by JL Spelbring
“Yes. Today is my first day.”
“You’ll love working here. I’ve been here for twenty years.”
“Really?”
Funny. Ellyssa had lived within these very walls for almost as long as he’d worked here, yet she’d never met him. Of course, she’d never met anyone other than the doctor and his assistants. Aside from a few field exercises, she’d never left the few approved floors, which were connected to the entrance by private elevators that could only be accessed with a special card.
Security was tight at The Center.
The guard nodded. “You’ll need to report to the maintenance office first, one level below, to fill out your paperwork. Go to the first set of elevators, push L1, and the office will be to your left when you exit. Just walk down the hall,” he said, dismissing her.
“Thank you.”
Ellyssa went to the elevator as directed and pushed the down button. While she waited, she turned toward the throng of people, searching for Woody. He’d just passed the guard station with the bag nonchalantly slung over his shoulder. He fixed his eye on her and made his way to the elevator.
“You’re new, too?” he asked.
She couldn’t help but smile at his role-playing. “Yes.”
“I hope you don’t mind if I accompany you to the office, then?”
“Not at all.”
The elevator doors slid open, and Ellyssa stepped inside. Woody trailed behind her. Alone in the little compartment, she pushed the button marked L1 before anyone else could join them. When the doors slid shut, his demeanor melted. Panic emanated off Woody so thick she could almost taste it.
Ellyssa understood how he felt, her own heart pattered against her ribcage. Not from nerves, though, but from worrying that she wouldn’t find Rein in time.
She wished they didn’t have to go through the formalities of reporting, but if they didn’t, an alarm would sound. Any deviation from routine would end badly.
“Everything is fine,” Ellyssa mumbled from the side of her mouth to calm him.
Closing his eyelids, Woody inhaled deeply, and transformed right before her eyes. Calm Woody placed his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels. His ability to hide his emotions almost matched hers. She shook her head in amazement.
The doors opened to an empty hallway with bare walls. Ellyssa stepped out and turned left. Woody followed. The hallway was long and narrow, with a big red door at the end and an EXIT sign posted above it. They passed door after door with tempered glass windows, all marked with their departments: Accounting, Finance, Resources.
A few doors from the exit was Maintenance.
She knocked.
“Come in,” said a female, her tone pleasant.
Ellyssa opened the door to find a woman in her early thirties, standing behind a dented metal desk, her hand extended in greeting. The plaque on her desk said, “Mary Hahn.”
“Miss Keller and,” she looked at a paper on her desk, “Mr. Mueller. I’ve been expecting you.”
Ellyssa shook her hand and stepped aside so Woody could do the same.
“Please, have a seat.” Mary indicated to the only two chairs. “There are only a couple of transfer papers to fill out, then I’ll send you to your shift managers to report for duty.”
Ellyssa smiled. “Thank you.” She took the seat next to Woody.
Mary eyed Woody’s backpack. “After you report to the crew leader, you can diposit your bag in the staff break room. He’ll show you where it is.”
Woody’s hand tightened on the strap, but he offered a genuine smile. “Thank you.”
“I’m afraid there won’t be time for introductions or a tour today. Inspections are being conducted in the morning, and it rests upon us evening workers to make sure everything is spic and span and running tightly.”
“That is fine. I prefer just to get started,” Ellyssa said.
“An eager beaver. I like that.”
Ellyssa and Woody wrote down the memorized information Leland had provided them without faltering. When they were done, Mary handed them their assignments. Ellyssa was to report to Mr. Baker on the second floor, Woody to Mr. Smith on L2, one level below them.
Leland was a genius.
“I do apologize that I’m unable to accompany you. But, as I stated, busy, busy, busy.”
“Maybe tomorrow, then,” said Woody, his tone suggestive.
The supervisor’s smile widened. “Of course. It would be my pleasure.”
Less than five minutes later, they walked back toward the elevators.
