Mind Palace (Pt. 3)

“Well that sure as hell wasn't the plan?”

The deafening sound of an explosion echoed throughout the area as the mountains almost seemed to shake. The heat from the fire seemed to spread throughout the valley. Trees scorched and burned as the smoke rose shadowing the area.

“The plan was for me to handle it,” said Dionna, “so I handled it.” Another explosion erupted from the center valley as debris landed to close for their comfort. “Time to move.”

Reggie stared at the inferno. The building was completely gone. If anything, a structure remaining would be unexpected. The fire was spreading too quickly. Reggie stood following Dionna through the forest. Moving through the trees as they headed to the base of a mountain. Even as the created distance between the fire and themselves, the heat only reminded them of the danger that remained.

Reggie coughed. Smoke blowing in their direction. The air became hotter as they picked up speed. All this for a stupid b-

“Hurry,” yelled Dionna. “The wildfires picking up speed. The wind’s not on our side.”

No shit. Reggie picked up their pace only keeping a few paces behind Dionna. “Exit strategy?”

Dionna pointed up the mountain.

Reggie stared wide-eyed. Nonononononono.

“There's an elevator inside the mountain. It's near a river source, somewhere.”

Dionna fell rolling down a small cliff edge landing on a small river bank. “Ouch.”

“Well-timed indeed,” whispered Reggie. Reggie jumped down helping Dionna up as they began heading upstream towards the mountain.

Moments later they reached a double metallic door with a small clearing, a pathway heading in their opposite direction. They went for the door heading inside to find a cargo lift. Reggie stopped stunned to find a lift inside a mountain. The area wasn't rundown and seemed to have been recently used today. The lift was down. It only meant someone used it to go up. Dionna was already scrambling at a wall panel flipping switches and pressing buttons. After a few random presses of buttons and switches the sound of the motor creaked alive. The lifts engine slowly speed up with every passing second.

“Wow, which button was it?” Reggie asked, looking around the area. A few crates and pallets. A door with a wooden sign “storage” written on the front.

“That wasn't me,” replied Dionna.

Reggie didn't hesitate. He grabbed Dionna as they crouched behind the large crates. They waited as they motor began to slow down. Voices yelling from above. A small group of people in tactical gear stood bunched together.

“Priority is the asset, followed by the package.” A gruff voice yelling over the metallic creaks. “It's your life if we can't find them.”

“Sir, that explosion,” the lift coming down to a halt, “it's impossible for anyone-”

“Are you forgetting about the damn bunkers? We have a long search ahead of us.” The main person yelling grabbed one of the people. “If you're scared of a little search and rescue then you can protect the lift.” They threw the person back before turning towards the door. “Move out."

Each of them yelled various words, or phrases, as they ran out into the inferno horror. The remaining person stood near the lift. Directly to their left the crates were close to the opening with Reggie and Dionna holding their breaths on the other side. They guard walked in circles as Reggie waited. Dionna was more in a hurry to leave.

Dionna patted her chest before jumping over the crates and rushed at the guard. They raised a pistol firing twice before Dionna pushed them against the grated door and used one hand to hold the pistol away from their head. Reggie quickly followed only a few steps behind as they raised their hand. They formed a fist making sure to quickly make contact with the person's chin. Once. Twice.

“You suck at hitting,” yelled Dionna.

“Shut up,” yelled Reggie.

Two more hits, with resistance from the guard, and they finally fell to the ground. Dionna waited only a moment to confirm they were out. Reggie grabbed her and pulled them inside, closing the doors after. They pushed the UP button and began their rise up.

Reggie breathed quickly. “All this for a bo-”

The lift shuttered as it picked up speed.

Dionna held her chest. Reggie just looked up waiting for this to finally end. The creaking of the lift. The rush of rising up the mountain. There was a calm for those few seconds. A well deserved break.

That ended quickly as the feel of the lift began to slow down. Another realization came to Reggie as they neared the top. “What's waiting near the top?”

“Our escape plan,” replied Dionna. “You told me to handle it, so I handled it.”

Fuck. Reggie breathed slowly as the lift rose up to a halt. For a damn b-

The lift halted. The rush of cold air immediately froze every exposed area of skin. The black smoke already reaching the mountain top. Only a few yards away sat a helipad with a four seated helicopter. The blades were already turning. Dionna pushed past Reggie jumping into the back seats. With one more glance to the valley below before jumping into the passenger seat. Each smiled to one another before staring at the pilot.

“Just fucking go already,” said Dionna.

The pilot shrugged not asking anything or stopping them. Reggie found it strange. Dionna said she had it all handled, he looked back to Dionna. She pulled the vanilla envelope from underneath. All for that fucking b-

“The latest manga of ‘DYED:ReWIND’ that's supposed to restart the entire franchise, and begin a whole new chapter in the series!” Dionna yelled, drool actually dripping from her mouth.

Everytime she mentions that series-Reggie held his seat as the helicopter shuddered. He looked to the pilot who had seemed to had disappeared. Reggie grabbed the stick only to sway the metal bird, flying through the smoke. “We have a problem here,” yelled Reggie. He looked back seeing Dionna flipping through the pages. The dashboard lit up. Lights flashings as dials moved in circles.

Reggie turned back to Dionna. Their face looking upset as the flipped the final page.

“What the Beep!”

“What?”

“Beep! BEEP! BEEP!”

*****

Reggie opened his eyes staring at his ceiling. Beep. Beep. “Damn phone,” he grumbled. Beep. Beep. He felt around the side of the bed. Their hand smacking a clock and lamp touching around the night stand. Beep. Beep. Reggie grabbed the phone. “Goober burger.”

“Three more hours, 18 minutes, and 22 seconds untill DYED: ReWatch volume one,” yelled Dionna.

Reggie held the phone close. “You're getting my copy right?”

“Three. Just in case.”

The phone call ended immediately after a yell from the other end. Reggie laughed. “It is a good bo-ACHOO!”