Blake fought to get his underpants on with one arm. “It won’t be the police. We need to leave because he called you.”
“I still don’t know why that’s an issue.” Ethan stood with crossed arms, his voice taking on a defensive tone. “If I hadn’t brought you here, you might have died in the backseat of my car.”
“Her phone was probably tapped,” Blake said, brimming with impatience. “What were your exact words when you called?”
“Tapped? How could they — ” Ethan stopped himself, then changed course. “I told her to meet me at the hospital immediately.”
“What were your exact words?” Blake repeated. “Did you say which hospital?” He finished pulling on his pants but left them unbuttoned and picked up his socks.
“I don’t think so; that would have been pointless. Mary knows where she works.”
“That might have bought us a little time, but it won’t take them long to figure out what hospital she works at.”
“Who?” Ethan and Mary said in unison.
Blake sat down and began slipping into his socks. This proved tougher then the pants had been, and he scowled in concentration. “Jesus Christ Ethan, who do you think? The fucking Russians! Give me my boots.”
In quick form, Ethan grabbed the boots and handed them over. Blake didn’t bother untying them, but shoved his feet inside and shoehorned them in with his finger.
He rose, wavering as he stood upright. “Come on, get that shit in me,” he said to Mary, his words coming out in a rush.
She ran around the bed and yanked the top of Blake’s pants down enough to jab the needle in his hip. He didn’t even register the pain but still felt woozy. As soon as the syringe was pulled out, he tugged his shirt over his head and put his arm inside, followed by his nub. After buttoning his pants, he picked up his jacket and started easing into it awkwardly.
“Okay, I’m sorry but we have — ” Blake began then froze, one arm halfway through the sleeve of the jacket. “Do you hear that?”
Ethan cocked his head and studied Blake with concern, like he thought his twin was hearing things now. Then his eyes widened; he’d heard it too. “A helicopter.”
“Sounds like more than one, but I’m not sure.”
“Maybe it’s Wallace?” Ethan asked.
“Were you messing with the watch?”
“No, I have it right here.” Ethan pulled it from his pocket and frowned as if to say, How are the two connected?
The sound of machine gun fire exploded, surrounding the building from all angles. Panicked voices could be heard down the hall. Ethan pulled out his gun.
“It’s not Wallace. Give me my gun.” Blake looked at Mary. “You need to hide. Get into the bathroom.”
Ethan’s face went blank. “It’s still on the floorboard of the Mustang.”
Shit! They were up against a force with numbers unknown and all they had was one gun between the two of them. They were like rats trapped in a maze. The solution came like an epiphany: rats! And that was exactly how they would get out.
Mary went to the bathroom as instructed. “What about you guys?”
“Just hide,” Ethan said. “They’re only after us.” Ethan withdrew his firearm and clicked off the safety as Mary slipped into the shadows of the darkened bathroom, taking cover behind the door.
Reaching into his own pocket, Blake pulled out a greenish-grey object. It was similar in size to a dime and almost as thin.
Now screams were coming from the hall as the alarm level escalated with the sound of approaching gunfire.
“Quick, put your thumb against the face of the watch. After the scan is done, press the top left prong, then the bottom left.”
Ethan seemed confused, but did as he was ordered. His left thumb covered the face of the watch and from around the edges of his skin, a bright blue light scanned downwards. When the beep sounded, he removed his thumb. His face lit up with comprehension, and Blake could guess why. Ethan had spent a lot of time these past couple days trying to figure out the mystery of the timepiece. He would never have thought to try something like this.
He followed the rest of the instructions he’d been given, and the bottom of the watch opened up, revealing strange circuitry.
“Put this inside and then close it.” Blake handed Ethan the item he’d pulled from his pocket.
Ethan re-holstered his weapon and took the small object from Blake, then slid it inside the opening. “How do I close it?”
“Manually. Hand it over when you’re done.”
Ethan snapped the back panel shut and gave the watch to Blake.
More screams were heard, and the gunfire sounded closer now. Footsteps echoed as people ran for the nearest exit. Cindy rushed by, pushing a wheelchair bearing a sickly old man. She looked terrified; the patient looked too stunned to register panic.
“Shut and lock the door,” Blake said. “It’ll buy us time.”
“Why?”
“Just do it.” Blake placed the watch on the forearm of his missing limb. The curly barbs bit into his skin, making a snapping sound that was barely audible over the storming in the corridor.
Ethan winced at the puncture wounds inflicted by the device, but Blake barely reacted. He checked the watch to make sure it was working properly. As he’d anticipated, the words ‘ANALYZING DNA SEQUENCE’ appeared on the watch face. “Okay, stay behind me.”
“I’m the one with the gun,” Ethan said, pulling his firearm out again.
“We don’t have time for a pissing contest,” Blake growled. “They’re clearing every level.”
He could hear the gunfire closing in on them. Screams from the other floors reverberated down the hall as the stairway doors opened and closed. After more bursts of gunfire, they were silenced. The Russians were killing everyone in their path.
What have I done? He should have never tried to change anything. Dying in the past in a never-ending cycle now seemed like the better option, but that choice was no longer on the table.
“They’re in the hall,” Ethan said in a low voice. He trained his gun on the door in anticipation of the breach that was sure to come.
“Back away, give me some room.” Blake said.
“Room for what?”
“We’re going down.”
“Down?” Ethan yelled. “We’re stuck in this room in case you haven’t noticed and that’s the only way out!” He pointed to the door but heeded Blake’s order and moved several feet away.
Blake raised the watch to get a clear look at the screen. He pressed a knob and saw the series of numbers displayed on the face — numbers he’d already committed to memory as a failsafe. He touched another prong, and the letters LOC1 flashed in vivid blue.
Here goes. He drew in a breath. Then he pressed the next button and waited for the experiment in Amhurst’s lab to play out again, with him in the role of Snow and White this time.
Well, hopefully not Snow …
Ethan stared at Blake, mouth open, eyes wide, as the air crackled with static, a loud WHOOSH swept the room, and the floor began to tremble. Before his brain could even begin to process what was happening, Blake disappeared, taking a chunk of the tiled floor with him and leaving a gaping hole behind. Ethan saw an empty patient room below, the bed littered with falling debris, but only for a fraction of a second.
In an instant, Blake was back again, bringing another explosive sound and the missing chunk of floor with him. The returning mass of concrete, steel, and tile had been torn to shreds and was raining through the large hole in the room, along with Blake. He hunched down, steadying himself on the slab as it plunged to the level below.
The door to the bathroom opened, and Mary peered out, frightened by what she’d just heard. Ethan waved her back inside and she moved out of sight again.