The Pale King - VII

Part 1

Starcross hated lockdown drills. They always threw things into chaos more than they normally were, but it was procedure and he’d be damned if his building got dinged for a procedural error. He had skated easily enough without having strong rehabilitation methods in place thanks to the District Supervisor agreeing with him on their lack of success with the harder cases. But the DS didn’t agree that all procedures need be left aside. The lockdown procedure was just as important here as it is in a prison, the DS had said to him. They couldn’t be too careful when it came to the crazies escaping.

                He wasn’t wrong. Starcross had been here a week after the record-breaking lockdown. He wasn’t present for it thank god, but those who were had stories and they weren’t shy about telling them. Speaking of the long hours, the frantic and hectic atmosphere, the bl….

                A knock at the door interrupted Starcross’ thoughts.

                “Sir, we’re ready to start the lockdown.”

                “Is the patient in yellow ward?”

                “Yes. Just waiting for your word sir.”

                “Alright. Go ahead.”

                Starcross returned his eyes to his report. What was he thinking just a second ago? The sirens went off in the building.

                “We are under lockdown. Please report to your stations. We are under lockdown. Please report to your stations.”

                “I guess that means me too then.” Starcross stood, cracked his back and made his way out of the office. He had to stay in the security room to monitor the staff. The large windowed room sat above the common room and could look out over four adjoining hallways that ran perpendicular to the large square room. it was the best way to see over half of the wards. The only places he couldn’t see up there were the morgue, since it was two levels down, and the black ward. The black ward being in the far back corner of the building its access hallway behind a large door. It had been built with a loop to the morgue since the black level patients were usually the first to go. And wheeling them through the whole building to get to the morgue elevator, which could be seen from the security room, would be a pain in the ass.

                From this command center he could issue orders over the loudspeakers, see most of the floor, at least the most important halls, and give the all clear once things were in the clear. All he had to really do was sit and wait. It would be an easy shift at first. He just hoped that it wouldn’t be like that time.

                “That’s it.” Starcross said dropping his feet from the desk.

                “What’s what sir?”

                “Oh nothing, I just remembered what I was thinking about earlier.”

                The blood. They couldn’t stop talking about all the blood.

Two hours in and the patient they had chosen to be the mock escapee was giving them more trouble then they were expecting. Starcross tapped a pencil to his lip as she looked out the windows.

                “What was his last location? Where the hell could he be?”

                “Last sighted going into the kitchen.”

                “Our little boy is hungry eh?” Starcross sat back down rolling his chair over to the dining room window. The large plate glass was angled out so you could peer down unobstructed all the way to the wall directly below the security room. the dining room had been emptied since lunch and the chairs were up on the tables. Starcross squinted looking into the dark of the kitchen on the far wall but so no movement.

                “Are you sure he is in the kitchen?”

                “That’s were the last report came from, that he was headed from Red level into the kitchen when they lost sight of him.”

                “I swear this is pathetic. You know the record for shortest lockdown is one hour and thirty-five minutes? We botched that record.”

                The door below the security room opened and three orderlies shuffled in. One man looked up to see Starcross pointing towards the back wall. He nodded and waved his companions forward. One was holding a straight jacket, one a syringe of some sedative solution, and the other had his bare hands ready to catch the little bastard. He clenched and unclenched his fists. Starcross sat back down and smiled.

                “At least we won’t be beating the record for longest lockdown at this rate. Get ready for the all clear boys.”

                “Right.” A chorus of voices from the security room affirmed and sat at the ready to lift the lockdown. Starcross didn’t take his eyes off the dark room in the back. The three orderlies moved into the dark room and Starcross could barely make out their forms as they progressed. Then he saw something. A flicker of the light. A shadow seemed to move.

                “What the hell?”

                The lights extinguished and were replaced by a security light. It cast a red hue over the rooms and halls. Starcross turned.

                “What the fuck did you do that for!? Turn the lights back on!”

                “We didn’t do it sir! Something must’ve happened to the breaker. We can’t get the power back on from here.”

                “This isn’t good! Send a message, this is no longer a drill.”

                “Sir.”

                Starcross turned from the man at the controls and saw out the window again. A man emerged from the kitchen. One of the orderlies.

                “No wait, wait. They’re coming out.” Starcross held up his hand and squinted in the dim flashing red lights. The man wasn’t moving normally, or maybe it was just a trick of the light. Starcross moved closer to the window. The man was reaching out, his white shirt catching the light a little too well. From the shadow of the kitchen the man in the Yellow jumpsuit burst with speed something glinted in his hands. With a leap and swift motions of his hand he stabbed the orderly over and over again in the back, blood spraying on his face.

                “No!” Starcross slammed his fist on the glass. The escapee looked up and Starcross could barely see his eyes. They were hollow. His face and yellow jumpsuit covered in blood. A grim smile crept over his lips, his eyes unblinking as he burst through the doors.

                “Send out an alert. This is no longer a drill. The man has a knife. This is no longer a drill. If he can’t be contained, then we have to kill him. Take no precautions.”

                The men sitting at the control panel stared at him gaping.

                “Now damnit! Now!” Starcross slammed his fist down again until the men started to broadcast the new message.

                How the fuck could this happen? Starcross thought, What is going on out there?

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