The Dark Ages: Convergence (Prequel to the P.O.E. Chronicles)

Chapter 12 As above, so below

*The Montparnasse tower is in black*

Sneaking into the tower gives me a strange sense of deja vu. The security here can't compare to the facility in London, but this will be more difficult because I am planning to steal and escape unnoticed. The plan I have isn't very difficult, but it certainly isn't easy.

A lone guard appears and I have to applaud my luck, again. It seems the universe is smiling at me. I wait until he is close enough and far enough fro any potential surveillance before I act. I start to drag him over to where I am using his belt, and as soon as he's close enough, I focus on his rifle instead. He starts to struggle, but I quickly force the rifle upwards. The guard barely has the time to yelp before he's knocked out cold by his own weapon. I call that poetic justice.

Grabbing him by the vest he's wearing, I use my mind to drag him towards me and quickly start to undress him and pull the uniform over myself. The fact that they wear helmets is a bonus; it makes me less easily spotted as an outsider.

Leaving the man tied up and gagged under some plastic tarp, I resume his place and continue walking around the perimeter. It'd only appear as though I had gone to pee. Once I am far enough, I reach for the door and it opens without protest. This is a bit easy.

I hurry along the corridor, bare of any decoration and consist of bare concrete, knowing that my time has been on the count down as soon as I pull that guard out of his routine. I need to find a way to their medical ward, but first I must find out where it is.

The sound of incoming footsteps echoes around the corner and I resist the urge to flinch away or hide. The likelihood is that they won't raise an eyebrow at a passing guard. I keep my head down and my pace steady as the source of noise rounds the corner. I ca see two pairs of feet, clad in white canvas shoes.

"The medical wing needs to be disinfectant, bring a few people with you," one of them says and the other person replies quickly. Both of them are female, and they don't sound older than thirty. I continue to walk forward and strain my ears at the conversation. The girl who is suppose to go clean the room speaks and I can hear the humming of electrical white noises; she's using a walkie.

"Would those who are on duty meet me at the level wing medical wing," she says loud and clear, before the footsteps of someone turning back begins. With that piece of information, I speed up and round the corner. She's heading back, which means I am going the right way for the medical room.

Locating a flight of stairs not too far from the turn, I run towards it and hop up the stairs two at a time. I need to beat the girl and whoever she has called to the medical wing so I can plan my next step. Luckily for me, a huge number display on the stairwell let me know the floor number and I exit the door at a normal pace.

No one else is around, yet. I look around at the corridor that is identical to the ones below, hoping for a sign that points me to the direction. Instead, I smell the telltale scent. Disinfectant.

Following my nose, I head left and turn at the end and is immediately reward by the overwhelming stench of disinfectant. I head up to one of the doors and peek inside. Patient's room.

The sound of conversations drifts in and I know the cleaning crew is arriving. I peek into the third window and see what I came here for. Medicines.

Even though all of the medicines existing are expired, Winnie assured us that it's safe to take the ones that are still in solid form. While those ones are unlikely to cure Margot, some painkillers will do her a world of good. And whatever else I can find is always welcome.

Focusing on the lock, I feel around its mechanism and create a phantom key to unlock it. Slipping inside, I shut it quietly and kneel down on the ground against the door to avoid being spotted. I wait until the voices disappear before getting back up; I need to act fast and leave before they finish cleaning.