Chapter 38: Glenn Captured
Hanks adjusted his position, bracing his feet against the duct wall, then took a deep breath and slammed his shoulder hard into the ventilation cover.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Dull impact sounds echoed through the maintenance bay.
After several fierce rams, the screws holding the cover finally loosened.
Hanks used all his strength for one final slam.
CLANG!
The entire ventilation cover with its frame tore free from inside, falling downward.
The instant the cover fell—
Hanks spotted the pile of what looked like canvas or dust covers on the tool rack below and jumped down without hesitation.
WHUMP!
He crashed heavily onto the canvas on the tool rack. The impact made the entire rack shake. The canvas cushioned most of the falling force nicely.
Though the landing left him dazed with chest tightness, at least no broken bones or serious sprains.
"Holy crap!" Hanks rubbed his chest, removing the assault pack from his back.
He crouched on the tool rack, hand axe and P226 both gripped, scanning the entire maintenance bay alertly.
After confirming no danger in the vicinity, his gaze stopped on a vehicle in the bay's center.
A black-and-white painted Crown Victoria police cruiser. The body was intact, even relatively clean, as if just temporarily parked here for maintenance.
"Well now... a silver lining..." Hanks nearly laughed aloud.
If he could start this police car and ram straight through the maintenance bay's gate—
Way safer and faster than retracing his route or finding another exit.
Hanks confirmed the surroundings were safe once more before jumping down from the tool rack.
He walked quickly toward the center of the bay, trying the driver's side door handle.
Click.
The door wasn't even locked.
Hanks dropped into the driver's seat. Keys were in the ignition. With hopeful anticipation, he turned the key.
Tick tick tick...
The starter motor groaned weakly a few times. Dashboard lights flickered briefly, then went completely dark.
Dead battery.
"Damn it!" Hanks slammed the steering wheel, angry enough to curse.
He got out and popped the hood. The battery was completely drained. The terminals even showed some oxidation.
Even if he knew how to jump-start a car, where would he find another running vehicle now?
Hanks's gaze turned toward the maintenance bay's tightly sealed roll-up door. The only exit.
A control box hung on the wall beside the roll-up door, with buttons and a keyhole.
He pressed the switch button. No response.
Power was out. Electric switch naturally failed.
Had to find the manual release mechanism. He inserted the key, turned it, then grabbed the pull ring and yanked hard.
SCREECH!
The roll-up door lifted heavily, creating a gap. But after rising less than ten centimeters, it suddenly jammed. Wouldn't budge further.
Hanks crouched down, looking through the gap outside.
He saw the roll-up door's external track was locked tight from outside with a heavy U-lock.
Obviously when the outbreak hit, someone locked this place from outside. Preventing things inside from getting out, or things outside from getting in.
"Fuck!" Hanks slammed his fist hard against the cold roll-up door with a dull thud.
A perfectly good vehicle right in front of him.
But the exit was physically locked. Was the upstairs iron door also locked with this same damn lock?
Hanks rubbed his somewhat throbbing head.
Have to go back and fight out through that walker-filled station entrance? Or find another exit?
His gaze swept the maintenance bay again, finally settling on the wall-mounted tools.
Fixing on a heavy hydraulic bolt cutter. That thick cutting jaw looked capable of handling rebar.
"You're it."
Hanks strode forward, taking down the heavy hydraulic cutter. He returned to the roll-up door's edge, crouched down, and positioned the cutter's jaws through that ten-centimeter gap, clamping onto the U-lock's shackle.
Gripping the hydraulic cutter's long handles with both hands, he began squeezing with all his strength.
SCREECH...
Teeth-grinding metal deformation sounds. The U-lock's shackle began bending under tremendous pressure.
Hanks's double fortitude, double strength, and burst passive all activated simultaneously.
Veins bulged on his forehead. Arm muscles tensed to their limit. CRACK!
A sharp snap.
The U-lock's shackle finally sheared clean through.
Hanks sighed with relief, dropping the hydraulic cutter. He grabbed the roll-up door's pull ring again and heaved upward.
CLATTER—
The heavy roll-up door lifted smoothly this time. Outside was a ramp leading to the station's back alley.
Fresh air rushed in.
The exit was open.
Hanks looked back at the police car.
Dead battery...
Maybe it was the fresh air. His somewhat agitated brain calmed again.
Sharp eyes surveyed the maintenance bay. Suddenly he spotted a handheld car emergency jump starter.
It was plugged into a wall outlet charging. The indicator showed faint green.
After the power cut, it maintained a last bit of charge using its internal battery. Might not be much, but perhaps enough.
Hanks immediately rushed over and unplugged the starter, carrying it to the police car and quickly connecting the battery clamps.
He took a deep breath, sat in the driver's seat again, and turned the key.
Tick... tick... The starter motor still rasped, but with more strength than before.
Dashboard lights flashed frantically again.
"Come on! Start!" Hanks growled, nearly twisting the key off.
VROOOOM!
The engine let out a violent roar. Black smoke puffed from the exhaust. Finally it turned over stubbornly.
"Yes!"
Hanks pumped his fist. He immediately jumped out, quickly disconnected the emergency starter, and tossed it in the passenger seat.
Then ran back to the roll-up door and raised it completely.
Then jumped back in the driver's seat, buckled up, shifted to drive, and lightly pressed the gas.
The V8 engine rumbled lowly. The police car slowly rolled out of the maintenance bay, up the back alley's ramp.
The sunlight was somewhat blinding.
Hanks gripped the steering wheel with one hand while picking up the police car's radio handset with the other, adjusting to the same frequency as Glenn.
"Glenn, can you hear me?"
"This is Hanks. I got out. Where are you now?"
The radio channel went silent, then came a crackling sound. A stranger's voice emerged.
"Glenn? Oh."
"You mean that delivery boy?"
Hanks slammed the brakes. The police car's tires screeched on the gravel road.
He grabbed the radio handset, eyes instantly sharpening. "Who is this? Where's Glenn?"
"Tsk tsk tsk." The other side gave a mocking laugh. "Is he your lover? Why so anxious?"
"He's fine for now. Can't say about later. Might get his skull smashed with a baseball bat."
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