Lets take flight

chapter 5

                  

I looked at the big house in front of me where I lived, S13 was seeing it for the first time out of my memories, I wished he was here though I knew I would see him soon. I pulled the truck around back and hopped out locking it behind me, I walked up to the rear door of my childhood home expecting good vibes but only feeling like a stranger about to commit yet another crime. I unlocked the back door and stepped into the kitchen and called out.

"Mom... I'm home!" I listened for any sounds in the big house the moved deeper in still calling out every now and then till I got to her room. I looked at the ajar door briefly noting about how strange it was that my mother of all people left a door ajar. I pushed through the rest of the way in and stifled a scream, my parents were dead, my father had a gun in his hand and so did my mother, they had shot themselves. I looked at the note on the bedside table

To our daughter

So sorry we had to leave you like this but we found out about a plague that was to be let loose, we didn't want to be a burden so your father and I met up to do a double suicide, everything has been left to you, we want you to bury us out back

Love us always

The note didn't seem like a suicide note more like they were killed and the note was forged, but by who, who could have told them of the plague? My sorrow was overpowered by my morbid curiosity so I decided to put my new skills to the test, I smelled the air picking out what must have been my parents sent but there was something else another smell, this was definitely a murder. I sat and looked at my parents laying on the floor, the murder was perfect and the murder was trying to make me clean up after him. Then with no warning I started to cry shutting S13 out so I could mourn alone, there was no telling how long I lay there but eventually I got up and started digging, not wanting to deal with the law for the remaining time it would stay standing.

I drug my parent's bodies to their graves out back and sat for bit looking at the job I had done for the killer thinking of how bad of a job he had done of staging their suicide, the note was what gave it away it was a sad excuse for a suicide note. Then it dawned on me, someone from the program I had just 'escaped' from had done this, someone in this area, there was no way this program was just in Florida. There was no point in dwelling on it now, I had a few days and I was going to spend that time saving lives and making sure that a cure was provided for those that weren't resistant. So with a firm resolve set in place I let S13 back in and numbly filled in my parents grave before cleaning up their room and going to bed.

The next day I found myself parked in front of the old Palestine hospital that had been closed due to a huge population boom back near the end of the twenty second century. I called the number on the newest looking holo sign and waited for the phone to be answered.

"This is Mona how may I help you?"

"Yes Mona, I was looking at the old hospital on main what is the price range on that?"

The sound of static for a second then "we have no recent record on the building would you mind being put on hold for a moment?"

"No go ahead." I said, while I was on hold I hid the truck in some nearby brush then got out and after quickly checking the area I jumped over the fence... literally

"Are you still there?" She asked coming back on

"Yes."

"We have no real estate record on the building but I can schedule an appointment with someone if you would like." she offered

"that would be great." I said "actually I'm in town today do you think you could send someone today?"

"I can most certainly try but I will have to put you on hold again."

"Okay"

I wandered the building kind of grossed out at all of the dirt and the dead animal carcass and rats scurrying around, my fingers twitched when I saw a mop in an open supply closet fall over I jumped and let out a small shriek before the lady came back on.

"A surveyor is on his way right now is that fine?"

"Yes thank you for your help." I said then hung up.

Back in my truck I waited on the surveyor to show up and when he stepped out of his rickety company truck I felt an immediate connection with him. S13 moved further up in my brain showing interest where he hadn't before, closely observing my conversation with this stranger.

"Hello." He said offering his hand "I'm Sam, are you the one who called for a surveyor?"

"Yes I am, I'm Laura." I said shaking his hand, Laura really I kicked myself, I couldn't have come up with a better pseudo name?

"Let's check it out then, do you know the running price?"

"No" I sighed "the lady I called said that there was no real estate record of it, so I was hoping to get it for a good price."

"It's been sitting here for over ninety-nine years, if the mid to late twenty first century building is as good as it is rumored to be, there should be very little structure issues, no guarantees though."

I watched as he broke the lock and yanked the rusted gate wide enough open for us to fit through. He looked at the five story building and its broken windows and cracked parking lot then he pulled out a camera and holo pad, taking notes and pictures on our way to the front doors. I watched as he carefully moved through the bottom story checking what I assumed were support walls and other things that might make the building structurally unsound if they broke. We moved from floor to floor and as far as I knew nothing was wrong, all of the floors felt sturdy and the walls seemed fine. Then finally we made it to the roof hatch which is where he stopped and turned to me, shining a light on my face.

"Do you wanna talk about the building inside or outside?"

"On the roof" I said

He nodded then twisted the handle and tried to open the door but to no avail, it was rusted shut. I sighed, I really need on the roof to check out vantage points. "Here let me try." I said, I twisted the handle and rammed the door which abruptly swung open causing me to have to perform a fake stumble.

"Well then" he said slightly impressed "down to business?"

"Sure." I said "what's the verdict."

"Besides a rodent infestation some mild water damage and broken windows nothing is seriously wrong, all you have to do is replace some drywall and the windows get rid of the rats and sweep up and its good as new."

"So, can you give me any advice or connections to get this done in as little time as possible?"

"Um sure, if you give me your holo pad number I can send you some web sites and numbers... If you don't mind me asking, what do you plan on doing with this building?"

"I need to turn it into a drug rehab center in under a week."

"Okay then, well you are looking at up wards of 600,000 dollars just to purchase it, bringing it up to code is a few more thousand."

"Up to code? I thought everything was good"

"Besides the infestation of course you need hook up modern wiring and plumbing otherwise it won't pass inspection."

"What if I found some sort of grandfather clause?" I ask humoring him because he didn't know how close the end of the world was.

"There might be one, I can check if you'd like."

"That would be great, but I have to get going I have some business to take care of for my parents." I lied checking the time

"Well can I have your holo number so I can contact you if I find a grandfather clause?" He asks pulling a card from his wallet

"Sure." I said writing down my number on the card as he handed me another card with his information on it then we made our way down and went our separate ways

qj