Blackstone Academy: The Rogue

16. Jax Flores

Jax (Male P.O.V)

Date: October 1, 2238

"Hello? Anyone in here?" I called out, pulling open the heavy metal door that led into the garage at the back of campus. No one answered as I stepped inside onto the oil-stained concrete floor. I slowly eased the door shut so it wouldn't smack against the rock, cracking it open.

"Everyone's probably at lunch," I mumbled, glancing at the closed bay doors with sunlight pouring through the embedded windows. The sun's rays merged with the beams of the fluorescent lights helping illuminate the space.

I walked towards the back, passing by metal shelves bolted to the wall with greasy tools covering every inch of its surface.

My nose wrinkled at the hefty scent of gas and oil permeating the air the further I went into the garage. I quickly covered my nose with my hand, breathing through my mouth as I jogged down the wooden stairs leading to the lower floor.

A lone door stood at the base of the stairs between two racks holding a mix of worn and new tires. It was at least four inches thick and wider than average, with an electronic key lock over the door handle.

I raised my hand to key in the code, but my mind went blank. Shit!

My head fell back on my shoulders, and an audible sigh escaped my lips as I looked up at the motion-activated camera attached to the ceiling. The glowing red light in the dark half-sphere stared back at me, taunting me.

A few seconds later, the door buzzed, and the red indicator embedded in the lock turned green.

Flashing a smile at the camera, I pulled open the door and stepped inside the dimly lit basement.

My eyes widened, straining as I moved through the five rows of racks that nearly touched the ceiling. Old computers, iPhones, fax machines, game consoles, and stereos fill every shelf. An electronic graveyard that's what I called it because they're all missing parts or ripped apart with their insides exposed.

The rapid clicks of a keyboard hit my ears as I reached the end bringing a smile to my lips.

"Hey, Jax!" Amber greeted me from behind the largest of the three L-shaped desks, positioned in a triangle formation in the center of the room. Her eyes never left the three monitors as she popped a grape into her mouth and continued to type. "Did you forget the code again?"

"Yeah." I sheepishly admitted, dragging my eyes from her lips to the black square-rimmed glasses resting on her pert nose.

As I moved closer to her, I caught glimpses of the coding she was working on being reflected in the lens of her glasses.

"What's up, Amber?"

"I think I should be the one asking you that." She stopped typing and looked at me over the rim of her glasses. The computer screen went black when she removed her hands from the keyboard.

I chuckled softly, sat on the edge of her desk, and folded my arms. "You heard, huh?"

"A little." She grabbed the small bowl of grapes off her desk, set it in her lap, and rolled backward in her chair. "You want to tell me the rest?"

"All day, people have been asking me about what happened." I sighed, my eyes drifting to the cot tucked in the far left corner of the room.

The white sheets lay haphazardly over the edge skimming the concrete floor with a crumpled pillow laying askew at the head of the cot. Someone must have recently slept there. It could have been Amber or one of the guys she worked with. Shrugging, I looked back at Amber.