The Drift, page 29
Carter stomped around to the front. He could see the shimmering blue of the swimming pool through the plate-glass window. Above it, the decking area and huge curved glass window of the living area. He took several steps back and craned his neck up. He couldn’t really see inside the living area but … he frowned. Were there lights on in there? Yes. Definitely. Which must mean that the power was back or Welland had fixed the generator. Either way, if the power was on, why wasn’t the front door opening?
Carter walked back around and stared at the door. Really, there was only one other explanation. Someone had changed the code. He hammered at the door again, for several seconds, yelling and kicking at it, loud enough to ‘wake the dead’, as his grandad used to say. Still no response from within.
‘Fuck this.’
He stood back, pulled out his gun and fired into the security pad. The plastic jumped off; the electric wires sparked. Carter shoved at the door. This time it opened. Carter entered the hallway, gun still drawn. Empty. Silent. He pushed the door shut with his foot. If he had made a mistake, there would be hell to pay from Miles for fucking up the front door, but Carter didn’t think he had. Something here was wrong. Carter could almost taste the wrongness in the air.
He yanked off his goggles and mask, kicked off his boots and quietly unzipped his suit, shedding it on the floor, all the time keeping his gun steady in one hand. He padded across to the stairs and up the spiral staircase, trying not to breathe too hard. At the top he looked around, gun held out in front of him. Carter’s heart leapfrogged into his mouth. Fuck.
A body lay, face down, in the middle of the living area. Bulky, dressed in a heavily blood-stained T-shirt and baggy jeans, a cloud of frizzy hair sticking up, more blood pooling underneath him.
Welland.
It looked like he had been shot multiple times. Carter had often wished for this moment, but now, staring at Welland’s body, he didn’t feel any satisfaction. Just pity. And puzzlement. Only one person could be responsible. But why?
Had Miles discovered that Welland had been down in the chambers? Killing him for that seemed extreme, even for Miles. Perhaps Welland had attacked Miles and he’d been forced to shoot him in self-defence. But then, you don’t usually shoot someone in the back if it’s self-defence. And if Miles had killed Welland, why just leave him lying up here? Miles hated a mess.
Carter frowned. This wasn’t right. And there was another thing he was missing. Dexter. Where was the little dog? Carter had a very, very bad feeling about this.
He turned and padded back down the stairs. He considered checking the pool area, but in his gut he knew where he would find Miles. Down in the basement.
Carter walked over to the elevator. But he didn’t press the button right away. Doubt remained. Did he really want to do this? Maybe he should just get the hell out of this place, while he still could. But where would be go? Quinn was hardly going to help him get away and Carter didn’t want to take his chances out there with the Whistlers and whatever else roamed in the wilds.
There was only one way.
And it sure as hell wasn’t up.
Carter called the elevator. The doors opened right away. He stepped inside and took out his own pass from the hidden pocket in his jeans. He pressed it against the panel. The elevator slid smoothly down. His heart pounded. The doors opened.
Gun drawn, Carter stepped into the familiar chill of the corridor. The lighting was back on. Bright, white, sterile. It made him feel exposed. He walked cautiously forward, poking his head into the rooms as he passed. Empty, empty, empty. As he neared the end of the corridor, he realized he could hear a noise. An odd, grunting sound. Even from a distance it made his stomach churn. Carter rounded the corner and stopped. The door to the isolation chambers was still open. The noise was coming from within there.
Carter tightened his grip on the gun, advancing slowly, heart hammering. He reached the entrance. From here, he could see that the doors to all the chambers were open again. Fuck. What the hell was going on with the system controls? Was that why Miles had killed Welland? To override them?
He stepped inside. The guttural sound was louder. And familiar. Carter could see that Chamber 3 was empty. He approached Chamber 4 with a sick feeling and stared inside.
Caren lay on the bed, sedated, barely conscious. Her jumpsuit had been yanked down to her knees and Supply 03 lay on top of her, his own baggy blue jumpsuit around his ankles, snow-white buttocks pumping up and down energetically.
