128 (Operation Armageddon: Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Evidence | Part 2

Matthew pressed the lobby button as whirring noises from the elevator mechanics began. Meanwhile, the sounds of what seemed to be batons banging on the exterior elevator doors were heard from inside. However, they slowly faded away as the elevator began its descent to the lobby, together with their chance to detain the chairwoman. Their only opportunity to stop Yael before the outbreak would spark all over the country was shattered.

And that wasn't all.

For a reason initially unknown to the detectives, the elevator stopped halfway through its descent, although they weren't exactly close to halfway down the tower. The elevator went dark, and the mechanical whirring stopped. At first, it seemed as if the power supplied to the elevator had been cut.

Matthew began clicking random buttons for random floors, but none of them lit up or worked. The elevator just remained stationary for a few seconds. Eventually, the power returned, but the carriage didn't continue descending, and neither did the elevator buttons work anymore. Instead, the doors slid open as an automated voice announced, "Floor 92."

The first thing that the detectives saw was another corridor, identical to that of the floor that they were being held hostage in. There were several differences, however. The floor was significantly noisier, indicating that there might have been a lot more creatures present on the floor too. Additionally, there was red lighting all over—in the laboratories, corridors and even the light rods that hung over the elevator lobby. Not to mention, some fog was present in the room, so much so that the detectives couldn't see further than twenty feet ahead of them.

"H-how many such labs do they have in this building?" Megan stuttered, shuddering in fear as she looked out of the elevator anxiously. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying not to imagine the wicked things that were going on in the building.

"I don't know," Matthew said as he stepped out of the elevator to inspect the floor more closely. As he walked out, he noticed that most, if not all of the laboratories were empty. Some had broken glass panels, while others had their doors opened. Despite the emptiness of the rooms, groaning noises still reverberated around the floor.

"Something isn't right, Matthew," Megan commented as she looked at the empty rooms. "It's just like the hospital all over again. We don't know when some creatures will pop out of nowhere and kill us."

Meanwhile, Matthew stayed silent. He brought out his phone to use as a substitute for a torchlight as he shone it through the fog. Something about the nearing roaring noises wasn't right. He sensed that a creature was approaching them.

And he was right. Dual red lights began shining through the clouds of fog, signalling that a creature was indeed coming for them. But it wasn't just one. There were easily five pairs of lights shining, meaning a hoard was present.

Thus, Matthew pulled Megan by the hand, dragging her and himself into an empty room. He then swung the door shut, rapidly but quietly, so that it wouldn't attract the creatures. They stayed silent, making not a single sound. They knew they would only survive the car-and-mouse situation if they kept quiet.

As Matthew peered through the frosted glass panel, the red lighting, and the fog, he could see figures passing through. And indeed, they weren't human. Coordinated with their movement, the beastly beings made growling noises, quickly giving away their identity.

Meanwhile, Megan continued to keep silent as she inspected the room. There were some notes strewn all over a desk, accompanied by a computer beside it. She proceeded carefully to turn on the computer, which, unfortunately, required a passcode to be accessed.

Despite this setback, she tried a passcode that had been used before: 1280. And it happened to work. She then entered the computer, which wasn't a regular device. Instead, it redirected her to surveillance resources that managed the security cameras and other features on the 92nd floor. She then clicked on one of the features, which mapped out the floor plan and showed what seemed to be the heat levels of the living creatures moving through the floor.