Chapter 10
The closer Bill Maxwell got to the Peterson complex the more his nightmares of the past few weeks played in the forefront of his mind. No matter how hard he tried to push them away they came back more vivid and real than the times before.
Even going over the same mantra that "it was just a dream" failed to convince him it was so especially when it seemed all too real. Clearing his head once again of the images he turned off I -15 and looked into his rearview mirror. He knew no one was following him. Especially Tony and Pam, he made sure of that by removing some wires and rearranged certain parts in Tony's car.
"And he thinks he's the only one who knows how to mess up cars" Bill said, smiling. He knew the younger agent would have some choice words with him when this was over. The smile faded as he pulled into the Peterson complex, Bill only hoped he would have a chance to hear those words.
From Tony's description of the complex Bill knew there where two small warehouses and one two-story office building between the warehouses. Striegel's instructions told him to go to the office building.
Bill parked and stepped out the car, pulling his gun from the holster. Closing the door, he started towards the office checking his surroundings at the same time. The afternoon heat shimmered off the glass front of the building and the cement surrounding it. Signs of neglect could be seen in the once well maintained landscape as a slight breeze moved across the parking lot pushing papers and whatever trash it could find.
He paused at the door, checking his weapon before stepping inside. A large two-story atrium area spread out in front of him. To the left and right of a long security desk directly in front of Bill were concrete stairs with glass and steel railings rose up to the second floor, the railing continued across the balcony that connected the two stairs creating a overhang above the security desk.
Beyond the security desk was a bank of elevators, on either side of those was a long hallway. Bill could see from where he stood the first floor at this point in the building matched what was on the second floor.
The silence and the emptiness of the large atrium put Bill on alert as he made his way slowly to the security desk. While he could see anybody that came up to him, being in the open also made him an easy target.
Stepping behind the desk, Bill picked up one of the phones then slammed it down when he discovered there was no dial tone, disturbing the thin layer of dust. Waving a hand in front of his face Bill coughed and mumbled something about housekeeping or the lack there of.
Bill when he heard footsteps, spun around pointing his gun directly at the new arrival.
"Fre….…Ralph!!" Bill pulled his gun back as his friend, red suit and all took several steps back falling over one of the chairs in the security area. Bill instinctively grabbed for his friend keeping him from falling completely to the floor and helping him to stand.
"Geez Ralph I really wish you wouldn't do that." Bill scolded Ralph, as relief and anger surged through him: relief that Ralph appeared to be OK and anger because he almost fired his gun, even though with the suit Ralph would have been OK. The image of lifeless eyes floated in the back of his mind
"Do what?" said Ralph, interrupting Bill's thoughts
"Huh? OhSneak up on me like that" He looked around making sure no one else snuck up on him, as he did so, that little voice in his head that needled when things were wrong was talking, but why? Ralph was OK, for the most part anyway Bill thought, andthe cut he had seen in the photo which was now covered by a bandage, seemed to be the worst of it. But Bill knew something wasn't right, and he could not put his finger on it as to why... then it struck him.
"How did you escape?" Bill asked.
"What" Ralph asked confused by the question.
"Escape, Ralph how did you get out? Four hours ago, on the phone, you said they had you locked up. And you sounded like you where in a lot of pain, yet here you are right as rain"
Bill watched, as his friend seemed to struggle with the answer. Bill knew Ralph was not good at lying; he wore his emotions on his face. Most of the time Bill could see what Ralph was feeling or thinking just by watching. Right now Ralph seemed nervous, but why would he be nervous? Then Bill realized maybe it was a set up and they where using Ralph to get him. He looked around again before bringing his focus back to Ralph when the younger man began talking.
"When one of the guys came with food I was able to tackle him and get out. I must have knocked him good because he was out like a light when I locked the door. Then I found the suit in one of the other rooms near where I was," said the blond haired man. Ralph watched as Bill processed what he told him, then smiled when the older agent believed him.
"Good thinking Kid, learned some tricks from 'Ole Uncle Bill huh?" Bill said still suspicious, not over looking the fact Ralph did not say how he overcame the guard or why he was not in as much pain as he was earlier on the phone.
A bullet ricocheted off the desk near Bill cutting off anymore of the conversation. Both men dove under the desk.
"Ralph what are you doing?" Bill asked Ralph as he returned fire "go get those creeps."
Bill watched as Ralph nodded and stood up, the feeling something was not right and a feeling of de ja vu creeping over him. "Ralph wait" Bill said, pulling the younger man back under the desk andignoring Ralph's protest as Bill realized why everything seemed familiar. It was his dream, all of this was in his dream.
"Hickory….. dickory…… dock. .." Bill watched his friend slowly sink to the floor from the bullet he just fired. ……WON'T YOU COME PLAY WITH ME... Running over to where his friend lay he knelt down and rolled him over, catching his breath when he saw the dead, lifeless eyes.
Bill closed his eyes briefly and then looked over at Ralph. "We got to get out of here Kid, if we don..." another bullet flew over there heads.
