128 (Operation Armageddon: Book 1)

Chapter Nine: The Rescue Operation | Part 3

Finally, the thumping sounds got softer as the creatures went away. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief, still sweating from the nervousness earlier and the great terror of watching the beastly beings go past them.

"That was close. Thank goodness we came into the classroom," Emma whispered as quietly as she could.

"By the way," Daniel said, "what's that safe there for?" He then pointed to a safe that sat at the side of the classroom.

"Oh, that's for putting our valuables. We aren't allowed to use phones during curriculum hours. I mean, that's obvious. But some schoolmates prefer to place their wallets inside until lunch break," Ben answered.

"Maybe we should take a look inside," Daniel suggested.

"Oh, there isn't anything in there at this time. Since this is a special weekend class course, there are no workshop lessons today. So there shouldn't be anything in it. And if there really is, then someone probably forgot to take their things out," Liam explained.

"I agree with Daniel, though. Let's check it out," Matthew stated.

"Alright, if you insist. I know the passcode," Ben groaned.

Liam and Jane stared at him as if he had said something wrong, which he sort of did. "I-I thought only the teachers are supposed to know it?" Jane stammered.

Ben stared back at her silently before speaking. "Okay, for goodness sake. I accidentally peeped at how Mr Vandenberg unlocked the safe the last workshop lesson."

Jane raised an eyebrow. "Sure, whatever you say..." she trailed off, leaving him alone.

"It's 2-0-2-0," Ben said as Daniel punched in the numbers on the safe.

"Seriously? 2020? The numbers for this year? Who even set the passcode?" Daniel mocked the ridiculous passcode.

"Mr Vandenberg," Ben answered.

Daniel clicked his tongue. "Bad passcode choice."

However, even after he had entered the passcode, the safe couldn't be opened, and there was no sound either.

"Uh, are you sure it's the right password? It's not working," Daniel asked Ben.

"Sure it is. Try it again," Ben suggested.

Daniel punched in the code again. 2-0-2-0. Yet it still didn't work. "It's not working again. Something is wrong," he sighed.

"I'm very sure it was 2-0-2-0. It was only yesterday that I found it out," Ben reassured him.

"Maybe someone changed it?" Daniel thought, noticing how the passcode could be changed by whoever knew it.

"Let me try something," Emma volunteered as she stepped forward and tested a passcode.

It didn't work, though; the reason for that was obvious to Daniel. "For goodness sake, Emma. Of course, it won't work. You entered only three numbers!" he laughed softly.

"Actually..." Matthew chipped in. "My math teacher back in middle school said that if you desperately wanted to set a code with three numbers, you should add a zero at the back. It wasn't a good idea, though, because everyone started testing out each other's numbered padlocks and safes."

He began to chuckle as he recalled the old days, but he quickly snapped back to the present time, and his smile slowly faded. "Try it now, Emma," he said.

"All right then..." she obeyed as she re-entered the code, with a zero at the end this time.

Suddenly, a short tune came from the safe, and the sound of a latch moving was heard. Emma's eyes lit up, and so did those of the others. It was a genuinely unexpected outcome for them. "It... it worked!" she squealed, surprised by her successful move, although the detectives quickly proceeded to shush her afterwards.