Sam glanced around the room, searching for an escape route. The shelves were too high, the boxes too heavy. He was trapped.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, trying to sound convincing. "I'm just a visitor. Mr. Richards gave me access."
The figure scoffed. "Mr. Richards doesn't know everything that goes on in this building. Especially on this floor. And you said his permission for access brought you specifically to this Storage room?"
Sam didn't know how to answer, and accidentally dropped the box. Suddenly, a loud alarm blared through the building, shattering the tense silence. The device might have been connected to a security alarm.
The figure flinched, its attention momentarily diverted.
Sam seized the opportunity. He lunged forward, knocking the figure off balance. The gun went off, the bullet whizzing past Sam's ear. He scrambled to his feet, adrenaline coursing through his veins.
He sprinted towards the door, pushing past the stunned figure. He burst into the hallway, the alarm echoing through the building.
Employees from that floor were staring in confusion, their robotic routines momentarily disrupted, while everyone else would have reacted normally to the alarm. It was clearly the subtle hum of the device that pulsed from the storage room, that was the source of their docile behaviour.
Sam didn't stop. He ran down a flight of stairs and reached the fifth floor. Just as he suspected, they were reacting normally to the alarm, with commotion, confusion and fear. He continued running, weaving through the maze of cubicles, ignoring the startled stares. He reached the elevator, the doors sliding open just as he arrived.
He pressed the button for the lobby, the doors closing behind him.
As the elevator descended, Sam's mind raced. He had to get out of the building, to warn Liam. He had evidence, the evidence of the mental manipulation, but he also had a dangerous enemy.
The elevator doors opened, and Sam stepped into the lobby, his eyes scanning the crowd. He spotted the security desk, the guards looking agitated. They might be trying to find out the cause of the alarm. He couldn't risk going that way.
He spotted a side exit, a door marked "Emergency Exit." He sprinted towards it, pushing through the crowd, and bursted through the door, finding himself in a narrow alleyway.
He didn't stop running. He needed to get away, to find Liam. He had to tell him what he had seen, what he had found.
As he ran, he felt a sense of dread, a feeling that he was being watched, that the shadow was closing in. And the faint hum of the mind control device still echoed in his mind, a lingering reminder of the control it was capable of exerting.
Meanwhile, back at their makeshift base of operations, Liam was pacing anxiously. Although he initially wanted to go with Sam, after careful consideration they decided that since it was a risky mission, having someone safe on the outside was better just in case things took a bad turn. He had tried to call Sam several times, but there was no answer. He knew that Sam was in a dangerous situation, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
He had spent the last few hours researching the company, trying to find any information that could help them. He had discovered that the company had a history of unusual activities, including suspicious shipping patterns and missing personnel. He had also found evidence of financial irregularities, suggesting that the company was involved in something more than just logistics and transportation.
He had gathered their limited arsenal of equipment, checking the weapons and ensuring that they were in working order. He had also studied the company's building layout, trying to identify potential entry and exit points.He couldn't shake the feeling of dread.
He was worried about Sam. He was worried about what they were up against. He was worried about the impending threshold event. He knew that they were running out of time.
He resolved that if Sam did not return within the hour, he would go to the company headquarters himself.
Just then, his phone rang. He snatched it up, his heart leaping into his throat. It was Sam.
"Liam, I'm out," Sam said, his voice breathless. "I found something. It's bad. I'm heading back to the base."
"What happened?" Liam asked, his voice filled with concern.
"I'll explain when I get there," Sam replied. "Just be ready. We need to move fast."
The call disconnected, and Liam felt a surge of relief mixed with a renewed sense of urgency. Sam was alive, but he sounded shaken. Whatever he had found, it was serious.
He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, his hand resting on the pistol tucked into his waistband. He needed to be ready for anything.
Meanwhile, Sam was racing through the city streets, his mind replaying the events in the company headquarters. The note with the date and time, the figure with the gun – it was all a blur of danger and discovery.
He reached their base, his body aching, his mind exhausted. He burst through the door, finding Liam waiting for him, his face etched with worry.
"I found it, Liam," Sam said, his voice hoarse. "I found the proof."
He showed Liam the note."This," Sam said, indicating the note, "is when they plan to use them."
Liam's eyes widened. "They're planning something big, something connected to the ritual. 31st October, isn't that the day after tomorrow?"
"Yes, it is." Sam replied, his voice laced with urgency. "We need to stop them," he continued, his voice now immediately filled with determination. "We need to find out what they're planning and how to stop it."
"But what else did you find?" Liam asked, his eyes searching Sam's face. "You said it was bad."
Sam took a deep breath, trying to organise his thoughts. "It's… it's a mind control device, Liam. I found it in a storage room on the sixth floor. That whole floor... it was different."
"Different how?" Liam asked, his voice low.
"Everyone was acting… robotic," Sam said, his voice strained. "Repetitive tasks, no eye contact, like they were trapped in a loop. And the plants, Liam, they were all artificial, perfectly identical. It was like a stage set."
"A stage set for what?" Liam asked, his brow furrowed.
"For control," Sam said, his voice grim. "The device… it emitted a low hum, a subtle energy. I felt it, Liam. A pressure, a tugging at my thoughts. It was trying to control me."
"How did you get it?" Liam asked, his voice filled with concern.
"I didn't," Sam said, shaking his head. "I found it in a box, but I dropped it. That's when the alarm went off. I think it was connected to the device somehow. Or a hidden camera. That whole floor was under surveillance."
"You dropped it?" Liam asked, his voice sharp. "That's how the alarm started?"
"Yeah," Sam said, his voice apologetic. "I was startled by a figure, a guard, I think. He had a gun. I tried to talk my way out of it, but it didn't work. I dropped the box and it triggered the alarm."
"What happened then?" Liam asked, his voice tense."I ran," Sam said, his voice tight. "I knocked him off balance, and I ran. He fired, but he missed. I went down the stairs, skipped the sixth floor, and took the elevator from the fifth. I made sure to leave through a side door."
"That floor, the sixth floor," Liam said, his voice thoughtful. "It's where they're keeping the controlled people, isn't it?"
"I think so," Sam said, his voice grim. "And the device… it's how they're doing it. It's how they're preparing for the threshold event."
"We need to find out what they're planning, Sam," Liam said, his voice filled with urgency. "We need to stop them."
"Yes. But we need to hurry and leave this place for now. There's a huge chance that they might be coming after me." Sam said. "Did you get everything ready?"
Liam nodded and said, "Absolutely. We can leave now."
"Let's go then," Sam suggested, "I continuously had a bad feeling on my way here."
Just then, Sam's phone buzzed with an incoming text. He snatched it up, his eyes widening as he read the message.
"It's from an unknown number," Sam said, his voice tight. "It says, 'Your time is up. The shadow claims what is his.'"
"As they stared at the message, a chilling realisation dawned on them. The shadow wasn't just a metaphor. It was a real, malevolent presence, and it was coming for them.
Suddenly, a series of rapid knocks echoed from the front door. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with dread.
"Who is it?" Liam whispered, his hand reaching for his weapon.
Before Sam could answer, a voice, distorted and inhuman, echoed from the other side of the door.
"Open the door," it said, its voice a chilling rasp. "We know you're in there."
The knocks grew louder, more insistent, as if the very door was being assaulted by an unseen force.