Page 63 of Stay Scared

“As much as I want.”

“And how much is moving tonight?”

“Nothing, if maintenance mode works.”

He opens a recessed panel. A key is already seated inside. Owen turns it, and the indicators change from red to white.

MAINTENANCE ROUTE ACTIVE.

The blue strip extends farther into the maze.

Owen enters, but I stay beside the open door.

He turns toward me. “You can remain in the surveillance room.”

“The room we couldn’t reopen from inside?”

“I can leave this door open.”

“Someone else can close it.”

“They can.”

“Then I’m coming.”

Owen waits until I cross the threshold. “Stay close.”

“I can hear you.”

“Once we turn, the speakers will make that unreliable.”

We follow the blue line. The padded corridor is wide enough for us to walk without touching at first. Our footsteps die against the walls almost as soon as they happen, leaving only the muted brush of my damaged jacket and the occasional click from the gear at Owen’s belt.

At the first corner, Owen turns left.

His voice reaches me from the right. “This way, Salem.”

I stop.

The duplicate is nearly perfect, but Owen’s real footsteps continue ahead. The recorded voice is smoother. It lacks the slight pause he makes before saying anything he expects me to challenge.

I follow his footsteps.

He waits at the next intersection. “You ignored the speaker.”

“It sounded too sure of itself.”

The blank mask tilts. “That was insulting.”

“You survived.”

A small camera turns above us.

Owen sees it immediately. “That camera should be disabled.”

“Apparently someone missed the memo.”

“Stay beside me.”