Prepper

Chapter Twenty-Two

The old sedan is roomy enough, quiet and pleasantly inconspicuous; even more so now with the lights blacked out. I follow Tony's directions as best I can, but Kate is offering alternative advice from the backseat. It's my own private version of hell. Banks is quiet, but I can hear him breathing behind me, like some great beast has taken up residence back there.

We follow the alley for a short distance in the opposite direction we need to go, then turn onto a deserted avenue just north of the hospital. Soon we have reversed course down a side street. The plan is to creep within a short jaunt to the data center and proceed from there on foot. It is working great so far, we haven't encountered anything, Rose City seems a ghost town. But I suppose, most people have gotten themselves as far away from here as possible by now. However, somewhere out there the ranks of the GFA lurk, sequestered under cover of dark, somewhere out there death awaits.

I swing the car into a narrow driveway and nestle it up behind a rusty hatchback. I leave the keys in the ignition, because something tells me I might be wanting to get out of here in a hell of a hurry, if I make it back in the first place.

We start making our way toward the data center; again we move with the intent of absolute stealth. It occurs to me that I am the only one who is truly quiet. Banks is huffing and puffing and both him and Tony have an assortment of items on them that rattle as they move. Kate's heels are clacking on the sidewalk; she has always ignored my advice with regard to sensible footwear.

As impossible as it seems we arrive at the data center without incident, not a single encounter, and I'm eternally grateful for that. The way my day has been going (or was that yesterday?), I was pretty convinced something bad would have happened by now. We stack on the side door, as per Tony's instruction. Someone's gloved hand squeezes my shoulder, I reach up and do the same to Tony.

"Are you gonna draw your gun?" I turn back and whisper. Kate shakes her head, she looks like she might vomit. She's in good company though, my stomach hasn't stopped churning since I got back in the car. It might be for the best, Tony's expert training or not, I don't relish the idea of having Kate behind me with a loaded gun. Trigger discipline takes practice.

Tony swipes a keycard and swings the door open. It's just a hallway, so the whole right and left technique isn't going to work here. We move forward as a unit, the mounted light on Tony's carbine providing the only illumination. Part way down the hallway, Tony halts.

"Kate, which way?" He whispers.

"Records is further down, door on right, then down that hallway, third or fourth room on left. Door will have keycard access." Kate answers. I'm glad she's got it all mapped out in her head. "IT Services is in the far end of the building."

We move carefully down the hall and my foot falls on something hard. I look down and even in the shadowy light I can make out the small, brass shell casing. Looking about I notice there are lots of them.

"Uh, Tony?" I start.

"I know. Shhh."

I grip the MP5 a little tighter and pull it into my shoulder, aiming just left of Tony. As we approach the door I notice the wall and door are riddled with bullet holes. I try to remember if I chambered a round or not, I can't do it now, can't even check because I don't want to make the slightest noise. I try to breathe shallow and quiet, despite Bank's Darth Vader impression going on a few steps behind me. I slide the selector switch slowly, silently off SAFE. I want to turn around and check on Kate, but I can't take my eyes off of the door.

Tony opens the door, which opens inward and to the left, he immediately commits to his entry and turns right. I follow right on his heels and sweep left, pushing the door open further. I was expecting another hallway, but this room opens up into a sea of cubicles.