CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
GREAT ESCAPE
After another hour or so of crawling through the vents, Abby pops open one of the floorboards above them. Dustin attempts to poke his head out first, but Abby immediately pushes him back down and peers out of the hole herself. She looks around to see the room that they've found themselves in. Cases upon cases are filled with the vials of the green poison just behind the glass. For a few tense moments, she waits for footsteps or some shout, for bullets to ricochet, but nothing happens. There's just silence. The flashing red lights have disappeared sometime before and the alarm has silenced once again.
When nothing immediately happens to Abby, Dustin is quick to pop his head out, followed by Erica. Abby hears the boy let out a gasp of wonder as he and Erica gaze around at the rows upon rows of glass cases. She wonders how much it would take to crack the glass cases open if they were as resilient as the vials were before the pressure of the door had caused one to collapse in a spiderweb of cracks.
"Jackpot," Dustin grins.
They pull themselves out of the hole and onto solid land again. Abby wobbles slightly, her knees and back aches from crawling for so long and she takes that moment of peace and silence to stretch out her aching limbs. She gazes around the room before her eyes land on an abandoned red cart that sigs just outside of the room.
"Well, what do we have here?" She asks as she bounds down the stairs towards the vehicle.
"Do you even know how to drive that?" Erica asks as she and Dustin follow behind Abby.
"I mean, all vehicles are fundamentally the same, right?" Abby reasons. "It can't be that different from a car."
"Yeah, but, it's Russian," Erica points out.
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Abby responds. "And if not, then looks like we're gonna fake it 'till we make it."
She reaches for the ignition. For a split second she forgets that in order for the vehicle to start, there needs to be a key. She's too blinded by the excitement and hope fuelled by the discovery of the stray cart. She swears loudly when her fingers pass right through the spot where the keys should be in the ignition.
Erica raises her eyebrows and lets out a scoff. "You seriously thought they'd just leave keys in there?"
Abby raises her hands in mock surrender. "Hey, you said it yourself, it's Russian. Maybe they didn't need keys."
"Well, there's gotta be a spare," says Dustin.
Erica lets out a sigh as Dustin runs his hands along every inch of the cart's surface in search of some secret compartment for spare keys. Abby watches bemused. She doesn't have much hope for locating a spare key within the cart, but she supposes if it keeps the hopelessness away from Dustin, they might as well give it a try. In their desperate, futile search, they don't notice that Erica has wandered farther down the hall.
"Hey, Dustin," Erica calls, her eyes set forward.
"Yeah?" Dustin calls back.
"How big did you say that Demogorgon was?" Erica asks timidly.
Abby looks to see what Erica is staring at. Her mouth drops as her eyes land on the wide cage linked with fluorescent sticks of light. It looms over Erica and casts a shadow behind her as she continues to share. Abby only hopes that whatever monstrosity from the parallel dimension that the Russians are opening up does not arrive any time soon.
Dustin spreads his arms, his attention still solely fixated on locating the keys as she spreads his arms wide and steps off of the cart. "Big. Nine feet or so. Why?"
Abby digs around in the nearby stand. Perhaps the keys have been buried beneath the stacks of paper or under the nearby flower pot. She almost laughs at the novelty of the small plant, it's something nice in a base full of horrors. Dustin's eyes land on the small silver safe that hangs on the wall and withdraws his small blue screwdriver once more. Abby watches as he inserts the end of the screwdriver into the lock and twists twice before the door swings open.
There's a wide grin on his face he withdraws the keys. "Found 'em."
"Awesome," Abby replies as Dustin drops them into her outstretched palm. They turn back to Erica with excitement gleaming in their eyes only to find that Erica is not there. Shit. "Erica?!"
Suddenly there's a loud buzzing from the other side of them. Abby lets out a shriek as her heart starts to pound in her chest. They whirl around to see Erica standing before them. In her hands, she holds a long metal stick, at the end, electricity crackles loudly with a soft luminescent blue. It radiates a wave of heat as it hovers dangerously close to Abby and Dustin.
"What the fuck? Put that down, kid!" Abby exclaims.
"What the hell is that?!" Dustin demands.
The electricity shuts off and Erica wears a proud smile as she shrugs, "A deadly weapon. Could be useful."
Dustin flinches back as the electricity crackles once more. "For what?"
"What do you think?" Erica replies. "Taking out Commies, saving your friends."
