Ellyssa shook her hand and stepped aside so Woody could do the same.
“Please, have a seat.” Mary indicated to the only two chairs. “There are only a couple of transfer papers to fill out, then I’ll send you to your shift managers to report for duty.”
Ellyssa smiled. “Thank you.” She took the seat next to Woody.
Mary eyed Woody’s backpack. “After you report to the crew leader, you can diposit your bag in the staff break room. He’ll show you where it is.”
Woody’s hand tightened on the strap, but he offered a genuine smile. “Thank you.”
“I’m afraid there won’t be time for introductions or a tour today. Inspections are being conducted in the morning, and it rests upon us evening workers to make sure everything is spic and span and running tightly.”
“That is fine. I prefer just to get started,” Ellyssa said.
“An eager beaver. I like that.”
Ellyssa and Woody wrote down the memorized information Leland had provided them without faltering. When they were done, Mary handed them their assignments. Ellyssa was to report to Mr. Baker on the second floor, Woody to Mr. Smith on L2, one level below them.
Leland was a genius.
“I do apologize that I’m unable to accompany you. But, as I stated, busy, busy, busy.”
“Maybe tomorrow, then,” said Woody, his tone suggestive.
The supervisor’s smile widened. “Of course. It would be my pleasure.”
Less than five minutes later, they walked back toward the elevators.
“Nice touch,” whispered Ellyssa. “You ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Ellyssa pushed the up arrow and the doors slid open. She moved to enter the compartment, but Woody grabbed her wrist. When she faced him, he moved his hand to cup her cheek, his thumb smoothing away the worry. She closed her eyes, enjoying his touch. Soothing.
“Please, be careful,” Woody said.
Lifting on her toes, Ellyssa placed a quick kiss on his cheek. “You be careful.”
“One hour.”
“One hour,” she promised, stepping into the elevator.
The doors snicked shut.
42
Ellyssa picked up a cleaning cart and strolled down the walkway, between partitions that separated six offices. It was an easy one-person task, but her assigned supervisor, Mr. Baker, kept following her, with his arms crossed over his chest.
“I understand your directions,” Ellyssa said, hoping her voice didn’t carry the irritated tension she felt. She pushed the cart over to a desk. “My previous employment was also cleaning.” She picked up a wastebasket and dumped the contents into the larger bin fastened to the end of her cart.
Mr. Baker smiled, flashing white teeth. “I have no doubt of your abilities,” he stated, but made no move to leave. His eyes followed her as she moved from desk to desk. He grinned, and his tongue kept darting out, wetting his lips.
What was he doing?
Without further hesitation, she read his intentions as clearly as if he’d said them. He found her attractive and was trying to get up the nerve for small talk.
Great!
The supervisor’s choices were limited. He’d have to pick up on her hint, or she’d have to dispose of him.
Ellyssa hoped he’d make the right decision. She straightened and faced him. “I have a boyfriend,” she announced.
The smile disappeared. “Oh?”
It wasn’t really a question, and she didn’t bother answering.
Glancing at his watch, Mr. Baker said, “Well…I need to go upstairs. I’ll be back down in a few, and I’ll check on your progress then.”
“As you wish.”
Much to her relief, he left.
Ellyssa checked her watch. Ten minutes wasted. Time was ticking away. She left the cart next to the restroom and headed for the stairwell.
Stairs would only get her so far. The research labs and experiment rooms where she needed to go were below her and completely self-contained, like a separate entity from the main building, accessible by only one elevator, and that connected to Dr. Hirch’s office and to her old living quarters on the top floors. No ordinary personnel were ever allowed, Top Secret security clearance only.
She descended, slowly at first; but as she took step after step, her pace increased. The tap, tap, tap of her rubber soles meeting linoleum echoed through the enclosed well. The sound wasn’t loud, but it was loud enough to make her uneasy and create a desire to look over her shoulder.
She stepped onto the platform of the main floor and rounded the corner to the basement.
“Excuse me,” said a deep voice.
Her heart leapt. No time.
Breathing in, she turned to face a tall, muscular man wearing a grey uniform. Static from the handheld radio secured to his utility belt squawked. Relief swept through her as she realized he was just a security guard, and not a trained Kripo.
“May I help you?” she asked, her voice higher than usual.
“I’ve never seen you before.”
“I am new.”
“May I see your identification?”
“Of course.” She handed him her fake credentials.
“The stairwell is off-limits during evening hours,” he stated, eyes flicking from her to the card, “Miss Keller.”
“Sorry. I wasn’t informed.”
“May I ask what you’re doing?”
“I was…going to the main floor. I left my bag there.”
“Why didn’t you take the elevator?”
Ellyssa felt the seconds slipping away. Anger bubbled. Sliding into her soldier state, she dissolved all of her emotions and met the guard’s eyes with a steady gaze. Fear registered on his face, and he blinked.
“I decided to take the stairs,” she said, deadpan.
He frowned at her sudden change. “Who is your crew leader?” he asked.
“Mr. Baker.”
The guard hesitated, as if he was unsure of his next action. “I think you should come with me,” he said, his hand moving toward the radio.
“I am sorry, but I do not think so.”
Ellyssa took a step, whirled around, and side-kicked him in the stomach. The guard folded at the waist as a rush of air expelled from his lungs. While he was bent over, she brought her knee up; his whole body lifted with the force of impact, then he went down. Blood spurted from his nose. His eyes and mouth widened in disbelief.
Grabbing him by the lapels, Ellyssa pulled him up and threw him against the wall. A sickening thump sounded when his head bounced.
Ellyssa’s new self yelled at her to stop, but she couldn’t. The danger he posed was too great. One life to save many. To save Rein and Woody. She walked toward him, her movements cold, calculating. She took his head in her hands and twisted, efficiently. His neck snapped as easily as a twig, and made the same sound. She released him, and he crumpled to the floor. No longer breathing, he was only a lifeless, grey-clad lump.
She stepped over him, grabbed her card off the floor, and then flew down the remaining flights of stairs.
43
Ellyssa bolted out of the stairwell onto L2, directly into an empty room. She edged to the doorway. A short way down the hall were closed metal double doors marked, Engineering-No Unauthorized Personnel. Clicking gears and whooshing hydraulics emitted from behind the closed door.
Woody’s assigned area.
She glanced at the moving hands ticking away on her wrist. She retreated to the far corner. Her mind cleared and she searched for Woody. The whispering thoughts of strangers dulled to a mild hum.
Woody was easy to find, his signature familiar and loud. Ellyssa felt his anxiety, his fear. From what she could determine, he stood just on the other side of the door. His eyes darted around, focusing on the other workers. He fumbled with a wrench. His gaze moved down. At the foot of a beam, his bag lay jammed beneath a plate of metal. A strap poked out. He shoved it under the plate with the toe of his boot.