her back. My weapon was still lodged in her head. Somehow she was able to keep her feet under her, yet she seemed only damaged somehow. Brian let loose a guttural roar and stepped over to her. He grabbed the leg ripped it out of her head and using all his remaining strength shoved it back into her pushing it deeper then I had been able to. She finally collapsed, completely as if someone had just turned off her power switch. Brian and I both just stood there, panting heavily, looking down at Stacey’s twice dead body.

  “Thanks Boss, I know that probably took a lot out of you. But thank you.” He reached out gathering me into his arms and giving me a proper hug.

  We heard the lock on my office door unlatch and then the door swung open. Matt shakily poked his head out. “We could see the entire thing from the office window. Are you guys ok?” All of them emerged from my office and stood behind us. Stacey’s body just laid there. I looked down at her and saw some black looking liquid seeping from her head.

  “What the hell is that? Brian, bodies don’t leak black shit right?” I pointed to what I saw.

  “Not unless it’s a ruptured intestine that was filled with waste. Certainly nothing in the head leaks that color. So by the way what the fuck happened?”

  “Not completely sure, let’s go for a quick walk; I need to see something before I can be sure. All of you can either stay here with that”, I pointed at the body on the ground. “or you can come with us, up to you.” I strode from the office back toward the lobby. I didn’t have to look back to know they were following. We passed the bathrooms and made a beeline for the supply closet. The door was wide open, that black stuff smeared on the inside and door. The keys were still in the door lock. “Those, were on my desk, I know they were. Lisa, that bitch!”

  “Dude, Boss man, tell us what’s up.” Brian demanded.

  “While I was on guard I was staring out the windows at the city, deep in thought about all this. That’s when Lisa came up and asked me to take her to the bathroom. I suggested we wake the others and of course she demanded I take her now. I didn’t want to make a scene so I took her. I went into the bathroom and did my business and was just splashing cold water on my face when I heard a scream and someone running down the hall. I heard a slamming sound and knew the stair way door was opened. I ran out to find it open all the way. I stood at the stairway and couldn’t make anything out because it’s pitch dark in there. But I could hear heavy footsteps running up the metal stairway. I figured there was nothing I could do so I closed and secured the door and came to get your help Brian. Lisa must’ve stolen the keys from the desk got me to take her to the bathroom but snuck out and opened the supply closet. Must’ve seen Marco and Stacey and freaked out and ran. I have a suspicion Marco is chasing her, or probably has caught her by now.”

  I let out a shuddering heavy breath and collapsed to the floor. I felt like I couldn’t get enough air and was choking. Then suddenly all lights went out as I fell unconscious. That’s it, I’m dead. Stroke, heart attack, taken by Aliens? Something finally snapped. I’d like to tell you I was in another land or there was a bright light or had friends and family to welcome me to the other side but nothing like that. I was just standing in the pitch dark, couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. Just blackness, crushing down on me, as though a physical force was trying to bury me. Then I heard voices calling out my name. Someone's screaming entered my dark mind, awakening me. I was on an office floor with Brian sitting next to me.

  Chapter 8

  “Hey Boss you feeling better yet? You had us all worried.” He smiled down at me through his scruffy beard.

  “Holy shit, what the hell happened? I feel like I got ran over by a fucking bus.” I croaked.

  Matt came in and helped me sit up, handing me an open bottle of water. “Drink this Dan, I know, it’s not your awesome sweet ambrosia coffee. Should help though” I listened and took a swig, man it felt good. It slowly parted the spider webs and allowed me to think a little straighter.

  “The best I can figure Boss is your mind finally just had enough and shut you down. It happens on the battlefield sometimes. Kinda like PTSD, it’s an enormous crushing panic attack. You’ll be ok. Matt and the rest helped carry you back in here.”

  I looked around, this wasn’t my office, where the fuck am I? “Whose office is this? Why are we not in my office?” I asked stupidly.

  “I am getting my promotion tomorrow and was just moving into this office. It’s closer to the supply closet so we just moved you here.” Brian answered giving me a little smile.

  “Oh I didn’t know you were being promoted. I guess congratulations are in order.” I said weakly. I looked into my head trying to figure out if I knew this or not.

  “No problem Boss you were going to be told today, no wait that would be yesterday since it’s well after midnight. A new special projects division was going to be opened soon and they asked me to run it.” Brian got up and sat on his desk.

  “Well then Brian, stop calling me Boss, my name is Dan.”

  “Fuck no Boss, the way I see it you are keeping us alive and together. This team has no room for two leaders and you are doing a damn fine job. Matt and I will just stay as your sergeants.” Brian sketched a rough salute.

  “Uhm I was never drafted, I’m more of a civilian contractor. But yeah like he said you’re doing a fine job.”

 

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