"I thought you were more realistic than that, nerd," says Dustin. Erica only rolls her eyes and climbs into the cart. "We don't even know where they are, and even if we did, there are a million guards in there with weapons way deadlier than that."
"She isn't wrong, though," Abby admits. "I mean, even if we do manage to get help, we'll still need all that we can to help. That thing is better than having nothing."
Dustin nods. "Right, but the best thing we can do for them is to get out of here and find help." he starts to climb into the cart and slowly pushes the prod away from his face as Erica extends it towards him. "Easy with that. Our chance of surviving, and theirs, rise substantially. Just trust me on this, please?"
Erica doesn't say anything in response, she only lowers her weapon as Dustin clambers into the cart. She doesn't need to say anything. Both Abby and Dustin know that she only wants to help, even if her idea of helping doesn't completely line up with theirs.
Abby takes a breath and climbs into the cart. She places her hands on the wheel and turns the ignition. The engine rumbles beneath them as a grin spreads across Abby's face.
✫*ﾟ･ﾟ｡.☆.*｡･ﾟ✫*
Alarms blare around them and red lights flash across the hallways as Abby clutches the steering wheel tighter to keep her hands from shaking. Her knuckles are white as they steer the cart away from the hallway that branches off of the main hub where the canisters of green acid that they had smashed bubbles and eats away hungrily at the floor. Hopefully, it's a long enough distraction to rescue Steve and Robin.
Abby stays at the wheel as Dustin charges into the room where they had heard the laughter and screams. With an almighty cry, Dustin crashes through the door, cattle prod ablaze and crackling and stabs it into the chest of the man who stands before Steve and Robin dressed from head to toe in a white lab coat. A few excruciating moments pass as Abby glances over her shoulder, preparing for the arrival of the Russian guards before Steve and Robin, supported by Erica and Dustin stumble out of the room.
Her eyes widen when her eyes land on Steve's face. He's caked in blood, the collar of his Scoops uniform is splattered in droplets of blood. His hair droops, almost concealing the black eye that has started to form. His lip is busted and beaten blue.
"You were doing so good, man," she mutters as Dustin and Erica shove Steve and Robin into the back of the cart.
"Go!" Dustin screams as he and Erica scramble back onto the cart. "GO!"
They're flying again, as fast as they can, hurtling down the hallway as the alarms continue to blare overhead. Or, at least, that's what it seems like as Abby's heart pounds in her ears and she stares straight ahead at the hallways before them. The cart moves excruciatingly slow as they put as much distance as they can between them and the horde of Russians that are soon to be on their tail once again. The game of cat and mouse is far from over. They may have an advantage for now, but sooner or later the cat will pounce again. Next time, they might not be so lucky.
"Jesus, slow down!" Steve slurs from the back of the cart.
"Yeah, what is this, like the Indy 500?" Robin slurs in agreement.
"It's the Indy 300."
"No, dingus, it's 500!"
"It's 300!"
"Let's say a million," Robin suggests. They burst into delirious laughter and collapse back against the walls of the cart.
"What's wrong with them?" Erica demands.
"I don't know," Dustin replies.
Abby risks a glance back at Steve and Robin, who, still laughing deliriously roll around in the back of the cart. She's snapped back to attention when Erica screams, "Abby, look out!"
"Shit!" She screeches, snapping her head back a little too late. Her eyes widen as they land on the stack of metal canisters before them. Her foot slams on the breaks in an attempt to stop the cart before their inevitable collision, but helplessly, they crash right into the canisters, knocking the stack over.
Her head slams back against the walls of the cart with a reverberating thunk. She winces as she raises a hand to the back of her pounding head. Dustin and Erica look just as bedraggled, though they had had more time to brace themselves against incoming impact. Groans escape from the back of the cart as Steve and Robin push themselves up from where they had been thrown across the cart.
"Sorry!" Abby calls with a wince.
"You guys, okay back there?" Dustin calls. When neither Steve nor Robin answer, Dustin turns to her companions and shrugs. "They're fine."
The three pile out of the cart and circle around the back. Dustin inserts the key into the lock of the cart and swings the door open. Steve and Robin lay in the back, discombobulated and massaging their heads.
"Come on. We gotta go. Now," Dustin tells them.
When they do not immediately move, Abby claps her hands together and yells firmly, "Let's go! Get a move on!"
