Chapter 2
Dr. Connelly shut the door of his car and chirped the alarm. 6am sucked no matter what you were doing that day, and today was an extraordinary day. In hopefully less than six hours Maximum and Osiris would be dead, he would be getting promoted and the Director would probably make him head of all research and development. Yes, today was an excellent day to be Dr. Winfred Connelly. Or so he thought. Dr. Connelly walked up to the entrance of the facility and punched in the weekly password. BEEP! Incorrect entry.
"What the hell?" said Connelly taking a sip of his coffee. "Did they change it?"
Dr. Connelly checked his watch, it was only Thursday, why did they change it before the week was out? He tried again with the same result of the keypad cackling at him for being wrong. A voice from behind him jump.
"Can I be of assistance?" said the unknown
Dr. Connelly slowly turned while holding his coffee steady.
"Thanks, what's the deal anyway-" he was promptly cut short by a wing shooting past his face and into the control panel. Dr. Connelly dropped his coffee and as it hit the ground, he felt it splatter onto his tweed pants.
Osiris was standing in front of him looking slightly amused. His clothes were torn in some places and Dr. Connelly could help but wonder whether or not he was going to make it through the day. Osiris looked at the spilt coffee and then spoke.
"Now be honest, that wasn't Decaf was it? Anyway I've been sitting out here for about thirty minutes see, and I just completely forgot the code. Then I remembered you were going to be here at 6am sharp as you put it yesterday so I just had to wait and see you." he said as he removed his wing from the panel. It uttered a small "welcome" and the door slid open.
"How di- did…" stammered Connelly
"Who cares? That's small business right now, here inside Doctor. I have some questions for you and I would like it very much if they were answered." He shoved Connelly in the facility entrance and the door slowly shut behind them. Dr. Connelly looked around at the mayhem that was once his orderly and neat workspace. Bodies were strewn everywhere throughout the hallway and some weren't guards. Dr. Connelly shivered.
"How could kill everyone?" he asked shaking
"Kill everyone? Doctor please," Osiris said shoving Connelly into the Control room. "You make me sound like a monster. Barely anyone was hurt, and I'm surprised you don't recognize what this is."
"Oh…"said Connelly looking at the scared scientist in the Control room "Everyone in the entire facility is un-"
"Unconscious," finished Osiris pointing at the scientist "thanks to homeboy here. I found out in Scenario AR67-1, when a specimen of the Hybrid category escapes the entire facility is rendered unconscious to prevent the loss of other specimen and staff life. It was funny."
"Funny?" said Dr. Connelly pushing the other scientist out from in front of the video screens.
"This guy right here didn't know I had escaped until it was too late." said Osiris
"He was right next to me sir" said the Scientist quietly
"You idiot!" said Connelly throwing his hands up "What where you doing? Why weren't you paying attention?"
"Easy there Doc, "Osiris as he forced Connelly into a chair "He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Trust me if I had a girlfriend, She would definitely come first over watching some guy in a glass cube, am I right sir? Can I call you sir?" he said looking over at the scientist.
The scientist nodded and Dr. Connelly smacked himself in the forward.
"Don't agree with him! Why didn't you subdue him?" asked Connelly aggravated but the scientist just remained silent and look at his feet.
"Anyway idle conversation will have to wait because I have a schedule to keep. So down to the Q&A." Osiris held out his hand and a chair slid across the floor to him. Osiris looked at the shock on Connelly's face and smiled. "Didn't see that coming did you?" Osiris straddled the chair and pulled two photos out of his pocket and he held up the first one. "Who is this?"
"Where did you get that?" said Connelly taking it
"I printed it off, what does it matter? I asked you a question. Who is that?" said Osiris sternly
Dr. Connelly looked at Osiris and then back at the photo. It was a picture of Maximum that Ari had taken while she had been in Virginia.
"This is one of Jeb's Avian children, her name is Maximum Ride." said Connelly
Osiris took the picture back and looked at it.
Kill her.
"Say what?" said Osiris looking up.
Connelly just shook his and his eyes flickered to Osiris' shoulder. Osiris quickly stood up kicking the chair to the left with his right leg while pivoting on his left. He grabbed the scientist's right wrist and swung a hard punch to his gut. The scientist dropped the baton and his body just folded in half but Osiris held on and laid him down.
"Sorry dude, meant to pull that punch." he muttered
Osiris turned to Connelly and shook his head "Second question, the camera facing my cell sits at an angle, swinging that camera right brings to a second cell next to mine. Tell me, who was in that cell?"
