The Serpent's Kiss

92

When Kevin Matsumoto disappeared around a corner marked Palace Employees Only, Michael Church picked up his pace. It was a door with a card reader as a lock and it was just swinging shut. Michael lunged forward, catching the knob just before the door clicked shut. As he did, the hand holding his cell phone slammed against the concrete block wall with the sound of breaking plastic.

He sucked in air, blood rushing in his ears. He glanced at his phone. The little screen was shattered. Michael thumbed the power button. Nothing. Oh shit! He tapped the button again, shook the phone. Nothing.

He glanced around, shook his head, clipped the phone to his belt and slipped through the door, allowing it to close behind him. He was in a long, narrow corridor. At the end of the corridor were two doors. One said Engineering. The other said Deck.

Michael jogged down the hallway, his footsteps a muffled thudding echo on the tiled floor, and studied the doors. With a shrug, he opened the door marked Engineering. He stepped through and realized he was in the power plant for the facility, some sort of trunk line for all the heating and cooling ducts, the furnaces and air conditioning units. It looked to be a large room jammed with equipment. It was hot and noisy, the roar of the machinery deafening. It was also empty.

He stepped back out and gripped the knob to the door marked Deck. What the hell, he thought, and stepped through.

There was a stairwell marching upwards. Trying to still his beating heart, Michael listened carefully. High above him he could hear footsteps. It had to be Kevin Matsumoto.

What was he supposed to do? His phone was busted, nobody knew where he was. He looked at his watch and saw it was 7:54. Only six minutes left.

Michael rushed up the stairs.