Carter didn’t wait, didn’t think. He strode over, grabbed 03 by his greasy hair and dragged him off, throwing him to the floor. 03 screamed in impotent rage. Carter raised his gun and shot him in the crotch. 03 howled and writhed, clutching at the bloody mess between his legs.
‘Yeah? How d’you like that for kicks, you sick bastard!!’ Carter fired again and took out 03’s left kneecap, then his right.
Supply 03 wailed and screamed. Blood spurted from his pulverized knees, pooling on the floor. He would bleed out in agony. With any luck.
Carter walked over to Caren. He grabbed a blanket from the end of the bed and covered her body. Her eyes flickered. Her breathing was ragged. Her skin already looked pale.
Carter stroked her hair. ‘It’s going to be okay. I’m going to take care of this.’
But if he did, it really was over. No more supplies. For them. Or Quinn.
Fuck it.
Carter placed the muzzle of the gun gently against Caren’s head and pulled the trigger.
Then, he turned, kicked 03 in the crotch and walked back out into the corridor.
Only one chamber left.
Carter had never seen inside Isolation Chamber 13 before. The door was the only one not made of glass. Instead, it was smooth and white, set seamlessly into the wall. If you didn’t know it was there, you would never find it. An entrance keypad was similarly well hidden. Like the other chambers, only Miles had the code, and he changed it regularly.
The inhabitant of Chamber 13 wasn’t infected or dangerous. But he was valuable. A brilliant, ruthless genius. A man who believed he could save the world, and that those who got in his way were collateral damage. Like his own daughter. And Carter’s sister. A man who was as despised as he was revered.
Professor Stephen Grant.
The world believed he was dead.
But Carter knew differently.
The door to Chamber 13 was open. Carter stepped inside. A large double bed faced him. To his right was a small, separate bathroom. To his left, a large bookcase and a small desk, lit by a single lamp. A figure sat at the desk. Carter could make out only a silhouette and a bald head, gleaming in the light.
He raised his gun, taking aim with both hands.
‘Turn the fuck around, Grant. I want you to see the person who is going to kill you.’
Slowly, the chair swivelled around.
Carter stared at the man sitting in it. Shaven-headed, dressed in a clean blue jumpsuit, pointing a gun right back at Carter.
‘Hey, man.’ Welland grinned. ‘Snap.’
2
Carter gaped. ‘You’re not dead.’
‘Man, you are observant.’
‘But …’ The body. The clothes … ‘The hair.’
Welland ran a hand over his freshly shaved dome. ‘Yeah. Fooled ya, right?’ He giggled. ‘Man, I wish I could have seen your face when you found Miles.’
‘That was … Miles?’
‘Yup. Dumped my hair on his head. Padded him out with cushions and dressed him in my old clothes.’
‘Why the fuck would you do that?’
A shrug. ‘I thought it would be funny … kind of a welcome-home present.’
‘But … you changed the lock code to keep me out.’
‘Yeah, but I figured you’d still get in somehow. You’re fucking persistent like that.’ Welland grinned. ‘And I like that about you, man. I really do. You don’t give up. Even with that abomination of a face, you’re still here, like a fourth-rate Freddy Krueger.’
Carter continued to gape, mind struggling to get with the programme. ‘I don’t understand. Why did you kill Miles?’
‘Why not? I’d waited long enough.’
‘What for?’
Welland shook his head. ‘You really don’t get it?’
Carter needed to make up some ground here. ‘I get that you’re a liar,’ he said. ‘You told everyone you worked here in maintenance. But you were just a cleaner.’
The grin faltered. ‘How did you know that?’
‘I found your lanyard, with your old name – Barry Coombes. I guess you must have tried to dispose of it at some point.’
Welland nodded slowly. Then his grin widened again. ‘Yeah. Funny story, man. I got the job here just before the outbreak. When I arrived, the cleaners’ overalls they’d got me didn’t fit, so I borrowed a pair from a guy in maintenance: Welland. Nice guy – a Whistler ripped out his throat. Anyway, they liked to colour-code us here. Guinea pigs in blue, nurses in light green, doctors in white, cleaners in grey and maintenance in dark green. When the shit hit the fan, I hid out in the utility room. Miles found me there, put a gun to my head and asked if I could keep this place running. What was I gonna say? I said yes – and learned fucking fast.’
