“I’m sorry, sir. But I’m not sure how you could help eliminate the threat.” He’s not being sarcastic. The question is honest, which means he’s still on the hook.
“Euthanasia,” I say. “Killing things is my specialty. The sooner you allow us access, the sooner I will be able to put your infected compatriots out of their misery.”
This last line appeals to the man’s fears, both for himself and any friends he might have actively dealing with the escaped Tsuchi. Also, I got to use the word ‘compatriots’ in a sentence, which is a first.
The guard looks back over his shoulder, then toward the facility and finally back to the SUV. He reaches out his hand. “IDs.”
He takes the photo IDs, checks the pictures while bending down to look at us each in turn. Then he scans them one at a time. With each digital beep from the computer, I expect an alarm to go off, but nothing happens. The man hands the IDs back to Collins and asks me, “How serious is it?”
“Deadly serious, I’m afraid,” I say, and then I dig for information. “As you’d expect any breach inside Building-K to be.”
The man shakes his head. “I wouldn’t know.”
The gate lifts away and we pull through, speeding down the straight drive and arriving in a wide, half-full parking lot. I can see action by the massive Building-K—a lot of security, but they’re not really moving. More like waiting. But definitely distracted.
We park close to the fifteen-story main building’s front door. It’s a bleak government building, square with tinted windows. There are three sets of double doors leading in. Alessi takes point, entering through the center doors like she owns the place. Inside are three card terminals and a windowed security booth. The guard inside looks surprised to see us, but he says nothing. When I see the metal detectors ahead, I glance at Alessi, trying to hide my worry while at the same time conveying it to her. She gives a subtle shake of her head that says, “Don’t worry about it.” We head toward the card scanners, swipe through them one at a time, and push through the turnstiles and metal detectors with no problem.
But how? I wonder. Our weapons should have set off the alarms.
Then I notice what looks like a car alarm remote in Alessi’s hand. She takes her finger off a button, gives me a slight grin and pushes the elevator call button on the far wall. We stand silently before the polished marble wall, waiting for the elevator. When it dings and opens, a lone man is standing on the other side, skinny, white, blond and balding, except that unlike me, he’s trying to hide it with a poor comb-over rather than a hat.
The man looks confused by our presence, looking first at Alessi, then to Collins with widening eyes and finally to me, with a gasp. This man knows exactly who I am, Clark Kent disguise or not, and he opens his mouth to shout for help.
15
The three of us act in unison, but uncoordinated. I take a swing at the man’s head. Collins punches low, going for his gut. And Alessi brings the tech, a crackle of electricity revealing a stun gun thrust at the man’s chest. Each response is justified, I think. If the man sounded the alarm, we’d have to fight our way out of here, and there’s a good chance we’d lose that fight. But all three of us connect at the same time, and the man crumples to the elevator floor like Peter Griffin after falling down the stairs, arms askew, legs twisted. It’s a pitiful sight.
We quickly step inside the elevator, and I jam down the ‘close doors’ button several times, hoping no one will notice the man lying at our feet. The doors slide shut, and I relax, looking down at the sprawled man. “Okay, can we all agree that this guy got a raw deal, even if he works for GOD?”
“Is he alive?” Collins asks.
I check for a pulse, watching a wash of purple spread over his swelling cheek. “He’s going to wish he wasn’t when he wakes up.”
The man suddenly groans, giving me a start. Driven by self-preservation instincts, I nearly punch him again.
The man cradles his face, then his gut. “W—what did you do to me?”
“I believe the scientific term would be, put the smack down.” I take the man’s white lab coat in one hand and let him see my other, clenched in a fist. “Who are you?”
He raises his hand in defeat. “What do you want?”
“Pretty sure I asked for your name,” I say.
“Brice.”
Alessi glowers at the man. “Alicio Brice?”
He looks up at her, surprised. Confirmation enough.
“This is who we want,” she says.
Collins hoists the man up so I can get in his face properly. “Take us to...” I look at Alessi. “Where do we want to go?”
“His office.”
I look back at Brice. “...your office. Now.”
“Fifth floor,” he says, and I punch in the number. “But...you don’t want to do this. Not now.”
“Because you’re dangerous?” I ask, my tone mocking. “Because you’ll hunt us down? I wouldn’t make threats if I were you.”
“You don’t understand. A Tsuchi is loose. I have to—”
“We know,” I say.