A Web So Dark and Deadly

Chapter Fifteen

The floor halts underfoot. With a ding overhead, the doors slowly part. I peer into the hallway while shouts rise from the bottom floor. Security guards rush past the elevator, and several pairs of feet pound on the stairs. I tug the suitcase out and head in the opposite direction. There's a door at the end of the corridor, and I push through it, leading to another maze of corridors. A few other people are here and there, but none pay me much mind.

I park the suitcase in the corner. My arms feel as floppy and tired as noodles. I crouch down, pretending to be looking for something in the suitcase's pocket.

"Where to now?"

"Did you make a left or a right after exiting the elevator?"

"A right."

There's a beat of silence from the suitcase. "That's the wrong way. You needed to go left."

I roll my eyes. Why didn't you say so before?

"You should come to a locked door. Wait for someone to pass by, then tell them that you have a delivery to make."

"And if someone doesn't?" Seconds tick by. After a minute, it becomes clear that she doesn't intend to reply.

I poke my head back into the corridor. A raucous has begun down below, though I can barely make out what the guards are saying. Anxiety prickles at my skin. Even if I made it into the order's headquarters, there's no guarantee I'll make it out alive.

I roll the suitcase around the corner. Past the elevator, I see a potential door that Tabitha may have been referring to. A man in a suit stalks toward it, hands buried deep in his pockets.

"Excuse me," I call out. "I have a delivery to make."

The man pauses, his eyes fixating on me. "What delivery?"

I swallow. "I have a piece of metal that was inside the angelfish."

Recognition sweeps across his tanned face. "Ah yes. The angelfish. Right this way." His eyes drift to the suitcase. "But you'll have to leave that behind."

"The metal is in the..."

"Get it out." He smiles. "You know, safety procedures."

"Of course." My throat feels dry as I bend down. Slowly, I reach my hand into the front pocket. It's completely empty, but I mimic slipping something into my pocket. I stand with an equally bright grin. "I'm all set."

I wheel the suitcase to the side, then follow the man behind the door, into a narrow, dimly lit corridor. It feels more like ambient lighting than anything else. The low light is bright and clear, shining on the beige tiles on the ground. A slight scent of lavender permeates the air, though I can't tell if it was put there on purpose or if someone just used way too much perfume this morning.

"Head to the drop-off room," the man says. He slips into a room, shutting the door behind him before I can see inside. I hurry my pace to the end of the hallway, glancing at each door, wondering which one is the drop-off room.

The doors at the end of the hall are the same as the others I passed. None give any indication as to which might be the drop-off room. I glance over my shoulder, wondering how Tabitha is doing. She never told me where I'd find the vault.

I groan internally. Tabitha really ought to learn how to give better directions. As I mull over what to do next, the very last door opens. I glimpse a giant, metal door behind it as a woman passes through.

"Whoops. Are you looking for the drop-off room?" she asks in a honeyed voice.

"Yes."

"It's two doors down, on your right."