Hatched

Chapter Forty

July 4th, 2021

1830 hours

Garcia's feet slipped on the platform as he ran, his muscles and joints aching with the pace he struggled to keep. His brain kicked into fight mode, body tense and expectant, unsure of what he'd find when he entered the offices. His head was on constant swivel as he ran, and time slowed, making the brief sprint feel like eons, until he found himself at the bottom of the steps leading to the level above. He eased to one side, bracing on the rail, as he slowly ascended, drawing his weapon. As his alert eyes leveled with the next riser, he quickly checked his points: nine, twelve, and three. He knew his six was covered, having observed nobody else on the platform on his way across it. The only thing behind him were two well trained agents and a couple of idiots strapped in irons.

The doors directly in front of him, leading to the office suites, were closed. He crept up the last steps, again checking his peripherals and blind spots before he eased up catty corner to the doors. Keeping his pistol trained on them, he used his other hand to gently turn the knob. The hinges creaked as he cracked it, and he drew in a nervous breath, listening for any sounds within the dark corridors. Nothing met his ears, so he slowly opened the door the rest of the way, sliding his body to the right, propping it open on his back as he cleared the entry hall.

The red security lights were on, but the main power was shut off. Lynne probably tripped the breaker before her attempted escape. He cursed and turned on his weapon mounted light, briefly disoriented by the sudden brightness. Again, he cleared the hall, which was dead silent. Turning to his right, he observed the security office door was hanging on broken hinges and riddled with bullet holes.

Tentatively, he crept up to the frame, keeping as much of his chunky body under cover as possible. His light illuminated the small space, and as his sure feet pulled him into the room, the toe of his left boot bumped into something solid, nearly sending him falling. He chanced a perfunctory glance down, his eyes narrowing as he made out the silhouette of a human body.

"Shit." He cursed, stepping over it and clearing the rest of the room. Turning, he closed the door to prevent anyone from sneaking up on him before he knelt next to the body. It was facedown, the features covered in so much blood he couldn't tell who it was. He gently checked for a pulse, but found none, before reaching into his pocket for a handkerchief. Solemnly, he carefully tilted the head, wiping the face, turning away as he recognized the person. He grimaced, reaching for his radio, and shook his head sadly.

"Garcia to Quinn." His voice came out raspier than usual, his dead comrade just feet from him.

"Quinn." The tone was cold through the static.

"Winters is down. He's been shot. No vitals." Garcia spoke quickly, ready for instruction from the agent.

"Barnes?" Came an even colder response.

"M.I.A." Garcia grumbled, aware that his deputy might be dead as well, or possibly a murderer, neither of those a reality he was ready to face.

"Find him." Quinn's arctic, heartless growl sounded even more sinister through the radio.

"I'm on it." Garcia flipped off the contact, not eager to prowl the dark halls, but Winters deserved justice for his death, and his deputy needed to be found.

He opened the door quietly, which was no easy feat since it was teetering on nearly severed hinges. He went over his protocol as he emerged: hall cleared, check. He adopted a slow, steady pace as he moved in a crouched stance down the hall to his right, making sure each office was clear as he progressed.

He reached a junction, not sure which one to follow, until a noise to his left caused him to back behind the wall, seeking concealment, as he listened to the disruption. It sounded like footsteps, and they got lighter, indicating whomever they belonged to was walking away from him. He peeked around the corner, weapon still drawn, and began creeping down that hall. He turned off the flashlight in case it was an ambush.