“Nice touch,” whispered Ellyssa. “You ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Ellyssa pushed the up arrow and the doors slid open. She moved to enter the compartment, but Woody grabbed her wrist. When she faced him, he moved his hand to cup her cheek, his thumb smoothing away the worry. She closed her eyes, enjoying his touch. Soothing.
“Please, be careful,” Woody said.
Lifting on her toes, Ellyssa placed a quick kiss on his cheek. “You be careful.”
“One hour.”
“One hour,” she promised, stepping into the elevator.
The doors snicked shut.
42
Ellyssa picked up a cleaning cart and strolled down the walkway, between partitions that separated six offices. It was an easy one-person task, but her assigned supervisor, Mr. Baker, kept following her, with his arms crossed over his chest.
“I understand your directions,” Ellyssa said, hoping her voice didn’t carry the irritated tension she felt. She pushed the cart over to a desk. “My previous employment was also cleaning.” She picked up a wastebasket and dumped the contents into the larger bin fastened to the end of her cart.
Mr. Baker smiled, flashing white teeth. “I have no doubt of your abilities,” he stated, but made no move to leave. His eyes followed her as she moved from desk to desk. He grinned, and his tongue kept darting out, wetting his lips.
What was he doing?
Without further hesitation, she read his intentions as clearly as if he’d said them. He found her attractive and was trying to get up the nerve for small talk.
Great!
The supervisor’s choices were limited. He’d have to pick up on her hint, or she’d have to dispose of him.
Ellyssa hoped he’d make the right decision. She straightened and faced him. “I have a boyfriend,” she announced.
The smile disappeared. “Oh?”
It wasn’t really a question, and she didn’t bother answering.
Glancing at his watch, Mr. Baker said, “Well…I need to go upstairs. I’ll be back down in a few, and I’ll check on your progress then.”
“As you wish.”
Much to her relief, he left.
Ellyssa checked her watch. Ten minutes wasted. Time was ticking away. She left the cart next to the restroom and headed for the stairwell.
Stairs would only get her so far. The research labs and experiment rooms where she needed to go were below her and completely self-contained, like a separate entity from the main building, accessible by only one elevator, and that connected to Dr. Hirch’s office and to her old living quarters on the top floors. No ordinary personnel were ever allowed, Top Secret security clearance only.
She descended, slowly at first; but as she took step after step, her pace increased. The tap, tap, tap of her rubber soles meeting linoleum echoed through the enclosed well. The sound wasn’t loud, but it was loud enough to make her uneasy and create a desire to look over her shoulder.
She stepped onto the platform of the main floor and rounded the corner to the basement.
“Excuse me,” said a deep voice.
Her heart leapt. No time.
Breathing in, she turned to face a tall, muscular man wearing a grey uniform. Static from the handheld radio secured to his utility belt squawked. Relief swept through her as she realized he was just a security guard, and not a trained Kripo.
“May I help you?” she asked,
her voice higher than usual.
“I’ve never seen you before.”
“I am new.”
“May I see your identification?”
“Of course.” She handed him her fake credentials.
“The stairwell is off-limits during evening hours,” he stated, eyes flicking from her to the card, “Miss Keller.”
“Sorry. I wasn’t informed.”
“May I ask what you’re doing?”
“I was…going to the main floor. I left my bag there.”
“Why didn’t you take the elevator?”
Ellyssa felt the seconds slipping away. Anger bubbled. Sliding into her soldier state, she dissolved all of her emotions and met the guard’s eyes with a steady gaze. Fear registered on his face, and he blinked.
“I decided to take the stairs,” she said, deadpan.
He frowned at her sudden change. “Who is your crew leader?” he asked.
“Mr. Baker.”
The guard hesitated, as if he was unsure of his next action. “I think you should come with me,” he said, his hand moving toward the radio.
“I am sorry, but I do not think so.”
