Page 46 of Hacker Unknown

“Cortaval, and it has the doctor’s name on it.”

“Fuck. I need you to find an EpiPen, and when you do, shoot it into his leg. I need to hang up and make a call to get an ambulance there.”

“Wait, how can I find an EpiPen?”

“We need to hope that Antonio keeps med bags for when his team deploys in the office. Look for where the armory might be and a medical bag. I need to get someone there now.”

The line went dead. I rolled Paolo to his side and grabbed his employee key card. Kat had taken me into the armory before, when she fitted me for a pair of boxing gloves and promised to teach me how to use nun chucks.

“You better not die,” I growled before jumping to my feet and ran through the gym down the long hall to the last door on the right.

I swiped the card over the lock, and ten numbers appeared on the pad. Right, the code. I’d watched Paolo type it in when heunlocked his office and pressed one, six, three, seven. The light flashed green, and I pushed open the door.

To my right was a cage of guns; to the left were cabinets. I threw the first one open, and it contained piles of uniforms. The second had towels, and the third had gauze and bandages—no types of medications. I scanned the room a second time and noticed three backpacks on the floor in the cage. Paolo had told me they were go-bags and had everything you could think of. I pressed his card against the door lock, and it flashed red. “No!” I swiped again, and it was still red.

My hand shook as I pulled out my phone, and the screen blurred as I tried to find Kat’s name. Why hadn’t I just told him how I felt? Now he might never know. It kept ringing, and when I almost clicked off, her voice came through.

“I thought you planned to seduce your man.”

“I need to get into the gun cage, but his badge isn’t working.”

“Is there a break-in?” Kat’s voice went deadly. “Lock yourself in the armory, and we will help Paolo.”

“No, I need to find an EpiPen. I don’t know what exactly happened, but those drugs given to Paolo did something, and Sawyer said to use an EpiPen. I was hoping to find one in these backpacks.”

“You must have his door badge. Give me a second.”

A moment later, the cage light went green, and I heard a small pop. I yanked the metal door open and dropped next to the bag.

“In the front section of the bag is a small red pouch. Inside, you’ll find two EpiPens. Antonio, are you still near the office? We’re going to head back.”

“Okay.”

I ended the call and ripped the red pouch from the duffel, and the zipper stuck. On the wall hung six large, curved knives. I grabbed one and sliced through the fabric. The pen rolled out onto the ground. I wrapped my fingers around the device and sprinted back to Paolo. He was still on his side with his eyes closed.

My fingers gripped his zipper and yanked it. His dead weight made it hard to pull his pants down. I struggled as they slowly moved. When I spotted the top of his thigh, I flipped the cap off the pen and stuck it in his leg. Nothing. He still didn’t move. I’d watched enough medical TV to know people magically start breathing the moment the pen goes in. Except Paolo didn’t budge.

I laid myself next to Paolo and pulled him close. His chest rose and fell. I wasn’t sure how long I was curled up next to him when a loud voice sounded from outside the bathroom. Sawyer came rushing in. He pulled me up from the ground and into his arms. Two men and a gurney came next. Antonio walked in as they squatted down and lifted Paolo onto the medical bed.

“Did you give him the medicine?”

“Yes,” I sobbed. “But he didn’t wake up.”

Sawyer nodded. “I didn’t expect him to. What you did will delay the meds he took. Can you show me the bottle?”

Kat was crouched down on the floor, picking up the bottle and the scattered pills.

“These pills were supposed to be destroyed. Can you tell me what the person looked like?”

“Can I go with Paolo?”

“No, there isn’t room for you in the back of the ambulance. I will take you.”

As we walked toward the building’s exit, Antonio and Kat gave Sawyer a rundown of what the person looked like. He explained she was a former member of the nursing staff, but was let go a couple of months ago when some research was leaked.

Antonio stepped in front of Sawyer’s path. “Why Paolo? Does this have anything to do with what the CIA was after?”

Sawyer stared Antonio down. “You can drill me later, but right now I need to save that man’s life.”

---