Talen

“And the others?”

“In the same area, there are some dormitory-type housing facilities. The scientists can stay there though those places haven’t been cleaned. The medical staff in our area and the rest will have to make do with whatever we can find.”

“Do you think it will be sufficient?” she asks.

“I think it’s all we have to offer,” the man in the lab coat says.

“I hope it’s enough. The last thing I need is people squabbling about who has better housing.”

The pair moves around the side of the generator and out of sight. Soon after, I hear the clang of a metal door closing.

“Are they gone?” Aerin asks quietly.

“I think so.”

“Did you hear all that?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“We’re going to have to get our stuff out of those rooms before they find us.”

“We should go back there now,” I say. “We don’t know when someone else will show up.”

“Shouldn’t we figure out where they went?” Aerin asks. “How many others are down here?”

“I don’t know. We could get caught if we go looking.”

“We could get caught going back to the rooms.”

“True.” I can’t argue with her logic, but I still don’t like the idea. Being inside a lighted area isn’t anything like my usual comfort zone in the dark, empty houses of Hilltop.

“Might as well find out what we can first.” Aerin starts moving before I can object.

Slowly and stealthily, we make our way back to the top of the catwalk and over to the large, metal door. From this angle, I can also see that the back wall isn’t a wall at all, but a pair of huge metal doors big enough to allow machinery through them.

We peer into a glass window in the door and see an empty corridor beyond. It’s all white and lime green, reminding me of the institution I was sent to for my alleged crimes. I can see a few doors on both sides of the hall before it meets a T-shaped intersection in the distance.

Aerin slowly turns the knob to open the door, and we slip inside, shutting the door slowly so it won’t make much noise. We head into the corridor, listening carefully for anyone who might be near.

I check a few doors, but the rooms are basically empty. In the middle of the hall, we find an alcove with two doors and a small water fountain. I peek into one of the doors.

“It’s just a bathroom,” I say quietly as I wink at Aerin. “Do you need to go?”

“I can wait,” she says with a soft snicker.

Just as I’m about to close the door, I glance up at a small box on the inside, bolted to the wall. It’s an emergency kit, complete with a flashlight. I smile to myself as I quietly remove the flashlight from its hook and shove it into one of my jacket pockets.

“Someone’s coming,” Aerin whispers.

We both duck into the alcove near the bathroom as the same man from the generator room enters the corridor and heads into the office directly across from us, carrying a clipboard. He leaves the door open as he hands the clipboard to the woman inside.

“This is the complete list,” he says. “The first page contains the people who are coming initially.”

“Does it include all their requirements and security clearance?”

“Yes. You should have everything you need.”

I lean my head to the side, glancing around the corner so I can see the woman a little better. Her long hair hangs in a braid down her back, and she has a stern, no-nonsense look as she checks out the paperwork he’s handed her. She’s wearing a casual, flowery top with long, puffy sleeves and looks at the clipboard through black-rimmed reading glasses.