A Beautiful Nightmare (Leon Kennedy x OC) [BOOK 1]

Chapter 27: Restraining order

The inky blackness of the tunnel disappeared beyond the elevator glass just a few seconds before we came to a steady halt in front of a short hall. The metal at our feet seemed to be on a constant vibration as the facility continued to slip away.

The glass door opened, and Claire was the first one out as she kept Sherry close. Leon and I followed her into the narrow control room beyond the hall. It was a security room, with desks, chairs and dozens of monitors stacked so high along the right wall there was no chance any security guards had actually been able to see them properly. Each one showed a new angle of a different room, most of which I didn't recognize. A few of the ones closest showed the sewers, and the tremors ripping through the normally docile water. 

The room stretched onward, the ground painted in various lights from the screens until it ended at a single door at the far end. Claire barely glanced at the rest of the room as she towed Sherry toward the next door. Hopefully the nearest exit won't be as complicated as some of the other systems in this place.

'Self destruct countdown activated. Fifteen minutes until detonation. Please retreat to a safe distance.'

My eyes shot to the ceiling like I could somehow see that sickly feminine voice smiling down at us. Shit. Now we've really gotta move.

Claire's steps quickened as a stale alarm picked up, setting my heartbeat on a frantic beat. Where is the exit, and how far away is a safe distance? 

My feet came to a staggering halt as my eyes snagged on the word train scrawled in abysmal handwriting beneath one of the monitors, 'Level B4 - Train platform.'

That's our way out, If we needs to put distance between us and this place quickly that's the way to do it. 

"Mykie," Leon called stalling at the next door with a glowing 'Exit' sign posted, Claire and Sherry already a few paces past him.

My eyes scoured the monitors in the area, trying to memorize the layout and look for anything that could lead us in the right direction. So much of it looked the same, chrome with accents of stone and yellow. One of the monitors near the end showed a cargo elevator, with the label B3 beneath it. Maybe that's our best shot. 

I finally tore myself away from the monitors and hurried to the door, "There's a train on the lowest level," I said, falling into step beside him again as we moved through the door, "That's gotta be our ticket out."

Leon nodded, "Where?" 

"B4, there's a cargo elevator here somewhere that'll take us down." My eyes immediately went to Sherry, who was clutching Claire with one hand and the other wrapped around a gold pendant around her neck. She looked vacant in a way that made my already bleeding heart ache.

"We need to head lower and find the B3 lift," I said to Claire who gave me a single nod. 

The security room door left us on another platform, overlooking a large metal encased tunnel. I moved toward the railing, grabbing hold as the floors and ceiling began to rumble and a sprinkling of powdered rock rained down from above. 

Small bushels of fire clung to the edges of the cavern at various spots, leaking through doorways and gaps in the panels. The tunnel led downward at a staggering angle, lined with tracks that housed the B3 cargo lift the next level down. "There." Leon and Claire moved close, glancing down to where I was pointing. 

"That was easy," Leon said.

"Don't say that, you're going to hex us," I scolded, turning back to the platform and the door beyond.

Another explosion boomed farther down the cavern, rocking the structure beneath us with added vigor. Sherry whimpered before the shaking scaled back to it's standard jostling vibration. I  stole a glance back at Leon, brows lowered.