"Bill, there seems to be a little problem with that scenario, and in case you missed it, there are people shooting at us." Ralph stood up again in the lull of the shooting. "Besides I have the suit on remember?" He finished then took the communicator from its usual spot "I have the communicator in case we get separated and I can't find you by the usual method" he then replaced it and stepped out of the booth.
Bill tried to stop his partner when two bullets came at him from a new direction forcing him under the desk.
Bill returned fire and moved out from under the desk and ducking behind the wall holding up the stairway as another bullet flew past. From there he could see the security desk and the atrium beyond that. He scanned the room and smiled as he saw the gunman reflected in the front windows of the building. He pulled the communicator out, when he didn't see Ralph anywhere and tried to reach the younger man only to get static in return.
"Damn" he muttered putting the communicator back into his pocket
Movement on the stairs above him drew his attention, from what he could see in the reflection the gunman was on the top landing, and could not see Bill. Using that to his advantage Bill made his way slowly along the wall until he could not go any further with out being seen, but could still get a clean shot.
He took aim then froze when he got a good look at the gunman. It was him, or rather someone who looked just like him. Recovering quickly Bill fired, but missed when his double ducked and ran down the hallway near the elevators.
The agent followed close behind barelyavoiding several bullets as he ducked into an alcove of the hallway. His mind racing over the newest player Striegel had added to the mix. Or Players, Bill thought knowing if he had a double so did Ralph. The thought of his friend brought more worry as he thought about the fact Ralph was out there somewhere and he probably didn't know about the doubles.
He got a sinking feeling when he remembered the feeling he had talking to Ralph in the Atrium.
Had that Ralph been a double too? Bill thought, no it was Ralph, my friendHe would know it if it wasn't
"Are you sure?" A voice in the back of his mind asked
"It was" Bill argued with himself "It looked just like him, the suit, the bandage, even his voice."
"Are you sure"
Bill paled when he realized he wasn't sure. At that moment he was not sure which frightened him more, the fact of these new players or that his dreams where no longer something in his mind to haunt him every time he closed his eyes but real and tangible, something he no longer had control over.
----------------------------------------------------
Wiping the back of his hand across his forehead, Bill leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes picturing the hallway instead though the voices and images from his dreams head mocked him, telling him he was going to fail. Pushing it aside he pictured the hallway.
It was about ten feet by six feet crossed at the end by another hallway. One door, maybe two.
He returned fire as a bullet ricocheted off the wall just above his head, then pulled the empty cartridge out replacing it with a new one as he heard the gun man retreating.
He brought the gun up and tried to relieve some of the tension out of his shoulders. Everything was surreal to him, as his dream continued down it course. First he and Ralph had been separated in the initial gun battle. Whether it was the real Ralph or not seemed a mute point because either way he did not know where his friend was. It was that not knowing that had Bill worried, not knowing where Ralph was even if his best friend and partner had the suit, or hoped he had it on but because even with the suit Ralph had some vulnerabilities.
"Ralph is not going to die" he thought as he quickly look around the corner, no one was there. He hated shooting blindly in a direction, especially when he didn't know who was in that direction. But it is what he had to do, If he came around a corner and hesitated he would be killed, but he also knew a shot aimed a little high… He shook the thought away. "Wasn't going to happen, Maxwell," he whispered "Ya gotta stay focused here, the kid can take care of himself."
Bill tried the communicator again but only received static. "Damn something must be messing with the signal," he mumbled as he pushed the thing back into his pocket before calling out his partner's name.
When there was no response he slowly stepped out and made his way down the hallway with his back up against the wall scanning in front and behind him as he moved before calling out his partners name.
"Ralph?" He whispered harshly as he approached one of the doorways. A bullet from inside the room was his response. "This is getting old real fast." He grumbled before stepping into the room and firing at the source of the bullet. Instead of hitting a mirror as in his dream Bill watched his double sink to the floor. Movement in the hallway quickly registered that another gunman had been in the room and slipped out the some other door. Bill quickly turned back to the hall and fired missing the person as they ducked into the next hallway.
"Damn"
Nearing the end of the hallway he could hear the other person just around the corner. He checked the gun "Damn only one shot. Sloppy Maxwell real sloppy,"he said as heslowly cocked his gun so as not to alert anyone, then taking a breath turned the corner took aim.
This time he hesitated when he saw Ralph standing in front of him. It was in that hesitation that Bill realized it wasn't his friend when the double raised a gun and fired.
as he tried to get out of the way, the bullet grazed Bill in the shoulder, causing him to drop his gun in pain and sending him crashing into the wall hitting his head. Shaking the pain and dizziness off and using the wall as support Bill tried to sit up searching for his gun.
Spotting the gun a few inches away Bill reached for it only to have the Double kicked it away. Bill then tried to get up using the wall as leverage when Ralph's double kicked swung using his revolver, laughing as he did so. The blow connected and Bill rolled the other way finally coming to rest on his back as he tasted blood in his mouth and fighting to stay conscious.
He closed his eyes losing the battle as he heard the click of a gun being cocked and ready to fire. His last thoughts as darkness surrounded him were of his friend and the fact he failed Ralph, that he was too late, that the younger man was probably already dead, and soon he would be too.