Sinister

Chapter 4

I listened to the low grind of the elevator doors closing and eased myself onto the back wall of the elevator. As I sat, I stopped to check the four corners of the elevator, looking for cameras. The only one there, though, was an outdated, practically archaic infrared camera that wasn't even hooked to a surveillance server.

I decided that it was better to be safe than sorry, especially with my roomie's most recent reveal, and so I unscrewed the base of the camera and disconnected the old wires with a multitool that I kept in my backpack. 

Afterwards, I stuffed both the camera and multitool in my backpack for later use. As I did, I heard the old elevator cables groan to a stop and a listened to a soft ding that cut through the silence.

I stepped out of the elevator and headed towards my apartment when I heard a door open slowly on my left.

I resisted the urge to jump, but I still let my eyes dart over and a wave of relief washed over me when I saw the old janitor coming out of her closet. She reached in the closet and rolled out a large yellow cart before taking it into the other elevator on the floor across the hall. I sighed with relief and went to open the door when I stopped to think for a moment. If Henry was coming back, I would need to get out before he got home.

Suddenly, I had a motive other than work to get me out of the house quickly.

I opened the door and immediately went to work. I rushed to pack my bag and began to take cautions to check for Henry. I was planning as I was stuffing my clothes into the backpack, and I came up with a foolproof course of action.

I had already programmed all of the cameras on this floor to play the looped footage from years past, and so all I would need to do is get back in the maintenance elevator and make a run for the nearest safehouse. I had many of them placed strategically around different parts of Manhattan, all of them out of range of cameras and the conventional patrols law enforcement.

After that, I could keep a close watch on Henry by tapping into the footage of the GCSS cameras, and take him out before he squealed. If possible, I'd like to take him out with his own axe, to show him what that pile of meat felt when he struck him or her down.

I finished packing essentials and ran to the elevator while booting up my laptop, setting it on the floor as I began to pop off the casing of the scanner. As I did, the clock drew closer and closer to thirty minutes past, and so that would mean that, if it was his actual intention, Henry would be coming soon. 

I felt motivated by new vigour as I swiftly slid the USB bag out of my backpack and picked the very same drive that had taken so long to open the door. This time, however, the moment I stuck it in the slot, the elevator doors slid open with the same, low, grind as they had before.

I took out the USB and jumped in the elevator without even putting the casing of the scanner back on. I snatched my laptop and punched in ground floor as I heard the elevator across the hall stop with a ding and open up. I never got to see who was in there, but I did see one thing.

As the grind of the elevator's doors came to a stop a caught a quick glance of a man stepping awkwardly out of the elevator.

The man who came out of the elevator had a bad limp.