Graverobber and Shiloh flew down the stairs towards the first floor. Graverobber had anticipated them heading for the same entrance as before, but Shiloh made her way quickly for the fireplace. "What are you doing?"
"In here," she instructed as she flipped a switch and the fireplace swung open to reveal a hidden room. Graverobber quickly entered the new room. He looked around at all of the medical tools, tables, and leaning instruments. It didn't take long for him to realize where he stood.
The hidden door slammed shut with a loud boom, making Graverobber jump. The sound would give anyone who listened to it an overwhelming feeling of dread and doom. There was a smell of old blood and sterilization in the air, the lingering feeling of horror and pain. As his' eyes digested the scene of his' new surroundings, he knew he's been thrown into the belly of the beast. The surgical room looked exactly as Graverobber had always imagined. There was everything a skilled Repo Man would need: a table with restraints to hold his' victims, hanging instruments for his' various uses, weighing and storage machines in order to keep GeneCo's products in good condition, and a cleaning station. A jacket and mask hung eerily still in the stall, as if waiting for its master to come home.
"Where is he?" a familiar high-pitched voice screeched from the other side of the entrance. Graverobber had become so engrossed with his' surroundings; he'd almost forgotten the reason for his' visit. Moving quickly to stand near the door, he pressed his' ear against the cold wall to be able to hear the conversation. "Where is he, Shiloh?"
"I have no idea who you are talking about, Amber." Shiloh's voice sounded calm and in-control. Graverobber could picture the scene in his' mind. Shiloh would be standing before the shrill harpy with a puzzled look on her face and her hands gently folded in front of her.
"Graverobber, you moron. I know he's here," Amber said accusingly.
"Why would he be here?'
"I saw him on the security camera going into your mother's tomb."
"Then, he should be there, not here." Graverobber grinned. Shiloh's comment would no doubt irritate Amber, who hated it when people treated her like an idiot. Being the head honcho of GeneCo meant you had to be smart and, on some level, business savvy. As long as Amber maintained her position running GeneCo, people would no longer see her as the surgery-addicted, spoiled brat she once was.
"We checked. He's not there," Amber said in a frustrated tone.
"Then, I have no idea where he could be."
"Oh, I think you do." Amber snapped her fingers, and Graverobber heard several footsteps all at once. No doubt Amber had not come without several police men.
"Search the house." He listened as the feet trampled about the house. Then, the sound of overly priced high heels clocked closer towards him. Amber's voice became louder, letting him know she now stood only a few feet away from her intended target.
"I still don't see what was so special about her," Amber sneered. No doubt she was referring to the portrait of Shiloh's mom that hung above the mantel. "She's not that pretty."
Graverobber gave a soft scoff. At least she's not walking plastic, Barbie. There were several things that people had discovered about Marni, the infamous woman the whole feud had been over. She had been a kind, simple woman with a voice that was only surpassed by the late, great Blind Mag. Mad had been introduced to GeneCo by Marni, and through her friend's persuasion of the owner and founder had been given the eyes of the future. It had only been after Marni's betrayal of Rotti with Nathan that the GeneCo master had demanded payment for his' once generous gift by enslaving Mag's voice.
"She was a good woman," Shiloh defended as she too moved closer to the fireplace.
"Not good enough for my father," snapped Amber.
"Neither, I hear was your mother." Graverobber would have given anything to seen Amber's face. Not many people knew anything about Rotti's only wife. Her name no longer seemed important for anyone to remember now a day. Rotti had married her shortly after Nathan and Marni's wedding, to which he'd, attended. She had been a senator's daughter, and through his' connection to her father, Rotti got most of his' bills passed, keeping repossession of GeneCo's products legal. After giving him three useless heirs, she had become ill and died. Rotti put up the front of trying to save his' "beloved wife's life," but most people suspected her care was anything but that. Everyone was kept away from her, even their children, for fear of spreading whatever she'd contracted.
"Don't get all high and mighty on me, Wallace. You forget who you're talking to."
"Oh, no, I haven't. You're Amber Sweets, President of GeneCo and daughter of GeneCo's founder, Rotti Largo."
"That's right," Amber said with a smugness in her tone that could only be achieved by a lifetime of being the rich, spoiled brat to a very powerful tyrant. Graverobber hadn't expected Shiloh to say anymore, but then he heard the sounds of Shiloh moving closer, more than likely to stand toe to toe with Amber. Shiloh's bravery was making him nervous, but the nest words that came out of his savior's mouth were both bold and startling.
"Now, don't forget who I am, Sweets. I'm Shiloh Wallace, daughter of Nathan and Marni Wallace, and the current owner of GeneCo."
Graverobber pulled his' ear away from the cold wall and stared at it curiously. Had he heard that right? Did Shiloh still own GeneCo? The papers had reported that she'd walked away from GeneCo shortly after the fatal Genetic Opera in which all had been revealed. Naturally, everyone assumed that when Amber took over the control of the company she had taken complete control. Had everyone been mistaken? The idea of the highly powerful Amber having to answer to lowly Shiloh was comical to Graverobber. It made a smirk cross his' lips. When he and amber made up from this little spat, he'd have to let her knew that he'd acquired this juicy bit of information.
"Damn you, Shiloh," Amber screeched as her heels began to clip-clop across the room as she steadily paced. "It's not fair. GeneCo should have been mine. I was Rotti's daughter, not you."
"I know that, Amber. I loved my father and wanted nothing to do with running the company that made him into a murderer." Shiloh's words were deep, and showed the level of contempt she held for the evil corporation. That was something Graverobber noticed they had in common. Both held anger for the business that spurned them and ruined their lives. So, why did she still own the company that she hated? As if he'd said his' question out loud, Shiloh offered an explanation. "The only reason I've kept control of the company is so I can be left in peace to do what I would like to do and keep my home. The company is yours to run."
"You know," Amber's tone changed to her usual purr that she'd use to try to convince someone to give into her way. Amber had tried it many times on him, so Graverobber knew better than to listen to it. "If you give me complete control of GeneCo, I could personally guarantee you anything you'd want or need. I'd even throw in some free surgeries for anything you'd like. Have you ever thought about going blonde?"
"No thanks, Amber," Shiloh said in an uninterested tone. Graverobber smiled. Now, he understood why Shiloh had become so confident and challenging to Amber. As long as she maintained ownership of GeneCo, Shiloh had Amber over a barrel. "Besides, I agreed when I'd let you take up President of GeneCo, that you could runt it however you wanted to, but in return you'd do the same."
"I remember."
"Right now, I think you've forgotten. Otherwise, you'd not have your goon squad searching my house for someone who's not here." Shiloh emphasized her point. Amber was taking a huge risk by looking in Shiloh's home for him, whether she realize it or not. Just then, the stammering of footsteps came down the stairs and landed on the first floor.
"We can't find him," a man's voice offered in an authority tone. There was silence, which made Graverobber nervous, before someone finally spoke.
"Let's go," amber ordered. The herd stampeded their way out the door before Amber's clips joined them. "You'll be sure to let me know if you see him."
"I will." Graverobber listened carefully as he heard Shiloh's skirts swish across the floor, and the front door locks click into place. When he heard the sounds of Shiloh getting closer, Graverobber quickly moved away from the wall and lay out on the surgery table like he'd been relaxing there the entire time. The faux wall opened up, and Shiloh made her way into the room, smiling at the man who so causally lay where many others had been vivisected.
