OPHELIA'S POV
The lorry entrance at the back of the office building is not guarded.
Although it does have CCTV cameras, I know for a fact that security personnel change shifts at exactly 12:15, which is why I ran from The Patron to these bushes I am currently using as a hiding spot.
During the shift change, no one will have eyes on the cameras for like a minute and that's when I planned to enter through the lorry pedestrian entrance as quickly as possible.
That's my plan. It's gonna work. I can do this.
I watched the clock on my phone. 12:14.
And… 12:15. Stopwatch activated.
I crept from the bushes. Zeus' car is back in its usual spot, making it easier for me to hide from the camera, which is on the far left side of the building. This car is the blind spot.
16 seconds have passed. I gripped the key tightly with my right hand, ready to jab it into the metal lock.
Quickly, turning my wrist, I heard the metal mechanism clank.
A narrow door opened. I entered and let my muscle memory lead my way. I closed the door slowly, leaving me in the darkness between the roll up lorry gate and the service elevator lobby.
The lights are off in the elevator lobby, precisely because no one is supposed to be here. Again, through muscle memory, conscious of the time, I padded towards the enclosed staircase with as little sound as I can make.
No cameras in the staircase. 38 seconds.
I dashed towards the basement, practically flying down the stairs.
56 seconds. I opened the doors with as little sound as possible. Counting the seconds in my mind, I bolted right into the shadows and out of the elevator's dimly lit entrance.
I got into my office and crouched behind the table. I tapped on my phone, dimming the backlight to the lowest possible setting.
I made it in one minute and six seconds. My heart was still pounding in my head but I felt relief as I sat cross-legged on the floor.
At first, the coldness was a welcome feeling. A few seconds later, however, I felt the cold creep from my skin and into my bones. This won't do.
I had a jacket hanging on my chair, so I pulled on it so slowly until it fell. A second later, it was under me as if it was a picnic blanket.
That damned Jeyk. I was supposed to set up my office into a lounge if he wasn't so...persistent. I remembered Zeus' description for him.
But I am resourceful. I slowly moved the chair to the back side of the office until the elevator cameras couldn't catch it. Every minute, it moved an inch backwards. When I can safely say it's out of the camera's field of view, I scampered towards it, still making as little sound as possible.
I pushed it towards the back of my office, where a trash bin is hidden between the end of a utility shelf and the back wall. I removed the trash bin from the spot and wheeled in my chair, carrying one side to minimize the sound.
I strategically positioned the bin in front of the shelf end to give me more cover. Oh yeah, I have a movable white board, which I can flip to a black cork board, and it was just a foot from where I was!
It does have wheels but I still lifted one side and pulled slowly to make sure the camera doesn't pick up the sound. I took off the pins on three company event posters that I had pinned there a few days ago and posted them back so low that they were like curtains on the lower part of the board.
Good. More cover. I could recline my seat and stretch my legs so that my feet would be off the ground behind the the posters.
As soon as I was satisfied with my 'cover', I sat on my chair and reclined slowly. I pulled my jacket to cover my chest like a blanket. So that I could sleep.
I exhaled and thought of my move. I'll sleep here like this for tonight. I'll take a shower downstairs at 7:30 am. By then any movement won't be so suspicious. Ah. I have luck on my side that Basement 2 has one shower and that tomorrow's a Thursday. Nobody will be in early.
My heartbeat calmed down after a minute in my chair. I placed my phone on silent and started to read an online novel, hoping it will put me to sleep.
I was woken by the sound of rustling and whispers just outside of my office. I slept lightly for some reason and with the movement beyond my office space, I thought it was already morning.
But all the lights are still out. I slowly lifted my phone to my face. 03:14AM. What? Have I been found out? Damn it.
I kept still as I listened in. I peered through a crack between the board and the shelf but the angle made it impossible to see what was happening. Judging by the sounds, I knew they were over at my table.
"Not here." I heard one of them whisper.
"Check the drawers." Another voice whispered.
A few seconds later, I saw a faint beam from a flashlight under my whiteboard. I did not move. I did not breathe. Keep still as if you are fae, I thought.
I thought of what to do at the moment but there's only one thing I can think of.
I sent a message to Zeus. People in my office right now. Looking for something they can't find. As soon as the message went out, I rang-and-dropped his number three times.
