The spy gently bobbed her head to the tune of Black Sabbath's "Sabbra Cadabra" as the elevator continued on its journey. It might seem odd that she was listening to music while on a mission, yet it was something that helped her concentrate on the task at hand. Nothing like a good dose of endorphins to get the mind primed and alert.

The elevator came to a halt. Tanya opened her eyes and looked at the shaft wall adjacent to her, a slightly faded thirty-one visible on its surface. That meant that the elevator had stopped exactly on the thirtieth floor, the floor she was headed for. Frowning slightly at her unexpected luck, she placed one hand on the elevator's surface to steady herself and used her other hand to remove her headphones.

As she listened to the doors opening, a metallic clang suddenly ringed in her ears. Turning towards the source of the sound, she gasped slightly when she saw a large knife protruding from the elevator roof hatch, the blade lodged dangerously between her second and third fingers. The knife was retracted just as suddenly, and Tanya pulled her hand back, inspecting it for injuries as the doors closed once more.

Curious, she pulled out one of her pistols and held it aimed down the hatch as she yanked it open. What she saw was far removed from what she had expected. The elevator was filled with the bloody corpses of three labcoated men, the crimson liquid spreading across the floor and seeping into their clothing. Grimacing slightly, she holstered her weapon and closed the hatch. She was not the only person infiltrating this facility.

She gave a slight start as the elevator was called from below and began descending. Tanya knew she only had moments to react, so she leaped at the shaft wall, latching onto metallic ladder embedded in its surface. Looking down at her feet, she saw the air vent leading onto the thirtieth floor. Giving it a few kicks, she managed to break open the cover. Descending a few steps down the ladder, she reached for the vent and pulled herself in.

It was only a matter of minutes before the dead bodies were discovered.

__________________

[ My Alter Egos ][ The Sixth Architect ][ Circumstancial Inspirations ]
[ Innocence proves nothing • Burn the heretic • Kill the mutant • Purge the unclean ]
[ Rest in peace, Duke]