Chapter 3

The alarms wailed as Ben and Abigail rushed to replace the container lid.

"Riley, what the hell's going on?!" Ben shouted. Having no other choice, he stored the journal safely away in his backpack. They had only just opened the front cover before the alarms sounded. They would have to take it with them to read later. Turning to leave, the pair froze when footsteps began to thunder from further up the stairwell.

"I don't know what happened! Someone hacked me and turned all of the security protocols back on," Riley informed him. "I'm trying to stall but you two have to go NOW. The way you came is already swarming with guards. Hold on. I don't have eyes down there so give me a sec to pull up the building schematics."

As the sound of shouting grew closer, Ben pulled Abigail back towards the maze. Hiding behind a tall pile of wooden containers, they watched as security started to flood the front of the room.

"Anytime Riley!" she whispered.

Pulling up the files, Riley's eyes quickly scanned the basement for a second exit. Come on, come on, there should be…there! "Okay, make your way to the back of the room. There should be a ventilation duct about thirty feet to your right."

Following his directions, Ben and Abigail weaved their way through the endless crates and boxes. They could hear orders being given out to search every corner of the basement. Taking multiple twists and turns between the towering stacks of boxes, Abigail prayed that they didn't get turned around. If they ended up running into a group of guards, something told her that they wouldn't be able simply talking their way out of that one.

Coming across the back wall, their eyes frantically searched for the vent. Abigail was the first to spot it. "There!"

Ben followed her gaze. The vent was exactly where Riley said it would be, however he failed to mention one slight detail. The vent was a good ten feet off the ground.

Tossing her the crowbar, Ben moved underneath the vent and took a knee. Looking over his shoulder, he smiled. "Ladies first."

Abigail didn't hesitate. She hopped onto his shoulders and Ben quickly hoisted her up so that she was directly in front of the panel. With the yelling of the guards and the high-pitched screeching of the alarms, Abigail didn't bother keeping quiet. The clang of the crowbar being forced between the panel and the wall and the creak of it being pried free were both easily drowned out by the surrounding chaos. Once the cover was out of the way, she threw it into the small space along with the crowbar. Climbing in, Abigail turned around and reached down as Ben passed up their bags. She then scooted away from the opening as he took a few paces back. Ben could practically feel the vibrations as the sound of heavy boots echoed, getting louder and louder as they closed in on his location. They were running out of time!

Charging forward, Ben launched himself upwards. His fingers barely made it over the opening's edge, but with Abigail's help he managed to pull himself up and they quickly replaced the vent cover. It snapped into place just as the guards broke past the last row of crates.

"Ben? You guys okay?" Riley's voice cracked over their radios. Unfortunately, in the confined space the sound bounced off the walls and amplified.

Quickly turning down the volume, they peeked down at the security personnel below. Thankfully, they were too caught up in the commotion to notice. The guards were all wondering around, confusion evident in their faces. A man pushed his way to the middle of the room. The man, who they guessed was in charge, barked out orders, clearly frustrated.

"Everyone listen up! Half of you stay here and search every inch of this room. That includes the storage containers. The rest of you are coming with me. We're going to check this place floor by floor. I want whoever broke in found, you hear me?! People don't just up and disappear you know!"

Ben and Abigail chuckled quietly as the man lead a large group back towards the entrance. They could practically see the steam coming out of his ears. "Yeah, we're fine Riley. What's next?"

Riley continued to guide them through the ventilation system.

Finally making it to the end, Ben kicked out the panel. After he crawled out, Abigail pushed their gear out first before following suit. They now stood in a dark alleyway on the west side of the building. Checking his watch, Ben was shocked to see that it had taken them a little over five minutes to make their way up from the basement.

"Riley, where are you?" he asked as he helped Abigail to her feet.

"I'm just finishing packing up. You guys should get out of here before someone sees you. I'll meet you at the car." Riley replied.

"Riley…"

"Don't worry Ben. I have an exit strategy of my own," he assured him.

"Just be careful."

"When am I not?"

Before Ben could say anymore, the connection was lost. He couldn't quite explain it, but he was getting a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Ben!"

Abigail's urgent voice broke him out of his musings. The sound of police sirens blared in the distance.

Grabbing his bag and hauling it over his shoulder, Ben gave the building one last look before following Abigail down the alley.

Hurry Riley