"No one. It was a spare." said Dr. Connelly quickly
"You know I was expecting that answer and that's why I'm not frustrated with you. One, I have seen the security tapes and two you moved them away about of week ago. Remember?"
"Why do you care? It was just another experiment, she was moved to another facility for further testing." said Connelly trying to dismiss the issue
Osiris just smiled "Thirdly, I knew that because her and I have had hours of conversation."
"You two never spoke unless…" Dr. Connelly leaned forward slowly and whispered "Are you reading my mind?"
"Uh…Large supreme, stuffed crust, and extra anchovies? Am I right?" said Osiris quietly back
Dr. Connelly leaned back with a scoff of contempt. " I should've known."
"Why do I get the feeling of disappointment from you?" Osiris then threw up his hands "Yes, she could read minds. How do you think we survived all of those long hours of nothing? If you haven't noticed, I love to talk."
"Much to everyone's dismay." said Dr. Connelly
"You say that because no one wants to talk to you. Your boring. World domination, Evil things, and blah blah blah. That's all you do. And your fashion sense sucks" said Osiris
"What would you know?" said Connelly
"Ok lets review yourself, the black loafers, white socks, brown Khaki pants, that stupid puke colored polo shirt that's older than I am, and your white lab coat. Who dresses you? Do just wake up and just wonder how badly you can look?" Osiris said waving his hand at himself "Look at me, I have the hospital/patient look going on. White shirt, white pants, no shoes. I match."
"Why are we having this conversation?" asked Dr. Connelly obviously greatly annoyed
"My bad, I get side tracked during conversations, but since you are like the first person I have to talk to, well I'm sort of forcing you to talk to me but all the same. I just love a good conversation." Osiris sighed then checked the scientist-on-the-floor's watch and then took it.
"I need this." He then looked at Connelly " Final question, Which facility was she taken to?"
"Kansas Institute of Architectural Design."
"Kansas?"
Dr. Connelly nodded.
"Institute of Architectural Design you say?"
"Yes."
"I don't see why they would need one, but anyway I lied about the final question thing. Where is this Maximum Ride?"
"I would have to check the computer." He said holding up his hands
"Well what's stopping you? Check. But only Check." Osiris said narrowing his eyes.
Dr. Connelly spun around and typed a couple of commands into the computer. An address popped up.
"Topeka, Kansas" said Dr. Connelly
"Thanks Nancy Drew. I can read you know." Osiris said then he looked at the watch again. "Time to go, though something bothers me."
"What's that?" asked Dr. Connelly curiously and he spun his chair around
"Where are we?" Osiris asked
"Seattle?" said Connelly almost unsure of the question
Osiris swung a right hook connecting hard with Connelly's jaw, knocking him out of his chair and spilling him onto the floor.
"Jerk." Osiris muttered and left the control room turning off the lights as he went. He had to pull the stupid automatic door open and then he stepped out side. It was still slightly dark but a sliver of light was cutting over the horizon. Osiris scanned the parking lot for any roaming people and then unfurled his wings. He took a deep breath while a slight breeze ruffled his feathers, it was pure ecstasy to be finally free. Osiris bent his knees while angling his wings up and launched himself into the air. He flew straight up about 500 feet and the flew off at a speed only Max was known to achieve in supersonic mode. Ari and a pair of Erasers climbed out of a black van in the parking lot after Osiris took with Ari shouting.
"Where is he going?!" yelled Ari at the pair but he knew they had no idea.
They just looked at each other and shook there heads.
"Well find out! Track him! Follow him!" Ari waved at the Erasers
They launched themselves clumsily into the air and began to try and follow Osiris. Ari motioned for another pair to follow him into the building. They walked through the busted door into the hallway and Ari observed all of the unconscious people lying about.
"Find Connelly." he barked
The Erasers headed down the hallway and Ari headed for the control room. Ari discovered Connelly on the floor and smirked. "Idiot." he murmured and looked around. The scientist was still on the floor and
the computer was still going, Ari decided to check it out. He sat down and looked at it and Max's location was still up. He wrote down what he saw and got up and left. The two Erasers were waiting for him in the hallway,
"Sir he wasn't-"
"Yes, I know he was in the control room. Here," he said handing the first Eraser the paper "What does this mean?"
"It's a location for Maximum and the flock. Topeka, Kansas" he said
"Then that's were we go. Come on." Ari said heading out the door. Ari and the Erasers climbed back into the van and he looked at the driver.
"Let's move out." he said
"Where sir?"
"Kansas…and Max."