Chapter 8: Chuck
They were so close to freedom from the lab of nightmares; they had finally escaped from the cage and one of the testing rooms and had made it to the hall only to be blocked by the walking bicep himself. Billy glanced at his fellow mutates while he tried to think of a plan.
"What…the…hell?" Hector managed to spit out. His square jaw hung while his eyes had doubled in size. "Little dudes?"
"Not anymore," Billy growled out, making his voice sound as vicious as possible. He set Gene down behind him and raised his hands and flexed out his claws. "Yummy meat."
"So hungry," Gerald hissed as he bared his sharp teeth.
"Yum, yum," Darwin added.
"Mierda, mierda, mierda!" Hector stepped back as he reached for what looked like a stun gun from one pocket and a radio from the other.
Darwin hissed and lunged at the hulking security guard and managed to leap onto his shoulders and slash down with his claws.
Billy was the next to jump and grabbed onto Hector's arm before he bit down as hard as he could. The pain filled human cries were a delight to his ears. He heard the man cry again and he could see that Gerald had given Hector another chomp on one of his knees as Hector fell down onto his back.
"Run," Darwin gasped. "Both of you run. You have family. Go to them. Tell people. Get help."
Billy detached himself from the flailing human, as much as he wanted to inflict more pain and misery and pain on Hector he knew Darwin was right. He picked up Gene and grabbed Gerald by the shoulder and pulled.
"Can't leave him," Gerald growled. "Not going to leave him."
"Go! I do this for you," Darwin said as he sank his claws onto Hector's head. "Run, Gerald, Run."
"We are doing this for him," Billy said as he continued to pull while Gene kept chittering in fear, only a few intelligible words made it out of the mogwai. "We will come back for him, and Penny but he is doing this for us."
"No…not again," Gerald gasped. The wicked rasp had left his voice and was replaced by anguish. "Not going to leave him this time, not again."
"Not hiding in a vault this time." Billy knew what he was talking about and figured out what Mr. Corbin's last words were. " We are doing it for them and all of them." He continued to pull his fellow former human down the wall and while Gerald had stopped trying to pull away he was still deadweight. He wasn't even moving and damn it that was the last he needed. Now was not the time for another break down.
"Going up," Gene squeaked as he pressed the button for them while Billy held him up, making it easier for Billy to just drag Gerald inside.
"Thanks," Billy told him once the doors closed and he could sit down and catch his breath. He gently rubbed the top of the mogwai's head. "We will find a way to go back for them." They did it. They escaped that underground lab and now they were headed…up…up to another lab and that was the next obstacle. Do they look for the first human and explain who they are and what had happened to them? Was Friedrich telling the truth that only he, Tim and Hector were in on the underground or were they all in cahoots? Even if they were innocent how were they going to react to their appearance?
He took a long look at Gerald who was still curled up in a fetal position. How were they going to move him around? Not too mention people were going to be frightened of how they appeared. Gerald was no taller than a seven year old and his skin was a darker shade of green than Billy's. His legs were longer than the legs of a gremlin but his feet were large and shaped like the feet of one, albeit ending in four toes and his arms were shorter than a gremlin's. His facial features were the same as Billy last remembered him, same jaw line, chin and nose, even the shape of his now red eyes were the same and his eyebrows. There were some spiky protrusions on his face, but not as many as a gremlin's.
The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened.
"No close!" Gene cried out and took his place in the entrance and spread his arms out.
"The doors could still crush him," Billy said as he picked up their smallest companion and took his place at keeping the doors opened. "Gerald, please snap out of it. We have to move." He stared at the unmoving mutant. He had to think of something. "Let's go, Jerry."
Gerald blinked and his face scrunched up. "Don't call me, Jerry. It's Gerald." He blinked again. "Crap!" He bolted and nearly knocked into Billy trying to get out.
"Coast, clear," Gene said. He was right. There was no one wondering around the halls. "No Valerie." His voice was soft and sad. "Razor gone, Chuckles gone, Butterball gone, Garrison gone, Patch gone." Sadness was replaced by fear. "No more mogwai." He closed his eyes. "Brody."
"Those were the other mogwai," Billy said. "He knows they have eaten and are changing…or have already changed." Fear washed over him. "We don't know where they are."
"It's going to happen again," Gerald asked. His eyes and widened and his ears lowered.
"I've seen it twice and now I know exactly how they feel and think, but unlike us they don't have filters, nothing to hold them back." He rubbed the top of his head. "We have to tell someone. They have to shut off the water to this building, not to just this lab but also the mall it's attached to."
"I keep forgetting this building is connected," Gerald said. "Never really been inside the mall part since I live and work near the city." He blinked. "Does it have any fountains?"
