Project Cypher

V2 (CH 16) - Chapter 39 - Extracurricular Activities

The young woman known as Tanya clicks her tongue against her teeth. She lets out a sigh of frustration, before heading to the computer lab. If she wasn't successful in meeting Albert, then the least she could do is get some work done. The school's computer lab was closed for the night, but the dorm computer lab still wasn't.

Strangely enough, there weren't any students in the lab including the front desk receptionist. The front desk receptionist tended to be part-time students, who would often leave the desk for a drink or grab a bite to eat. And sure, enough upon a closer examination of the front desk, there was a note in large, bold, permanent black marker letters that read, "Went out for a mocha latte, be back in 20."

Tanya sits down in front of a screen when all the lights went off behind her. She glanced at her glowing screen, but there were no dark shadows reflections behind her. Keeping an eye on the screen reflection, she logs onto the computer. Relaxing her back, Tanya begins to type, all the while listening for any signs of movement and watching for a reflection.

Tanya suddenly feels a cold blade at her neck as silently another unseen assailant pops out from beneath her feet. One of the unknown assailants easily ties her legs together as Tanya doesn't dare glance down to see who the figure tying her feet is. The assailant than moves to Tanya's arms next tying them secretly together. Yet that was the least of her concerns as the cold blade against her neck never moved an inch.

Tears pour down Tanya's face as she shakes with fear. "I, don't have any money. I think you have the wrong person, whoever you are. I'm innocent, I swear!" Tanya said with such sincerity, that any person with a heart would have been moved to believe her.

"56, I would like to end this by tonight," a neutral gender voice coldly said.

The figure of Tanya stops crying as a small smile appears on her face. 56 tries to piece the identity of the figure behind her not dismissing that of the identity being #32. It wouldn't be surprising to know that #32 was behind all of this. He did so love playing his little games. "How did you guess or better yet know who I am?" 56 asked.

"Instinct, really. On the campus feed, you're the only female student still out at this hour. All the regular students are getting ready for bed, exhausted from the first day. Your actions don't fit the norm," the unknown figure drily commented.

"Huh, that still doesn't answer my question. But it's always the details that get you caught," 56 mused out loud. "So, what do we do now, stranger?"

"Call #32 for a meeting," the figure stated.

"My, my, you know who he is, but you don't seem to know him that well, dearie. #32 doesn't' come out to play unless he wants to and no one can tell him otherwise," 56 cheerfully replied.

"Not if you tell him-," the figure paused, before stiffly adding, "Tell him that Al is here."

56 sneers and says, "Fine, dial the first number on the VEX watch." Reaching carefully over, the assailant at her back reaches over to touch the Vex watch on her wrist. The blade warningly digs into her neck as the gloved hand reaches for the wrists tied together sitting in 56's lap. 56 tensed ready to move when the blade purposefully digs into her flesh in stern reminder. 56 suppresses a hiss of pain as she feels trickles of wetness running down the side of her neck. Holding still, 56 waits as the gloved hand to finish dialing the number.

The glove hand reacts back and stiffens for a second, causing the blade to dig deeper into 56's flesh. 56 stiffens in turn as a loud ringtone echoes from nearby, "Ain't nothing gonna break my stride; Nobody gonna slow me down; Oh, no; I got to keep on moving-." The unknown assailant dives to the floor as 56 throws herself to the side with a loud thump.