Twisted Time

29 - Alarm

The common room, 02:51

Surprised, Dan stares at the loudspeaker placed in a corner beneath the ceiling. The first shrilling alarm is now overlapped by the high-low of the fire siren. The barks of her companion add to the cacophony. Suddenly, she fears she might have overdone it. Aren't fire alarms fitted with a localisation device? To tell the firefighters where the hot spot is?

"Come, buddy, we must move. I fear I've done something stupid." Dan curses herself for not thinking her action through before triggering the alarm. But it's too late now, nothing to be done about it. She shifts her grip on the fire extinguisher and peaks out into the hallway. It's still empty, and Dan hardly dares to believe her luck.

Left or right? On a whim, she runs back to the emergency stairwell, the fast footfalls of the dog following on her heels. If they hurry, they might reach the top level before someone uses the stairs. The last part, where the steps lead to a dead-end at a locked exit, might work as a hideout. Or the door might even unlock in the case of fire.

Dan climbs the steps two at a time, soon out of breath. On the top landing, she tries the metal sheet door, but it remains locked. She cowers down in a corner, pulling the dog into an embrace. "Shh, buddy. We can't get out, sadly. But a time shift might bring us back to where we belong. Let's keep quiet and wait."

While she catches her breath, amazed the dog isn't panting at all, a door bangs open beneath them. The clatter of heavy footsteps and loud voices drowns out Dan's wheezing. The noise moves down the stairwell though and dies away with another door shutting.

"I don't want to stress our luck, but if the thugs are all down there, this might be the best moment to look for Ric. What do you think?" The inscrutable eyes of her companion hold no answers, but their sad look in the dim light encourages her. "Here's the plan. We return to the office level. Perhaps he's still in the boss' custody. If she is alone with him, we might have a chance."

She strains her ears, but can't detect a sound aside from breathing—her own. Sure everyone left the stairwell, she sneaks down to the next level. Her hand on the doorknob, Dan hesitates and leans forward to listen for sounds outside. In this instant, the door is pushed open with force and almost hits her in the face. In defence, she lifts her extinguisher—and stares directly into Ric's wide eyes.

"Girl, what are you up to?"

For a moment, Dan stands speechless, then she drops her arm with the heavy extinguisher and encloses her partner in a tight but awkward hug.

"Easy, let me breathe. What kind of hellish weapon have you found this time? And who's this?" He frowns at the dog.

She struggles to swallow a hysteric bout of laughter and tries to come up with a snarky answer. Before her tired brain can form an adequate reply, a door in the depth of the stairwell spares her the bother. Ric ushers her out into the hallway, silently shutting the door behind them. Whispering, he points towards the office.

"Did you bring my Metec? Or is it still in the holy den?"

"I pushed it into a crack of the sofa upholstery. If no one found it, it's still there."
"Then let's go back. I was captured in the meeting room, but when the alarm went off, the locks opened. Must be a safety feature to ensure no one is caught in case of fire. I suspect you've something to do with this?"

"The alarm? Yes, that's my doing. But it's sheer luck it freed you. What's your plan?"

He ushers her into the meeting room. Dan follows him, making sure the dog keeps up. Ric's glance travels from the extinguisher to the animal. "Is this your pet?"

"Well, sort of, I guess. Long story. Its name is Buddy."

"Um, a strange name for a she-dog."

"Oh. I never checked." Heat shoots into Dan's cheeks.

Ric grins. "That's fine. Dan and Buddy. I like it." He points to the extinguisher. "Okay, how does this thing work?"

Dan hands him the makeshift weapon and explains the principle while she scratches Buddy's ears. The dog seems content enough. When the lights start to flicker, Ric grasps her hand. He frowns. "Maybe it would be better to send the two of you home, your time might be safer."

"Just so we pop up a few minutes later in another mess? I the middle of a group of their thugs or, even better, in their torture chamber? No thanks. I think I prefer being stuck with you."

"Still, the dog might spell trouble."

Dan is ready to fight for her four-legged companion. But Ric turns toward the connecting door to the office, the extinguisher raised.

"Okay. Let me worry about the boss while you pick up the Metec. Ready?"

Somehow, the temperature seems to drop at least five degrees. Dan shivers and nods, wishing the annoying sirens would stop. It takes a lot of effort to hide her anxiousness, and to judge by Ric's face, she fails. He nudges her arm, his grin even broader.

"What could possibly go wrong? Let's go!" He pulls the security bolt out of the extinguisher and tears the door to the office open. Dan dives for the sofa and holds the magic box in her hand before she even realises they are alone in the room. Buddy barks exited.

When the sirens fall silent moments later, she feels like in a vacuum, her ears still ringing. Her gaze wanders to Ric, who calmly picks up her belongings from the desk and offers them to her. She accepts her phone, torch, and the bag of cough drops to stow them in her pockets and hands him his own gadget.

Ric quickly checks the Metec and places it on the desk. The orange led blinks in an irregular rhythm, adding to Dan's discomfort. True, Ric wanted to collect more data and plant a virus before they were interrupted. Dan's palms are sweaty. "How long?"

"Not long, hopefully. Then we get out for good. Care to join me for a drink? The doggo is invited too, of course."

Dan ignores his attempt at a joke and steps closer, taking his hand and reminding herself this is only a precaution against sudden time shifts. Still smiling, Ric pulls her behind the desk and crouches down, searching a spot where they can't be seen from the entrance to wait. She slaps her thigh and Buddy joins her, happy to be petted. Exhausted, Dan leans her head against Ric's shoulder. But the sound of the door opening prevents her from relaxing.