Whatever It Takes (12 page)

Sarah was quiet again for a few moments. There was metallic clang that echoed in the room.

“What was that?”

“I don’t know. I found a switch, looked kind of like the gear-shift for a car, and pulled it and ‘clang,’” Sarah said. “It’s in the ‘N’ position. I’ll try pushing it away. You should push too.”

“Sure.” Percival moved up against the wall he thought Sarah was behind and pressed his shoulder to it. “On three. One, two, three!”

Percival grunted pushed with all his might. His shoes slid back on the concrete. He could hear something giving way and grinding against the concrete as it moved. He closed his eyes and pushed harder. Something was happening, even if it didn’t seem like he was going anywhere.

He pushed and shoved against the wall for what felt like minutes, listening to grinding and scraping noises the entire time. It was only when the noises ceased that he opened his eyes once more and looked to see just how much progress had been made. It surprised him a little to see that the section of the wall he’d been pushing on hadn’t moved at all. He’d left a couple scuff marks on the concrete floor, but the wall itself was unmoved.

He’d been one section off. Just to his right, the wall had slid back half a foot or so. He moved to the gap and tried to squeeze through and found that he couldn’t fit.

“It’s not wide enough.”

“What do you mean it’s not wide enough?” Sarah’s sweat streaked face appeared in the gap. “You need to lose weight.”

“I thought you liked the way I look.” Percival put his shoulder to the wall and shoved. His effort resulted in the sound of metal scraping against concrete.

“I like the way you feel, there’s a difference.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

“You’re so full of shit sometimes,” Percival said. He followed the words with a grunt and a shove that moved the wall back a little more.

“You know you like me all the more for it.” Sarah’s face disappeared from the growing gap. “Push on three again. One, two, three!”

Percival pressed his shoulder to the wall and shoved with as much of his strength as he could muster. The wall slid back a few more inches with a screech. He looked to the gap and squeezed through.

“Perfect.”

“Not entirely the silent escape that you wanted though,” Sarah said.

Percival moved over next to her and gave her a full on kiss. “Who cares to the specifics. Let’s go find an exit and get the hell out of this place with the others.”

Sarah nodded. She took his hand and led him among rows of empty metal shelves. It wasn’t a far walk to the front of the building and to find the pair of cubicle inspection rooms.

Percival made the assumption that the military had cleaned out this building for the specific use of inspections and quarantine. It made sense to him to have both in the same place. The quarantine room was out of sight behind rows of metal shelving.

Percival squeezed Sarah’s hand and she stopped just before the women’s inspection room.

“They probably have someone posted outside the door to keep our friends from coming in and freeing us. Wait here.” Percival let go of her hand.

“I’m the stealthier of us,” Sarah said. “Let me go.”

“I’ve put you in enough danger for one day.” Percival wasn’t taking any other answers. “Stay here and remain quiet, okay?”

Sarah opened her mouth to protest again and Percival silenced her with another kiss.

“I’ll owe you.” He didn’t wait for another protest from her before moving around the corner of the cubicle room and heading for the door at a half crouch. He got to the door and slowly stood up to peek through the small, wire reinforced, glass window.

He could see the courtyard and the gate they came through earlier. He could see the road and forest beyond the fence, but no military personnel, or anyone for that matter. He looked back to the inspection rooms and saw Sarah peeking around the corner. He waved for her to come join him.

“There’s no one out there,” he said when she joined him by the door. “These guys are stupid, or lazy.”

“Or both. Let’s hope for both.” Sarah stood up to peek through the small window. “Have you tried the door yet?”

“No.” Percival closed his hand around the handle and twisted it. He found no resistance in turning it. He didn’t withhold a grin.

The grin dropped off his face, however, when he pushed on the door to open it. It thudded dully against a lock, or bar, or something from the outside.

“It wouldn’t be so easy, would it.” Percival let go of the handle and let the door settle back against the frame. “I guess we should check for another door out.”

“Just kick this one open.” Sarah folded her arms under her breasts.

“Now who’s thinking who’s a superhero?” Percival said with a huff.

“I’ve seen you kick open plenty of doors. Some took more than one shot, but…” Sarah trailed off.

“Yeah, but those were all door to offices and homes and stuff. These guys probably use sturdier stuff to secure the doorway. And it’s usually the frame itself that breaks.” Percival tapped the metal frame of the door.

“Fine. I think you can do it and we’re just wasting our time looking for another exit that’s probably locked too.”

Percival let out a sigh. If they locked this door, it was almost a certainty that they’d lock any other doors too, even if they hadn’t locked the handle itself. Sarah had a point.

“Alright. You twist the door handle and push it open a little bit.” Percival moved a step back to be able deliver a full strength kick to the door.

“If you hit my hand, Percival…”

“Do you trust me or not?”

Sarah moved up to the door and twisted the handle and pushed the door open ever so slightly. She held it there, ready for his kick.

Percival stepped forward and drove his foot against the door. He didn’t expect it to budge. When it sprung open from the force of his foot, he followed it. He stumbled forward through the open door and caught his balance before falling entirely over.

He looked around and backpedaled to the wall. On the grass a couple of feet away was a plain combination lock. The kind you might find in a hardware store.

“Don’t know your own strength, eh?” Sarah had crept out of the building and closed the door behind her.

“I expected them to use a military grade padlock.” Percival pointed to the broken combination lock a few feet away. “Not that.”

“Maybe these guys are all AWOL.” Sarah looked past him. “You know, washouts and deserters.”

Percival shrugged. “I don’t know. What I do know is that we should slip off to somewhere else. The colonel said mealtime was in an hour, and hanging around here won’t be the best thing when whoever serves dinner comes.”

