Final Winter

Monty said, ‘We’ve wasted enough time already. C’mon!’

They went out of the conference room. Darren at least was moving right, he shut and locked the conference-room door behind them. He and Monty raced down the hallway. Brian’s weapon felt heavy in his hands. He looked around, thought about dragging some furniture out for cover, but there was the sound of the elevator motor working as the elevator car came down. Monty was kneeling down, flat against the far wall, his own pistol held out in a two-handed grip.

Brian instantly knew what Monty was doing. Holding the weapon out, flattening himself, narrowing his silhouette for whatever offensive fire might be coming from the elevator car. Brian imitated the serviceman’s stance. He held his own pistol out, wished for a hand-held radio right at this moment — wouldn’t it be fucking excellent to call in a 10-13 and get some serious backup here? Like the muscle boys from Emergency Services. That would be—

Monty said, ‘Care for some advice ?’

‘Would love some advice.’

‘That door opens up, we see anybody we don’t recognize, anybody not showing proper ID, anybody threatening in any way, we blow their asses into next Tuesday. Got it?’

‘Yeah, got it.’

‘Another thing. If Stacy’s there, if she’s being held as a human shield, if she’s being held hostage—’

‘No time for that. It begins and ends right here.’

‘Yeah.’

It seemed like the elevator motor was louder. Brian thought of something and said, ‘Monty?’

‘Yeah?’

‘How come you won’t tell anybody what branch of the service you’re in?’

‘No time for that, pal.’

The elevator doors slid open.

~ * ~

Hamad stepped out, SKS-12 ready. He thought he saw movement. He wasn’t sure. He moved forward and—

~ * ~

Brian felt his finger squeeze the trigger as he noticed the barrel of a weapon sticking out through the open elevator door and—

~ * ~

Hamad came forward, seeing nothing, moving and—

A blow to the head.

And it was done.

~ * ~

Brian caught his breath. Coming out of the elevator, a 9mm Uzi in her manicured hands and a protective vest over her lovely torso, was Stacy Ruiz. She was alone. Brian and Monty stood up and she said in a measured, even voice: ‘We’re in lockdown for a while.’

‘What’s up?’ Monty said.

Stacy kept her voice even, though Brian sensed there was trembling going on somewhere back there. ‘Just got word. Tiger Team Four got hit, outside of Hartford.’

‘How bad?’ Brian asked.

‘Bad enough. We’re at Threat Condition Delta for a while. We’ve shut down the upstairs.’

Monty nodded, put his weapon away. ‘The noise we heard down here — shutters?’

Stacy slung the Uzi over her left shoulder. ‘Yeah. Doors locked automatically, the metal shutters slid down over the ground-floor windows. And I switched us over to auxiliary power, just in case. You probably saw a power flicker down here. We’re now on recycled air. Pretty much nothing can get in here and hurt us except for a suitcase nuke, and I don’t think one will be wasted on us at the moment.’

Brian said, ‘Good move,’ as he returned his own 9mm to his shoulder holster.

Stacy’s eyes flashed at him. ‘just doing my job, that’s all.’

Monty said, ‘Thank the Christ somebody is. Come on, let’s spread the news.’

They went back to the conference room door, still locked, and their pounding and shouts didn’t produce any response. Monty said, ‘Guys back there are too good. Phone?’

‘Inside the elevator,’ Stacy said.

Back to the elevator and Monty handed the phone over to Brian, pulling the receiver free from a receptacle under the panel. ‘Hope you can remember your own extension.’

‘I believe I can.’

He dialed the four digits and it was picked up after the first ring. ‘Scott.’

‘Adrianna, it’s all right. Stacy’s with us. We’re in lock-down. Threat Condition Delta.’

He could hear her breathing on the other line. ‘Brian?’

‘Yes?’

‘If you’re under any duress, please say the phrase “not a chance”. If everything’s all right, please say the phrase “you bet your life”.’

He said, ‘You bet your life, and your fucking ass, that we’re fine. Okay?’

Adrianna hung up. Monty looked on. ‘That’s the second time you’ve dropped an f-bomb on the princess this morning. She’s a sensitive lady. I don’t think she’s gonna like it.’

‘Yeah, well, what’s she going to do? Send me back to New York? I’d love to go to New York City right now, honest to Christ I would.’

There came the sound of the conference room door being unlocked and opening up, and Brian shook his head as he led Monty and Stacy into the room. Only one of the two doors was open, and Victor was there, hands shaking, aiming a fire extinguisher at the three of them. Frozen carbon dioxide cloud versus automatic weapons. A hell of a last stand, if it had to be done. Then they all sat around the conference room table, Stacy now looking embarrassed, holding the Uzi in both her manicured hands, and Brian noted that after she put the weapon’s safety on she slid it under the table.