She Picks the Lock

After several long minutes Lea looks over at you and says “Okay, it’s open.”

Nodding, you point your gun at the closed door while Lea prepares to open it. Quickly she opens the door revealing the darkened hallway on the other side, and the odor of rotting meat wafts to you.

“Oh man, I knew it.” Gwen complains.

“Hopefully it doesn’t get any worse.” You say, taking out a flash light and moving into the darkened hallway.

Clicking it on you send the beam down the hallway into a small darkened room. From the door way you can see the end of a desk with a monitor on it, also in the beams you can see flies indicating that the body is in the room.

“I’ll go first.” You say, moving down the hallway.

You go down the short hallway the odor gets stronger as it opens up you see what’s obviously a security desk. On the desk you see several clipboards against a filing cabinet you see a chair and in the chair is a body. He was apparently the security guard, ‘Mo’ was his name according to his nametag. Looking from the pistol in his lap you see a darkened stain on the wall behind him and the top of his skull is gone, telling you he killed himself.

Looking back, you nod at the ladies and they come inside closing the door behind them locking you in with Mo. Reaching down you take the pistol he’ll no loner need, and hand it to Aimee.

“Eeeeewwwwww.” Gwen says, looking at the corpse.

“Let me get his gun belt, and we’ll go upstairs.” You say trying not to gag.

Ignoring the flies, you undo the gun belt, removing it from Mo’s waist and putting it over your shoulder you go to a closed interior door leading to the rest of the building. Cracking the door you see some light but are unable to see the rest of the room. Opening the door wider, reveals another horror to the many you’ve seen since the plague broke out.

Suspended upside down from the ceiling you see three bodies who look to have been dead for at least four days. Beneath each body you see a pail full of thick coagulated blood a fourth body riddled with bullets lies on the other side of the room.

“Oh my God.” Aimee and Gwen whisper, as you shake your head at the useless brutality.

“That could have been me” You think out loud.

Looking around you see some elevators and you see another closed door marked emergency stairs.

“Let’s head upstairs.” you tell them, breaking the moment.

Shakily the girls nod, and as a unit you go to the stairs. Opening the door, you move into the stairwell fleeing from the cloying odor. Flashing you light up the well you don’t see anything and you move up the stairs. You move you the stairs to the top floor and you pause for a minute.

“Ok I’m going to scout out the floor, you three wait here. If I’m not back in 5 minutes something’s wrong.” You whisper.

“You shouldn’t go by yourself Alex.” Lea whispers, Gwen and Aimee agree.
“Okay I’ll take Gwen with me.” You say, surrendering to there argument.

Gwen nods and exchanges the Rifle for Aimee’s handgun, and quietly the two of you slip into the hallway. As the door closes behind you and Gwen, you stare into the darkened hallway your senses straining for input. Quickly you can make out some very muted light indicating that some of the doors open. Amazingly enough you don’t smell any **** and that leaves you with some hope.

Quickly you and Gwen start searching the floor, going from door to door several doors were locked, quickly you decide to save those for later probably have bodies inside you decide. The three open door you come too the apartments are empty, with a quick look you see dressers are thrown open with clothing strewn about the bedrooms. After talking it over, you and Gwen decide that these people probably tried to flee the plague. Comming to the last door on this side of the floor, which you believe will give you the best view of the compound and try the door its unlocked. Before you can open it Gwen leans over to you.

“Its almost five minutes.” Gwen whispers, her hot breath tickling your neck.

“Go get them, and ill check this last apartment.” You whisper back to her.

With a quick nod Gwen starts back to the stairwell and you twist the doornob to the apartment.