Karma: A Blayne Mitchell Novel

15

Chapter 15

We waited for what seemed like days for the storm to subside. Dunphy asked me why we didn't wait for the storm to die down before venturing to the department. I told him that we would have been spotted and killed instantaneously without the ferocious storm cover. They had no idea where we were. So that meant it was time to go.

I led Dunphy in a crouch around the exterior of the building. There were three separate divisions of the Public Safety Center, the Fire District, Police Department, and City Jail. If Andrew and Garrett were smart, they would have held up just the Police Department.

If you were looking north, in front of you was the Police Department, on the left, and the City Jail, which was on the right. If you kept walking north, the Fire District was about centered behind the two aforementioned. We were looking west, so we could see the City Jail and the Fire District. The Police Department was hidden behind the City Jail.

Once the rain slowed to a drizzle, I pulled the Winchester out from the shelter of my shirt. It was a tad wet but still functional, or so I hoped. I wiped off the water droplets, just to pacify my nagging fear of being caught in a gunfight with a broken gun. I saw Dunphy doing the same.

He was muttering under his breath, "In through the District, meet in the Department. Shoot anything that moves." He repeated that a few times before noticing me staring at him. Whereas I was using non-lethals, Dunphy had live rounds. Anything he shot would most likely die. His hands were shaking uncontrollably, too. Bad for shooting. I glanced down and saw mine were completely still. Unnaturally still. This was all in a day's work for me. No, it is not anymore. I scolded myself. I was using non-lethals and had a plausible reason to shoot.

"You good?" I asked Dunphy.

He nodded, "Not as good as you, apparently." He gestured towards my still hands and then back to his quivering hands, "But I know what to do."

"Good." I nodded back. Dunphy took a shuddering breath then crept off towards the Fire District entrance. I waited until he disappeared from sight. Once he was gone, I started my stealthy approach southwards. I slithered along the wall until I turned right at the corner towards the doorway to the City Jail. I prayed that the darkness of the thundering storm would hide me well enough. I also prayed that the door be unlocked.

I inhaled sharply and inched the door handle down silently. It was unlocked. I exhaled and pulled it down all the way. I paused and felt for "the tremors". People tend to give off this nervous tremor when they are anticipating something. That's why people can be found so easily in games like hide and seek. The best seekers know how to sense the nervous vibes the hiders give off. I don't know why people "tremor", but it definitely helped in situations like this.

I didn't feel any tremors, so I slunk inside and shut the door behind me. With the darkness from the storm and lights switched off, the room was almost pitch black. I couldn't tell the colors of the wall, or the tile floor for that matter. I assumed I had entered into the waiting room, considering the evident lack of jail cells. A small, banal desk was in the right corner and two entrances were on the opposite walls. The left one to the Police Department, the right one to the cell blocks. I ignored the right door and aimed for the left. There was plenty of "tremor" behind that door. At least two or three people behind it, giving off lots of "tremor". They knew I was coming. The primal fear of something dangerous is in that dark place was making them reek of fear and worry. And "tremors". There was no way I was going to pass through all three guys. Or two especially nervous ones. With how uptight they were, the trigger would be pulled before I was done opening the door. I would be dead before the whole thing even started.