Chapter 26: Escape from the Mall
Kate tensed up as she heard the various sounds of creatures snacking. She thought the ordeal was over. They have gotten them all haven't they? There couldn't have been any gremlins in this store. The only creatures were three goblins, including her husband and two mogwai, well there was the one gremlin, but it would easily be subdued by the others
"Kate, what is it?" Lynn whispered as she approached Kate from behind. "Where is Billy?"
"He should be in here," Kate said as she felt her grip on the sword's hilt tighten. She took a deep breath and walked around some clothing racks. There was nothing there but when she stepped around a clearance rack she recoiled at what she found. There was a skeleton on the ground, a two and half foot skeleton with two green gremlin feet attached and one green hand connected at the wrist and everything else had been stripped, even the skull was bare except for the eyeballs.
"What is that?" Lynn asked as she pointed at the bones with a shaking a damp finger and Kate was sure she was shaking because of the cold wet clothes and not out of fear. "Was that a gremlin?"
"It was," Kate said as she continued towards the munching sounds and stopped when she came upon Billy and the others, sitting down and facing each other in a circle. "Billy?"
"Kafe?" Billy sat up and turned around with a half-eaten potato in his mouth. He pulled it out. "Hey your back and you did it. We saw you stab Razor."
"What. Are. You. Doing?" She asked while she stared at the others. Penny was chewing on a carrot, Helix had an ear of corn in his mouth, Gene was chewing on leaves and Gizmo had just popped in a tomato into his mouth.
"Having a healthy snack," Billy explained as he pointed at the pile of vegetables in the middle. "Vegetables are better for you than candy." He took another bite out of the potato.
"Where did they get the vegetables?" Lynn asked before her eyes widened. "It came from that gremlin, didn't it? It was that one made out of vegetables, and they are eating it. Billy, oh please stop that."
"Billy, you are eating a raw potato and more importantly you are all eating a gremlin," Kate wasn't sure what to make of all this. It was disgusting, that was for certain but they were not eating any actual gremlin flesh, but fresh raw vegetables as if they were just pulled out of a garden, still knowing where it came from caused her stomach to turn.
"He was mostly vegetable and it tastes just like fresh raw veggies," Billy explained with a weak smile. "It doesn't really feel like cannibalism to me. I guess because I started out as a human." He turned to the others. "What about you?"
"I suppose from my vantage it would appear that way," Helix said as he stared at the half eaten ear. "But he was always pulling off plants from himself and giving them to others to eat. This is a fitting demise for him."
"Kate, mom, I'm sorry," Billy said as he lowered his ears. "I didn't mean to gross you out. We were just hungry." He dropped the potato. "Sorry…I keep warning you…and I'm trying to think more like a human and-"
"It is going to be okay," Kate said as she lowered herself to her knees and stroked the bottom of his chin. "This is an adjustment for everyone." She kissed him.
"You stop eating that gremlin and we will go home and get you a nice home cooked meal," Lynn said. "All of you."
"What about him?" Kate asked and pointed at Helix. "What do we do with him?"
"He's nice, can he come also?" Penny asked.
"I don't exactly trust him," Billy said as he stood back up. "He was willing to side with me and Razor when I went full Hei'an Linxu."
"But I did help you," Helix pointed out. "I helped everyone at the end and if Razor had taken the formula as well then it would have been perfect for everyone."
"You were willing to betray the humans you had just befriended," Billy said as he pulled Helix up and glared into his eyes. "You wanted to transform Valerie into a goblin against her wishes because you think that would make her fall in love with you." His pupils narrowed into cat like slits.
"Billy," Kate said slowly.
"And that was a mistake," Helix said as he removed Billy's grip from his jacket.
"Maybe he was lying to you and Razor?" Penny suggested. "He pretended to be on your side."
"She is astute," Helix said. "While I did want to transform her and me I also was trying to gain Razor's trust so I could defeat him with my special formula, but I had to bide my time, wait for their numbers to go down and while I did want to benefit my species I realized the best that I could do for them is to help them evolve into goblins."
"Do you expect me to believe you?" Billy hissed out the question.
"Sweetie," Kate said softly and put her hand on Billy's shoulder.
"You are getting a little aggressive again," Lynn added.
