Page 105 of Equilibrium
Stalling wasn’t going to get me anywhere, and with newfound resolve, I opened the door and stepped into the hallway. There were no other sounds apart from the thump-thump sound of my boots. Well, Storm’s boots, but that wasn’t the point.
I would have to burn all these clothes once I got a hold of my own. A cleansing of sorts.
New beginnings and all that crap people were constantly spewing about.
Reaching the top of the stairs, I peeked toward the lounge and felt relieved when I saw it completely empty. Maybe I would be able to get out of here without any casualties.
I had to get to the office Creed was in before. I was positive that they had some weapons there, maybe even car keys.
But I had to be fast.
I fast walked to the billiard room, heading to the small hallway and then the staircase leading to the basement area. I kept glancing around, expecting one of them to show up at any time. Or as my luck would have it, Zoe would show up and I would have to knock her out before she could run away and alert the others.
I all but ran down the stairs, jumping over the last two. Plastering myself to the wall, I inched closer to the office door.
Please, please have those doors unlocked, I prayed. I’d never asked for anything, but let those fucking doors be open.
I pressed myself against the door, trying to hear if anyone was inside, but there were no sounds. Well, I guess that there was only one way to find out.
I pressed on the doorknob and when the door opened, I let out a relieved breath. At least something was working in my favor. A lone desk stood in the middle of the room with papers scattered everywhere. I walked to it, getting behind it.
Think, Ophelia. Think. Where would they keep the weapons?
I looked around the almost empty room, but there were no safes, only barren walls and their insignia on the left side.
Drawers?
I crouched and opened the bottom drawer, but nothing but papers greeted me. The second one was the same, but when I pulled the third one open, a grin spread across my face.
A Glock .44 laid on top of the papers, along with a lone knife.
Fucking bingo!
I took it into my hand, the familiar weight spreading sparks of joy through my body. I pressed the button on the side of the grip, opening the magazine. I counted the bullets inside the magazine, my face stretching wider with a smile.
Seven bullets.
Double fucking bingo.
I didn’t have a holster for either one of these, so I pushed the knife inside my boot, and stood up. I lifted my shirt and pushed the gun into my pants, thankful that these pants were tight enough.
I was ready to get out of there when something else caught my eye.
On top of the stack of papers was a folder with familiar writing on it.
Project X.
Wait. That sounded familiar. Wasn’t that...Shit.
Kieran asked me about Project X, but I’d never heard of it before. Rage and confusion were clouding my mind. This here was all the proof I needed to know that Storm was truly working either with my father or using me to work against him.
I opened the folder but there was nothing inside. Well, nothing but a lone picture of a familiar house. I’ve been there before; I just couldn’t remember when.
I’d read somewhere that the human mind blocks the memories it doesn’t want to remember. Was this one of those situations? I sometimes couldn’t remember the faces or the places, but this one felt so familiar.
This wasn’t a onetime thing.
The photograph was old, as if it had been taken with one of those old cameras. It had a red facade and bushes in front of it. I couldn’t see much, but it didn’t look cheap.