Alarm sounded loudly in the building in an instant and I heard the voices curse in shock. I bolted out of my hiding spot and snapped a burst photo of them running towards the enclosed staircase.
The successive flashes caused them to pause for a moment. "Bitch!" the one in front of the staircase door looked back at me. "Let's just go!" the other guy pulled him into the enclosed space.
Damn it! On instinct I ran towards the enclosed staircase. Before opening the door, I set my camera phone on video and started recording. I pulled the door ajar. The full-length gate on the landing leading to the ground floor was locked.
So, fire escape? I shoved the fire escape door open but it won't budge. The panic bar on the door was stuck. I can't open it. Damn it.
If I can't open it, then they might not be able to open it, right? So, Basement 2? I was about to run down the dark staircase when the lights came on, and, with about a dozen security personnel behind him, Zeus burst out of the landing gate that separated half of the landing.
He bolted towards me and grabbed me by my elbow, pulling me to a corner of the landing.
The security personnel flooded the stairs. Some went down to Basement 2. The others went out to Basement 1.
"Sir, I--" I wanted to explain but he didn't even look at me.
"We'll talk later." He said, still grabbing me by my elbow. I pulled away from his hold and he clicked his tongue towards me and threw me a scowl.
"Basement 2: All clear!" I heard a voice crackle through the radio in Zeus' hand. "Basement 1: All clear!"
"Do a clean sweep on both floors and the stairs. Xandro, check for prints in Ophelia's office. Report to me before contacting the police." Zeus ordered over his hand-held radio.
"Copy that, sir." A cracking voice answered.
He rubbed his forehead with the corner of the radio and exhaled loudly.
"You," he started before looking at me. "My office, now." He bellowed, pointing towards the stairs.
I made my way up to the Ground floor. Zeus followed behind me, only pausing to lock the landing gate.
Since the service elevator was under investigation, I jabbed at the button for the other elevators. One opened almost instantly. I held it open until Zeus was right behind me. We both entered the elevator and rode it to the 10th floor.
I know it just lasted about a few seconds and we were already on the Aurelion floor but those few seconds in the dead-silent elevator made me realize I wasn't even wearing shoes. My face burned in embarrassment.
"Wait in the lounge." Zeus said sternly as we exited the 10th floor elevator lobby and entered the Aurelion floor.
I sat where I was working a few hours ago. My new tumbler was still there. My laptop was still there.
Oh, gods. Am I getting fired? Of course I am. Damn it. Just my luck being evicted and fired in a span of 24 hours.
I sat there with my thoughts running wild in my head. I stared blankly at the phone then on the stitches on my jeans, with my thoughts thinking of my next move. Where will I go? What will happen to me after this?
"Here." Zeus voice snapped me back into reality. He set a pair of black single-strapped rubber flip flops beside my feet. "Use this."
"Thank you." I said softly, as I slid my feet into the firm but comfortable footwear.
He also had a bottle of water ready on the table, which he opened and handed to me after I looked up at him.
"Now, start talking." He ordered after I swallowed a mouthful of water.
"Well, I woke up and heard whispers--" I started but Zeus interrupted.
"Start with how and why you are here at this hour." He leaned on the table, half-sitting on it, and crossed his arms, not taking his gaze from my eyes.
I gave him the full story, starting with being evicted, bringing my luggage, sneaking in after work, waking up to whispers, contacting him, and chasing the intruders, "that's when you came." I finished, trapping a bubble of air in my cheeks and pursing my lips.
"Email me the photos and videos," he said, standing up straight.
I went through my phone and started sending him the footage on my phone. At this point I was just happy that he wasn't chewing my head off.
A few seconds later, his hand-held radio beeped and a cracking voice said, "Sweep: Complete, sir. Ready to report."
"Let's talk down at Basement 1. Is the service elevator cleared for access?" Zeus instructed over the radio.
"Copy that, sir. Service elevator is clear." the cracking voice said and ended the communications.
"Let's go." Zeus said to me and turned towards the door.
When the service elevator opened to the Basement floor, it was bright as if it was morning. They turned all the lights on, revealing the chaos that my office was in.
The items that were on my table are now strewn about, contents of my backpack were on the table. The backpack lay bare on the floor. My luggage, which had a lock, was wheeled to my office entrance.
And there it was, my hiding place, a black corkboard with three posters pinned so low and a trash bin beside the shelf. Both suspiciously far from the back wall.