Ellyssa took a step, whirled around, and side-kicked him in the stomach. The guard folded at the waist as a rush of air expelled from his lungs. While he was bent over, she brought her knee up; his whole body lifted with the force of impact, then he went down. Blood spurted from his nose. His eyes and mouth widened in disbelief.
Grabbing him by the lapels, Ellyssa pulled him up and threw him against the wall. A sickening thump sounded when his head bounced.
Ellyssa’s new self yelled at her to stop, but she couldn’t. The danger he posed was too great. One life to save many. To save Rein and Woody. She walked toward him, her movements cold, calculating. She took his head in her hands and twisted, efficiently. His neck snapped as easily as a twig, and made the same sound. She released him, and he crumpled to the floor. No longer breathing, he was only a lifeless, grey-clad lump.
She stepped over him, grabbed her card off the floor, and then flew down the remaining flights of stairs.
43
Ellyssa bolted out of the stairwell onto L2, directly into an empty room. She edged to the doorway. A short way down the hall were closed metal double doors marked, Engineering-No Unauthorized Personnel. Clicking gears and whooshing hydraulics emitted from behind the closed door.
Woody’s assigned area.
She glanced at the moving hands ticking away on her wrist. She retreated to the far corner. Her mind cleared and she searched for Woody. The whispering thoughts of strangers dulled to a mild hum.
Woody was easy to find, his signature familiar and loud. Ellyssa felt his anxiety, his fear. From what she could determine, he stood just on the other side of the door. His eyes darted around, focusing on the other workers. He fumbled with a wrench. His gaze moved down. At the foot of a beam, his bag lay jammed beneath a plate of metal. A strap poked out. He shoved it under the plate with the toe of his boot.
Ellyssa pulled back. He was safe…for now.
Twenty-five minutes from now, he’d arm the explosives. Afterward, they’d have fifteen minutes to clear the building.
Silently, Ellyssa moved to the middle of the hall, to a wall grate. Six screws held the plate in place. Withdrawing a small toolset from her pocket, she set to work, dislodging the grate.
She removed her shoes and socks, and stripped out of the jumpsuit, down to a soft cotton shirt and a pair of sweatpants. She put the uniform inside the duct and crawled in feet first.
Warm air brushed Ellyssa’s face and caressed the skin of her arms. Metallic odors, and the scent of oil, hung heavy in the recycled air.
Hoping no one would notice the missing screws, she positioned the grid back in place. Her arms extended out in front of her, she pulled herself forward. The process was painstakingly slow. The duct left little room for movement, and jagged metal edges scratched her skin and snagged her clothes.
For the most part, darkness kept her company except for slivers of light from other grates. Occasionally, she’d see machinery or the occasional pair of legs through the crisscrossing bars. She crawled as quickly as she could.
Ten meters in, she reached the vertical framework where airflow traveled to the labs below. The whirling fwomp, fwomp, fwomp of the large fan blades sucked warm air from the higher levels.
Poking her head over the edge, Ellyssa peered down the chute. Dim, filtered light illuminated the next section three meters below. Dust particles danced in the greyish glow.
She wiggled her body over the gaping hole until her toes dangled down. Then she backed down, legs swinging through the vertical duct, followed by her chest. Pressing her knees against one side of the airway and her back against the other, Ellyssa wedged herself in. Then she started the painstaking process of wriggling down.
One little slip, and Ellyssa knew she’d shoot down the shaft, like a bullet through a gun barrel. Only she wouldn’t be projected over a long distance, but would instead end up broken and bleeding at the bottom of the duct.
Two meters down, her muscles started to quiver under the exertion of holding her body weight over the aluminum precipice. Using her legs, she pressed herself tighter against the side and relaxed her arms, gently shaking them. She’d done many similar exercises that called for intense exertion, but none had proved as taxing as duct-climbing.
Her endurance in question, Ellyssa wondered how much further she had to go, how much time had passed, and vaguely, if anyone had found the guard yet.
