the back? Or the other way around?”
“Not so fast, hotshot. What I want is for you to stick close to me, okay?”
His smile dipped a little, but not much. “Sure. No problem.”
They headed over to the covered walkway that ran down the length of the building. Approximately every twenty feet along was a door to a room, each with a window beside it. Most of the windows had curtains drawn across them, and those that didn’t revealed rooms too dark to make anything out.
Chloe tried a few doors, but they were all locked.
“Office,” she said, turning the other way. “They’ll have keys there.”
The office door was locked, too, but it took only a few shoves from Chloe’s shoulder to pop the door free.
As she stepped inside, she pushed her hood back. “Son of a bitch, it’s like a sauna in here.” She shot a quick look at Brandon. “Don’t tell your dad I said that.”
“He says worse,” Brandon said as he joined her. She was right. Someone had left the lobby heat on at a nice toasty temperature.
Along one wall was a ten-foot-long reception counter, and on the wall behind it, a cabinet consisting of several cubbyholes, each with a key inside. To the side of the cabinet was a closed door.
While Brandon checked under the reception desk for anything of interest, Chloe began pulling out the keys and setting them on the counter.
A noise from somewhere behind Brandon caused him to pause. “Was that you?” he asked.
“Was what me?”
“That noise.”
She looked at him, waiting for more.
“It was kind of a, I don’t know, whine?” he said.
“I didn’t hear anything.”
As she spoke, the whine that wasn’t quite a whine returned for a moment.
“That,” he said. “You heard it that time, right?”
She frowned. “No.”
He looked around, and gestured at the closed door. “It came from over there, I think.”
“You’re sure?”
“I think so.”
Chloe pulled out her pistol and crept over to the door. Placing her ear against the side, she listened.
“Anything?” Brandon asked.
“Get back,” she whispered, motioning him to the other end of the counter.
As soon as he was out of the way, she eased the door open.
Another moan, this one long and high pitched and definitely coming from the other side of the door. No way Chloe missed it this time.
“What is that?” he asked.
“Shh!” Chloe said, and stepped through the doorway.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Brandon sneaked back along the counter until he had a decent view through the opening. The room on the other side looked like a living room. Perhaps it was where whoever owned the place lived.
As he stepped closer, he leaned across the threshold. Chloe was on the other side of the room, inching toward an open doorway. Quiet and smooth, she slipped her hand around the edge of the doorframe. Suddenly an interior light blazed on, bringing with it a renewed and louder moan. Brandon could see Chloe listen for a moment, and then move into the room, out of sight.
Silence. Then a screech, and a “Shit!” and a thump-thump-thump as several objects hit the ground.
Brandon took a step back. “Chloe, are you all—”
Movement coming out of the other room, low, close to the floor. Chloe appeared a second later, glanced in Brandon’s direction, and yelled, “Shut the door!”
He shot forward and grabbed the doorknob. As he started to pull it closed, he saw something skittering across the floor toward him—gray and fast.
He yanked the door the rest of the way, sealing Chloe and whatever that thing was inside, and held on tight to the knob.
On the other side, he could hear movement and a hiss, followed by something crashing to the ground. When the knob began to turn in his hand, he nearly jumped in surprise.
“Brandon! Let me out!” Chloe said.
The second he let go, the door jerked open and Chloe rushed out, immediately pulling the door closed again.
On the other side, more hisses and cries.
“What was that?” Brandon
“Not so fast, hotshot. What I want is for you to stick close to me, okay?”
His smile dipped a little, but not much. “Sure. No problem.”
They headed over to the covered walkway that ran down the length of the building. Approximately every twenty feet along was a door to a room, each with a window beside it. Most of the windows had curtains drawn across them, and those that didn’t revealed rooms too dark to make anything out.
Chloe tried a few doors, but they were all locked.
“Office,” she said, turning the other way. “They’ll have keys there.”
The office door was locked, too, but it took only a few shoves from Chloe’s shoulder to pop the door free.
As she stepped inside, she pushed her hood back. “Son of a bitch, it’s like a sauna in here.” She shot a quick look at Brandon. “Don’t tell your dad I said that.”
“He says worse,” Brandon said as he joined her. She was right. Someone had left the lobby heat on at a nice toasty temperature.
Along one wall was a ten-foot-long reception counter, and on the wall behind it, a cabinet consisting of several cubbyholes, each with a key inside. To the side of the cabinet was a closed door.
While Brandon checked under the reception desk for anything of interest, Chloe began pulling out the keys and setting them on the counter.
A noise from somewhere behind Brandon caused him to pause. “Was that you?” he asked.
“Was what me?”
“That noise.”
She looked at him, waiting for more.
“It was kind of a, I don’t know, whine?” he said.
“I didn’t hear anything.”
As she spoke, the whine that wasn’t quite a whine returned for a moment.
“That,” he said. “You heard it that time, right?”
She frowned. “No.”
He looked around, and gestured at the closed door. “It came from over there, I think.”
“You’re sure?”
“I think so.”
Chloe pulled out her pistol and crept over to the door. Placing her ear against the side, she listened.
“Anything?” Brandon asked.
“Get back,” she whispered, motioning him to the other end of the counter.
As soon as he was out of the way, she eased the door open.
Another moan, this one long and high pitched and definitely coming from the other side of the door. No way Chloe missed it this time.
“What is that?” he asked.
“Shh!” Chloe said, and stepped through the doorway.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Brandon sneaked back along the counter until he had a decent view through the opening. The room on the other side looked like a living room. Perhaps it was where whoever owned the place lived.
As he stepped closer, he leaned across the threshold. Chloe was on the other side of the room, inching toward an open doorway. Quiet and smooth, she slipped her hand around the edge of the doorframe. Suddenly an interior light blazed on, bringing with it a renewed and louder moan. Brandon could see Chloe listen for a moment, and then move into the room, out of sight.
Silence. Then a screech, and a “Shit!” and a thump-thump-thump as several objects hit the ground.
Brandon took a step back. “Chloe, are you all—”
Movement coming out of the other room, low, close to the floor. Chloe appeared a second later, glanced in Brandon’s direction, and yelled, “Shut the door!”
He shot forward and grabbed the doorknob. As he started to pull it closed, he saw something skittering across the floor toward him—gray and fast.
He yanked the door the rest of the way, sealing Chloe and whatever that thing was inside, and held on tight to the knob.
On the other side, he could hear movement and a hiss, followed by something crashing to the ground. When the knob began to turn in his hand, he nearly jumped in surprise.
“Brandon! Let me out!” Chloe said.
The second he let go, the door jerked open and Chloe rushed out, immediately pulling the door closed again.
On the other side, more hisses and cries.
“What was that?” Brandon
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