The local FBI agency stood on the very outskirts of the city, a small and very inconspicuous-looking building with a rather small FBI sign on the front.
Haku followed Len's Maserati, which had pulled up next to a small box with a camera attached in front of the gate. Teto watched as Len rolled his window down and pressed a button on the box. Then, after a few minutes of what she assumed was Mat talking to whoever was the gatekeeper, the gate opened, making a loud screeching noise. Teto and Haku exchanged a quick glance before she proceeded.
They followed Len's car down a ramp that led to a parking garage below the building. They kept driving until Len parked his car below a sign that read "RESERVED for Matsudappoiyo." Then, heeding Mat's gesture from out of the passenger side window, parked her own car snugly next to them.
After taking much care to get out of the car without dinging the one on the other side, Teto waited for the rest of the group to be ready while trying to get her thoughts in order. The gravity of her situation was really starting to weigh on her now. She could be dead in less than ten hours. Worse still, her friends could all die as well, and it would be all her fault.
Despite the rising terror she felt in her gut, she knew she had to follow through. If she quit now, it was pretty much guaranteed that she would lose Neru and Rinto for good. By pushing onward, there was at least the possibility that everyone would get out alive.
"Teto! You better not be having second thoughts over there!" Haku shouted, snapping her out of her thoughts. Everyone had already gathered by the elevator.
"I'm not!" She replied, jogging to catch up before the elevator arrived.
When the elevator doors opened, they all filed in. The chamber was extremely small, and it was a very tight fit. The ride was also very janky and loud, making Teto fear for their safety a little. Pressed snugly between Len and Tei, she heard Haku say,
"Geez, Mat, couldn't the FBI at least afford better elevator service?"
Mat sighed.
"Trust me, it's only this bad on the outside."
After coming to a screeching stop, the elevator doors slowly opened, and the group quickly filed out, gasping for fresh air. Teto spun around, taking in her new surroundings. They had emerged into a polished-looking lobby, in which the floors were made of white tile and the walls and furniture were white. A huge glass chandelier hung down from the high ceiling, illuminating the massive room. Potted plants were also placed around as well. One thing that Teto noticed was that nowhere in the room could she see any windows.
Mat turned to the rest of the group.
"Well, welcome to the FBI agency. All of the important stuff is from here on down. The place is completely underground, as to not attract attention. I'd give you a tour, but also, no I wouldn't. How about you guys all go sit down over there, and I'll get us checked in."
Obeying Mat's instructions, the group made their way across the room to some white leather couches. Teto sat down in the corner of one of them, and Len sat down on her vacant side.
She closed her eyes. She was trying to suppress her nervousness, but it wasn't working too well. She kept imagining the hell Neru and Rinto must be going through at that moment. She couldn't believe how fast everything had changed in the past four days.
I thought it was all over... She thought, trying desperately to prevent tears from squeezing between her eyelids.
Len must've sensed her distress, because she felt his arm slip over her shoulders and pull her into him. A single tear escaped her eye as she opened them to look at him. His icey stare was soft with empathy, and the smile he gave instantly filled her with a small amount of warmth.
