Cold Sanctuary (John Decker Series Book 2) (23 page)

62

Adam Hunt picked his way back through the complex toward the equipment room. Despite the darkness, he could see just fine thanks to the set of night vision goggles he wore. Most people kept their shirts and ties in the closet, but Adam Hunt kept a cornucopia of more interesting objects in his. Past experience had taught him to be prepared for any eventuality, and the closet had become a repository for all manner of low and high tech black ops related items. At the end of this mission, when he was reassigned, they would all come with him, because it was better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.

Today he had needed the night vision goggles.

The equipment room was a small, cramped space tucked in between the rec room and the living quarters. It was an unassuming space, easy to miss if you weren’t looking for it. Thankfully, Hunt knew every room in this complex. He had memorized them a few years before, at the start of his assignment.

Hunt swiped his key card to gain access and hurried to the large breaker panel at the back of the room. He went to the panel marked EMERGENCY BACKUP, and lifted the breaker, reactivating the backup lighting system, then turned his attention to the main supply and put that breaker back to the on position. Finally he removed his night vision goggles before the room was flooded with fluorescent light.

His mission complete, Hunt slipped from the room and closed the door, making sure it clicked shut and that the lock engaged. Satisfied that the room was once again secure, he turned back toward the labs. Things had gotten out of control. Now he must contain the damage before the situation got any worse.

63

Decker raised his head and looked around. “We seem to be alone.”

“Except for him.” Mina pointed to the form sprawled near the entrance to the freezer.

“Is he dead?” Dominic lifted himself from the floor. “He looks dead.”

“I don’t think so.” Decker approached Silas and picked up his gun. He checked the magazine and was pleased to find there was still some ammo left. “He’s still breathing. Just out cold.”

“That’s a shame.” Mina joined Decker. She eyed the two bullet wounds on Silas, one on the shoulder, the other one lower, near the abdomen. Blood seeped through his shirt and stained the ground. “We could let him bleed out.”

“That’s a little callous,” Dominic said.

“He put a gun to my head. Threatened to blow my brains out. He doesn’t deserve my help.” Mina turned away.

“No one is going to die.” A new voice joined the conversation.

As one, the group turned toward the newcomer. Decker raised his gun, finger flexing on the trigger.

“You won’t need that.” The stranger said. Even though he carried two weapons, an assault rifle slung over his shoulder, and a pistol sitting snug in a holster under his jacket, he raised his arms.

“I take it you are responsible for shooting this man?” Decker nodded toward Silas.

“Indeed I am.”

Dominic dug his hands into his pockets. “I was wondering when you would show up. About time.”

Decker glanced from the stranger to Dominic. “You know this guy?”

“Oh yes,” Dominic replied. “He’s my co-worker.”

“I’m his boss,” the stranger said. “My name is Adam Hunt, and my colleague here is Dominic Collins.”

“I see.” Decker lowered the gun. “I think an explanation is in order. What is this place, and who do you work for?”

“All in good time,” Hunt said, kneeling next to Silas. “First we need to patch this man up and put him somewhere secure.”

“And how do you propose we do that?” Decker asked. “I’m sure Shackleton has a clinic, but we can’t really take him there, given his condition. A gunshot wound is bound to raise eyebrows.”

“No need. There is a full medical suite down the corridor.” Hunt motioned to Decker and Dominic. “The two of you can carry him.”

“We could put him on the gurney,” Decker said. “It has wheels.”

“And it has a deformed monster corpse on it,” Mina interjected. “I’m not touching that thing. Gross.”

“The girl’s right. We shouldn’t disturb the corpse. It might have been down here for years, but that doesn’t mean it is safe,” Dominic agreed. “Who knows what they did to that poor man.”

“Besides, we may need the corpse for testing, so I can’t let it get contaminated.” Hunt put his hands on his hips.

“Alright. I get it. We’ll carry him.” Decker offered the gun to Mina. “Here, hold this.”

She eyed it with disdain. “Can’t you keep it?”

“Not really. Unless you want to carry him?” Decker nodded toward Silas.

“I’ll take the gun. Lesser of two evils.” Mina reached out and took it, holding the weapon at arm's length. “Maybe if I’m lucky it will go off and accidentally shoot him again.”

“Just make sure it isn’t pointed in my direction if it does.” Decker leaned over and lifted Silas, slipping his hands under the prone man’s shoulders, careful to avoid the gunshot wound. He looked up at Dominic. “Take his feet.”

“He looks heavy,” Dominic observed. “We could lift him into a chair and wheel him down the corridor.”

“Just pick him up,” Hunt snapped. “He’ll be dead before we get him to the medical suite at this rate.”

“Alright.” Dominic leaned toward Silas and took hold of his feet. He lifted his end with a grunt, glancing toward Hunt as he did so. “Seems you would be better at this than me.”

“I’ve done my part, having rescued you and all.” Hunt turned and strode through the lab out into the corridor. “You’re welcome by the way.”

“Dammit, Hunt, if you were any good you would have left him conscious so he could walk out under his own steam.” Dominic struggled to keep his end of the dead weight balanced.

“Quit bellyaching.” Hunt was out of sight now; his voice drifted back into the room as Decker and Dominic heaved Silas toward the corridor.

Mina walked beside them, the gun cradled in her hands.

Decker watched her. If Silas came to and gave them any trouble she would be useless, a far cry from her usual self. He wondered why she loathed guns so much, especially living up here in a wilderness so vast that a gun might be the difference between life and death.

They reached the corridor.

Hunt stood waiting next to a door at the far end. He watched them stagger toward him, then held the door open as they drew close.

