Space-Time of Death: an Al Squires of the Protectorate Novel

Ch. 10.3: Love-In...OF TERROR!!!

It took us more than a moment to get our bearings. The hidden hallways were labyrinthine in design, full of rickety spiral staircases and winding, claustrophobic corridors. It didn't help that none of knew where she went, and the only source of light were naked light bulbs infrequently spaced between one another. The one advantage that we had was that Alice didn't know how to get around anymore than we did. I hoped so, at least.

Rozz lead the way, holding up a fireball in one hand for extra light, and occasionally scorching the wall with his hand with another; marking the way to the third-floor room in case we need to go back up this way, and not get lost. I stayed in the middle, focusing my enhanced senses not just in front of us, but behind us as well; in case a wayward Satanist escaped the others. And Norah was bringing up the rear, watching mine and Rozz' sixes; but not without voicing her disapproval of the formation.

"Why do I have to be holding up the rear?" she asked me. "Strategically, it makes better sense for me to be in the middle."

"It's also strategic not to complain about something when one is chasing a chasing an armed suspect with a hostage," I countered softly without looking back. "Especially when one's Training Officer is trying to pinpoint their location but can't because of said complaining. So please stop talking so I can focus, or I start deducting points!"

The threat of deductions must have worked because she stayed quiet after that. Without any other distractions, continued listening out for Alice and Feng with my enhanced hearing. At first, I couldn't get anything that could pinpoint their location; just echoes of hushed commands to 'Move it,' and distant hurried footsteps. But then, our fortune seemed to change when my enhanced hearing picked up sounds of a small struggle coming somewhere in the direction ahead of us; followed by the sound of something wooden breaking.

"I got something," I said as I moved passed Rozz. "Follow me," I said to them both as I ran over to where I calculated where the direction was. Rozz kept us with me just enough to help with the light; Norah just barely kept up the pace.

We all stopped to discover Feng's hat and guitar laying on the floor; the latter sans guitar strap and smashed on the floor. From up ahead, we all heard struggling voices, as they sounded closer. The voices were immediately followed by what sounded like a combination of old mechanisms squeaking and something heavy slowly scraping the floor. No doubt the opening of a secret door.

Following the direction where the sounds came from, we were led to an open passageway that led to the TV room. Quickly entering the room, we knew that they were just here because the beads in the doorway were still swaying, and we could hear Alice's voice faintly out in the foyer. Through the beads we could see Alice's and Feng's profile beyond the door and already on the porch steps. We rushed out passed the beads, through the foyer and out the door. Alice was already more than half-way down the pathway between the porch and the sidewalk when we caught up with them.

Hearing our rushed footsteps on the wooden floorboards made Alice turn around with Feng in front of her, the dagger close to his throat and his hands tied behind his back; no doubt tied with his own guitar strap. After getting a quick look at Feng's face, I saw that, while looking a little out of it from the combination of partying and entering the Still so abruptly without reacclimating properly, he still looked frightened as though he still enough wits in him to fear for his life.

Alice's turn and the erratic look in her eye caused us to stop on the top of the porch steps and ready our weapons: I aimed my Omni-Gun at her, as Norah and Rozz manifested their respective throwing knives and fireball. "That's far enough, Alice," I shouted authoritatively. "You know I can't let you go past the field. Not without us or another Protectorate or Ouroboros agent to escort you, remember?"