"You both are right," Billy said as he took in a deep breath. "I still don't like him and I don't trust him."
"I believe him," Penny said. "Maybe when he became a goblin he became better and Gene trusts him."
"Uh huh," the cloned mogwai agreed.
"Honey, mom?" Billy asked as he looked up at them before he turned to Gizmo. "What do you think, Giz?"
"Our side," Gizmo said and placed his hand on top of Billy's.
"He did help us back there," Lynn said. "But I understand why you don't want to trust him."
"I'm with you, Billy," Kate said. "But maybe we should let Clamp decide if he wants Helix here at his place. We will figure this all out." It was time to call Mr. Clamp and the others.
Gerald wasn't sure how much time had passed since the theater was cleared out. He and Brody spent the first few minutes finishing off their popcorn and the box of Milk duds that were given to them and it was a nice snack considering all he had to eat since he emerged from his cocoon was a cinnamon roll, a bag of chips, a Snickers, and most recently the theater snacks.
"I hope we get a real meal soon," Gerald said as Brody was sniffing the empty candy box. "Mrs. Peltzer offered to make us her meatloaf."
"Meatloaf?" Brody lowered the box and tilted his head to the side.
"It's a type of food," Gerald explained. "You take ground beef and some bread crumbs and mix I with an egg and seasoning and place it in a bread pan and there is this crust on top that usually involves ketchup, but from what I remembered Billy's mom didn't use ketchup. I can't remember if it was Worcester or A1."
"It yum?"
"Depends on how you prepare and cook it and Billy's mother makes the best meatloaf."
"You make meatloaf?" Brody pointed at him.
"Not as good as hers," Gerald said. "I'm been trying to improve my cooking and when I have my girls over Lily and I work together. Our specialty is homemade French bread pizza."
"Pizza is yum."
"Hello?" Chuck's voice was heard from the entrance to the control room. "You two still in there?"
"We are," Gerald answered as he made his way downstairs to the door. "Did we win?" He opened and saw Chuck who had a pleased grin on his face and was leaning on his golf club cane. "I take it we did."
"Oh we did," Chuck said as he held up his radio. "Billy's team is on their way over and so is Mr. Futterman and Darwin and uh Valerie is getting some stuff for you guys."
"Stuff?" Gerald asked. "What kind of stuff? If anyone needs anything it would be you, maybe a compress and an ace bandage for your leg, at least until you get it checked out."
"More caps and sunglasses," Chuck explained. "And there is a costume shop on the second floor and she is going to find wigs for you guys and a large backpack that Brody can fit in and of course more foundation."
"Why do we need to disguise ourselves?" He stared at his hands and how most of the original makeup was smudged off. "Nobody here, except us."
"For now, but Clamp warned us police are about to enter and we don't know if they will shoot first and ask questions later when they see you guys."
"Good point." He hadn't thought about that. "Should we stay upstairs until they get here?"
"I guess it is up to guys, but I am going to take it easy and stay with Stacy and try to keep her calm until they get her out…and we will need to get out…damn."
"We are going to be in disguise right?" Gerald asked.
"But it's only six forty," Chuck explained. "We have at least an hour and a half before the sun sets."
"Damn," Gerald muttered. "Maybe by the time we get the wigs and stuff on it might be dark enough.
"Stay low," Chuck said and held out his hands. "I'm going to check on Stacy."
A few more minutes had passed and Futterman and Darwin had returned and Gerald wished he saved some of the popcorn for the other goblin. He also wished he had something to drink.
"Talked with the kid," Futterman said as he pointed towards the lobby with his thumb. "He is in contact with the others and told Clamp is prepping the cops to lead in but he wants everyone together."
"And we will be here," Gerald said. They just had to wait for Billy and his group.
They didn't have to wait much longer. Billy, Kate and the others returned along with Valerie who had a couple of bags with they were going to need. They also brought along another goblin, one that he hadn't seen before.
"This is Helix," Valerie introduced as she pointed at the brown goblin.
"I am charmed to make your acquaintance," Helix said and did not seem to notice the daggers that Billy was glaring into the back of his head. Gerald had no idea why Peltzer hated this guy but there might have been some reason.
