by R. J. Parker
‘Why don’t you lie down. I’ll keep watch over you.’
Lily smiled at her daughter. ‘Thanks but I’ll be fine.’ She could feel the cold blade against her buttock. ‘We’re running low on a few things. Let’s get a few boxes out of the storeroom.’
Maisie tensed. ‘OK.’
Lily finished her coffee and made brief eye contact with her daughter to reassure her. ‘Come on then. We’ll get you some Choca-Pops.’ She stood and headed into the hallway and heard Maisie behind her.
Just act naturally. Ninety-five per cent of what they were about to do was anyway.
But Lily’s heart pumped faster. Was she risking punishment? Their captors had allowed them to test all the doors before. But that was when they were sure they couldn’t get out and this was one they weren’t meant to know about. If it did exist. Lily had examined the bathroom and Maisie’s bedroom. There was nowhere else they could have got in. It had to be there.
Lily halted at the storeroom door. The hair was still fixed across the door and the jamb. She went to the front door and pretended to listen there and confirmed the hair was still stuck there too.
‘What are you doing?’
Lily returned to the storeroom door where Maisie was waiting. Still nobody had entered using either door. She’d initially assumed that when the storeroom door had been opened for them it had been from the inside. Now she thought otherwise. And when they’d brought Maisie back to her she’d figured they’d come in through the front door. Was it permanently sealed? She’d said she had something over her head, had no memory of how she’d got back in, only of walking down then up some stairs.
Maisie folded her arms, as if becoming impatient.
Lily couldn’t blame her. She’d told her what she had to do but not why. ‘Let’s see how heavy these boxes are then.’ She pulled on the handle of the storeroom door and it opened outwards. She swung it so it was almost flat to the hallway wall.
Inside the freezer was still buzzing and Lily stepped into the room and put her hands on her hips. She ignored the camera that was positioned over the door inside. ‘OK, Choca-Pops first.’ She reached up to the highest box and slid it from the stack.
Maisie stood where Lily had told her, on the threshold of the room so she wasn’t in sight of the storeroom camera or the one at the far end of the hallway.
The Choca-Pops box was light and she easily swung it from its place to Maisie. ‘Both hands.’
Maisie took it and set it on the floor in the hallway exactly where Lily had told her.
Lily handed her another Choca-Pops box and she stacked that on top of the first.
So far, so good.
Was this really going to work? Lily’s circulation thudded in her temple as she lifted out the third box.
Chapter 52
‘This one’s heavier. Pasta shapes.’
Maisie grunted as she took the weight.
‘You OK?’
Maisie nodded and hefted the box on top of the first two.
Lily glanced at the stack and calculated they’d need another four or five boxes. She selected a more lightweight one. Instant noodles next.
After Maisie had placed the fourth box she couldn’t reach any higher.
‘I’ve got the last few.’ Lily only needed to stack another three boxes on top to get the height she wanted and quickly completed the task.
They were both now standing inside the storeroom on the threshold and out of sight of both cameras. The stack of boxes was exactly against the left of the threshold and was about six feet high. The stack was about five feet from the front door end of the hallway where the skirting was and effectively blocked the view of the camera at the opposite end of it. It would conceal her movement to the skirting but she had to stay rigidly in line with the boxes. ‘Anything else you can think of that we need?’
‘Um …’
As planned, it was down to Maisie to keep talking now. If somebody was listening, they had to convince them that they were holding a conversation about their supplies.
‘… maybe crackers.’
‘I can’t see any of those on this side.’ Lily nodded at Maisie to keep chatting and slid around the right side of the stack so the boxes were blocking her presence there. She kept her head low.
‘I can’t see any either,’ Maisie continued.
‘Maybe they’re round the back,’ Lily said from her hiding place. She bent low and took a pace forward.
‘I don’t want to go round there. It’s too dark,’ Maisie improvised.
‘Don’t be scared,’ Lily replied and crept the three paces she needed to get to the skirting and crouched down on one knee.
‘If I have to get them from there, I don’t want crackers.’
Lily quickly ran her fingers along the carpet that rested against the skirting. Gripping the tight edge she lifted it up two inches and revealed the wooden floor below.
‘I can see Cheez-its up there. They’re like crackers,’ Maisie kept going.
Lily let the carpet drop back into place and frantically scrabbled her hands around the edges of the black and orange squares. There was no concealed slit. Nothing that could be lifted. Was she in the wrong area? She squinted at the carpet to the left of her. But if she reached out to it her arm would be visible to the camera. But it looked the same as the area within her reach. Maybe there was no trap door at all.
‘A bit like crackers anyway. I don’t like the cheese dust though. It makes me feel sick.’
She could return to the storeroom now, rejoin the conversation before it started to sound too one-sided. But how else could they have got in? There had to be a door here somewhere.
She dragged up the carpet from the skirting again, yanked it back further. Her arm trembled.
‘Why are you looking at me like that. I don’t like the dust.’
