TERRA EMPIRE: ON THE EVE OF WORLD WAR
Episode 23: THE SECRET ROOM ON THE FOURTH FLOOR
“You sure this is the right place?” Jordan cringing.
Lana nodded, “There is nowhere truer than this for us to hide.”
The girl picked up a large bucket from inside an old cupboard, placed it on the floor right in the middle of the room, climbed onto the top of the iron bucket, which was, then tiptoe while extending his hand to open the ceiling window that turns out to be hiding a ladder.
The folding ladder slid out as soon as the window opened, becoming a kind of link that allowed people to climb up there. Jordan looked in amazement, “Wow, what ladder is this?”
“Fine, later you will know.”
Jordan shakes, “Women first.”
“You sure you can fold it after we're on top?” Lana said with a doubtful expression.
“Originally we don't forget to pull the rope, right?”
“Do not forget to get rid of the bucket..” Lana sighed then climbed the stairs first as Jordan insisted on going up later.
After Lana passed the threshold of the open ceiling window, Jordan put the bucket back into its original place and climbed the stairs as soon as she started to hear the footsteps of people running outside approaching the place.
Once past the threshold of the ceiling window, he found the room smelling musty, dusty, and narrow but still able to fit them both. The room seems to be used to fix something connected to the ceiling, perhaps an air duct or water pipe, but only temporary, which is visible from the wooden walls where the place can be turned off at any time if later it has been moved to a more adequate point.
Lana steps aside to make room for Jordan to get into the room. Jordan raised his leg after pulling the ladder until it folded and closed the window lid as before. In order to fit in the room, both must sit together with their legs bent until they are attached to the chest. Jordan turned to Lana with a crush, “Sorry yes if you are so hard to move.”
“What should be how else?” Lana sneered with a wry smile. “Now shut up. At any time they can get in here.”
The narrow room was not completely soundproof, both could still hear the impact and pounding in the nearby rooms. Presumably the thugs combed through the room one by one, with details, to make sure Jordan and Lana could not escape. Ringing the alarm has stopped, it seems that the****** have found the source of the button that activates the alarm in the storage room of the found items and now turn it off.
The tension of the two teenagers hiding in the ceiling cubicle of the room increased once the pantry door was opened. From between the window grilles they could peek at how******** the masked was sneaking in the doorway with the rifles on standby. The person did not hurry, setting his gaze sweeping the room, before then approaching the tool cabinet and opening it.
The bucket that Jordan returned before going up to the ceiling window slid out as soon as the cupboard opened, the sound of which flashed after falling onto the tile, the, which of course attracts the attention of the person's friends to come to the cleaning tool storage room. Lana turned her head towards Jordan, giving a slightly blame expression, as the bucket was not placed properly. Jordan just grinned while shrugging his shoulders.
“It's okay,” the guy kicked the bucket in annoyance. “This room is empty.”
“In the next room is also the same,” said his friend.
“The two boys are fast once running.”
“We also did not find both in the storage space. But I have turned off the alarm button that turned out to be activated from there,” heard a third voice joining the other two people.
“Then how can those damn kids just disappear?”
“Entaih! This is the last room on this floor, isn't it?”
“Nothing else as I see.”
“You mean we lost those kids like we lost the President and his people?”
Lana and Jordan looked at each other when they heard that, both of them holding their breath in tension. So it's true that they don't think those people came to this place to rob. With advanced weapons like the ones they are holding, of course, killing the number one person in America is a more appropriate reason. And it's no surprise to have to kill a security guard who caught one of his men wandering the fourth floor.
“You must hate to hear this but we lost Mahmoudo too,” another voice interrupts all three.
“What do you mean?” the first person's voice sounded shocked. “He died?”
“Killed shot in the neck. I think it was a security shootout that also died in that storage room.”
“Forget those jerks. We have more important work.”
“You want to let any eyewitnesses live?”
“They are just kids. None of them saw our faces. There's nothing they can prove and no adult wants to hear the children's talk.”
“He's right! At the moment they may be hiding in fear, while we lose a lot of time looking for the main target.”
“Kurasa. It's free to look for the damn boys, even though I want to punch the person responsible for slamming the emergency stairway door into my nose,” the other guy chimed in an angry tone.
“OK, then we continue the search to the fifth floor.”
***
Oxville Street was filled with siren screams of three police cars passing at a speed craze followed by an amphibious truck bearing SWAT which also flashed a dazzling red and white light from the siren lights on top of the vehicle. The siren light also tore the dark of the night, accompanying the floodlights on the front that swept the streets so that the driver can determine the direction taken properly.
The four vehicles moved quickly from a nearby police post after receiving a distress code from the Machina Factory security alarm. The company is one of San Francisco's most influential companies, a city's valuable asset that provides citizens with ample workspace and also financial support for senate activities. No wonder the Mayor himself ordered the police to keep the security of Machina Factory as the number one priority.
It is therefore not surprising that within ten minutes, the four vehicles entered the main gate and parked in the courtyard of Machina Factory. Ten men pulled out of the SWAT truck, while six others from the SFPD, joined the Machina Factory security service. The Lieutenant Police met the Chief Security Officer who was also in the yard to ask for an overview of the situation inside the factory.
“You said the President is in there?” the police lieutenant was surprised not to play after hearing the whole condition of the man in front of him. This attack was much more serious than he thought.
“On invitation Mr. Junior tramp,” replied the Chief Security Officer.
“How about Secret Service? They must be there right now.”
“Our observation through the camera, the criminals have finished almost everything.”
“So far we have not received a ransom request, either because the ******* did want to kill the President without bothering to think about the ransom or the President managed to escape.”
“During *************** it still lives in the building, most likely the President is still alive,” said the Head of Security. “They will definitely run away if they don't want a ransom, right?”
“Good thinking,” praise the Lieutenant. “Then, wherever possible we immediately enter and secure the building.”
“That's what we're working on before you guys come.
The police looked in the direction they were pointing to, not far from where they were dozens of security officers busy carrying some of his seriously injured friends. It was worth it that there was some kind of commotion before he and the other police arrived at this place, apparently the Chief Security Officer ordered his men to storm into the building, and as a result they were completely slaughtered by the****** who were more experienced in combat…
“You shouldn't act that stupid, Chief!” comments of the Lieutenant. “You endanger your own men.”
“I leave the rest to you, Lieutenant!” the Chief Security Officer said.
“Do not worry,” the Lieutenant nodded. “We will finish it soon.”
The Head of Security Machina Factory also gave orders to his men through a communication tool, “Earning the children to retreat. SWAT team is here.”
“Yes, sir!” sahut his men from the communication tool.
“Good, Lieutenant Mills. What are we going to do now?”
“Is there a communication channel to the building so that I can communicate with the ******** that? I have to make sure the President is safe first.”.
***
