The Zero Game

73

“Run!” I shout to Viv, yanking her by the shoulder and pushing her further up the hallway, away from Janos.

As Janos barrels toward me, he lets out a smirk, trying to intimidate. He expects me to run. That’s why I stay put. This lunatic’s killed three of my friends. He’s not getting a fourth.

“Keep going!” I call to Viv, making sure she has enough of a lead.

From the angle Janos is coming from, he can’t see what I’m looking at: Just inside the door of the hideaway, the Senator’s leather golf bag leans against the wall. I reach for the clubs, but Janos is moving too fast.

Just as my hand grabs a shiny nine iron, he plows into me, slamming me backwards into the threshold of the doorway. My back lets out a loud crack, but I still don’t let go of the club. Pinning me like Lowell, he stabs the black box at my chest; I knock his arm aside with the tip of the club. Before he realizes what’s happening, I ram my head forward, head-butting him as hard as I can in the nose. Same place I hit the scientist in the mine. The sweet spot, my uncle called it. Sure enough, a trickle of blood runs down from Janos’s left nostril, across the top of his lip. His hound-dog eyes widen the slightest bit. He’s actually surprised. Time to take advantage.

“Get… off!” I shout, seizing the moment and shoving him backwards. Before he can get his balance, I hold up the golf club like a baseball bat and rush straight at him. Sometimes the best chess is played fast. As I swing the club, he protects the black box, cradling it close to his chest. He thinks I’m going high. That’s why I go low, arcing the club downward and smashing him as hard as I can in the side of his knee.

It’s like hitting a boulder. There’s a loud crack, and the club vibrates in my hands. I still don’t let go. At the last second, he rolls with the impact, but it’s enough to send his leg buckling beneath him. Like before, he barely lets out a grunt. I’m not impressed. Feeling good, I move in closer for another swing. That’s my mistake. As he falls to the ground, he never takes his eyes off my club. Before I can even wind up again, he yanks the nine iron from my hands. He’s so fast, I barely see it happen. It’s a quick reminder I can’t beat him head-on. Still, I got what I wanted. Behind me, Viv’s turned the corner. Now we’ve got a head start.

Janos slams against the concrete floor. I turn and sprint as hard as I can up the hallway. As I turn the corner, I practically plow into Viv.

“What’re you doing?” I ask, sidestepping around her. She falls in step right behind me. “I said to run.”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay.” She’s trying to sound strong. It’s not working.

Behind us, the golf club scrapes against the concrete floor. Janos is getting up. As he starts running, the echoes of his footsteps are off beat. He’s definitely limping — but the beat’s getting quicker. He’s shaking it off.

Frantically scrambling past the stacks of old furniture scattered on each side of us, I search the hallway for help. Down here, most of the doors are locked and unmarked.

“What about that one?” Viv asks, pointing to a door that’s marked Sergeant At Arms. I lunge for the doorknob. It doesn’t twist. Damn. Locked.

“This one, too,” Viv says, trying a closed door on our right. I hear her panting over my shoulder. We’re running out of hallway, and unlike last time, the Capitol police are too far away. We have a short lead, but it’s not enough — not unless we do something quick.

Up ahead, on our left, there’s a loud mechanical hum. It’s the only door that’s open. The sign on it reads:

Danger

Mechanical Equipment Space

Authorized Personnel Only

I look over my shoulder to see how we’re doing. Down the hallway, Janos tears around the corner like a wounded tiger. He’s got the golf club in one hand and the black box in the other. Even with the limp, he’s already charging fast.

“Move…” I say, tugging Viv toward the open door. Anything to get us out of his line of vision.

Inside, the concrete room is narrow but deep — I can’t even see the end of it — filled with row after row of buzzing ten-foot-tall industrial air-handlers, exhaust fans, and air compressors, all of them interconnected by a crisscrossing jungle of spiral ductwork that snakes out in every direction like the tendrils of a 1950s robot. Overhead, gas lines, copper tubing, and electrical work combine with the various pipes and ducts as they weave their way across the ceiling and block what little fluorescent lighting the room already has.

By the door, there’s a wall full of circular glass pressure gauges that haven’t been used in years, as well as two rolling garbage cans, an empty box of air filters, and an empty, filthy mop bucket with a few random tools stored inside. Behind the garbage cans, a dark green army blanket sits crumpled on the floor, barely covering a row of six metal propane tanks.

“Hurry… C’mere…” I whisper to Viv, clutching her shoulder and tugging her toward the tanks.

“What’re you-?”

“Shhhh. Just duck.” Shoving her downward, I grab the blanket and drape it over her head.

“Harris, this isn’t-”

“Listen to me.”

“But I-”

“Dammit, Viv — for once, listen,” I scold. She doesn’t like the tone. But right now, she needs it. “Wait till he runs past,” I tell her. “When he’s gone, go get help.”

“But then you’re-” She cuts herself off. “You can’t beat him, Harris.”

“Go get help. I’ll be fine.”

“He’ll kill you.”

“Please, Viv — just get help.” Our eyes lock, and she stares straight through me. When Viv first saw me speaking to her page class, and then heard about the Lorax story, she thought I was invincible. So did I. Now I know better. And so does she. Realizing what I’m asking, she starts tearing up. After everything we’ve been through, she doesn’t want to leave.

Kneeling down, I give her a tiny kiss on her forehead. “Viv…”

“Shh,” she says, refusing to listen. “Say a prayer with me.”

“What? Now? You know I don’t believe in-”

“Just once,” she pleads. “One little prayer. My last favor.”

With no choice, I lower my head. Viv’s is already down. She grabs my hands as I close my eyes. It doesn’t do any good. My mind’s racing too fast, and then… as the silence seeps in… God, please take care of Viv Parker. That’s all I ask. I’m sorry for everything else... My brain empties, and my eyes stay shut.

“Now was that so bad?” Viv asks, breaking the quiet.

I shake my head. “You’re an amazing person, Vivian. And you’re gonna make a great Senator one day.”

“Yeah, well… I’m still gonna need a great chief of staff.”

It’s a sweet joke, but it doesn’t make it any easier. I haven’t felt this bad since my dad died. I feel the pregnant lump at the center of my throat. “I’ll be fine,” I promise, forcing a smile.

Before Viv can argue, I pull the blanket over her head, and she disappears from sight. Just another hidden propane tank. Convincing myself she’s safe, I go for the tools, searching for a weapon. Needle-nose pliers… electrical tape… a tape measure… and a box of industrial razor blades. I grab the razor blades, but as I flick open the box, the blades are gone. Needle-nose pliers it is.

Darting deeper into the room, I clang the pliers against the side of every metal machine I pass and make as much noise as possible. Anything to keep Janos moving past Viv. I keep telling myself this is the best way to protect her. Stop the ride and let her off. As I turn the corner behind an enormous air-conditioning unit, there’s a scraping sound back by the door. Italian shoes skid to a stop.

Janos is here. Viv is hidden. And I’m ducked behind a metal grille that comes up to my chin. I pound the grille, pretending to hit it by accident. Janos starts running. C’mon, Viv, I say to myself, mouthing a final silent prayer. Now’s your chance...