Maisie was likely to give away their deceit at any moment. Lily’s eyes darted back and forth along the skirting.
‘It makes me cough.’
She had to get back to the storeroom. They could do this another day. Same method. Now she was out of time. But she kept the carpet pulled up and used her other hand to hold it firm.
‘And make my fingers smell funny too.’
Lily got up off her knee and took a step backwards. She had to remember to keep in line with the boxes. She was about to release the carpet when she spotted something below the left of the skirting.
‘I think we’ve got what we need.’
She turned to Maisie who was standing in the same position but gesturing her to come back. She held her hand up to her and returned her attention to the vertical line extending from under the skirting a foot away from her. She tugged the carpet back further and scanned the wood closely. There was another vertical line extending from under the right-hand side of the skirting.
‘We’ve got enough for today.’
Lily could hear the concern in Maisie’s voice. But this was something significant. What were those? They were about four feet apart. Lily put her hand dead in the middle of the floor between them and pushed. The wood bowed.
‘I want to go back to the kitchen.’
She pushed harder and the floor between the two lines dropped down below the edge of the skirting. There was now a two-foot aperture below the bottom edge of the wall. Her knees wobbled on the edge of it. She reversed a foot and pulled the carpet from the opening.
She could see wooden steps below and weak daylight beyond those. Should she cover it back up? Lily turned to Maisie and there was panic in her daughter’s eyes. They had a way out. Had their captors got suspicious though?
‘I want a drink now.’
Something brushed Lily’s arm and she jumped.
Cat. He darted past her and disappeared down the steps.
Shit. Even if she closed it up and aborted their escape anyone watching would now wonder what had happened to the animal.
‘Let’s go back to the kitchen.’ Maisie’s voice rose.
Lily
shook her head at her and extended her arm. They had to go now.
Maisie shook her head.
Lily beckoned her emphatically.
Maisie still wouldn’t budge.
Lily mouthed, ‘We’re going. Now,’ and gestured for Maisie to join her again.
Maisie reluctantly slid around the boxes and hurried in a straight line to where Lily was. She looked agog at the opening.
Lily gripped Maisie’s arm firmly and whispered, ‘I’m going through first and I’ll tell you if you should follow.’
Maisie shook her head.
‘No time for this. I’m going now.’ Lily put her feet into the opening and put the sole of her right deck shoe onto the top step.
Chapter 53
‘Don’t leave me here,’ Maisie hissed.
Lily turned to her. ‘I’m just going to check it out. Count to twenty in your head.’
Maisie closed her eyes and mouthed, ‘one.’
Lily took her weight on both her shoes and slid through the gap under the wall. She crouched there so her shoulders slipped through and found herself looking down another seven steps. The bottom one was bathed in daylight.
She listened for signs of movement below, but could only hear her heartbeat thudding in her throat. There was no time to hesitate. If they were being watched then it wouldn’t be long before their captors realised what had happened.
Gripping the untreated wooden bannister to her right she cautiously descended the steps, ducking her head below the wooden beams above. Her hand slid against the rough rail and she felt a splinter prick her palm.
Lily reached the bottom step and took in her surroundings. She was in a vast and derelict empty office space and there was nobody around. There were no tables or chairs but a maze of walled booths stretched away from her. Wires hung down in knotted bunches from panels in the ceiling and there were pools of water on the dirty grey carpet. A few of the windows were broken and a harsh breeze blew noisily in through the empty panes. That was the sound they’d heard from inside.
She turned to where she’d emerged and was looking at a structure on low wooden stilts. It was their prison and its exterior consisted of panels of pulpwood reinforced by struts made of the same material. She took a few paces back and walked around the right-hand side. It was positioned in one corner of the office space against one wall and tight against most of the window wall. That was why the only daylight they’d had was in the kitchen end.
Lily listened for any signs of footsteps above the wind. Nothing. But she was sure that wouldn’t be the case for long. She crouched and quickly ascended the wooden steps again.
Maisie was crouching looking through the opening, her nervous expression rigid.
‘Quickly, slide yourself through,’ Lily whispered.
Maisie stayed where she was. ‘What’s down there?’
‘Just a big office space. Come on.’
Maisie still didn’t move. ‘The scary man might be down there.’
‘He’s not. Not at the moment.’ Lily went up another two steps and put her hands through the opening. ‘I’ve got you.’
Maisie took a pace back. ‘We might be safer here.’
‘I don’t have time to argue.’
Lily took hold of her.
Maisie yelped.
‘Be quiet. They’ll hear you.’ Lily guided her through the gap. Maisie’s hot cheek was against hers and, as she walked backwards down the stairs, she anticipated turning to find him standing right behind her.
Once she was clear she swivelled on her heel, Maisie still tight in her grip. Still nobody around.
Maisie surveyed the gutted open-plan office. ‘You can put me down.’
Lily did but was already looking for an exit. There were double doors to their right, where the box of their apartment finished. That must lead to the corridor the trespasser had walked down before he’d accessed the other side. He’d obviously found a way up from ground level. But their captors had quickly accosted him, and she wondered if there was another way out. There had to be in a building this size.
