The Medusa Deception

Chapter 4

"I'LL FINISH LOCKING up." Mandy moved to the front of the store. "It needs to look as it should this time of night, in case Gary or anyone else comes by."

She pulled the security gate across the plate glass windows and secured it to the reinforced frame around the door. After repeating the same procedure on the other side, she double-checked the deadbolt. It was secure.

"Let's take our coats and stuff to the kitchen. We can exit out the back door later."

Ryan grabbed his coat while Mandy put on her sweater, got her purse and snagged an extra pair of cotton gloves. She led him to the back hallway, flipped off the store lights and closed the wooden door behind her.

They entered the small windowless kitchenette lit by two bare bulbs. A old white fridge buzzed in protest on the same dingy black and white vinyl tile as in the bathroom. The faint smell of Lysol wafted out to greet them.

Mandy placed her purse on the chipped Formica table and pointed to the coat rack in the corner. "You can put your coat over there, unless you want to wear it."

When Ryan hung his coat, she grinned sheepishly, pulling her gloves on over sweaty palms. She couldn't believe she was taking a guy down into Seth's basement.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Ready."

Back in the hallway, they were faced with three doors. The wood door to the right led back to the store, the steel door on the left exited to the alley. At the far end of the hallway, a plain metal door — the door to the basement — beckoned ominously. Above the doorknob sat a barrel shaped lock, patterned with a relief pentagram, matching the pattern on the key.

"I see how you made the connection, key-to-lock," Ryan quipped.

"Yeah, not rocket science," she replied with a smile.

She steadied her gloved hand as she neared the lock with the key. It slid deep into the opening. She twisted it counter-clockwise, holding her breath. The key turned a full hundred and eighty degrees before stopping. A buzzing erupted from the door.

Mandy recoiled, pulling back her hand. "Oh no! We've set off an alarm!"

"Try the knob."

She grasped the knob and twisted. Half expecting a pit viper or booby trap to spring out, she pulled the door open a hair's breadth and peered in. The buzzing stopped.

"It wasn't an alarm. The door's electronically sealed."

"Oh, thank God!" Mandy exhaled.

She removed the key and put it back in her pocket. With another deep breath and a heave, she fully opened the heavy, spring-loaded door. Light from the hallway crept onto the landing, dimly illuminating the stairs descending into the basement.

An LED light on an electric panel cast a faint reddish glow. Stepping in, she found a switch and flipped it. The area flooded with light, but looked no less ominous.

Holding the door ajar, Ryan inspected the landing. He pointed to a red button on the wall next to the door. "I think we'll need to push that button to get out."

Mandy frowned. "It's pretty heavy security for a basement office. This place is like Fort Knox. We should probably test getting out. I can go wait in the hallway with the key, or do you want to?"

"That's OK, you go. If I'm not out in thirty seconds, open it up."

She nodded.

The door made a solid thud as it closed. Barely a second passed before the buzzing started and Ryan pushed it open.