Steve and Robin pile out of the back of the cart, groaning and complaining as Erica and Abby drag them into the elevator. They are homeward bound with no signs of the cat on their tail as the door shuts firmly behind them. Abby lets out a breath of relief. They're safe for now, but she knows that the Russians won't give up that easily. They'll come for them sooner or later.
As the elevator rapidly ascends, Steve hops onto a nearby cart. Robin grabs the handle and jerks it back and forth as Steve spreads his arms out with his knees bent, managing to keep his balance despite his discombobulated and delirious state. Exhilarated whoops escape from their mouths as Steve continues to jerk back and forth. Abby, Dustin, and Erica only stare at their companions from the opposite side of the elevator.
"Hey! You look like you're surfing!" Robin exclaims.
"Surfing! Yeah!" Steve agrees as he lets out another whoop. "Whoa!"
"They seem drunk," Erica comments.
"Why would they be drunk?" Dustin questions.
Abby shakes her head. "I don't know, but they definitely did more than just smash Steve's face in."
"I'm a natural, check it out!" Steve calls. He tumbles off of the cart and crashes into a stack of nearby boxes.
Robin lets out a laugh and shouts, "Wipeout!"
Dustin scrambles over to Steve who laughs where he lays splayed out on the cold metal ground. He holds a hand to Steve's head, covered in a layer of sweat as Steve attempts to squirm out from under Dustin. The boy looks back to Abby with wide eyes.
"He's burning up," he tells her. "Go check Robin."
"You're burning up," Steve retorts.
Abby crouches down in front of Robin, who has taken a seat on the ground and watches the interaction between Steve and Dustin curiously. Abby cups Robin's face in her hands and attempts to hold them still as she presses a hand to Robin's forehead as it grows increasingly warmer. She then gently, reaches out and stretches open Robin's eye. The latter winces and bats Abby's hand away.
"She's burning up too," Abby reports. "And her pupils are super dilated."
"Yeah, Steve's too," Dustin adds.
"Maybe they're drugged?" Erica suggests.
Steve reaches up and taps Dustin's nose with his finger. "Boop."
Steve lets out a laugh as Dustin once again gazes down at him in concern. The boy reaches down a hand and hits Steve lightly on the side of the face. "Steve, are you drugged?"
"How many times, dad?" Steve retorts. "I don't do drugs. It's only marijuana."
"Dear god," Abby murmurs.
"This isn't funny, okay?" Dustin snaps. "I need to know what they did to you. Are you going to die on us?"
Steve's response is to reach up a hand to tap Dustin on the nose once more. "Boop!"
"We all die, my strange little child friend," Robin speaks up. She twiddles with the ends of her hair. "It's just a matter of how ... and when."
"Okay, Robin, you are not helping," Abby groans.
"Gee, when'd you become such a Debbie Downer?"
Dustin stares at Robin for a few moments with his mouth agape before he turns back to Steve. "They're going to be looking for us up there, so I need you to tell me where you parked your car."
"Oh, can we make a pit stop at the food court?" Steve asks.
"I would kill for a hot dog on a stick," Robin remarks.
Abby lets out a sigh. "All right, we'll get you guys food, okay? But first, we need to get out of here. And, uh, the car's parked like, in the middle of the parking lot somewhere."
"Uh oh," Steve murmurs.
"Uh oh?" Dustin repeats.
"The car's off the board," Steve informs him. "They took the keys. The Russians, they took the keys." Robin bursts into another fit of laughter and claps her hands together as Steve digs around in his empty pockets. "Like forever ago. That's a bummer, right?"
Abby breathes a heavy sigh of relief as the elevator door opens and the fresh outside air hits her. Night has fallen around them once more, drowning the loading dock in shadows. Abby, Dustin, and Erica stride several feet ahead of Robin and Steve who hang back while loud, happy gasps spill out of their mouths.
"Oh my god, that tastes so good!" Robin exclaims. She turns excitedly toward Steve. "Steve, can you taste the air?"
"I taste it! I taste it!" Steve cheers.
Then the gates before them pull open to reveal two Russian guards, dressed all in black charging toward them. With her heart jumpstarting, Abby curses and pushes both Erica and Dustin toward the nearest door. They manage to herd Robin and Steve through the door and slam it shut behind them just in time.
author's note: i started school again and forgot how exhausting it is, but hopefully i'll get back to a regular updating schedule