"He used to be a gremlin and he changed himself," Valerie explained while she handed the bag to Lynn.
"How?" Futterman asked. "What did he do, remake the cocktail that mutated Darwin here?"
"He apparently did," Kate said with a shrug. "And he made a solution that not only mutated gremlins but also caused them to disintegrate a few minutes later."
"So he is on our side?" Gerald asked as he gently scratched the top of his head.
"Yes he is," Valerie answered and both mogwais and Penny agreed but Billy just growled and continued to glare at the former gremlin while Lynn shrugged.
"Kind of," Kate said. "Right now we need to give all you goblins a makeover." She approached Gerald and Darwin and handed both of them wigs and a few bottles of foundation and gave Darwin a pair of sunglasses.
"Let me help you with that," Gerald said as he dabbed on some of the makeup on Darwin's face and spread it around while Futterman applied it to his arms and hands, after a few minutes the teal goblin had a decent amount of coverage.
"Don't forget yourself," Futterman said and applied the same make up to Gerald's face. "I apologize if I don't do a good enough job. If Sheila was here you would look great."
"Just have me look passable for a human," Gerald explained before he reapplied some to his arms and blended it in. The last thing he did was lower his ears and placed a wig on his head before he plopped his cap on top. "How do I look?" He put his sunglasses back on.
"Like an ugly kid," Futterman said. "An ugly human kid and I think this is the best we can do."
Gerald glanced at Darwin and noticed that he looked more human than before and he looked over at the others. The other goblins appeared similar to Darwin, although Penny didn't need a wig and had her hair styled to hide her ears along with the hot pink cap she wore.
"I have bad news," Clamp voice came in low through a hand radio. "There is a SWAT team here and they are about to enter in five minutes and if they will find you they will order you all outside."
"What time is it?" Lynn asked.
"Still got an hour until sunset," Futterman said as he checked his watch. "What are we going to do, hide?"
"Might have to," Billy said. "And we don't have time to run."
"We could all hide out in the projection room," Gerald suggested. "We'll be crammed but if we are quiet they might not see us."
"Where is the security guy?" Futterman asked.
"With Stacy," Valerie answered. "Trying to keep her calm."
"Tell Chuck to lead her out to the nearest exit," Billy said. "And all of us will follow Gerald's suggestion and hide in the projection room."
"Chuck do you read?" Kate asked as she held up her radio. "We need you to get that poor scared employee outside."
"Got it," Chuck answered.
"We got to move now," Futterman said.
"This way," Gerald said as he and Brody led everyone up the steps to the projection and once everyone was upstairs he closed the door behind him. He had no idea how long it will be before they were going to be discovered.
Minutes had passed and they heard nothing and they made no sound save for the scuffling noises when they squeezed Brody into the large backpack and Gerald felt bad for the little guy because while that pack was even larger than the ones that were used to transport the mogwais it was still going to be a cramped in space for the gremlin.
"I have some good news," Clamp whispered into the radio. "And some bad."
"We hear you," Kate whispered back.
"Bad news is the SWAT team is swarming the mall and the good news is that Forster and I are going in after them, but the bad news is we can't leave past the first little area with seats and a directory and the good news is Chuck is out here with Stacy. They have the girl wrapped up in one of those orange blankets and the medics are taking care of him."
"Blankets," Billy whispered. "Ask Clamp if we can get some of those blankets."
"To cover us?" Helix asked. "Yes that should keep the waning sunlight off us at least until we are in a vehicle, particularly a shaded area."
"Get the blankets and have Forster pull his vehicle into a shaded area," Billy said. "We are located on the north side of the mall and if we go into the employees area we will be into the back hallways."
"That are kind of labyrinth like unless you know the way," Gerald told him. The only member of their party who knew how to navigate was Chuck and was being checked on.
"Right, damn it," Billy frowned before he blinked. "Tell Clamp to still have Forster to park in the shade and then have ask Chuck to tell us where to go."
'"Mr. Clamp did you hear that?" Kate asked
"I got it," Clamp answered.
"So did I," Chuck whispered. "I was the one holding the radio for the Mall team. Maybe give Forster the radio and he can tell me when he has the car parked, preferably by Bloomingdales and I can guide you all."
"Sounds good," Kate said.
