Project: Hero

Chapter fifteen

The shattering glass doesn’t draw any attention to myself. The soft breathing around me is interrupted but then it picks back up in the same rhythm as before. Surprisingly the alarm doesn’t go off, if shattering the glass doesn’t set off the alarm what will?

I shake my head. I don’t need to be thinking like that, not when I’m trying to get out of here. I’m sure the ceiling just creaked above me.

I reach the door and following a sudden hunch type in the date around my neck. It doesn’t work and I freeze. The failed code has just triggered the alarm. The people around me start shouting at me. I can hear their voices that some are annoyed at me for waking them up. Some, though, almost sound scared for me.

I hear footsteps on the other side of the door, women’s footsteps going by the click-clack of heels. The sound gets louder and I start to back away. I can’t find anywhere to hide, the capsules are too cluttered and that would mean getting someone else in trouble.

My back smacks against the far wall and a door handle pokes me in the arm. I take my chances and turn the handle.

“Everything looks normal, maybe it was just the new electromancer playing with his new powers,” a guy’s voice says.

His voice sounds muffled but I guess his group have just entered the corridor. They haven’t seen the glass shards from my door yet and I really hope they don’t.

The clicking heels come closer and a thud can be heard from the other side of the door. As if something or someone, is leaning against it.

“Well don’t just stand there,” someone else snaps and I get the feeling I’ll be trapped in here for a while.

I sigh but then clamp my hand over my mouth, before the people outside can hear me. I slump against the inside of the door but then decide to go exploring.

The room is dark but as my eyes open wider I begin to take in the blurry shapes around me. My leg connects with the side of a metal table, my teeth sink down into my lip. I taste blood and rub my thigh.

There are papers in the desk, my collision with it only rustling them gently, and a heavy table lamp. I switch it on, if I’m going to be stuck here I might as know what’s going on.

The chair looks inviting and there’s an imprint of a butt in the worn leather. I flop down and see a red light blinking at me from the handle of a drawer.

Knowing that the drawer is probably locked I pull on the handle anyway. Something on the inside rattles but the drawer itself doesn’t move. The red light blinks faster, tempting me into pressing it.

I don’t press it, instead trying to find something else of interest. There’s nothing so I walk away from the desk. I watch the button just in case it’s going to spontaneously combat.

I back up and my back hits something solid and square. Spinning round I see that it’s a whiteboard. Dates and project numbers are scrawled all over it, there are even photos. I see a faded one of me, I think it’s me, I get a jolt of recognition. Next to that one is one of Crystal and Sergio that looks a lot newer. There’s a thick black line down the middle of it. Kotey’s there to, looking glummer than normal. Underneath the three photos are the words; Project: Hero. The line that links us all together also leads to a very professional looking photo of a man. The president, the golden eagle badge pinned to his chest gives it away. But his face is disfigured by red pen.

It looks like he’s crying blood. He doesn’t look human in this photo, but I guess that’s the point. He has so much blood on his hands. He has to be stopped.

My foot catches on something and I trip, landing on the chair. It spins round and my hand smacks against the drawer.

“Scanning,” a computerised voice calls, sounding muffled.