A Scandalous Job

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

I held my breath as I heard the door swing open and footsteps enter the room. They were heavy, definitely male.

A sharp clack against the wood floor told me that whoever he was was wearing dress shoes and not trainers. The clacking became louder as he was approached the desk.

Suddenly they stopped. I was paralyzed with fear. Everyone had already gone home for the night and the janitors didn't come till after midnight. This person, whoever he was, didn't belong in here.

My mind raced. I knew I needed to do something. Call security or even the police. Yet, I knew I couldn't do either without being heard.

I jumped when I heard the earsplitting  noise of the file cabinet opening. The man swore under his breath, but I was unable to distinguish his voice.

The fact that he was trying to be sneaky sent even more alarm bells off in my head.

I heard rustling and I imagined the man rifling through the files, no doubt messing up everything I just organized.

He swore again, and suddenly there was a violent bang. It sounded as if he'd punched the filing cabinet.

I couldn't stop my shivers of fright. He couldn't see me. If he did, there was no doubt in my mind that he would hurt me. Maybe even kill me.

So, curling myself into a ball, I tried my best to stay calm as he came even closer, now only a foot away. I stopped breathing and closed my fists so tightly that I began to lose feeling  in my fingers.

His shoes looked like they were made of expensive leather. He was wearing black slacks but I couldn't see his top from my point on the ground. He was too tall.

Suddenly, I heard the clicking of the keyboard and Chance's laptop whirled to life. More clicking, than a beep signaling he'd entered the wrong password.

I pictured him trying a different combination and swore when the computer beeped again. Jeez, this guy had a bad temper.

Straining my ears, I heard the noise of more footsteps coming down the hall.

"Please, no more mysterious guys with bad tempers," I silently pleaded.

No doubt hearing the footsteps too, the man stood up and bolted for the door. I heard him swing it open and sprint down the hallway, heading in the opposite direction of the footsteps.

The new footsteps grew louder and faster. A second later, light flooded the room as the door swung open once more. I gathered my courage and crept out of my hiding spot.