Reynolds interrupted my story and took out another file. “Which floor was that?” He made a note on his file and waited for my answer.
“45
th
floor.”
He wrote down some more things and leafed through the file. His eyebrow went up as he read on. “According to this file, we found 25 bodies on that floor. The lobby alone had 8 bodies, 6 in the women’s bathroom and the rest scattered through the offices. I don’t have a report from the morgue yet, but preliminaries show lots of what were labeled as bites and some even had no outside damage on them, we believe they died from the flu. We believe whoever did the killing made it off the floor.”
The door opened and a uniformed officer came in. He handed over some files and a note on yellow legal paper. Reynold’s read it and studied the officer. “Has this been verified?” The officer looked at him then at me. “You can answer my questions in front of Mr. Welko it’s ok.”
“We’ve been having problems all day keeping in contact with the morgue. Now when we call no one is answering. The night Sergeant has sent two cars over but they are having problems getting through crowded streets. We’re not sure if it’s a protest. The Captain has sent out the riot squad and hopefully we will have some answers soon.” The officer looked harried and kept looking toward the door.
“Let the night Sargent know to keep me updated the second information comes in.” Reynolds started going through the folders he was just handed. The officer looked like he wanted to salute but instead nodded toward me and left the room.
Reynolds ignored me for a bit while he leafed through the files. Finally, he tossed them all on the table, removed his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. He grabbed our coffee cups and refilled them. Taking a long sip, he made a sour face and finally looked at me squarely in the face.
“These reports have some strange facts and some have glaring inaccuracies. The more we delve into your story and with these new reports being delivered, I find you to be not just believable but truthful so far. I also have an inkling that by this time tomorrow we might have some pressing issues going on in this town.” He stated.
“I truly believe by morning the entire police force is going to be overwhelmed and this city will be close to falling if you guys don’t start being proactive.” I stared straight into Reynolds’ eyes and made sure he saw I was not joking around. “If I could ask for a favor?”
“Go ahead and I’ll see what I can do.” Reynolds answered.
“If Brian is stable can we get him moved here? I think he can back my story and to tell you the truth we have been through so much that I would feel better if he was nearby.” I asked almost embarrassed.
Reynolds stared at me for a while, reached out grabbed his cellphone off the table and made a call. “Hey Tony, are you and Cheryl still on protection duty for Mr. Leeder?” He listened for a second. “Is he stable? Oh wow, he’s doing that good, and asking about Mr. Welko? Do me a favor pop him into your car and bring him here. Do not go by Folsom Street, looks like the riot police have been called out, streets are packed with people. Great Thanks!”
“Thank you Detective Reynolds.” I smiled at him warmly.
“Don't thank me yet, just continue. Do you really think the city is in trouble?"
I thought the best way to answer his question was to continue.
Brian and I backed up into the stairway, closed the door, turned on our flashlight and made our way up the stairway toward the next floor. Brian took lead again and I followed. No bodies or zombies blocked our way but I kept hearing sounds behind us. We got to the door, opened it, and I watched the stairway while Brian stepped in and surveyed the area to ensure our safety. He reached out and tapped my shoulder. I stepped in backwards and closed the door, Brian handed me the hose and I secured the door. I turned around and took in the scene.
The lobby was empty and pristine, not a body part lying about. We turned left together and headed down the hallway to the restrooms. I entered the women’s bathroom while Brian held up the LED bouncing the light off the mirrors. I looked to the far end and saw a body on the floor. I walked over and rolled it over with my foot. Then I stepped back quickly as I examined the woman, I saw no wound to her body, I waited a couple of seconds. The eyes opened and a moan escaped the throat. I didn’t know why I was hesitating. I lifted my spike as if my arm was fighting syrup. I aimed for the eye and right before I delivered the killing blow, she spoke “Please.” The voice was hoarse and quiet. I stepped back and looked over at Brian.
“Did she just say something?” Brian enquired as surprised as I was.
I put my spike back in my belt and kneeled down closer. “Speak again, prove you are human or I will finish you.” I made sure my body was prepared to move in case she lashed out at me.
“Please I need help, don’t hurt me.” She said in a voice full of concern and lack of any energy.
“Have you been bitten?” I asked her preparing to take her out if she answered yes.
“No, not bitten, I’ve been really sick.” She croaked out.
I stood up and moved back and thanked God I hadn’t gotten too close. I walked over and cupped my hand under the sink filling it up with water and coming back to dribble some into her mouth without touching her. I retreated back to Brian. “I don’t know what to do. If she has the flu, then she is going to die and come back as those things and then we’ll just have to kill her afterwards.” I was ashamed of myself for considering terminating her life but it may be the only right thing I could do.
Brian made his way over toward the girl. “Ma’am my name is Brian and I need to ask you a couple of questions. I will try my best to keep them brief but I need the truth so I know how to help you. If you understand nod.” She nodded. Brian turned to me. Find a cup, we need to get her some more water so she can talk, be careful, be slow and watch before you do anything.
I left the bathroom and made my way back towards the receptionist desk in the main lobby. It seemed to me that most of these desk occupants are people who would keep a water bottle or coffee cup near them at all times. Success, there was a full unopened bottle of water, so I snatched it off the desk and headed back to the bathroom.
As I entered the bathroom I witnessed Brian getting off the floor and wiping his spike on some paper towels. He had a deeply sad look on his face. “Her name was Olivia, she had flown back on the same plane as Marco, they were actually boyfriend and girlfriend. I thought I recognized her from the picture on his desk but I had to make sure.” He walked over to the sinks and ran some water over the spike. He toweled it dry and inserted it back into his belt.
I leaned against the bathroom door suddenly feeling even more exhausted. “You did the right thing. Let’s clear the rest of this floor then find a place to hunker down. This has been such a long day and the sun is starting to set.”