"I have the radio and we are moving," Forster said the sound of a car started was last heard before static.
"We will get you into the vehicle," Valerie told him.
Second had passed and they already felt like hours to Gerald. He held his breath as he could hear everything. The sounds of the others breathing, his own heartbeat, shuffling sounds from the others moving his feet was all that he could hear. It wouldn't be long until her heard the heavy footsteps of the swat team. He still pulled the backpack with Brody closest to hime while Peltzer had the one with Gizmo and Darwin carried Gene
"I'm parked," Forster said over the radio. It was the only thing he said and it was enough to break the silence.
"Ready?" Billy had asked and everyone either nodded or whispered in agreement. "Now."
They bolted out of the projection room and raced towards the back room that was still unlocked.
"We are here, Chuck," Kate said through the radio.
"Okay the first thing is move right and go past five doors," Chuck answered.
"Right?" Futterman asked. "Isn't that west?"
"Trust me," Chuck said. "Then you will make another right and then go down entrances until you go upstairs and emerge from an Up Against the Wall, You will have to be in the mall, but you will be upstairs and be stealthy until you reach The Discovery Store. The back door is almost always unlocked."
"We will let you know when we get there," Billy told him. "Taking a bit of a risk but we have to do it."
Everyone had their heads down when they emerged from the store, making sure there was no one around and they didn't see any of the SWAT. Without a word they moved as fast as they could with their heads down until they reached Discovery and ran inside.
"Damn," Gerald muttered as he took notice of the destruction. "I like this store. My daughters love this store. Lily told me she wants to grow up and study sharks."
"I also love this place," Billy said as they made their way to the back.
"Mr. Clamp said he was going to get it all cleaned up," Valerie said. "I hope your daughter achieves her dream and becomes a marine biologist someday."
"We made it," Billy said into the radio.
"Good and that is the last time you will have to leave the back area until near the end," Chuck told him. "Go straight for three entrances and then make another right and after two entrances you will go down stairs."
They continued to follow Chuck's directions as they made their way. He was right it was like a large maze and one could get lost easily if they didn't know where to go.
"The path ended," Kate said when they reached a wall.
"You are going to have to take that entrance," Chuck said. "It's the Wet Seal, but you are right next to a side exit and I already relayed it to Forster and he will be waiting for you."
"Okay you heard him," Lynn told them. "Let's move."
They ran into the store and carefully looked out once more to see if there were any officers there before they located the exit and ran towards it. They were going to make it. They could see Forster standing there with a stack of bright orange blankets in his arms. It was darker where he was standing and behind him some of the lights in the parking light had a soft glow.
"Freeze!" The commanding voice shouted at them and Gerald stopped dead in his tracks along with everyone else and raised their arms. He could feel Brody trembling in his backpack. "What are you all doing in here?" He looked over his shoulder at four men decked out in full SWAT gear and they had their arms lowered.
"We-we just want to go home," Kate told him.
"I work with the medical research team," Valerie explained. "I was on a meal break when the little monsters attacked and I insisted on helping people escape." She pointed at Gerald and the other. "They were frightened and were still hiding and I was only now able to coax them to come out."
"Should of left earlier," the SWAT member said. "Now get these people out of here."
"There might be more inside," Valerie told them.
"We will look for them," the man said. "Just get these people out, especially those kids."
"Yes sir," Valerie said before they turned and continued their way to entrance.
"That was too close," Futterman said once they had reached the doors.
Forster didn't wait for them to leave and had stepped inside to hand them their blankets.
"Cover up and follow me," Forster instructed.
Gerald draped himself in a blanket and made sure everyone had followed suit before they followed after him and entered the back of his vehicle. Once the doors were closed Gerald had let out a sigh. He set the pack next to him and reached in and placed a hand on Brody's head.
"Thank god," Billy said as he stretched out and nearly jumped when his mother tapped the glass. "Mom?"
"Murry and Kate are going to get their wounds checked out," Lynn Peltzer said. "I'm going to wait until Mr. Forster takes you to Clamps and then check on them. Until then keep your heads under the blankets."
"Yes mom," Billy said before he pulled his blanket over his head.
"Yes ma'am," Gerald agreed as he covered up. It was finally over and they were safe.