Getting out of the hospital was easy enough for Ulrich. He only had to knock out four people to do so. Near the doors a few security guards were waiting for him. A nurse had checked the quarantine room and alerted them of Ulrich. Ulrich needed to be quarantined to avoid spreading his disease, but he needed to be somewhere else. Remembering what Denise said he needed to do. ' The answer is on the back of the clues. All you need is a black light.' Getting out the door was now the problem.
Ulrich took the stairs to avoid being cornered in the elevator. He was on the tenth floor, and had nine to get down. As he ran down he heard a voice over the intercom. ' Attention security. A patient named Ulrich Stern is attempting to escape. He is a high priority quarantine patient and needs to be isolated immediately.' Ulrich knew he had to hurry. Now the security was against him rather than only time.
Opening the door to the first floor hallway he looked through. Seeing it clear he walked in the hallway and began to walk to the main door. Turning the corner he saw the front door and four security guards. Turning back into his hallway he peered back around the corner.
" Dammit." he said to himself. If he had more time he'd just find another way out. Time wasn't his friend today.
Walking around the corner he began to walk to the front doors. The guards looked at him, then looked at the picture they were given to identify him. " Mr. Stern, cooperate or we will take you by force." One said to him. Ulrich stopped as they began to approach him. Ulrich rose his hands in the air to show his cooperation. One walked up with cuffs then was about to place them on Ulrich's wrist. Before Ulrich struck.
Ulrich sent his elbow to the mans jaw making him wobble to the side. Grabbing his knight stick from his waist, Ulrich then sent it to the mans gut. Kneeing him in the face the other guards rushed him. Ulrich ducked under a strike then struck in the second guards chest. The third's blow was blocked and Ulrich pulled the mans arm behind his back. The forth guard was going to attack before Ulrich pushed the third at him.
The second came back fast but Ulrich kicked the back of his knee, sending him to the other. Ulrich then send the stick to the back of his head then his head to the ground. The forth swung the stick and Ulrich blocked then countered with a swift elbow to the stomach then a punch to the face with the opposite hand. The third Grabbed Ulrich from behind but only got headbutted in the face then the stick to the side of the head. The forth was just getting up before Ulrich walked by then finished him off.
Throwing the stick to the ground he left the agonized guards and ran out into the street. Running left he called a cab and asked him to take him somewhere else. The police appeared from behind Ulrich as the cab drove away from the hospital. The police ran into the hospital and Ulrich let out a sigh of relief. Now that he had time, he told the driver his destination.
Ulrich paid the fare then walked up the walkway and into the front door of his home. Walking in he still expected to see his daughter running down the stairs. ' Daddy's home!' She'd hug him then tell him all about her day. Ulrich would sit on the couch listen to her tell her to go play then help Milly in the kitchen. They'd eat dinner as a family, talking about work and school. Milly would tuck Yumi in then go to their room.
Now when Ulrich looked around it was a barren, empty and quiet home. Looking up at the stairs he saw the hole in the ceiling from the attic. Looking at his answering machine he walked over to it and checked the messages. Four messages. Pressing play he sat on the couch.
' You have four new messages. Message one.' Ulrich heard nothing but silence. ' Ulrich, it's Zack. I guess your out. Look we need to talk. Kimi's gone.' Ulrich's ears pricked up when he heard that. ' he took her. The cops aren't helping any and I'm running out of time. I'm begging for your help. Call me back.' Ulrich heard the phone turn off. ' Call received ten thirty seven yesterday. Next message.'
' Ulrich, it's your mother. I know how your feeling and everything, but I think it's a good idea for you to leave the house for a bit. Call me back. Next message.'
The phone just went silent. ' Next message.' Ulrich waited for the message to start. He hated messages like the third one.
' Hello Mr. Stern.' Said a haunting voice. ' I take it you discovered that Carol and Denise are dead from the same thing. And that Denise told you the final clue. The disease is very contagious, if either of the girls breathe on you, your dead in less than a day. By now you also know that your dear friend Zack's daughter has joined my collection. You've been a fun challenge, but it's almost done. So as a prize for making it this far I'll give you a gift. If you wish to talk to your daughter, call this number.' The man began to say the number and Ulrich wrote them down. ' Have a nice day. Hope to see you soon. End of messages.'
