Page 80 of Down to One
I take my time, picking my way through piles of trash, tripwires, and a heavy piece of concrete set to swing at my head when I stepped on what appeared to be a large, old leaf. Finally, I arrive at the seventh floor.
If he has a laser weapon, he would be smart to be standing in his doorway and simply shoot me when I exit the stairwell. I considered taking Blaze’s rifle, but I’ve never shot one before. When I held it, it didn’t feel right in my hands. It’s a long-range weapon, and I work best in close quarters. I might have been good with a pistol, but that wasn’t an option.
Thankfully, the stairwell door doesn’t make a sound when I open it. I step quietly through the trash-strewn floor on my way to the corner room, mindful of other traps.
I’m almost to his door when I’m struck with an idea. I hadn’t yet figured out how I would barge into his room without getting immediately picked off, even by someone with inferior training and strength.
When I see a crude explosive device partially hidden under a pillowcase, I get a flash of an idea. It’s easy to pick up a heavy brass doorknob someone long ago pried off one of the doors on this hallway. I proceed to Monteen’s door, then toss the knob onto the incendiary device.
The blast is loud and fiery and almost knocks me off my feet. Having just survived another explosion down the street, my heart kicks into double-time. I wait silently, not moving.
It seems like an hour. Maybe it is. At some point, even the most patient person will have to stick their head out their door to see what just happened in the hallway.
If our intel was right, he’s been here since the first night. Because of the rules, that means he’s been without a drone or any intel. He must have heard gunfire, and he certainly heard and felt the two recent explosions down the street. He has to wonder what’s going on out here.
Sure enough, he finally opens the door. I’m holding my sword over my head, and the moment he pokes his head out the door, it will be separated from his shoulders.
That’s exactly what happens.
My heart squeezes in my chest. Perhaps it’s stupid, but I feel sorry for him. He raced here and holed up without food or water, just trying to outwait all the aggressive males in the competition. His strategy almost made him the winner.
“I’m sorry, Monteen,” I say, shaking my head.
I pick my way carefully through the hallway and down the stairs. I wouldn’t want to blow myself up now that it’s Down. To. Two.