Zeus caught me looking at the awkward set up and glowered at me. I looked away. Gods. Why am I so embarrassed and nervous?
"From our initial check, they were looking for something but as far as we can tell, there wasn't anything taken. However, they did break the fire exit door and headed out the manhole then the parking lot and ran." Xandro, the head of security reported.
"I'll make a call. Wait for the police and give them a full report." Zeus said, dialing on his phone.
"Drew," his low voice was laced with a hint of anger. "Sorry for waking you up this early but there has been a break-in in my building. How fast can you get here?... Yeah... ok... thanks, cousin." he pocketed his phone after the call.
They'll be here in five." Zeus said to Xandro, "show me the manhole."
In my curiosity, I followed. Zeus did not object.
The fire exit door closer was deactivated and the door stayed open. It was my first time seeing a room beyond the exit door. The floor was finished with smooth concrete that sloped lightly towards a line of grill-covered storm drain at the wall opposite the door.
We followed Xandro as he walked towards the wall, stepped on the grills, then took a left turn.
Huh. So there's a passageway there.
It was not a long passageway, maybe three meters, then it opened to a squarish room with a metal ladder bolted on the wall opposite us. To the left is a door that, I think, opens to Basement 1 but I haven't noticed any doors from the inside that might lead here.
"The manhole was left open when we got here." Xandro said, jerking his flashlight upwards. I followed his gaze and above, on the ceiling, where the metal ladder ends was a manhole partially opened. The beam from Xandro's flashlight revealed the underside of a car.
I heard a buzz and Zeus slid a thumb on his phone and answered the call. "Thanks. Tell them to get you to the basement 1 fire exit."
A minute later, a tall, buff man in uniform peered through the passageway. "So, this is how they got in and out." He said walking towards Zeus and looking at the manhole.
"Afraid so." Zeus had a bitter look in his face.
"My team has started investigating the scene. How are you holding up?" the uniformed man said with his hands behind him.
"Thanks for coming, Drew. I'm ok, just angry." Zeus said forcing out air that seemed to be stored for a long time deep in his lungs.
Drew looked from the manhole, the metal stairs, the door, them me. "Ah, and how are you doing?" He asked turning his attention to me. "You must be Ophelia." He tilted his head as he smiled, squinting his eyes at me.
Zeus clicked his tongue. "She's a witness. She was supposed to stay overnight in the office when this happened. We can talk in my office. I want coffee." the CEO turned his back from us and walked into the passageway.
Chief Drew gestured and said, "after you."
In the 10th floor lounge, Chief Johndrew Greyson asked questions. I answered them as a witness. By the end of it, I had alredy downed half of the water in my bottle and the sun was slowly lighting up the Aurelion lounge.
5:48AM. I glanced at my phone.
"We'll have to request for the footage that you shot while chasing them." Chief Drew said, pursing his lips.
"Oh, of course. Your email address, please?" I said handing him my phone so that he could type it in.
He simply bumped his phone to mine and we shared contact information.
Zeus was eyeing us and raised an eyebrow to his cousin. "I'll send them over, cousin." Zeus said, working on his phone. "There."
"Well," Chief Drew looked at me and stood, pocketing his phone. "I'll contact you for any updates." He said to Zeus. "Ma'am." He nodded to me, tapped Zeus' shoulder and headed out.
"Basement 1 is clear for use. Let's get your stuff." Zeus said, turning to exit the lounge.
"Oh, you don't have to. I can do it myself." I said.
Zeus was losing patience, I can see it by the way he scoffed at the ceiling, and stared at me silently until I stood up and made my way to the service elevators.
My things were everywhere. I started picking them all up from the floor. Zeus handed me my empty backpack and I stuffed it with my skin care tubes and tubs, sachets and pumps. Oh, gods. This is embarrassing. I was just thankful that my underwear were all in the luggage, which is locked, albeit, with signs of attempted opening and rolled over to the entrance of the office.
I also wheeled my cork board and chair back to where each should be. I looked around with my hands on my waist. "That's about it." I said looking at Zeus who was cross-armed and leaning on my table.
He got up, wore a strap of my backpack on one shoulder and started pulling on my luggage.
"Where--" I started to ask, trying to catch up to his footsteps.
"My lounge." He said.
"Oh, no. There's no need for that." I said, chuckling wryly.
"Would you prefer that I take you home, then? I live nearby, you know?" He said, smirking at me with a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.