‘And the name change?’
A shrug. ‘I always fucking hated Barry.’
Carter stared at Welland. Simple as that. Just the wrong overalls. But then, as he knew himself, most best laid plans were usually just dumb fucking luck.
‘That’s why you couldn’t fix the power when it started to fail,’ he said. ‘You didn’t know enough about the systems.’
‘I knew some stuff. I mean, I fooled you suckers for long enough.’
And now, something else started to make sense. Julia.
‘Is that why you killed Julia? Did she come down here when the power failed? Did she find you out?’
‘Yeah,’ Welland nodded. ‘That was a shame. I liked Julia. Nice tits.’
Carter frowned. ‘But there was no blood?’
‘Overalls, man. I always kept a set in the utility. I put them on, dumped Julia in the pool, mopped up and changed. Stuffed the dirty overalls behind some shit in the utility till I could dump them. I thought I’d have to try and pin her death on one of you, but then all hell broke loose.’
‘And the knife?’
‘Miles wouldn’t let me have a gun. Thought I was too pathetic to handle one. So, I kept a knife.’ He looked at Carter slyly. ‘Man, I cannot tell you how often I considered stabbing you all in your sleep … but Miles is a pretty light sleeper. I wasn’t sure I’d finish the job without getting shot.’
‘And we all lock our doors.’
‘Sweet how you thought that kept you safe.’
‘What d’you mean?’
‘I may only have been a cleaner, but I watched, and I learned. Dreyfuss, the head maintenance guy, kept a book with all the default system codes in. He wasn’t supposed to, but he liked a drink and had a shit memory. After he died, I stole it. I could walk into your rooms any time I wanted.’ Welland winked. ‘And believe me, I did.’
Carter swallowed. ‘And that’s how you got into the isolation chambers too.’
A flicker of surprise. ‘You knew that?’
‘Caren saw you.’
‘Ah, sneaky little Caren with a C. Not so high and mighty now.’
‘She’s dead.’
‘Damn. She had a great ass.’
Carter felt his revulsion rise. ‘Your empathy is commendable.’
Welland’s face darkened. ‘Hey, don’t play the good guy with me. I know about you, Carter. I know about all of you. Man, you’re so fucking dumb. Saving your personal stuff in your “secret hideaways”. Even Miles. Did you know Miles killed over twenty patients when he was a doctor? Kept his own press stories. Oh, and your good pal, Nate – he liked ’em young. Real young. Found the pictures. Julia cut herself. Caren took laxatives. And I know that Jackson was arranging for his Rem friends to come up here and take the Professor …’ Welland nodded at Carter’s shocked gaze. ‘Yeah, I know all about the Professor. The great genius who just disappeared, presumed dead. But we know where he ended up, right?’
He held his arms out wide. Carter just stared at him.
‘Hey, don’t be coy, man,’ Welland said. ‘You wanted to get inside 13 as much as me. And your reasons are far more noble, man. The whole avenging your sister’s death stuff –’
‘You know about Peggy?’
‘I told you. I watched and listened. I found your photo, saw your tattoo. Plus’ – Welland lowered his voice to a whisper – ‘you talk in your sleep.’ He chuckled. ‘And believe me, that motive has some heart. I mean, sounds like you killed some folk along the way, but you did it out of love. If this was a movie, people would forgive you. Everyone loves an anti-hero, although it usually helps if they look like Brad Pitt and not some fucked-face freak like you.’
Another wild giggle. Carter realized he had got Welland wrong. He had always thought he was a selfish, good-for-nothing sack of shit. Now he was pretty sure Welland was totally fucking insane.
‘So we’re both here for the Professor,’ he said.
‘Like I told you – snap.’
‘So, where is he?’
‘Playing Hide and Seek.’
‘Seriously,’ Carter said. ‘What did you do with him?’
‘Nothing. That’s the joke. And it’s on us.’
Carter tried to batten down his anger. He needed to keep calm. ‘What the hell are you talking about?’
