“That would explain why the Makhai picked it. They only needed it for one night.” Sloane went straight for the back. It was very unlikely the Makhai were going to camp out on the other side of the building, which had been converted into a storefront some time ago, complete with large glass windows. No, if the Makhai were here, they would be on the other side of the wall, where the rest of the theater remained untouched. They reached a set of heavy metal doors. “Ash, help me out here.” Ash joined him, and Sloane took hold of one door while Ash took the other. “Lift and pull.” They did, and the doors opened. They exchanged glances.
“Well, that’s a good sign,” Ash murmured before returning to formation. Sloane motioned for them to follow, and he raised his rifle, keeping an eye out for any movement as they entered the makeshift alley. More scaffolding and an aluminum roof had been placed between the buildings, with heavy mesh and a string of lightbulbs. Sloane would hazard a guess that this was the entrance the demolition crew intended to use before they brought the whole thing down. To his left there was another set of double doors. This one wasn’t locked either. The hairs on the back of Sloane’s neck stood on end as he reached for the handle.
“What’s wrong?” Dex asked from behind him.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Something doesn’t feel right.” It wasn’t just the convenience of finding no locks on either set of doors. His gut was telling him something was off. He checked around the doors, the hinges, the frame, looking for any trip wires or any evidence of something suspicious, but he found nothing.
“Do you want to find another way in?” Dex asked.
Sloane shook his head. “Everyone, stand back.” Gripping the handle tight, he carefully inched the door open. Nothing. He opened it and motioned for Hobbs to come forward and check it out.
Hobbs stepped in, rifle at the ready. He quickly checked the area, his sharp eyes not missing anything. Hobbs knew exactly what to look for. He inspected the walls, the ceiling, the floor, checked the dust, the splintered boards, everywhere. He sniffed the air and then turned to Sloane, shaking his head.
“Okay.” Sloane nodded, and Hobbs rejoined the formation. “Area’s clear,” Sloane said, motioning for his team to follow. They headed through the dilapidated corridor, the walls plastered with old fliers and posters, the floor still littered with old ticket stubs and candy wrappers. Sloane held his rifle at the ready, his Therian vision helping him see into the shadows. He listened for any sounds that shouldn’t be there. So far there was no movement. They reached the door that led out into the orchestra level of the theater, and Sloane turned. He signaled for Ash, Letty, Hobbs, and Calvin to take the stairs up to the balcony level. If there was any trouble down below, he wanted his sniper up there with a full view of everything and everyone. Ash, Letty, and Hobbs would provide cover for Calvin, should he need it. The rest of the team would go in with Sloane.
The old blue doors had seen better days. They were rotting, the paint crackled and chipped. Pieces of the decorative molding had broken off over the years. Sloane took hold of one handle and motioned for Dex to take the other. He mouthed the words “on three,” and Dex nodded.
Sloane counted down on his fingers, and on three, they opened the doors with a loud creak. Sloane cringed, but there was no way around it. This place had been built in the twenties and abandoned decades ago. What was left of it was crumbling around them. Sloane quickly took the lead once more, and the rest of the team entered behind him and spread out into the orchestra pit filled with broken furniture, debris, and empty boxes. They each checked a section, making sure there was no one hiding behind the mountains of rubble and garbage. Each one of his teammates came back with the same reply. The area was clear.
“Sloane.”
Dex’s tone had Sloane running over, and he gently put his hand on Dex’s shoulder when he saw the weathered black leather bomber jacket hanging from the back of a bloodstained chair.
“That’s Tony’s,” Dex said, reaching out to take the jacket, then hesitating. There was a note sticking out of the front breast pocket. Dex pulled it out and opened it for them to read.
Predictable. Nice try. We’ll say hi to dad for you.
Dex crushed the paper in his hand. Before he could reply, Ash shouted from the balcony.
“Everybody out!”
Sloane grabbed the jacket and Dex. They turned to run as a boom shook the theater. Sloane’s eyes widened as the balcony popped up and for a moment, Ash, Calvin, Hobbs, and Letty were floating before everything came down.
“Ash!” Sloane took off, a cloud of dust smacking into him when the balcony hit the floor. Pieces of rubble flew out in different directions, chunks of plaster and wall. Sloane coughed and covered his nose and mouth with his arm as he walked through the fog. Somewhere behind him, he heard Cael shouting for Ash and the rest of the team calling to the others.
“Up here!” Ash coughed, and Sloane took a step back, looking up. As the dust began to settle, he could make out several hanging dark shadows. Dex, Cael, and Rosa stood beside Sloane. A tiny section of balcony remained, the chunk of concrete holding a row of chairs hung precariously from several steel rods that had bent downward but not broken. Ash was clutching one of the chairs, Letty wrapped around his waist and legs, and Calvin hanging by one arm from the strap of Ash’s rifle, which was thankfully strapped to Ash’s vest.
“Ethan!” Calvin called as he tried to get purchase.
“Fuck.” Sloane looked around. He’d seen a mattress somewhere around here. “There! Guys, grab that mattress and bring it over.” It was a mighty small target to hit if Calvin fell, but it was better than the jagged slabs of concrete. If anyone could make it, it’d be Calvin. As the rest of the team went for the mattress, Sloane kept his attention on Ash and the others.
Hobbs was in the doorway on solid ground, kneeling and quickly pulling out the grappling rope from his backpack. He secured it to himself, then around an exposed beam in the wall. He jerked on it, and seeming satisfied it would hold his weight, he turned, and as quickly as possible, rappelled down the wall to the hanging piece of balcony.
Dex, Cael, and Rosa returned with the mattress. They placed it where they thought Calvin would land. It wasn’t an exceptionally long way to fall, but with all the dangerous debris on the floor, it could cause some serious injury.
Hobbs placed a boot on the edge of the broken structure, and it shook. Ash cursed, and Calvin cried out, the pain from hanging from one arm jolting him. Hobbs pressed his lips together and shook his head. It wasn’t going to work. Ash looked up at Hobbs, and Hobbs motioned downward and made a swinging motion.
“Shit.” Sloane took a deep breath.
“What’s going on? What’s he going to do?” Dex asked.
“He’s going to come down fast and swing toward Ash. Ash is going to have to grab him on the first attempt and make sure he gets a good grip or they’re all coming down. The section they’re on won’t hold Hobbs’s weight, and there’s no time for me to get up there and get them down.” Dust was raining down from the chunk of balcony, and the crumbling sounds told him all he needed to know. Sloane held his breath, and Hobbs counted down on his fingers.
On three, Hobbs sped down the rope, and swung right, making sure he was lower so when Ash fell, he wouldn’t miss Hobbs. Gasps were heard all around as Ash and everyone hanging on to him fell. Ash latched on to Hobbs’s vest with both gloved hands. Everyone bounced and shouted, but they held on tight.
“Everyone okay?” Sloane called out.
“Peachy,” Ash replied with a growl. “Get us the fuck out of here, Hobbs.”