Brian agreed and we cleared the next restroom and made our way to the set of offices occupying this floor. We found only one zombie and he was in the first office we came to. Brian hit it with the bat and held it down while I dispatched it by spike. We found a little bit of snack food here and there and some warm soda in a mini fridge under the desk of the big office. While Brian explored the office I checked the suite bathroom and found it empty.
When I came back into the office Brian had shed all his gear and secured the door. I walked over to the desk and laid my backpack and weapons on it. I looked longingly at the two couches and saw Brian was too. I ignored the larger one and collapsed on the shorter one. “Since you are a moose you might as well take the bigger one.”
Brian chuckled more than the joke warranted. He walked over and laid down on the couch letting go of a deep sigh. He looked over at our supplies and sighed again. I got the point and went and retrieved the liquor. I brought him his scotch and I decided to sip vodka tonight instead of the port. Brian smiled wide when I handed him his bottle.
“Much obliged Boss, much obliged.” He pulled the cork with his teeth and spit it across the room, took a huge gulp and looked to be in heaven. I could see he was hurting, not from his physical wounds. What he had to do to Olivia earlier was heavy on his mind. I sat there watching him while I sipped from the vodka. “Whatever is on your mind, just spill it Boss. No reason to dance, we’ve gone through too much together to worry about hurt feelings.” He looked over at me, winked then closed his eyes.
“I just want to make sure you are ok big man. Something like that stains the soul. I know you killed in the war and you’ve killed zombies. But she was alive and her only crime was getting the flu. I’m hurting so I know you are hurting.” I said not trying to sugar coat it too much.
“Dan.” Brian got my attention right away with that. He had never called me by my name, it was always Boss. I looked over to him and gave him my full attention. Brian opened his eyes and I could see unshed tears watering his eyes. “This is hurting me, you are right. But not for what you are thinking. I killed her cause she would’ve died and then came after us and I could not let that happen. The reason I am hurt, is because she and Marco had gone back east to celebrate their engagement. Such a happy occasion, but instead they came back sick and Marco turned and killed Lisa. Olivia, did nothing wrong now she will never experience the rest of her life, by Marco’s side. The disease took that away from her and I took her life but I did it, to give her peace and respect.” He drank a deeper gulp of his scotch and let a couple of tears flow down his cheeks.
“I get that Brian I do. But you did what was right and what happened to them was no one’s fault. I would’ve ended her life also.” Although I was secretly relieved that Brian put her to rest because I don’t know if I could actually have done it. I took a large gulp of my vodka which burned terribly going down my throat. But once reaching my stomach became a warm glow. I could feel the alcohol flood through my system.
“You ever fall in love Boss?” Brian asked now just sipping his scotch.
“Just once Brian. I met her my first year in college. Her name’s Julie, and she and I spent all our time together. I had planned to go to Europe with her that summer. Then my mom died and I didn’t feel like the same guy anymore. At the funeral, I told Julie that I needed some time alone. I'm sure she felt like I was rejecting her but she said that no matter how long it took she would wait for me. I’m sure she has moved on by now, probably a great career, married, and has kids. But some nights when I am alone I think about her and wonder if she was still waiting. There has never been another for me and I miss her man, that was close to ten years ago.” I choked up but covered it by taking a slow sip of vodka. “How about you Brian?”
“I didn’t tell you why I left the military right?”
I shook my head no and he smiled. “Well they found out that I am a homosexual, and I was pulled aside by a pretty high officer. He gave me the choice to be discharged from the service honorably or be outed and probably leave the corps in shame. I chose honorably, I like to think the guys I fought alongside wouldn’t care a rat’s ass about my sexuality, but I didn’t want my parents to find out. Hell I even dated a woman for while in my late teens, so I could hide who I really was. I’m no pansy and can fight with the best of them which kinda scare guys away. There was one guy I met in the corps, we spent some special time together. Turns out he was so afraid of what would happen to his career, if others found out, that he reported me. So I guess you could say I loved him so much that I fell on my sword and moved on with my life. I’ve been out on some dates but none are him.” He finished the scotch and belched.
I handed over my bottle of vodka and we shared taking drinks off of it. “I’m not sure how to read you, Boss. I mean I just told you I was gay and you’ve said nothing.” He passed the bottle back to me.
I weighed his words while taking a bigger then normal sip. “Honestly Brian, I couldn’t give a shit if you’re gay or not. You have saved my ass so many times and I feel like we could be brothers. So you being gay has nothing to do with anything. I’m not going to cuddle with you, but honestly like I said, you have become my brother.” I looked over and Brian was sitting up on the couch staring right at me. “Dude if you’re planning on kissing me I wouldn’t. That would be incest and I will scream rape.” I said with a smile.
Brian reached his hand out to me and I put the bottle down and grasped it. “I would be honored to call you my brother. Don’t worry, I don’t find you attractive at all. I like muscular outdoors kind of guys.” He winked at me and let my hand go. “Now if you don’t mind I’m going to fucking sleep. Stay on your couch and do not even think about trying to take advantage of me.” He rolled over and was almost instantly asleep.
I took a couple of more drinks from the vodka and then put my feet up on the far couch arm, laid back, and drifted off to sleep. I dreamt again that night, this time I was walking along Folsom Street, having to fight my way through a crowd, full of all kinds of people. I try to focus on faces but they are blurred. I can hear people chanting something that gets louder and louder almost hurting my ears. I can’t hear the words but it is now so loud and the people are becoming more and more crazy. I have to push and pull through the people to make it to the side of the street. I see a parked car and make my way to it. I climb up onto the hood then onto the roof. I stand erect and can now see above the heads of the crowd. I focus on the front of the crowd and see police cars and fire trucks. A row of riot guards stood there with shields and their shiny armor.