Supermarket(61)

He was already sitting. He smiled and waved as I walked up.

“Okay, kid,” he said as soon as I sat across from him. “I got it. You know what today is, don’t you?”

“I don’t know, man. Thursday?”

“No, boy, well . . . I mean, yes, but it’s also holiday season!”

He was right! Man, I’d been so absorbed in trying to end this I’d been oblivious to everything else. Including the holiday!

“Okay, so it’s Christmas Eve, but . . . I don’t get it?”

“Flynn, it is the most lenient day of the year as far as security goes. There’s only a quarter of the staff working, which means fewer guards patrolling the hospital at night.”

He was right, and it filled me with even more promise.

“Okay, but how do we get out, Red?”

He took something out of his left robe pocket and held it in his hand. Placing the back of his hand on the tabletop, the object lay there hidden behind his fingers. As he unclenched his fist, opening his hand, I saw it.

“Holy shit!” I yelled.

“Quiet now, boy, quiet now!” he said, looking around the cafeteria.

It was a key card for our wing.

“How did you get this?” I asked, trying to keep my voice low.

“Now, old Red has his ways. G’on now, take it.” I stared at the object in awe. Finally, I was going make it out of this place! Nothing could hold me back. Slowly, I reached for the key card. I grabbed it, exposing Red’s palm.

The scar on his left hand reminded me of our conversation a few days ago. So much had happened since then. Since my awakening, I thought.

“Red?” I asked hesitantly. “Have I . . . well, have I ever . . . made it this far before?”

“No, Flynn. It’s different this time. Tonight’s the night.”

He held my hand and smiled, which made me feel better.

“I have to go call Mia,” I said. As I stood up, Red grabbed me by the arm.

“Kid, wait.”

I sat back down.

“Listen, you know no matter how slim the staff is tonight . . . you can’t just walk out of here dressed like that. You’ll need a disguise.”

“What kind of disguise?” Red glanced under the table, gesturing with his eyes. I scooted my chair back and took a peek. There was a large brown paper bag on the floor.

I grabbed it and put it in my lap.

“Go ahead and take a look,” Red said with a smile on his face. I opened the bag and saw two costumes.

A Santa outfit and an elf outfit.

“You’re kidding.”

“Hell, no, I ain’t kidding! Best disguises we could possibly have.”

I paused. “What do you mean we, Red?”

“What do you think I mean, we? I’m gonna help you get out of here.”

“I’ve already got Mia involved,” I said, feeling a sudden burst of worry. “I just wouldn’t feel right dragging you along, Red. We both know I need to do this alone.”

“Well, too bad,” he said. “The Santa outfit is mine and the elf one is you—”

“First of all, you’re not coming. And second, if you were to come, you wouldn’t be Santa.”

“Oh, yeah? And why the hell not?” Red asked.

“Uh, isn’t it obvious?”

“Isn’t what obvious?”

“Dude, Santa isn’t black.”

“What you’re telling me is that there can’t be no black Santa Claus?” he said in a half-joking, half-serious tone.

“I mean, maybe in Compton, old man . . . but the last time I checked, we were in the middle of Oregon. This is, like, the whitest place on Earth,” I told him, chuckling.

“Well, you might be right about that, but—”

“But nothing! Please, Red . . . you’ve already helped so much, and you said it yourself. This is something I have to do alone.” Red took a deep breath and exhaled. “And I’m not gonna wear this, by the way. I’ll look ridiculous.”

“Look, kid, I just want what’s best for you, is all. And I do understand. I suppose you do, in fact, need to face this demon yourself. But . . . you are going to wear the Santa outfit.”

“But why?”

“?’Cause Jeff is off at nine p.m.”

“Who the hell is Jeff?” I asked.

“The Santa the hospital hired last week,” Red told me, saying it like I was an idiot.

“Well, shit, I didn’t know his name was Jeff! I just called him Santa. What does that have to do with me getting out of here?”

“Because!” Red replied. “If you get spotted, the guard will just think you’re Jeff on his way home.”

“Holy shit, that’s pretty smart,” I said.

“Damn right.”

“Wait, how did you get this key card?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“You know Henry?”

“The guard who mans the security monitors?”

“That’s the one,” Red said, taking a sip of coffee.

“He’s the one who showed Dr. Cross and me the footage of Frank punching me in the library. What about him?”

“Well, he’s a younger guy . . . let’s just say I took care of him.”