"No." He tried to focus on the layout of the Clamp Corners mall. He knew it was a large two story mall and only the pharmacy and the radiology and mammography part opened up into the mall. There were Six large anchor stores: Sears, JC Penny, Macy's , Saks, Bloomingdales, and Dillard's. It had a cinema and some of his favorite stores were in there including Waldenbooks, Spencer's Gifts, Camelot music and the Discovery store and his children loved the Disney store and the Warner Brother's store and they just opened that new teddy bear building store. There was also a hotel—"Crap there is a hotel attached."
"Does it have a pool?"
"I've only been through the mall entrance and the bar, but Clamp told me there is one on a sub level. He was inspired by this one mall in Orlando for the hotel."
"Do they have gates?"
"Not sure but if they do they are going to have to keep it shut, but we can't just stand around talking about it." He held out his arms. "We have to move now." He looked around. "Do we look for help here or-"
"I want to get out of here." Gerald shuddered. "The sooner I get out of this building the better." He rubbed his head. "I'm, I'm just really not in a good place and I can't really put my emotions into words."
"The entire building or just this floor?" Billy asked.
"This whole building. I'm sure the people on the other levels might not know, but I can't be here."
"Find some help in the mall then," Billy said. "Let's go find the other elevator."
They ran as fast as they could, at least as fast as they could on their new feet, only pausing by that one storage closet that had extra lab coats. It wasn't going to completely disguise them nor did they fit but it did feel more comfortable to wear before they raced towards the elevator with Gerald dropping to all fours for a few seconds.
"I'm surprised that worked too well," Billy said as he closed the elevator.
"Can't believe they escaped like that," a woman in her mid-forties with graying blond hair said as she was accompanied by a tall black man. "All seven of them."
"What the hell are those!" The man had spotted them just as the doors had shut and they began their decent.
"Alice Henderson," Gene said. His delightful tone told Billy that he liked the people. "Jacob Bivens."
"They were shocked to see us," Billy said as their ride continued. "I don't think they knew." The way Gene shook his head confirmed it.
The doors opened and luckily nobody was waiting for them in the lobby, except for a well lit room. Billy suppressed the urge to hiss as he and Gerald hefted up their collars over their heads and shielded their eyes and ignored Gene's complaints about bright light while they snuck around. They were lucky they were not facing the front entrance with the large windows and glass doors.
"Where are we?" Gerald grumbled as he squinted through the area that was filled with shelves.
"I think this is the pharmacy," Billy answered as he recognized some of the bottles on the shelves as various kinds of vitamins.
"How bright is the mall?"
"Not too bright, well at least not too bright for humans."
"Skylights?"
"Yes and no," Billy said and sighed. "Fake skylights with blue glass panels that cover artificial lighting, some of the glass have cloud patterns. Don't ask me why they suggested that and they didn't ask me. Someone else approved of that odd design. I guess so it would always have a pretty blue sky even when it was actually raining or snowing outside."
"That's good for us then," Gerald said.
They froze when they heard the sound of metal sliding against metal, very similar to opening up a garage door manually followed by human footsteps that were growing closer.
"Stay low," Billy whispered as they ducked back into the shelves as two people walked past him.
"Are you sure he is going to call?" A female voice was heard as the two walked passed.
"He said he would," another young female voice answered, accompanied by the sound of gum snapping.
"Jessica, when a guy says he is going to call that means he won't until three or four days later."
"Chatty teens," Gerald whispered as he shook his head and peered out first. "They just opened the gate. The mall just opened."
"It means it's daytime and that means they can't go outside, and neither can we." Billy said as they snuck around. He could see past the entrance to the pharmacy and to the mall and since it had only just opened all they could see were a few senior citizens in jogging suits. He also could see a directory. "Let's go."
"We need to find a phone." Gerald was thinking along the same path as Billy as he looked for the nearest location of a pay phone and one was just a few yards away from them, right next to the restroom. "There it is. We'll just call collect."
"Or I'll call your parents for you," a man said from behind.
Billy jumped and turned around, ready to attack as a growl escaped his lips.
"Holy shit," the mall cop that encountered them was just a kid. In fact he was the same young man that Billy saw days earlier before he face planted into a column. "What the hell are you? Are those really your ears? Those are not costumes are they?" He was fumbling around with his pockets.
"We are real," Billy said as he composed himself. "These are not costumes."
"No, no no," Gene added.
"Where did you…" He looked over his shoulder at the pharmacy. "I saw you run from there." He pointed at the store. "Did you come from the lab?" He pointed up. "Are you guys some kind of genetic experiments that escaped."
"Uh yeah," Gerald said and glanced over to Billy. The slight frown and raised eyebrows were of pure uncertainty.
"I was right," the young man chuckled in small voice. "All this time I was right about that place. They tell me I was out line with my thinking, that I watch too many movies, but the truth is in there." He stared at the small black radio in his hand. "I should call this in. I have to—but they aint going to believe me."
"Easy there," Billy said. The guy was a bit of a weirdo but he could be reasoned with and he might be able to listen to what they are about to tell him. So far this guy might be there only form of help. "Just breath easy and we need your help."
