She did it—she must have called a vault box using the system! But how?
I didn’t think it was possible. Tutu’s staff had assured us that the systems used to call a block of vaults/boxes from the docking bays built deep underground went offline after hours, and they couldn’t be brought up without it.
Maybe she didn’t? It could be a light left on after hours…
I strained my ears, trying to catch any noise that would indicate Gisila or her hired hands were inside the room.
It sounded silent—but that was probably a measure of my hearing more than anything else as those viewing rooms were likely soundproofed.
I cast an uneasy glance around the loading station. Scaffolding edged the upper perimeter of the room, creating a makeshift second floor walkway that had clear guard stations, mounted cameras, and a few computers on it.
It was empty, and the giant door that normally rolled up into the ceiling to let blocks pass in and out was still in the down position. It didn’t look like it’d been recently moved.
There are armed guards behind that door—I remember that from the basic security brief Tutu’s offered us. There’s no way Gisila and her cronies would have been able to so noiselessly enter that the guards didn’t hear her. Since they aren’t out here, wouldn’t that mean she rolled through the door somehow and must have engaged them in a fight on the other side of the door?
I maintained my crouch and rested my right hand on my radio as I considered my options.
I could try investigating the scaffolding and see if there was any sign of the computer system being operational and online. I could check on the viewing room, or I could head back outside and wait for backup, while Gisila ran free and potentially armed herself with a very dangerous elf weapon.
I didn’t know enough about Tutu’s to make an educated call, and I was aware I was just desperate enough to make a bad decision.
The Curia Cloisters standard choice would be to leave…but if Gisila escapes, what will happen to Considine?
Considine would want me to leave—I could almost hear him calling me five different types of a fool for even standing here.
But I couldn’t do it.
I couldn’t leave if there was even a slight chance that my actions could free him.
I loved Considine. I might have been slow to realize it, but if Considine was my backup, I was his. I’d do whatever it took to get him back.
Once again keeping to the edge of the room—where I could keep my back to the wall and hopefully be less noticeable to any cronies Gisila had if they happened to look out, I made my way toward the viewing room.
I still couldn’t hear anything. But my heart was pounding so loud I heard it in my ears, so I probably wouldn’t have heard anything anyway.
When I reached the door I held my breath and lowered myself so my chest was pressed to the ground. (When hiding it was best to go as high or low as possible.)
Wiggle worming forward the last few inches was rough as I was still carrying my loaded handgun, but I managed.
I pressed my right eye against the narrow gap between the door and doorway and peered into the viewing room.
Gisila stood inside. She was so close to the door I got an eyeful of the texture of her black, steel-toed boots, and could see a loose thread that hung from her black sweater. Her purple hair was secured in a tight bun, and she was wearing black latex gloves, which she picked at as she stood in front of a massive vault that was easily the size of two trucks.
Yep, she called the block. Looks like she’s trying to open it, but hasn’t gotten it yet.
The vault door—a massive door that glowed with visible magic—was still shut. Hopefully it would hold out until backup arrived, but what really weirded me out was that she was alone.
I couldn’t see a single guard in the viewing room—although, admittedly, the vault took up almost every square inch of the floor plan.
I shifted, trying to look around the viewing room from a different angle. It was posh looking with hand painted, embossed wallpaper, and a set of red leather armchairs and a tufted, leather ottoman, but it was very much empty of any other life form besides Gisila.
She couldn’t have a secret army hiding behind the vault—it took up too much space and would have crushed anyone back there.
But Gisila alone was a major threat—particularly since we didn’t have Considine to shore up the squad’s firepower.
I took one last look at her.
She stood with her back to me, her stance relaxed. The magic script was still on the vault door—it must have been a potent spell for me to be able to physically see it.
