The Skin Thief

Chapter 58

They try to scramble and get up, but I'm too fast. With the small size of the container, it takes me less than two steps until I'm on them again. The first one reaches for his radio. The second guard makes a move for his taser.

Everything happens in slow motion as I slam my fist into the first man's face before catching the wrist of the now-armed second guard. Just as he fires the little pins, I knock his wrist away before swinging my elbow into his face.

The two crumple, their eyes rolling back into their heads.

Silence fills the room, and I stare at their unconscious bodies. Quickly, I spin and close the door before returning to them.

Rummaging in my bag, I pull out the tape. It takes me less than a minute to strip them of their weapons and communication before I secure them to each other and the table with the tape. I do it tight, making sure that there is no chance of them being able to cut through it somehow once they wake. I also bind their mouths.

I take one of the radios and attach it to my body before spinning to the array of small screens on the opposite wall.

Every tiny square is filled with an image. I even see some of the other security guards walking past, still on patrol and none the wiser as to what happened in here.

Their rounds don't finish for another hour. No one will be here until then.

I hope.

Pulling the keyboard and mouse toward me, my shaking hands quickly slam away at the keys. I spent hours memorising the codes I would need to disable all but one of the cameras. I even practised typing it out on my own laptop over and over until I could practically do it with my eyes shut.

I look up just as multiple screens go black. Then, my eyes fall on the one that doesn't. For the first time, I see the spot where in less than an hour's time, I will be taking the shot that kills someone.

Spinning on my heels, I leave the security office, not allowing my thoughts to linger on that. Quickly, I make my way into the building after collecting the case with my weapon.

Avoiding the seven guards that are patrolling the area is easy enough. The building is so huge and dark that I'm able to slip up all the narrow, shadowy stairwells with relative ease.

Every now and then, I come close to one as they make their way up or down to patrol the next floor. I just hang back, holding my breath as I spot the flashing of their torches.

I crouch low, hiding behind a pillar as one walks past me. Their torchlight beams brightly off the cloudy plastic tarpaulin that hangs from the ceiling.

I gulp and bring my hand to my mouth to muffle my breathing as I watch their shadow pass only inches away from me.

My heart hammers in my chest so loudly, that I can feel my own pulse throbbing in my neck.

Then, they're gone.

I let out a small breath, and continue my journey up to the seventeenth floor. As I open the door, which creeks slightly, I look around at the dark, empty space.

The only thing in here is dusty concrete support beams and an array of building materials. Large stacks of wood rest against grey concrete walls. Huge window panes, which I assume are going to be for office walls, lay in another section.

The air is so thick with the smells of dust, and dirt that I have to clear my throat. A cool breeze flutters through the room, coming in through the large gaps where soon, there will be windows.

I walk over to a shadowy corner, nestled behind a pile of concrete bags, metal pipes, and a cement mixer. Plastic tarpaulin hangs over the empty window. Three, thick silver metal rails sit horizontally across the gaps, which I assume are there to protect any workers from falling should an accident occur.