Welland sighed. ‘He isn’t here. No one has ever been in here. Look.’ He picked up a notebook from the desk and blew off dust. ‘This place has been empty for fucking years.’
Carter walked forward and brushed a hand over the bed cover. Not a crease. And coated in more fine dust. A hollow opened up in his stomach.
‘Empty. All this time?’
‘Yeah. Miles lied. How ’bout that?’
Carter let this sink in. ‘Miles used to come down here, bring food and water.’
‘Guess he washed it all down the toilet.’
Carter’s legs felt weak. ‘Grant was here. At the Retreat. Before the outbreak. I know it.’
Welland shrugged. ‘Maybe he was. I never saw him. Guess he’s dead now.’
‘So why did Miles keep up the pretence? Why tell us he was keeping him a prisoner here?’
‘Because it suited him,’ Welland said, as if it was obvious. ‘He knew the Prof was the ultimate bargaining chip. Lots of people want to get their hands on him, for a lot of different reasons. He didn’t want any of us ruining his fall-back plan.’
It made sense. Knowing Miles.
‘And what did you want with the Professor?’ Carter asked Welland.
‘He was my ticket out of here, man. Once I found Jackson’s phone and knew what he and his Rem friends were up to, I went to talk to him. Caught him coming back from an early-morning run. I told Jackson I knew what was going on. I reckoned we could make a deal, help each other out.’
‘But Jackson wasn’t buying it?’
‘No.’ Welland looked affronted. ‘He attacked me. I mean, I had to defend myself. It was self-defence.’
Something began to register. ‘You killed Jackson,’ Carter said.
‘It was him or me, man.’
‘Yeah. That sounds familiar.’
‘I dragged his body down to the woods,’ Welland continued. ‘I figured the animals would soon get him, or the Whistlers.’
‘He wasn’t dead.’
‘He’s alive?’
‘Not any more. I shot him.’
Welland chuckled. ‘See, you and me, we’re a lot alike.’
‘We’re nothing alike,’ Carter said, feeling the lie catch at the back of his throat.
And there was something else, niggling at the back of his mind, but he couldn’t think what.
‘So, with Jackson out of the way, you decided to deal with the Rems yourself?’
‘Yeah.’ Welland nodded. ‘I deliver the Professor in return for a safe passage out of here, and a nice wad of cash.’
So the final the call on Jackson’s phone had been made by Welland, after Jackson was dead.
‘Why leave the phone hidden in the shower pipe?’ Carter asked.
‘Safest place. Only I knew it was there … and if anyone else did find it, Jackson would get the blame.’
Little fucker thought of everything.
‘And how did you plan to get to the Professor?’ Carter asked.
Welland leaned slightly forward. ‘You all thought I was so stupid not fixing the lags … but I didn’t want to fix them. I figured if the lags got worse, the automatic locks would release, and I could get inside 13. You see, 13 was the only chamber that I didn’t have an override code for.’
Carter thought about this. ‘But it didn’t work out like that. Because 13 is also the only chamber that doesn’t open if the power cuts. It has a back-up battery. Miles checked it every day.’
Welland shook his bald head. ‘I gotta tell you that was a bummer. Fortunately, the shit that went down from the supplies getting loose took care of a lot of my problems. Caren getting herself infected was the icing on the cake. I knew, when you left for the cable-car station, it was a perfect opportunity.’
‘Make Miles give you the codes, kill him and get inside 13.’
‘Bam! Cool, huh?’
‘Except, you don’t have your prize.’ Carter smiled. ‘And when the Rems get here you won’t have anything to give them, which, I’m guessing, they’re not going to be happy bunnies about.’
Welland’s face crumpled like a petulant toddler’s. ‘Fuck Miles. I should have known he’d given up the code too easily. If I hadn’t already killed the fucker, I’d go and kill him again … and do it slowly this time.’
Carter’s mind was ticking over. He detested Welland. He was a psychopathic fucker. But right now, it looked like they had other problems.
‘When are the Rems getting here, Welland?’
‘Well … the storm probably slowed them up a bit –’
‘Welland?’