Sarah nodded in agreement.

“We need to find Karl and Andrina and Roy Joy,” Percival said. He turned around to slink off to the corner.

“We need to find Jessica and Morrbid too.” Sarah followed him in the same half crouch.

“Who?” Percival stopped at the corner and carefully peered around it. He didn’t see anyone and looked back to Sarah.

“The other two civilians here.” Sarah looked behind her.

“Oh. Yeah, we should get them out as well. I doubt Jessica’s had the best of times here.”

“Jacobs seemed to be a little afraid of her, actually,” Sarah said.

“Hmm,” Percival murmured. “There’s a building directly across from us and nobody else in sight. Let’s dash across and see what’s in the building.”

Sarah nodded. She rose out of the full crouch she’d settled into.

Percival turned away and peeked around the corner again. He didn’t see anyone and darted away from the corner of the inspection building. He crossed ‘no man’s land’ and slowed as he got behind the next building. Sarah joined him a moment later.

Percival did his best to stealthily sneak up to the door of the next metal building. It was unlocked. He slowly stood to peer in through the window. Inside were a few rows of cots.

Roy Joy sat on one cot with his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. Karl was pacing back and forth between the cots. Andrina wasn’t with them. Nor was the woman Percival had seen before.

A man in an olive green tank top and military camouflage pants stood just beyond the first pair of cots, facing away from the door.

“Did Jessica describe Morrbid?” Percival whispered.

“He’s a priest of some sort. He still wears the black jacket and collar,” Sarah answered in just as quiet a tone.

“So, that guy isn’t likely him?” Percival gestured at the door.

Sarah crept forward and peeked through the window. She settled back down and shook her head. “He seems too collected. Jessica said Morrbid was a little… out there.”

“Think the door’ll open quietly?”

Sarah shrugged.

“If it doesn’t, we both rush him.” Percival rested his hand on the latch.

“And if it does?”

“I’m going to sneak in there and…” Percival trailed off.

“And what? Choke a bitch?” Sarah gave him a skeptical look.

“That’s a great idea. Better than mine of ‘slug him in the back of the head.’” Percival started to twist the handle of the door.

“I was kidding. You can’t do that.” Sarah moved her hand to cover his.

“Why not?” Percival raised an eyebrow to emphasize the question. “I took two semesters of Judo, I know how to do a proper rear-naked choke.”

“Aren’t army guys trained to defend against stuff like that?”

“I guess you’ll just have to be my hero then.” Percival slowly twisted the latch and just as slowly pulled the door open. Apparently the military folk here at the depot were good about one thing, and that was oiling doors. This one opened without so much as a squeak.

Percival pulled the door open just enough to squeeze through and creep into the barracks building. He moved slowly, and tensed up as the man coughed and shifted on his feet.

Karl was a little more observant. His gaze fixed on Percival for a moment. He nodded and looked away, turning toward the soldier.

“I’ve got to use the bathroom,” Karl said.

To Percival it sounded like the older teacher had been louder than necessary.

“You just went less than half an hour ago.” The man turned ever so slightly to face Karl and presented more of his back to Percival.

“I’m gettin’ old. Gettin’ old comes with a weaker bladder. You’ll get the joy of experiencing that soon ‘nough,” Karl said loudly.

Roy Joy looked up at the ruckus, fixed his gaze on Percival and his face brightened.

Percival took the last couple steps up to the military man quickly. Karl’s distraction helped.

Percival looped his arm around the guard’s neck and settled back onto his heels. He squeezed and flexed his bicep at the same time. The man’s reaction was not what Percival expected.

In Percival’s mind before this attack, he’d been elbowed and had his toes stomped and had been thrown over the man’s shoulder. This was, after all, a professional soldier he was attacking.

Instead, the man feebly clawed at his jacket for a few seconds before gurgling and falling limp.

Percival held tight for a few extra seconds before lowering the man to the ground. He was unconscious, but otherwise seemed fine.

“Good job, boy.” Karl crouched beside the unconscious soldier and took a pistol from his holster. He checked the magazine. “Why didn’t you break his neck?”

“A) I don’t know how to do that and B) I’m not a killer.” Percival turned to look at Sarah as she crept into the building.

Karl drew the slide on the pistol back and chambered the first round. “I don’t think these guys are military.”

“What makes you say that?” Percival looked back to Karl. “He should have done something else when I choked him, shouldn’t he? I know I would’ve.”

“They’re too sloppy to be military. No organized watches, no proper salutes, nothing. I mean, the latter might be okay if there were a sniper waiting to pick off officers, but last time I checked, the zombies did no such thing.” Karl tucked the pistol into his waistband and started stripping the gun belt from the unconscious man. “And, yes, this guy should have done something different under your attack. He clearly didn’t know what to do.”

Percival nodded slowly. “Why didn’t you take him then?”

“I’m getting old, Percival. Craftiness will only carry me so far.” Karl tugged the belt around his waist, threading it through the loops on his jeans before securing it in the front. “He was big and strong, but no military training whatsoever. And, I don’t think I’ve heard a match to the voice on the radio yet.”

“Where’s Andrina?” Percival asked.

“And Jessica?” Sarah added.

“They’re not here. Military bad men separated us.” Roy Joy stood from his cot. “Best keep your eyes covered near the fences. Chris told me that there are disgusting ones that fling blood and guts into people’s faces.”

“Thank you, Roy Joy. Now, do you know where they are?” Percival asked.

Roy Joy shook his head.

“We were separated at the inspection rooms.” Karl pocketed a pistol magazine and drew the pistol from the holster he’d taken from the guard.