The Salvation

Chapter 34

|Andrew|

The grate that opened the vent Andrew crawled in to the lower levels beneath The Black Tower was bolted closed. Andrew rolled his shoulders back and began to kick the grate, wincing with every blow, loud as a rock concert in the quiet facility. The grate fell open onto the ground with a loud rattle, and Andrew climbed out. He aimed his AK-47 in front of him, progressing down the clean white hallway. Andrew stepped into a niche as guards hurried past him to inspect the noise, and Andrew slipped past them with ease.

The service tunnel opened onto the car park of The Black Tower, where Andrew and Craig left Venelope with Shale to find a suitable escape vehicle. Andrew left Craig in a stair well where the only way down (aside from a guarded elevator) was to climb through a vent and make the descent. Andrew crawled downward for a good ten minutes before the sub-levels of The Black Tower revealed themselves to him, along with all their dirty little secrets. As Andrew crawled over a large part of the facility, he seen near thirty soldiers, fifty scientists and multiple machines he didn't understand. They were doing their experiments, and one man that caught Andrew's attention took a right turn. Andrew followed Callus Mariartus in the vents for as long as he could see him.

Andrew kept low, and avoided anything that looked remotely like it could be a camera or motion sensor. The soldiers and guards Callus had in his facility were easy to dodge, they had routines and patterns like any other soldier or guard and Andrew found ways to exploit their routines in less than two minutes. Aquarius infiltrated a highly secretive facility at least once a month, this was nothing new to Andrew. He made his way down another hallway, where two separate labs were opposite each other on a dead end.

One door read "Electro Reconditioning" and another read "Psychedelic Experimentation: Class 5 Authority Only". The second door required a key card to open, so Andrew snuck into the first one. In the Electro Reconditioning room there were no scientists, nor was there Callus. Only a large machine with a small drill and two metal bulbs buzzing with electricity. The sight of it turned Andrew off, so he retreated to the door.

Outside the door there were four guards and a man in a suit with his back to Andrew as he slipped out into another one of the niches unseen. The design of this place is convenient. Andrew peered past and see the back of Callus Mariartus ordering his men about. Andrew listened closely.

"President Fisher wants us back before her little party, and I've activated the fusion reactor beneath the hospital, it will bring our big friend here in less than three days once it catches wind of the energy circulating the city." Callus informed his men. "Have my personal escort prepared to take me to the helicopter, I want the facility evacuated by the end of the hour."

Fuck. One of the guards stepped forward. "Sir, what about the prisoners?"

"I have already chained our guest of honour in my upstairs office, the room is rigged just right for her glorious fall when the intruders reach her level." He knows we're here... "The other can remain in Psychedelic for all I care, he will die of his wounds by the time we're in Washington anyway. Have Mister Howard equipped for travel, I want to test him once we're outside." Callus ordered. Once all the men left, Callus remained. Andrew gulped, not daring to reveal himself. He held his gun tightly. Callus pulled a smartphone from his coat and held it to his ear. "It's time. Activate the sensors and drop the chains, I wanna see how long Miss Port can hang from the ceiling before she plummets." Where have I heard that name before?

Andrew waited for Callus to leave before he jumped out of the niche. On the ground was a key card, one dropped by Callus. It had all his details on it along with "Class 5 Authority" just under his name. Andrew gulped hard, on the back of the card written in felt pen was a note just for Andrew. He saw me. "I'll see you outside Mister Pratt, but first take a little look inside." Andrew closed his eyes after he finished reading the tiny writing. Andrew turned and opened the door to "Psychedelic Testing" and stepped inside.

The pained groans filled Andrew's ear almost instantly when the door opened. It was a small room, with one table in the centre. And strapped to the table was a man with corroded flesh, one leg and half his face missing... But Andrew still recognised his old friend. Andrew dropped the key card and the gun, running forward and pulling his friend from the table and falling to the floor, the man in his arms screaming like he was drowning in molten rock.

"It's okay! You're alright, I'm gonna help you!" Andrew tried to comfort Oliver Simpson, but his voice was broken with doubt and grief. On the table above them was an Onyx handgun, loaded and waiting. "Oliver, it's okay! I've got you!"

Oliver looked up at Andrew, one of his eyes bleeding and the other one completely gone with the rest of his face. "T-Trap And-And-Andre-Andrew..." Oliver struggled, his voice broken. Oliver's throat was also missing half its pieces. It was a scary sight, one reminiscent of Callus himself... Only Callus was an accident, this was done on purpose. "D-Don't... Trust... M-Ma-Malcolm... T-Trap..."

"Malcolm? Did he do this?!" Andrew asked in disbelief. I'll kill him... "Did Callus do this to you or Malcolm?!"

"C-Ca-Callus... Malcolm is w-with h-h-h-him..." Oliver's eye wept blood as he spoke. What did Callus do... "M-M-Malcolm got T-Tony... They k-k-killed him..."

"Tony Marez?" Andrew asked, his eyes watering as his friend struggled.

Oliver coughed up black blood. "It was... Me... I k-killed... The... Presi-President..." Oliver confessed. "I put... Deborah... In p-power..." Oliver struggled through the pain. "But... Sh-She's no-not... Bad like... Callus..."

"Stay with me Oliver, we're gonna get you back to Glade! We can fix this, you'll survive!" Andrew promised, although if truth be told he didn't believe himself. "Callus wouldn't have left you alive if he didn't want me to find you!"

"He's... Playing a g-game with you..." Oliver informed. "It's a... T-trap..."

Andrew nodded. "What's the trap Oliver?"

"T-The Apex... I-I-It's co-coming..."

"The Apex...?" That thing... It's The Apex...

Oliver struggled to breath. He reached up with a bloody hand and pulled Andrew's head closer. "M-Melinda... My d-daughter... They es-escaped... K-Keep them s-safe... Promise me..." Oliver said, his wounds spewing more and more of his clotted blood.

He's giving up. "Don't say that! We'll find them and you can keep them safe yourself!"

Oliver gave the faintest smile, one that conceded defeat and made Andrew's eyes release their tears. "Please... K-Kill me Andrew..." Oliver pleaded.

"I won't! You're gonna make it Oliver!"

Oliver reached for the handgun and forced it into Andrew's hand, before aiming it at his temple. "Please..."

Andrew closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. Oliver Simpson's body went limp in his arms. Andrew opened his eyes again to see Oliver, another hole in his head, but he had a bloodied and toothless smile. Andrew threw his limp body over his shoulder and pushed the Onyx handgun down his pants. A smartphone in the corner of the room buzzed, drawing Andrew's attention to it for the first time and noticing it there.

Andrew answered the phone. "Hello...?"

"Mister Pratt. I do hope you haven't yet disposed of Mister Simpson, I wish to have a word." Callus Mariartus taunted from the other end of the phone.

"I'll find you... The next bullet will be into your head..." Andrew promised, his voice dark with rage and grief.

"Do stop your prattle Mister Pratt, come outside and wait precisely one minute. The fate of the wasteland will be decided there, either I hand your dead body to Missus Pratt, or you hand mine to President Fisher."