The Triangle (Episode 1: Origins)

Chapter 8

Near darkness swallowed me, but I could hear Cassie breathing over the muffled efforts of the men beyond the walls. Jesse pulled himself up through the red-tinted light below. He pulled the latch shut, cutting off the light from below and letting the dim, yellow service light above cast an eerie glow over us.

Cassie had already started climbing up a maintenance ladder that scaled the shaft and lead towards a landing and another latch that I hoped opened to the outside. I Jesse hopped onto the ladder, and I followed behind.

Not moments after I grabbed ahold of the cold, metal bars, I loud cranking sound reverberated throughout the elevator shaft, followed by something that sounded like the crack of a whip. The elevator below us fell downwards in complete freefall. It disappeared into the darkness below, but not without a crash as it hit the basement floor.

My chest felt heavy. That could have been us in there. We could have died if we'd even waited a minute longer. My stomach turned, not just because of the near miss of death, but because with the elevator gone, I felt suddenly exposed to the whims of gravity. I looked back up to where Cassie and Jesse climbed upwards.

"Just keep climbing upwards." I whispered to myself. "Don't look down. You're safe now."

I tried to make myself believe it. We had to escape. It can't end like this. It just can't.

Cassie reached the landing above, and unlatched the service door. She pushed it open and rushed through. Jesse was right after her. He disappeared through it as well, leaving me behind.

Light flooded the shaft as the doors of Level 7 were pried open. The men on the other side shouted demanding whoever was trying to open the shaft work faster. Either they didn't trust we'd died in the fall, or they didn't know that someone had already tried to dispose of us.

I climbed faster. Maybe if they didn't see me, they'd assume we'd died in the elevator. Then we'd have a little time to escape. We'd be able to climb down the fire escape and call an Uber... Then I remembered I didn't have my phone. Maybe someone would let us borrow theirs.

I let myself exhale when I got to the landing a crashed through the door. I slammed it shut behind be, and turned around, panting.

It was nighttime. We'd been in there for at least 6 hours. Probably longer.

I ran to Cassie's side and hugged her. "We made it!"

"We almost died," Cassie said into my shoulder.

"Don't say it like it was an accident," Jesse said. "They tried to kill us. They were willing to kill us before they let us escape. Fucking shit!"

Cassie let go of me and walked over to the edge of the building. The wind gently tossed her hair as she peered out into the dark. She turned back to us and waved us over.

I trotted to the edge. But didn't look down. I wasn't about to get that feeling in my stomach again. Once was enough for today.

"Over there." She pointed to a dome. "That's the Taunton Green over there. That building's the courthouse. We're in Taunton!"

I remembered that building. My dad and I had to come to Taunton to visit my nana a lot lately. She wasn't doing so well, but she liked watching old SciFi movies, so it was always awesome to visit her.

"Why'd they bring us all they way here?" I asked. "And why do you know what the Taunton courthouse looks like?"

"Hey," Jesse called over to us from across the building. "Stop sight-seeing, and help me look for a fire escape!"

Cassie and I joined his search. We sprinted around the edge of the building, looking around the edge, trying to find a ladder the lead down to the ground.

There was none.

"This has to be a huge safety violation, right?" I asked.

Cassie and Jesse came up from behind to peer off of the side I'd chosen. Jesse double-checked my work, as if I couldn't possibly have done the job well enough. They both turned to look at me.

"Damn it," Jesse said.

"What now?" Cassie asked.

"I'd suggest giving up."

We all whirled at the sound of the british accent. It was Mr. Conrad. He stood with his hands behind his back, between the door to the elevator shaft and building's edge behind us.

I clinched my jaw as fear sucker punched me in the gut. How'd he get up here? There was no one there just a moment ago. We were so close.

"Why don't you children come back down with me," Mr. Conrad said, taking a step towards us. "I'll call your parents, have them pick you up, and we'll forget this whole thing ever happened."

"You tried to kill us!" Cassie said. "You're a monster. We're not going back with you."

Mr. Conrad turned in a circle, his arms outstretched. "Come now. Look at the pieces. You don't have a way down. I'm not going to let you stroll out the building. This, my dear, is what we call checkmate."

"Why?" Cassie asked. "What do you want from us? We didn't do anything."

Mr. Conrad smiled. "Really? After all that's happened today, you don't know? There's a hole in my containment lab, and several scientists still unconscious because of what you did, and you're still playing the innocent party. You know exactly what I want from you."

"Well you can't have it," Cassie said. "We won't let you."

"Your zeal amuses me," Mr. Conrad said. "You have no choice. This is the end."

Jesse turned and climbed onto the ledge of the building. "You're right. This is the end. But that doesn't mean that you win."

Cassie climbed onto the ledge, following Jesse's lead, and taking his hand. "That's right. We still have one more option."

I looked up at them. "Whoa, what?"

Mr. Conrad began clapping his hands dramatically. "What a performance! Such passion, such raw emotion. Oscar worthy if I do say so myself. But killing yourself won't end this. All I need is your blood. I can take it from you alive, or I can fill a vial from the concrete below. You'll die for nothing."

Cassie reached held her arm out to me. "Come on, Isaac. We need you."

I stared into her blue eyes and nearly lost myself. "He's right. We may as well save ourselves if he's going to win anyway."

"It doesn't have to be that way," Jesse said. "Make a stand for once in your goddamn life."

I hesitated as fear gripped me. But I couldn't let just let Cassie die like this. She was the only real friend I had. The only one I couldn't lose. Without her...

Before I knew what I'd done, I pulled myself onto the ledge and held her hand. She looked at me and smiled. It wasn't a happy smile. It was more a smile of solidarity. I returned it as tears welled in my eyes.

"You can't be serious," Mr. Conrad said, folding his arms. "I know the triangle changes you, but I never knew it could make one suicidal as well."

"You can do this," Jesse whispered, he looked at me and gave a short nod. "We jump on three."

My eyes widened. "I can do what?"

"One, two."

"Wait!"

"Three."

Jesse jumped. Cassie jumped, and I was pulled off the ledge with them.