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“You sounded just like him,” Lukas says from the back. “It was a little scary.”
Rounding the parking lot, the guys make note of the best spot for Lukas to park while we're inside. My heart is beating too loudly for me to hear everything, but I notice that the parking lot is relatively dark and empty. I stare at a few cars that seem to have been damaged. One car, a white sedan, has a crushed back bumper. A flicker of recognition itches the back of my mind.
Luis pulls the van near the entrance to the building. It's only now that we are this close that you can see this is no warehouse at all. They certainly made the outside of the building and the roof to look that way from a distance, but up close you can see that the building is much newer than it appears.
The doors open and all of us move to get out, but I hesitate for a moment. Lukas reaches over the back seat and places his hand on my shoulder.
“Stay safe. I'll be with you the whole time.” He leans forward to give me a very brief kiss before he climbs out ahead of me, walking around to the driver's side door.
As the van pulls away, Luis rolls his head on his shoulders and assumes an air of confidence, leading us to the front door.
The first thing I notice when the automatic doors slide open is the smell. Similar to the hospital, like astringent and latex, but there's something else too. A sharp, acrid scent that hits my brain like a ton of bricks.
I've definitely been here before.
A feeling of dread settles deep in my bones as we walk past the front desk. I try to keep my face neutral as I look around, forcing my gaze to settle on one thing at a time rather than darting around frantically.
There's only one security guard on duty, who looks bored but surprised by our arrival. Luis nods and offers him a casual greeting as we approach, removing his obvious weapons and placing them in a bin.
Tony’s voice comes through our earpieces. “I intercepted the warning call about your arrival so no higher-ups would be alerted. The guards won't know that Dr. Wallace isn't real, but some of the staff might.”
We each place our badges in front of a scanner and walk through a metal detector. My heart beats furiously, knowing that we're all armed. But Tony supposedly has control, so we should, in theory, make it through without any issues.
I let out the breath I was holding once we've all made it through and into the main building. Once we reach the first set of doors, Micah and Jackson head off in the opposite direction. I can't help but watch them walk away, saying a silent prayer that they'll be safe.
“Come on, pretty girl. Let's find Bennet and get out of here,” Luis says under his breath.
Using his badge, he opens the first set of doors. The heavy, metal doors open wide with a loud buzzing sound that reverberates in the back of my head like a memory. Blinking rapidly, I try to pull myself together and focus on the mission at hand.
“Take a left here,” Lukas' voice comes through the earpiece. I let out a breath when I hear his voice.
We follow his instructions through what feels like a maze of hallways. This place is certainly much bigger than it looks from outside. And much nicer. It was apparent from outside the front door that this place isn't a warehouse, but inside the building, you'd never guess the façade on the outside. This place is a state-of-the-art facility, higher tech than the hospital was from the looks of it.
It isn't until we're walking through a hall of frosted glass rooms that we notice any other signs of people. Faint shadows of a few people behind the glass are our only sign that other people are here. No one seems to notice or pay any attention to us as we make our way down the hall.
As we walk past the last glass room, the door slides open, admitting a large man in white scrubs who is pushing a cart. He's possibly maintenance or a cleaning crew, and he doesn't pay us any attention. As the door slides shut behind him, however, a glance inside has me frozen in place.
“Luis—Six.”
Lukas' voice halts Luis in his tracks. “What? Shit, Six, what are you doing?” Luis backtracks, coming back to where I stand.
“There's something in that room,” I tell him in a low voice. “I can't remember exactly, but it's nothing good.”
“Well, let's get the fuck away from here and find Bennet before we worry about it, okay? We're going to take this whole place down when we leave. Whatever's in there can't hurt you or anyone else ever again when we're done here.”
Nodding, I force my feet to continue down the sterile hallway with familiar flecked white flooring and dull grey walls. Lukas gives us more directions until finally, he tells us to stop.
“The room is through the next door to your left. The guard is stationed in the hall, as expected.”
Luis shoots me a wink before swiping his badge to open the door. Once we enter, he heads left towards the door while I go right. I wait in a small alcove near what I think is a restroom until I hear the telltale thud of boots and the buzzer of the door, letting me know the guard has left.
Walking back up the hall, I head towards Luis, who has taken up the guard's position. He gives me a stiff nod, indicating that the “shift change” went over without a hitch.
I don't need Lukas' direction to tell me which room it is. I'd know it even if I hadn't been staring at the security feed for days. Standing at the door, my eyes trace up to the red light of the security camera.
“The power went out,” I murmur to no one in particular. Reaching the door, I raise up on my toes to see in the little square window, to look into a cell that is frighteningly familiar.
The bed is rumpled, the bland coverings familiar to the point that I'm positive I know what they smell like—latex and heat from an industrial dryer. There's blood and dried vomit on the floor and discarded clothes. Bennet's tie and jacket.
