Tetra of The Fall

37 - Demon of the Factory Depot - Part 1

Tapping, calm and constant yet present in dense waves, the now pouring rain dripped off the corrugated, small jutting of shelter leading to the warehouse door. Clutching the security pass Alicia had so kindly forced to my palm, it was proving more and more difficult to shrug off the eerie feeling that beset the arterial courtyard of the Factory Depot.

It's as if I'm never alone...

"You will be entering the sight of another camera. I will shut it off in a moment" Alicia's voice crackled over the phone - now tucked at my own chest. An odd buzzing sensation would strike whenever she spoke - one that I was beginning to rather dislike.

"Wait there" She finalised, followed by audible tapping from her keyboard.

Tap! Ta-tap Tap-Tap!

With the crack of my neck, I slowed to a stand, obediently offering all the time she would need. Just as expected, the moment I'd left reception, playtime was over. An abrupt change in attitude beset our little duo - once an equivalent dance, now a state of master and apprentice.

The black dome of the security camera - buried in a dark corner - would be near impossible to see even in daylight. In fact, the short trip from reception to warehouse four had more than doubled in travel time due to similar concealments. Each and every emplacement - from shadow-like cameras to invisible sensors - was without a doubt placed as a result of trial and error. Every single defence in this facility was planted as a response to a successful attack, reinforcing over natural vulnerabilities to the point of impenetrability.

Impenetrable unless your name is Alicia Culgrim, apparently...

Ta-tap Tap!

"You are free to advance. ETA in three minutes" Alicia's voice rumbled once again.

A twinge of irritation struck at the back of my brain, forcing me to adjust while I walked. "This phone in the breasts thing sucks" I grumbled aloud.

A few muffled chuckles sounded from the other end.

"You get used to it, dearest Emirah. Though, perhaps it is best to offer a distraction?" Pitiless, she continued to audibly tap away.

Tap! Ta-tap! Tap!

"Yeah, well I can't exactly do that right now" I spoke with a hint of sarcasm and a roll of the eyes. For a top-tier caster at her level, sleuthing around in our ever-dangerous Factory Depot, her sense of calm despite her limited level of control happened to be more disconcerting than comforting.

"There is little reason to be alert from here. The defences are relatively low security" She began in response - not a single key press to be heard.

"Haa" A sigh of relief - the built up tension in my neck soon slacked with ease. Every break in the walls, every door frame and bend in the roof - I'd been watching carefully to be sure of my tracks. After all, 'leave no trace' was Alicia's first and most important order this night.

From my daylight visitations, the olive drab colour of each warehouse was knowingly unmistakable. Draavia had learned well from the coastal factory depot facilities. Each warehouse used to be coloured differently depending on their purpose, and had numerous symbols of identification to convey this. After a number of raids on the shoreline factory depots however, it became clear that this system - made to direct the staff - also happened to direct the enemy.

Now each warehouse within the depot was only differentiated by a single number - a white, painted-on symbol with no implications of what lay inside. In the darkness of the night - with the rain pouring hard - these buildings looked almost blackish - silhouettes devoid of meaning.