Ellyssa repositioned her hands and shifted down another half meter, her back and knees sliding along the framework. She paused, scooted, paused, and scooted until her feet and buttocks found open space. Carefully, she locked her arms, holding herself in place, and lowered one of her legs, her toes searching for the edge.
As she slowly stretched her leg, the muscles in her arms spasmed, and before she could correct her grasp, her back slid. Suddenly, air was rushing past her, and her knees banged against the edge. A tinging echoed through the ductwork. Suppressing a startled cry, her fingers latched onto the side and gained purchase before she plummeted downward.
Ellyssa dangled in the long chute, arms tense against the pull of gravity, breath locked in her chest. She listened for any activity. Nothing, so far. No shouts of surprise, no blaring alarms.
With a low grunt, Ellyssa hefted herself up and over into the cross-section. Using her shaky arms, she slithered forward, snakelike, through the L3 duct, until she reached light filtering through a grate in little jagged rectangles. She twisted onto her side.
Ellyssa closed her eyes and reached out with her mind. Like fingers searching for a hold, her gift stretched, looking for Rein. Emptiness extended beyond, behind, and to the sides. Further and further she searched, until his energy, his signature, pulsed, like a flash of light in a dark corner of a room.
Ellyssa exhaled. Her heart reacted with relief, and the link sizzled and weakened.
She redoubled her efforts and latched onto him. Except for a spark of life, there were no images, no thoughts, no feelings. His eyes were closed, and she swam in black ink with him. Something was wrong.
An unpleasant physical sensation suddenly hit her, like a wave battering against rocks. Pain. The feeling was strong and intense, unlike anything she’d felt before. It enveloped her, twisting within her veins.
Horrified, Ellyssa yanked herself away, and Rein’s tormented scream traveled back with her, piercing the empty hall, reverberating in her ears, in her bones. Then it was gone. An eerie quiet settled.
He was somewhere on the north side, where vacant rooms were used for storage…and for torturing the one man who meant more to her than life itself. His scream still echoed in her head.
All fear of being caught vanished as she bludgeoned the grate, striking again and again with her fist until it gave way. The grille dropped to the floor with a clang that shattered the silence.
If they had not known
of her presence before, they did now.
Ellyssa twisted her body and struggled out until her legs spilled onto the cold linoleum floor. She popped up, ready for someone to spring out at her. No one did, but every hair on her body tingled.
Two doors, both leading to classrooms, stood directly in front of her. To the right, the hall dead-ended at a closet marked Utilities. To the left was the main hall, connecting the south, where she stood now, to the north. Closest to her was the one and only elevator that led to her father’s office and her old apartment floor, their only source of escape… if they were given the opportunity.
Ellyssa checked her watch. Eight minutes had passed. It seemed as if an eternity had crept by since she’d crawled through the opening of the grating in the floor above.
That gave her seventeen minutes until Woody’s job was completed, then fifteen to leave the building.
Not enough time.
Panic popping, her heart pounded uncontrollably, thudding against her ribcage. Logical thought scampered away. Indecision plagued her.
She couldn’t work like this.
Control.
She breathed in and slowly blew out the air. In and out. In and out.
Rein. She had to find him.
She shut her eyes, quieting her whirling mind, her rapid pulse.
Calm.
With her back pressed against the wall, Ellyssa crept to the corner, bare feet padding noiselessly. She peered down the uninviting main hall. Long fluorescent lights hung from the ceiling, just like in the cavern, and reflected off the white tile floors and walls. Every few meters, doors opened into rooms.
She slunk around the corner and into the hall, her steps sure and silent. She opened her mind for Rein. For any signature at all. Rein flickered in the distance, softly pulsing, alone. That didn’t make sense. If no one was on the floor, who had caused him to scream?
Ellyssa checked her watch again. Fifteen minutes until Woody armed the bombs. Two minutes gone, disappeared, never to be reclaimed, as if time had finally sped up to make up for its lag within the confines of the ventilation system.