Ulrich quickly picked up the phone and dialed the number that the man had given him. It rang a few times as his heart was pumping. He knew it was probably another trick, but he had to make sure. It rang a few times before it was connected with the other phone. The first thing he heard made him become silent.
" Daddy?" Yumi asked.
" Yumi," Ulrich said.
" Oh my god. Is it really you?" Yumi asked her father in tears.
" Yeah honey. It's me. Where are you?"
" I don't know. I never know. Daddy you have to help me," she said to him, then coughed. " I think I'm getting sick." Ulrich rubbed his head. He had poisoned her as well.
" Look. I need you to help me to help you. If you know anything that could help. Tell me. If not, you and me will die."
" I don't know," Yumi said scared.
" Think. Anything." Yumi began to think. Whenever they moved her she was tied and had her face covered. Ulrich saw red and blue lights flash from outside of his house. Looking though his blinds he saw the police outside of his house. " Hurry honey, I don't have much time."
" He said that, this ends where it began. Where you lost the first person you loved. I don't know what the means, but maybe you do." Ulrich looked at the police officer walking up his walkway. " Do you know." Ulrich began to think. He knew.
" I know where you are. I'll be there soon. Love you."
" Love you," Yumi said to him before Ulrich hung up the phone. The police opened his front door and Ulrich was behind it. One officer walked in a took a look around.
" What a dump," he said. Ulrich kicked the door closed and it hit the office hard. Ulrich then ran around it then kicked him in the face before he got back up. Seeing he came alone he took the keys from his vest then ran to the car. Ulrich was thinking he needed the clues to find her. The gift wasn't to talk to her, it was her. Ulrich was going to get her back.
Parking the car at the bridge he told the police to come here over the radio, though they'd end up here anyway after they figured out the car was stolen. Walking across a bridge he was soon standing over a twenty foot drop. Looking down he saw a collapsed elevator and a sealed off shaft. He hated this place. It had taken so much from him. So many years he wasted here, fighting someone who would eventually be his friend. He had almost died here a handful of times. And someone he knew had died here. He hated this place because of that. He was in the factory.
Stepping down the stairs to the main floor he stood in the center of the factory that was dark. He knew someone was watching him. Nowadays, someone was always watching him.
" I'm here! Where is she!" Ulrich shouted as his voice reflected back to him. Suddenly he was blinded by spot lights that shot at him. He was now standing in a lit room and looking at one man.
" Hello Mr. Stern." The man said. He wasn't wearing a mask today. Ulrich looked at him, and didn't know him, but recognized him from somewhere. He was decently tall, five foot ten, scrawny, with short black hair. His eyes stood out the most. Cold blue eyes. When he spoke again it was the most disturbing voice.
" Congratulations, you've almost passed." Ulrich turned around when he heard foot steps behind him. It was three more men, one carrying a syringe. " Just one more test."
The man with the syringe tried to inject him but he wouldn't hold still. The two other restrained him as the man injected it into his neck. Ulrich became weak almost instantly. Wobbling to the left he hit a beam and began to slid down it.
" What the hell did you inject me with?" Ulrich asked him.
" A hallucinogen. It will go through your veins then arrive at you brain. When it does it will make you pass out and enter a dream. A dream that will give you your greatest desires. This dream is temporary. The virus will kill you still. But whether or not you can escape the dream, is up to your will power. This is your final test Ulrich. Succeed, and you will get your daughter and the cure. Fail, you both die." Ulrich eyelids began to fall as he continued to look at the man. Then it hit him.
" Detective?" he asked. The man smiled.
" You remember. Yes, I was the man that bitch Sissi hit. I took her place as your detective. Now go to sleep." Ulrich couldn't stay conscious any longer then fell to the side and began to dream. His greatest dream ever.