Mark Clodi - Outbreak

“Max you are scaring me, you're scared too, aren't you? I will do it, you just get someplace safe, come home if you can. I will get the kids up into the attic right now and wait for you, are you coming home right now?”

“As soon as I can baby, as soon as I can.”

“Max” said Sarah with near hysteria in her voice, “Max are you going to be okay?”

“Relax baby, relax, I have a police officer here with me, she’ll take care of me, I am more worried about you. I don’t know what’s happening in the rest of the city but from what I hear, it’s not good. That’s why I want you to get the kids, some food and some water up into the attic. Just do it okay? Honey, one more thing.”

“No.” Max could tell Sarah was still crying, but her voice was firm.

“Aw honey, c’mon you gotta do it, it will make me feel better just know you have it with you.”

Years before Max had inherited a German Lugar his grandfather brought home from his years of service in world war II, coming from a family that owned guns Max knew how to care for them and considered the Lugar more of an investment than a home protection device. Sarah, on the other hand, used to have a younger brother. When he was eleven he went over to a friend’s house to play and never came home. Playing that day involved the handgun collection of his friend’s father and in a day and age where safety locks were not yet mainstream his friend had shot and killed her brother. The trauma of losing her brother provoked in Sarah a hatred of guns that was beyond illogical. When Max inherited his grandfather’s gun, Sarah had taken the kids to a hotel for three nights, eventually she returned home when Max had installed a gun safe to hold the gun, a wall safe to hold the ammo and a child safety lock with two keys, one normally kept in a safety deposit box at the bank, and one on Max’s key chain. Sarah knew the combination to both safes and as they had recently decided to close their safety deposit box the second key to the gun lock was now in the same safe as the gun’s ammunition.

“I won’t Max. Look, you know I don’t even know how to fire it, it won’t do me any good anyway and I will feel like I am leaving a rattlesnake laying around no matter where I put it. I will grab a bat from Nick’s room and that will have to do. Any druggies managing to get up into the attic will have to contend with an aluminum bat to the head. And if you still need the gun you can get it when you get home.”

“Okay, okay, I would just feel better if you had it with you. Anyone coming in and not yelling your name, you brain em, okay?”

“Don’t worry Max, no one will get in anyway. I will call you when the kids and I are up in the attic, some of those druggies look kind of bloody and I don’t want to chance them breaking in on me before I am ready.”

“I gotta go too, it looks like the police officer and Steve are about to kill each other. I love you baby, take care of the kids and I will talk to you when you are safe.”

“Well I like the police officer already, she shows good judgment. I love you too. Max, be careful. Bye.”

“Bye baby.”

The MAC Corporate building was built in the early nineteen eighties and from the outside looked like four stories of steel and reflective blue glass. The structure had very little to offer from an architectural view point. No fancy atrium, no grand entrances or spectacular artwork adorned either the outside nor inside of this relatively plain, rectangular building. When compared to the neighbors around it, the MAC Co building was average at best.

After the September eleventh terrorist attacks upper management decided to invest in added security and emergency equipment. Every entrance was modified and now required a card key to gain access. When the card was swiped past the reader a security system would record the identity of the card owner, check to make sure that the person was allowed in that section of the building, and if approved, the system would then release a magnetic lock at the top of the door. There were some who speculated that the security system was management’s way of tracking when the arrived, when they came back from lunch, if they took too many smoke breaks, and if they left early for home.

Another change that resulted from the increased security was the installation of a large generator on the south side of the building. Should MAC Co. lose power the generator would automatically turn on and supply emergency power to the building’s main systems, security, telephones, and designated lighting.

“How many entrances does this place have?” Stewart inquired.

Looking at Steve for confirmation Max responded, “One main entrance and three side ones. One on each side of the building.” Steve thought for a moment mentally counting to himself and then nodded his approval of Max’s answer.

“Is that the main security desk that I passed?” Officer Stewart did not wait for an answer, made her way to the desk and plopped down into the empty chair behind it. There was also a computer monitor showing shots of the cameras located by the building doors and, of course, a computer. The computer was mostly used by the security guard for solitaire but it also served the intended purpose of displaying the key card information when an employee entered or exited the building.

“It has been nice hanging out with you guys and Officer I appreciate what you did for me, but I have a family that needs me so I’ll be leaving now.” Max announced.

“You’re welcome. Good luck getting past them.” Stewart said pointing at the television screen. The north camera that provided the best view of the parking structure showed somewhere in the neighborhood of five or six figures milling about.

“You don’t understand. I have a wife and kids that need me.”

“I’d bet that they need you alive more than dead.” Steve added.

“You know what? Fuck you Steve. What do you have? A stupid cat waiting for you? Bite me, asshole.”

“Hey man, go for it, don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.”

Max looked at Stewart and studied her face trying to determine what her opinion was. Unfortunately, he saw that she agreed with Steve.

“Don’t look at me” Stewart said, “the most significant relationship I’ve had over the past year was a one night stand with some jackass I met after a Broncos game.” From the look on Steve’s face, that was the best news he had heard all morning.

“You think the army or national guard will be called in?” Max asked, hoping.

“I’d say that the current situation justifies it but who knows? It is not good out there and I think it is just going to get worse, much worse. If I can’t even get anyone at HQ, well, that tells you something too.”

“Not to change the subject, but I will. Since it sounds like we are planning on staying, no one without a key card will be able to get in, right?” Steve asked.

“Not if you move that Steve-o.” Stewart said pointing at the trash can propping the door open.

Steve dragged the trash can back into the building and tested to door to make sure that the lock activated.

Stewart managed to pull up the security log on the computer. “As of right now I see twenty entries of people who should be in this building. That leaves twenty unaccounted for.”

“No, no eighteen, no wait, two guys in the bathroom, that’s sixteen left unaccounted for. Lets see that list, Bob, dead. Fred, undead. Ditto for Nancy. I think that guy in the bathroom was named Rod, not sure, but there is a Rod Uberton on the list so that was probably him. Plus the guy on the toilet, I didn’t look, but he was toast too. Anyway Rod, undead and dead again.”

“Hey, is there a function that allows you to deny all access? If there is we could lock up the building so that no one else can get in or out.”