chapter fifteen

Balddee’s shoulder hurt from where the desk had dug into him. He constructed the new barricade with little help from the rest of the group then pulled a smoke and rested.

Then, an explosion from the break room.

“Mule.” Balddee said, his hand crushing the cigarette out.

Baldee rushed down the hall to see Mule’s leg rip at the ankle, the foot still nailed to the floor, and follow the rest of the body being folded into the Shredder Commando. His nose smelt burning flesh as Pedro stood on the counter, a spent match laid on the counter giving off smoke.

What looked like an exploded cannister of propane mixed with the remnants of Dead Gonzo. Balddee walked over to the Shredder Commando and hit the kill switch. He spoke with his back to the group in the hall, “Best not to come in here.”

Balddee lit another cigarette, the last in his pack. “What can we do to stop this bad guy.”

“Shouldn’t the bad guy have a better name?” Satchel or Bel questioned.

“Yeah, we don’t even know who the bad guy is.” Bel or Satchel continued. There was no response except the burning of Balddee’s cigarette.

“I suppose I could try to call Crapcago?” said Dirty Orpheus, looking in the dark at the rest of the group.

“No good.” Balddee remarked, “All the phone lines are out.”

“No.” Dirty said, pushing his glasses up higher on his nose, “The mirror I use doesn’t work with phone lines. It’s, well, it’s complicated.”

“Do you think that it could work?” Satchel or Bel asked.

“I have no idea. They’re not the most forthcoming with information. That’s why all my articles sucked.”

The group fell silent. Dirty spat out, “Well, somebody could’ve at least said they kind of didn’t. Come, on. The phone is in my office.