The Genesis Illusion

Chapter 50

Paul awoke, his mind again churning as it sorted through the clues to his dilemma. Wearing the same clothes from the previous day, unshaven and looking like someone that had slept on the floor, he pondered his next move.

Why is someone trying to conceal what the inventors are doing? The kidnapping must be the key. They're being held somewhere to prevent them from talking. They must've had a laboratory, That's where I'll find their secret. My guess, it's in the Ecopolitan complex. Mr. Lim mistakenly indicated this on his first patent application. He probably didn't think ahead that far. Once they thought about it, they omitted the address from later applications. But even the first application didn't list the correct location? But I doubt he used anything too complex to disguise it.

Paul used his reasoning skills to unravel the hidden location. Let's see. The patent application listed Ecopolitan, Crios #LD-41. The research center directory listed at least fourteen buildings. They all have names and one is Crios. That's where Maria's lab is. They probably didn't hide this. Room numbers in Crios have two numbers followed by two or three numbers. The first two are the floor and the last the room number.

The patent application listed the address as LD-41. A lame attempt to obscure the address would be for LD to mean level four for D. He might have just transposed the room number 41 so the room number would be 14. That's too easy, so it's probably wrong.

He found the building directory by searching on his smartphone. The police might track my phone here. I've got to take a chance. I need this information. The Crios building has a room number fourteen on the fourth level. No name though.

At the Ecopolitan complex, Paul easily found the Crios building since he'd been there with Maria. On the fourth level, outside room fourteen, Paul lurked in a doorway down the hall with the door in view. This room seems vacant. He couldn't see anything unusual with the exception that there was no marking on the door other than the number. I'll watch the door for a while to see if anyone goes in or out. Anyone walking down the hall couldn't see him but he could see the door if he leaned forward slightly.

I think the room is just one level below Maria's lab. Someone's coming out of the elevator. Paul looked around the corner toward the door. A uniformed employee pushing a large cart loaded with something covered by table cloths stopped in front of the room.  An early dinner?  The man knocked loudly on the door. The door opened but Paul couldn't see inside. A few seconds passed before the employee pushed the cart into the room and the closed door behind him. A few minutes later the door opened again, and the employee came out without the cart and walked back to the elevator.

I bet the cart was stacked with food covered by clean table cloths. That's the way caterers deliver. From the size of the cart and the height of the stack  there's enough for several people. Someone's in there and food is being delivered.

How can I get inside without being seen? I can't just knock on the door.