The Detectives' Story

XIII

November 9, 2016

1023 Hours

Dan checked his watch and sighed. It's been eight minutes since they left, and he was a worried. Dan didn't have a good sense of how everything at this building worked, so he wasn't sure if he should be worried, or he was being paranoid.

"I don't even know Charlie and his sister that well. Should I stay here and wait for them, or do my own thing?" Charlie's plan sounded solid, but he still wasn't confident in it. It was his brother, therefore making it more personal to him. It didn't matter if the plan was the best course of action, Dan was still going to be hesitant.

Dan was about to get up and pace around when he heard a gunshot. It rang throughout the compound, leaving behind a mild ringing. Dan stood there, rooted to the spot. He looked around, not sure what to think or do.

"Alright. So there was a gunshot. This is nice." Dan stood there breathing for a few seconds, then decided to do what his gut told him to do. He quickly left the room, making his way to the hallway where he escaped from. It only took him a minute, as he was a fast walker, and sort of knew the way around the building. He got his handle on the door as soon as a guard stepped into the hallway.

"Freeze!" The guard yelled. Dan lifted his hands quickly, and turned towards the guard with the gun pointed at him. The guard took out a walkie from his waist, and spoke into it.

"Hey boss, found the missing brother," The guard said. He let go of the walkie button, and in response, he got static. Dan looked from the gun in the guard's hand, to the walkie talkie spouting out static in his other hand.

"Hey boss, you there?" The guard asked. Static again. The guard looked around, and sighed. "This is the hallway where you can't use walkie talkies. Great." The guard focused his attention in front of him, but all he saw was nothing. Dan disappeared.

"You gotta be messing with me," The guard said.

"I am." Dan responded behind the guard. The guard nearly jumped, but not before Dan hit him over the head with a pipe he found on the ground. The guard crumpled on the floor, dropping the gun. Dan smiled, and dropped the pipe. Picking up the loaded pistol, he went to James' door, and opened it up.

"James," Dan said. He stood there, looking at James who was being hung by his hands on a pipe. James looked up, and sighed with a relief at the sight of his brother. "James. Bro, let go!"

"I can't," James whispered. Dan was confused, but accepted the fact that he couldn't do it.

"Okay, well. Hold on." Dan made his way to James, but realized he couldn't reach the hands being strung up. "Oh, come on."

"Dan. I know who the killer is," James said. Dan looked up at James with an idea in mind.

"Keep that thought brother, hold on." Dan backed up all the way to the door, got into a runner's stance, and started running towards James.

"Dan, what are you doi- humph" Dan tackled James, disconnecting his hands from the pipe violently. They both landed on the ground with James on the bottom.

"Did you really have to do that?" James said. Dan groaned as he got up.

"Believe me. It hurt me more than it hurt you." James got up with Dan, and they immediately went to the metal door. The left the room without any hassle.

"Which way?" James asked.

"Right. I think..." Dan said hesitantly. James gave him a look that Dan knew too well. "Well I'm sorry, I only escaped this place once."