Fibre Mortem: Rhesus Factor

5

It wasn't long before Reese scheduled out a plan. We were to meet up in the abandoned hallway sometime after four am. After that, we would sneak up through the elevator shaft and explore the above ground part of the building and he would teach me what to listen for, what to look for and how to handle the situation.

The night before we were supposed to do this, I was so amped up, I couldn't sleep. I spent the entire night tossing and turning or visualizing horrific scenarios. Anxiety isn't my strong suit, ha.

Shortly before four a.m. rolled around, I dressed exactly how Reese suggested. Long cargo style pants, and long sleeves. Nothing too inconspicuous but something that would offer a little protection out there.

I made my way toward the hallway, hoping with all hope, that no one would get curious or friendly during the walk to it. I lucked out and no one happened to spot me. So things were going well so far. I hope that our lucked stayed that way.

Part of me hoped we wouldn't run into any crazies out there, terrified I would either get myself or both of us killed somehow. I stood nervously facing the elevator, waiting for Reese. I had plenty of chances to back out before he got here. I didn't take them. I had to do this.

"Don't get all weird on me, Liv. That's a good way to get us both killed, you know. You start doubting yourself and it all goes to shit." Reese spoke from behind me.

"Jesus, is there a time in which you don't creep up behind people and scare the ever living piss out of them?" I turned swiftly, trying to mask the jump he pulled out of me. Whether he saw it or not, he didn't point it out.

"Part of the job is to be sneaky. Ready to roll?" Without an answer, he started pulling the elevator doors open and climbing on top of the box that had stopped midway down from this floor. He held out his hand and I reached out for it.

The climb up wasn't so bad, if you didn't look down. We didn't speak, too busy dealing with our own thoughts to listen to anyone else's. We were pulling closer, to the open level that Reese had mentioned before we started, when I slipped.

I sucked in a breath while the tread on my hiking boot squeaked in protest. My heart rate picked up, preparing to fall stories down to my death. I didn't though and so I opened my eyes and realized that my hands had stayed right where they were glued to the handles of the metal ladder. I nervously laughed, "Get it together Lively."

Reese was much faster at this than I was, he waited for me at the top and helped me up out of the hole of doom. "Heard your mishap, I think I'm going to start calling you Squeaker now. That's kind of fitting, a scientist called Squeaker." He laughed, apparently some inside joke I didn't know about.

He stopped, all seriousness, when I just stood there unaware, "Oh come on Liv, please tell me you know about The Muppets?"

"No Reese, not all of us are crusty old farts and remember shows from before," I poke him in the ribs and step forward.

"I forget sometimes that you're a fetus." He fake jabs my chin. "Alright, lesson one. Stealth. I'm going to teach you the ways of The Force, Young Jedi. Follow me."

"Before we get too far into the ruined building, let me just say on behave of all of us born before the turn of the century, we'd like to keep the use of ancient pop culture quotes to a minimum please." I snark out, trying to keep my balance.

It's still a bit dark, the generators weren't designed to keep the top half of the building running, so it's hard to make out furniture and shadows that may litter the walkway and we already know I have a history with being a clutz.

Reese turns slightly and makes it toward another hallway that's littered with debris, he somehow manages to make zero noise even with the garbage laying around. How does he make it look so easy?