chest.
“I’m supposed to be at the terminal right now,” he said. “Standing in some fucking TSA line.”
“You didn’t want to go on that trip anyhow.”
That should’ve made him smile. It had the opposite effect.
“Sweetness, listen. If something happens to me, stay with the others. Don’t get separated—”
“What are you saying?”
“Don’t stay at the house. Just get gone and stay gone. Head out to your sister’s. Take the Camaro—”
“Stop it, Matt. Damn you.”
“There’s a revolver in the safe with our passports and about a grand in—”
“Enough—”
“And you know where the Beretta is?”
“In the friggin’ Camaro.”
“Stay with the group. No matter what. You’re safer.”
“They want you dead.”
“We’re leaving,” Dr. Louboutin said.
Matt cast his eyes down. His whole body tensed. “One minute please. Sixty seconds is all I ask.”
“You’re coming with me. All the way.”
“Listen to me. Sweetness, it’s my time. It’s my time to go.”
“No, it’s not. How can you give up so easily?”
“I’m just ahead of you in line. You’ll catch up someday and we’ll be together again.”
“You’re not even going to try to get out? For me? Us?”
“I am trying. I’m trying to take care of you as best I—”
“It’s human nature.” She couldn’t stop her voice from breaking. “To want to live. To try. How can you not feel that? It’s all I have right now.”
“I’m not human anymore. I could snap at any time.”
“This is stupid. We’re not having this conversation anymore.” She wrung her hands until Matt grabbed them and entwined her fingers with his. How did it get so cold when there is a damn inferno next door?
“Please stop having this conversation,” Stan said. “Let him do what he wants.”
“Stay out of this,” Stormy said.
“Have mercy, Stormy,” Matt said. “He’s had a rough day.”
“Oh, I’ve had a great day. Ask me about it.”
“That’s not what I meant—”
“Fuck what you meant.” She pulled her fingers out of Matt’s grasp and forced him to look at her. “So, you’re just going to give up and die, when you could live?”
“I can’t go with you.”
“I think he’s right.” Dr. Louboutin pointed out a window. “Look. They’ll never let him out the doors.”
Matt guided Stormy to the window. Below them in the street, National Guard M-RAPs crawled past the hospital.
“See sweetness, they’re here for you,” Matt said. “But I have to stay.”
Stormy said nothing while she studied the convoy. Matt looked away as soon as he figured out what engrossed her. Her eyes watered as supers scaled the M-RAPs. They were trying to rip the soldiers out of the turrets before getting gunned down. None were victorious against the rain of bullets the soldiers fired at them.
Stormy wasn’t upset because the supers were being shot to pieces. She wanted all of them to die hideously, except Matt. She mourned her situation. Matt would do anything to make sure that she left this hospital alive, except leave with her. The only thing he wanted more than to watch her walk out the door was to die inside Reamer Towers, a second time in one day.
“Everyone ready?” Matt asked.
“The elevators are death traps.” Stan said. “How are we getting down?”
Matt pulled Stormy away from the window. “How many of those things did you see on your way up?”
“Supers? They’re everywhere and one may have followed me.”
“What did you call them?” Stan asked.
“Supers, because the Super-flu did this to them.”
“Oh.”
“It didn’t follow you,” Dr. Louboutin said. “The fire repels them. That’s why we set it.”
“This tower connects to the other one on the third floor,” Vicky said. “We could cut across on that level.”
“You think it’s safer?” Stan asked.
“It might be. It’s worth a try.”
“We won’t be safe until we’re out of the Business District,” Stormy said.
“Beg
“I’m supposed to be at the terminal right now,” he said. “Standing in some fucking TSA line.”
“You didn’t want to go on that trip anyhow.”
That should’ve made him smile. It had the opposite effect.
“Sweetness, listen. If something happens to me, stay with the others. Don’t get separated—”
“What are you saying?”
“Don’t stay at the house. Just get gone and stay gone. Head out to your sister’s. Take the Camaro—”
“Stop it, Matt. Damn you.”
“There’s a revolver in the safe with our passports and about a grand in—”
“Enough—”
“And you know where the Beretta is?”
“In the friggin’ Camaro.”
“Stay with the group. No matter what. You’re safer.”
“They want you dead.”
“We’re leaving,” Dr. Louboutin said.
Matt cast his eyes down. His whole body tensed. “One minute please. Sixty seconds is all I ask.”
“You’re coming with me. All the way.”
“Listen to me. Sweetness, it’s my time. It’s my time to go.”
“No, it’s not. How can you give up so easily?”
“I’m just ahead of you in line. You’ll catch up someday and we’ll be together again.”
“You’re not even going to try to get out? For me? Us?”
“I am trying. I’m trying to take care of you as best I—”
“It’s human nature.” She couldn’t stop her voice from breaking. “To want to live. To try. How can you not feel that? It’s all I have right now.”
“I’m not human anymore. I could snap at any time.”
“This is stupid. We’re not having this conversation anymore.” She wrung her hands until Matt grabbed them and entwined her fingers with his. How did it get so cold when there is a damn inferno next door?
“Please stop having this conversation,” Stan said. “Let him do what he wants.”
“Stay out of this,” Stormy said.
“Have mercy, Stormy,” Matt said. “He’s had a rough day.”
“Oh, I’ve had a great day. Ask me about it.”
“That’s not what I meant—”
“Fuck what you meant.” She pulled her fingers out of Matt’s grasp and forced him to look at her. “So, you’re just going to give up and die, when you could live?”
“I can’t go with you.”
“I think he’s right.” Dr. Louboutin pointed out a window. “Look. They’ll never let him out the doors.”
Matt guided Stormy to the window. Below them in the street, National Guard M-RAPs crawled past the hospital.
“See sweetness, they’re here for you,” Matt said. “But I have to stay.”
Stormy said nothing while she studied the convoy. Matt looked away as soon as he figured out what engrossed her. Her eyes watered as supers scaled the M-RAPs. They were trying to rip the soldiers out of the turrets before getting gunned down. None were victorious against the rain of bullets the soldiers fired at them.
Stormy wasn’t upset because the supers were being shot to pieces. She wanted all of them to die hideously, except Matt. She mourned her situation. Matt would do anything to make sure that she left this hospital alive, except leave with her. The only thing he wanted more than to watch her walk out the door was to die inside Reamer Towers, a second time in one day.
“Everyone ready?” Matt asked.
“The elevators are death traps.” Stan said. “How are we getting down?”
Matt pulled Stormy away from the window. “How many of those things did you see on your way up?”
“Supers? They’re everywhere and one may have followed me.”
“What did you call them?” Stan asked.
“Supers, because the Super-flu did this to them.”
“Oh.”
“It didn’t follow you,” Dr. Louboutin said. “The fire repels them. That’s why we set it.”
“This tower connects to the other one on the third floor,” Vicky said. “We could cut across on that level.”
“You think it’s safer?” Stan asked.
“It might be. It’s worth a try.”
“We won’t be safe until we’re out of the Business District,” Stormy said.
“Beg
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