AFTER Life: INFERNO (The NEXT Apocalypse Book 1) by Robert Chazz Chute

Author:Robert Chazz Chute [Chute, Robert Chazz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ex Parte Press
Published: 2018-08-16T22:00:00+00:00

20

I looked down at Frank. Despite all the blood loss, it looked like he still had plenty of fluid flowing from his skull. The pool of blood expanded to join the rest of the flood smeared across the floor. They say the body is up to 60% water. Sometimes on the job we used the term meat bags for the dead. We are bags of blood.

“Forgive the bright boy,” Hamish said over the intercom. “He knows what’s up.”

I looked down at the yellow card in my hand. The lanyard, once blue, was wet and dark with spray. “How should I handle this, Bob?”

“Give him the override code, Danny. I’m tired.”

I couldn’t think of any way to stall until a better idea came along. Our oxygen was more than half gone. Bob didn’t look good. It would be bug out time soon, no matter what. I might salvage the mission if I could take Hamish out as a prisoner. “I’ll tell you the code, Hamish. Key it in on the keypad on your side and open that door. Understand?”

“What’s not to understand?”

I gave Bob a long look. “I’m going to get us out of here.”

He could barely lift his head to look my way. “Doubtful.”

I put some bass in my voice to address the doctor. “When the door buzzes, come out slowly, hands up where we can see them.”

Hamish laughed. “You still think you’re driving this bus?”

“Come out so we can talk and get it over with.” Bob sounded exhausted. Or maybe that was the tone of a man resigned to death.

“Good lads,” he said. “I’m all for getting out of here as quickly as possible. Look around you. This place isn’t good for your health!”

I’d seen enough horrors today to last for this lifetime and into the next. It was the “good lads,” thing that made me want to become a wolf. Hamish’s arrogance made me want to become one of his weapons so I could turn on him without hesitation, without thought or consequence. I wanted to tear off his ears with my teeth as I closed my hands around his throat. I wanted to choke that smug laugh out of him. Becoming a remorseless murderer would make everything so simple … or so I thought at the time.

I’d taken an introductory course to negotiation tactics. I knew I was supposed to keep him calm. I wasn’t supposed to allow the situation to escalate his fear. The trouble was, Hamish Allen didn’t sound scared in the least. “Give me the code twice. Speak loud, slowly and clearly. Doctor’s orders!”

You can’t bluff when you don’t have any cards. I did as I was told. “5 - 5 - A - Z - 2 - 5 - 0 - 0 - L - 1 - 1 - V - 3 - T - P - D - Q. 5 - 5 - A - Z - 2 - 5 - 0 - 0 - L - 1 - 1 - V - 3 - T - P - D - Q.

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