"Please help us, Chuck," Gerald added. Chuck? Oh that was the name on the tag. "I know this sounds strange, but Billy and I used to be human. My name is Gerald Hopkins and this is Bill-"
"Peltzer," Chuck finished and licked his lips. "I was right about everything." His voice turned into a whisper. "I see you. I saw your pictures on the news, but under those ears and spines I…I can see you." He removed his hat and ran his fingers through his brown hair. "What… did they…did they do to you guys? Did it hurt? I gotta radio this in."
"Chuck, where's your location?" A voice came through the walkie-talkie in Chuck's pocket left shirt pocket and the one in his hand. He had two radios.
"Near the bathrooms right next to the Stride Right," Chuck answered. "You are not going to believe this but I have found those missing men from the news and they are alive but they have been mu—"
"Don't," Billy said as he waved his arms. "Keep it realistic." He knew how outlandish it sounded even if the young man was about to reveal the actual truth.
"Muted," Chuck answered. "Duct tape across their mouths." That sounded better and actually believable.
Silence was heard on the other end followed by static. "This isn't funny."
"Not joking—"
"Need you to make a sweep around the west sector," the woman instructed. "Make sure that creepy guy isn't near the Gap Kids again."
"The place just opened," Chuck protested.
"You want me to tell Stewart?"
"I—wait Gap Kids?" Gears were spinning around in his head. "Sure I'll check that area out and let you know." He put the radio back into his pocket. "You guys are gonna half to lay low." He looked around. "In the bathroom, you can hide out in the handicap stall."
"Hide?" Billy asked. "We don't have time. Letting people know we are alive and having Friedrich and his cronies arrested is important, but more important is that there are little green creatures, gremlins are going to be running around and we have to turn off the water."
"They multiply when they get wet," Gerald added.
"Gremlins? Little green guys and not you two?" Chuck asked as he pointed at them.
"Smaller than us and vicious nasty killing machines," Gerald explained. "I'd seen these things kill my boss and Billy seen them destroy and kill even more. He knows more about them than I do."
"Explain later," Chuck said as he ran off. "I will be back as soon as I can."
"Wait!" Gerald waved his arms. "We need your help."
"Gone, bye bye," Gene said in a worried tone.
"He is helping," Billy said. He remembered being in Chuck's shoes before when he tried to warn people, first the Kingston Falls police and then Forster and the security team at Clamp Tower and the latter only started to believe after that one gremlin leaped out of the controls. "We should do what he says." He felt the urge from earlier growing.
"Hiding in the mens room," Gerald said. "How—ugh light." The light was even brighter when they stepped inside until Gerald turned it off. "I really, really hope Clamp can find a way to turn us back."
"You and me both," Billy said as the entered the third stall. He set the mogwai down and stepped out from there.
"Where are you going?" Gerald asked as Billy opened the door the next stall.
"I'm right next to you. Unlike you I didn't piss all over that scrawny jerk and I really need to use it." He pulled down his shorts. "Do you want to watch me take a leak?"
"No I don't."
Sure he could have used the urinals but he didn't want to risk anyone walking in and seeing what, Some human-gremlin hybrid in a lab coat relieving itself? After he finished he walked over to the sinks and mirror. Since his whole body had to become drenched before he could spawn it might be safe to wash his hands, but there was also a container of hand sanitizer and he decided to use that.
The creature in the mirror that looked back didn't look too scary. Billy could see his features and like the other's he had his dark curly hair and eyebrows although his hair had developed a streak of bright red in the middle. His nose and other facial features were still human and practically unchanged. His green eyes had turned red and his sclera were gray and his pupils were round. The inside of his ears had stripes in addition to spots and there was a fringe of red flesh on the back of his neck, the same fringe he had on his elbows. None of the others had that. Was that because his genetic makeup was merged with an evil leader mogwai? Did that mean he was the lead, whatever he was, a greman, humalin, goblin?
He closed his eyes as he felt angry at Friedrich for doing this to him and Gerald. He enjoyed attacking and hurting both Tim and Hector and he would love to come across Friedrich. He wanted to bite him, tear a chunk out of his throat, slash at that disgusting excuse for a human's chest and tear out his heart.
The snarling snapped Billy out of his thoughts and he it only took him a second to realize he was the one making that sound. He looked into the mirror and his reflection frightened him. His pupils had narrowed into vertical slits and his teeth were bared. He blinked as his pupils had rounded and he gently touched his teeth with his tongue and that was when he noticed something else, only the front teeth, the incisors were longer, thinner and pointed. His molars were still thick, bumpy and human.
"Peltzer?" Gerald called out. "You feeling all right?"
"Yeah—"
The sound of footsteps were heard right outside the door.
Billy bolted towards the third stall and entered just as the burning light had filled the bathroom.