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Chapter 22: Maniac Man

Gar glanced at the computer screen in the security office on sub-level 22. This was the most boring part of the job. During the day, the Centre employed normal security people to watch the cameras and take care of security matters. But it seemed that these people weren't trusted after dark. So the Centre turned to the sweepers for watching the cameras. It was the most boring job in the world.

Gar glanced over at Sam, his partner for the night. Sam looked just as bored as Gar felt. Gar glanced back at the cameras, saw nothing of interest, and turned to face Sam. He ran a hand through his snow-white hair.

"It's so quite here that I could hear a gnat moving if it decided to." He said with a shake of his head. Sam smiled.

"Well, better boring than exciting, if you ask me. I mean, who would want to go chasing someone through those dark halls? And have you ever seen what they keep down there?" Sam asked, eyes wide. Gar gave him a thoughtful look. Even the sweepers were not privileged to know about all the crazy things that went on in the bowls of the Centre. And if truth be told, Gar didn't want to know.

"You have a…"

"JJJJAAARRROOODDD!" The figure on one of security screens screamed at the top of his lungs. "JJJAAARRROOODD!" Gar and Sam jumped about five feet each and Gar nearly spilled the coffee that was sitting on the console.

"Who's that maniac?" Sam stuttered, already reaching for his gun.

"And how did he get inside the Centre?" Gar responded, grabbing his gun and turning off the safety. Sam was already half-way out the door and Gar glanced at the screen.

"He's on sub-level 14." He shouted at Sam, who was running down the hallway for the elevator. Gar followed, silently cursing. How did that maniac get inside the building? They had all the entrances covered. Following Sam into the elevator, he slapped the sub-level 14 button and finished getting his gun ready.

"Well, you were the one who asked for the excitement." Sam commented as they climbed higher.

"Shut up." Gar muttered, as the doors opened. Both sweepers raced out and started their search for the maniac who had disturbed their night.

Neither had noticed the shadow outside the security room nor the fact that it had entered the room as soon as they had left.

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Sydney glanced one more time out the door and then hurriedly sat down. He didn't have much time. Angelo could only hold them off for so long and then they'd be coming back here. Gar and Sam; Sydney had recognized them as they had run out. Two of the most dedicated sweepers at the Centre, besides Willy. He found it odd that they had not been commissioned to follow Miss Parker to Jarod's house. But that was not important at the moment.

Sydney started clicking away at the console. He needed to deactivate the cameras for sub-level 26. The control panel on the computer popped up and he entered his access code. The computer beeped and he found himself looking at options upon options. They'd know in the morning that it was him who had deactivated the cameras. And then they would come searching for him. It didn't matter. Sydney was planning on turning in his resignation anyway.

He clicked a few more buttons and three of the screens went black. He quickly replaced them with images from another sub-level. Reaching over, he flipped another switch which he hoped would lock the sweepers out of the control panel. You would need an access code to open it and they didn't have it. Sydney was about to close out of the controls when he saw something that caught his attention.

It was the camera control for another sub-level: sub-level 27. He shook his head, thinking that he was seeing things. But, no, it was right there. Tentatively, Sydney clicked the button. A warning beeped came from the computer and he was asked to type in a security code. He hesitated and then shut the computer program off. Now was not the time to be digging up more of the Centre's secrets. It would half to wait until he met up with others.

Turning off the control panel and making sure everything was the way it had been before he entered, Sydney left the security room. He walked down the hall and toward the elevators. He didn't have much time. Miss Parker and Broots had probably already made it past the grate. He just hoped Angelo would make it down there safely as well.

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Angelo grinned to himself as he slipped silently into the ventilation shaft. He pulled the metal grating closed and watched as the two sweepers shined flashlights down the hall. They would never find him. Angelo knew the Centre like the back of his hand. All his memories of running around inside the vents as a child were coming in handy now. Nothing had really changed.

"Do you see him?" One of the sweepers, the one with the white hair, asked his partner. Angelo resisted the urge to snicker.

"No, he must have taken an elevator up or down while we were heading up here." The other one commented. If only they knew how close their prey really was, Angelo thought.

"Damn!" The white haired one cursed. "He could be anywhere then. Raines is going to have our heads for letting someone sneak in here."

"Don't worry. I'm sure he'll turn up. He's looking for Jarod after all. Come on. Let's go back to the room. Maybe we can spot him on one of the other cameras. We both know he probably can't cover his tracks." The lights soon disappeared around the corner, but Angelo didn't come out.

Instead, he scrambled through the vents. Going through these vents would be the quickest and safest way to get to sub-level 26. There were no security cameras in the vents, which would play to their advantage and the Centre's disadvantage. Angelo smiled as he ducked under a pipe and made a left turn. He could feel the vent angle down as it dropped to the lower sub-levels. All he hoped was that Sydney had been able to deactivate the sub-level 26 cameras. If not, well, this was going to be a really short adventure.

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Jarod moaned as pain shot up his back and legs. He tried to roll over but he couldn't move. Every movement brought a new meaning to the word "pain". Breathing in and out slowly, he tried to concentrate on his surroundings. He could hear the drip of water falling from a pipe. Based on that sound, Jarod figured he was in someplace dark, wet, and abandoned. Which meant he was still on sub-level 27.

He couldn't believe he had never seen this. There was another complete sub-level and he had been too ignorant to see the signs. Jarod mentally cursed. This could be important information. If only he could get out. After trying to sit up, he was forced to lie back down. His body was weak from lack of food and water and whatever Raines had put him through had zapped all his remaining strength. I'll just rest a moment and try again. Jarod thought. But darkness found its way into his mind and he fell into it.