The medical suite was small and outdated, but it appeared well equipped. The outer room must have served as a waiting area. Plastic chairs lined the walls, and a reception desk with metal legs sat catty cornered with a worn office chair behind it. A retro chrome fan stood on the desk, its blades dusty behind a gleaming grille. It crossed Decker’s mind that it would look great in Cassidy’s Diner. Nancy loved old stuff, and the fan would fit right in.

There were three doors in the room, one to the left marked SURGERY, another to the right with the words EXAMINATION ROOM stenciled on the door, and one at the rear marked PHARMACY.

Hunt led them to the door on the left. This second chamber contained an examination table parked under a large round light that extended from the ceiling on a flexible double-jointed arm. Various pieces of medical equipment lined the walls. They looked old. Decker hoped they would not need them, because he doubted they would work.

“Put him up here.” Hunt tapped the table. “We’ll patch him up as best we can, then find somewhere nice and secure to put him.”

Decker nodded and followed Hunt’s instructions. It took effort to lift him, but soon Silas was lying on the examination table. “How are we going to patch him up exactly? Are either of you doctors?”

“I’ll do it,” Hunt replied. “This won’t be the first time I’ve pulled a bullet out.”

“I don’t even want to know.” Dominic turned away.

“Probably best.” Hunt leaned over Silas. “Now let’s take a look at him. Someone give me a hand here.”

“Sure.” Decker took a step forward. “And then I think we need to have a talk. I have a few questions, and I suspect you have the answers.”

64

Decker peered into the quarantine cell, his eyes fixed on the creature within. It sat crouched in the corner, huddled in a tight ball. “So this is what has been killing people?”

“Not this one.” Hunt rubbed his neck, soothing a knot of tension. “But yes, a similar creature.”

“The other man.” Decker turned his gaze toward another cell, this one containing Silas, who now sat propped up against the wall, awake but groggy. “The one this guy was looking for.”

“Right.” Hunt looked down. “I have been in Shackleton for a couple of years, monitoring the labs, preparing everything for removal once the road opens up. Several weeks ago a breach of the base tripped the security measures I had installed. I came down to investigate, but not before the intruders managed to activate a containment lockdown and expose themselves to whatever was being cooked up down here in the sixties.”

“So how did the other one get loose?”

“My mistake.” Hunt looked sheepish. “I underestimated the effects of the exposure. They weren’t as sick as I expected. I was leading them here when one of them jumped me. He managed to break free, got to the surface, and went to ground. I figured that whatever they were exposed to would kill them both, just like the guy on the gurney, so no big deal. Worst-case scenario, a corpse would show up. I was wrong.”

“Instead they turned into monsters,” Mina said. “You’re responsible for at least eight deaths.”

“I’m not the one who broke in here and got myself infected.”

“No, but you are the one who let the situation get out of control.” Mina turned away. “Those people didn’t deserve to die like that.”

“I agree.” Hunt looked down.

“And since we’re being open with one another, something else is bothering me,” Mina said.

“Go on.”

“How did you know what was happening down here?” Mina drew a breath. “It can’t be a coincidence that you showed up when you did.”

“We’ll talk about that later.”

“I’d prefer to talk about it now,” Mina replied.

“Fine.” Hunt glanced toward the door, looking uncomfortable. “I saw what was happening in your apartment.”

“What?” Mina looked shocked. “How?”

“Is it really important right now?”

“Just answer her,” Decker said. “I’m a little curious myself.”

“I had cameras and microphones in both your apartments.”

“You bugged us?” Mina took a step forward.

“I was keeping an eye on the two of you.”

“You could see and hear everything we did?” A flash of anger passed across Mina’s face, followed by a look of horror. “You were watching everything I did, watching me undress, watching me shower?”

“If I hadn’t put those cameras in your apartments, you would be dead now.”

“Not good enough,” Mina said.

“It will have to be.” Hunt replied. “And if it’s any consolation, I didn’t watch you shower.”

“It’s not.” Mina glared at Hunt.

“Let’s all just keep calm,” Decker said. “We’re not achieving anything by fighting among ourselves.”

“Fine. I’ll drop the subject.” Mina said, her voice taking on a calmer tone. “But I want those cameras gone as soon as this is over.”

“Guys?” Dominic spoke up. “It’s doing it again.”

Decker turned his attention back toward the cell, and the grotesque creature within.

It struggled to its feet, shambled to the center of the room, and came to a halt.

For a moment nothing happened, but then it tilted its head back and let out a long wavering wail.

The sound made Decker’s ears hurt. He backed up, a cold chill running up his spine. “Jesus, what the hell is that?”

“I don’t like it,” Mina said. “It’s giving me the creeps.”

“Yeah, it’ll do that.” Dominic nodded. “Try living with it for hours on end. Even when I’m in my quarters I can hear it carrying through the ductwork. It’s faint, but just loud enough to give me nightmares,” Dominic said.

“Why is it doing that?” Mina asked. “Is it lonely? Depressed?”

“We don’t know.” Hunt edged toward the door.

“Actually, that is not quite true.” Dominic raised his voice to account for the sudden wailing. “I am running some tests, or at least I was before I got kidnapped at gunpoint.”

“You have a theory?” Hunt looked interested now.

“Maybe.” Dominic grimaced. “Why don’t we go back to the lab, and I’ll explain.”

“Good idea.” Hunt was already at the door. Despite his gruff exterior, the wailing unnerved him as much as it did everyone else.

“Hey.” Silas jumped to his feet, his face contorting in pain. “You can’t just leave me here with that thing.”

“Watch us.” Hunt waited for the others to leave, then turned and walked from the room.