The Agency Archives

1.6

Yelling and loud boot falls accompanied the sound of the doors slamming into the walls of the reception area. Frank tried to shove himself further against the underside of the desk as he tried to be as quiet as possible. He glanced out of the corners of his eyes and saw Jorge and Sandra do the same. They had all pulled out their weapons despite the close quarters underneath the desk. Muffled shouts continued, but Frank couldn't make out what they were saying. He felt panic grip him again as he squeezed his hand around the black metal of the grip. Sweat slicked his fingers, but he tightened further until his hand hurt. He slowly removed the safety from his weapon, flinching at the nearly inaudible click between the noise of the commotion around themThe muffled shouts of orders continued and they could hear footsteps continue into the room near them.

Suddenly they heard screaming drown out the shouts. Frank flinched as a spray of blood splattered across the wall right in front of them. As he adjusted to the spray of crimson dripping down the wall ahead of him, something heavy hit the desk above them and a gloved arm dangled down in front of them. He felt a hand cover his mouth as Sandra leaned over and held a finger up to her mouth. The screams finally ended with another violent noise but another sound quickly took its place. Clicking echoed around the room behind them until a sudden thud hit the desk violently above them. Frank's eyes silently stared ahead as grey sickle-like talons overhung the edge of the desk in front of them. A quiet hiss broke the silence as they tried to not to breathe. As they huddled as far as they could against the cold steel behind them, the desk above them creaked as whatever was above them shifted and unleashed an unearthly scream. Frank slammed his hands against his ears, forgetting the gun in his hand. Once the pistol connected with his skull he winced and loosened his grip.

He watched as the gun fell, and time slowed down. Pulling his hands away from his now aching skull, he tried to grab for the gun as the black metal tumbled towards the tile. Sandra's grasping hands reached out for the weapon, missing by inches as it hit the hard white pristine floor. Frank felt like the sound that followed must have rivaled the explosion from earlier. The gun clattered away from them and skidded to a halt in a pool of blood dripping down the wall.

The roar that came after was even louder.

Time slowed down again as they watched whatever was above them jump down mere inches away. Grey slender boney legs continued up from the feet ending in the long sickle-like talons. Frank, Jorge, and Sandra watched with horror as more of the creature came into view. It towered over them out of sight from underneath the desk. As they watched, matching hands came down as it hunkered to inspect the weapon. Frank stared at the sight of the taloned foot standing on his dropped gun in the pool of blood. The only thing he could think of was how dead he was for such a simple mistake.

Before the creature's face could come into view they heard the entrance doors open again and the thing stood up straight again to face the new sound. The three of them flinched away and it roared again; a high-pitched scream that echoed around them. A muffled "OH FUCK" broke the silence before the hammer of gunfire erupted and the creature staggered backward and stumbled against the wall behind it. Frank finally saw its face and his heart dropped further into his icy stomach. Grey featureless flesh covered its entire skull, until a thin line that looked remarkably like a smile opened up dead center in what would have been the things face. He could see yellow and black teeth through the smirk which creased the creature's face for an impossible length. Then it opened, revealing rows and rows of hundreds of pointed teeth as it roared again over the gunfire. Its head looked like it would nearly come apart it opened so wide. At this point, Frank noticed that despite the sound of automatic gunfire and the signs of impact against the creature's flesh, no damage was happening except for the stray bullet striking the wall behind it. Then it leaped. He couldn't track the motion except for it hunching before it flew over the desk and into a hail of gunfire.

Sandra leaned over him then so her face was between Jorge's and his and she screamed, "RUN!"

She grabbed both of their hands and pulled them to their feet as she turned and headed towards the right hallway away from the chaos happening on the other side of the room. The leverage got Frank to a running start, and all three hit a sprinting pace by the time they were around the corner. His heart was pounding again. For the umpteenth time today, his life was hanging in the balance, but he couldn't feel calmer. His life may be in danger and he may have screwed up but he knew exactly what he had to do. The end of the hallway was his goal. Safety from another grisly violent death at the hands of another abomination. Screams erupting from behind him broke his train of thought.

Sandra looked over her shoulder at them and yelled, "I hope these doors lock from the administration side!"

Frank let a brief smile cross his face before another scream came from behind them. He swore he saw a smirk show up on hers before she turned back to look at the door at the end of the hallway.

Frank suppressed another wave of euphoria as he thought about how much further they had to go despite his screaming muscles. Another scream tore his attention from his body and the hallway and his thoughts. He looked over his shoulder and saw the creature standing at the end of the hallway. Its shoulders were thrown back and hands opened upward as it bellowed at them. Then it began its way down the hallway at them, its sickle-like talons clacking loudly and leaving bloody smears behind it.