She squinted to the dingy end of the office floor. There were more doors there. ‘Follow me.’ She took Maisie’s hand and they headed into the rat run that cut through the maze of partitioned booths.
Slam!
They both stopped and turned back. That was the door in the corridor.
‘Somebody’s coming.’ Maisie’s hand tightened.
‘Hurry.’ Lily spun them back the other way and she walked them briskly down the saturated carpet. ‘Don’t turn back.’ But the doors looked to be over a hundred yards away.
Rapid footsteps echoed.
‘We won’t make it.’
Maisie was right. It sounded like whoever was coming was approaching fast.
A door squealed.
Lily dragged Maisie left and into the maze of partitions that covered most of the office floor space. She ducked down, turned them right, then right again then took a left. They were now somewhere towards the middle of the maze and she jerked them into one of the booths. There was no desk, only empty plug sockets.
Lily put her back against the partition and put her hand over Maisie’s mouth.
A door squealed shut and all was silent.
Was whoever had come down standing in the doorway listening for them? Lily slightly repositioned herself and held Maisie still. The floor around them was littered with rodent droppings. They waited but they couldn’t hear any movement.
Then a heel scuffed carpet.
The sound was still far over the other side but they were obviously searching the office floor. Lily wondered if there were cameras positioned in this room too. Could they see exactly where they were hiding?
A creak and that was much nearer. Were they entering the maze?
She could feel Maisie’s body pump as they worked their way closer.
Chapter 54
Lily looked down at Maisie and saw her eyes were clenched shut.
Squelch.
That was loud. Inside the maze. They’d obviously walked through one of the puddles on the carpet.
Maisie released a tiny sob.
Lily tightened her hand over her lips.
Silence.
Either they’d heard Maisie or they’d paused to get their bearings. Should she and Maisie stay put or would that mean they were just waiting to be discovered? They were still some way from the doors and maybe those were locked. She slipped the metal carving blade out of the back of her jeans and firmly gripped the handle.
Maisie opened her eyes and then wider when she saw it in Lily’s hand.
Then Cat trotted into their hiding place.
Had it followed them after they’d emerged?
The cat’s ginger back arched and it hissed at them.
Lily frantically waved it away with her hand, but it stood its ground, its head tightening to its scrawny body and its mouth snarling louder.
It was going to give them away. Lily maintained eye contact with it. It was the sure way to get Mr Gingerbread to back down, but it wasn’t having the same effect.
Another creak even nearer.
The cat buzzed and growled, its green stare unblinking.
This was payback for them ignoring him. She had no choice. She had to shift the animal. Lily extended her leg and attempted to kick Cat, but the movement was enough and he slunk away.
Should they do the same? Perhaps they should double back. Aim for the doors their captor had entered through. But without standing straight she had no idea where in the maze they were. There had to be an exit the other side. If they could just get clear she could make the decision about which direction to go.
She shook Maisie’s shoulder gently and pointed back out the way they’d come.
Maisie shook her head.
But an idea occurred to Lily. She put the knife carefully on the grey carpet and pulled out her phone. She found the timer. How long should she set it for?
Material swishing.
They were close. Lily set if for one minute, placed it on the floor and picked up the knife. She squeezed Maisie’s arm and, gesturing her to follow, leaned around the edge of the partition they were behind.
Nobody in the walkway in either direction but they could easily run into them as soon as they took a left or right. She looked down at the screen of her phone. It was already on forty-eight seconds. Taking Maisie’s warm hand, she led her out of their hiding place.
Footfalls. Quickening.
Lily froze. She couldn’t work out which side of them they were coming from. Should they just go back to their hiding place? But they were probably working their way through. Plus, they were standing up as well, so they could see exactly which areas they had to cover.
Maisie tugged on her hand. She wanted to go back.
Lily shook her head at her. They had to move soon. Otherwise the alarm would go off and give away their location. Lily led Maisie forwards. There was a left turning about twenty feet ahead.
The footsteps suddenly stopped.
Lily turned but the walkway behind them was empty. She tugged Maisie forward but froze. She could hear breathing. It was coming from the other side of the walkway wall directly to their right. She put her finger to her lips, and they waited.
The person caught their breath. Swallowed.
They had to get clear of the phone. It seemed like a couple of minutes had passed already. Lily gingerly pulled Maisie towards the left turning.
The alarm sounded. Shrill and loud.
Lily and Maisie scuttled around the turning. At least the sound would give them some cover. Behind them she could hear harsher footsteps, could feel the vibrations through the floor. Lily brandished the knife.
She led them right at the next turning then left again and hoped she was leading them in the general direction of the far doors. She paused them at the next right corner and they both listened.
The alarm was still sounding. Had they not found it yet? If they had they’d know it was a decoy. She and Maisie had to get out of the maze and decide if they should hide or try to make it out of the building.
