Maelstrom 4 - The Inside of a Cell [continued]

Sorry all, the story got truncated because of word limits. Here's a link to Part I and the rest is below!

The doors opened, and we were not greeted by the sound of gunfire. In fact, there was complete silence, no alarms, nothing. Cautiously, I peered out of the door and saw a long hallway flanked by rows of offices, leading to a set of wide glass doors. Outside, the night sky was clearly visible.

     I turned to James, grinning. “Think they’re just going to let us walk out?”

     James peaked out from his side of the elevator. “What the hell is going on?”

     “They’re probably busy trying to contain their little outbreak downstairs.” It seemed all-too easy, but I wasn’t going to question our good fortune.

     The elevator doors began to shut. “It seems better than heading back down.” Still cautious, I stepped out of the elevator. The floors on that level were tile, like a fancy office building rather than a government black site. There were hallways lined with cubicles and cork boards. It looked just like another office building.

     James stepped out after me. “I guess they’d want to put on a good face just in case anyone from the public was ever able to get in.”

     “I just assumed they be treated to a cell like us.” The silence around us was eerie. “Let’s get out of here before someone figures out they’ve made a mistake.”

     We picked up the pace and walked quickly to the doors leading outside. The desert air was cold in comparison to the temperature controlled building and felt surreal. Everything had happened so fast that I wasn’t even sure it was real. For all I knew, I could have been being drained by a chupacabra back in the desert, living in a dream world. It all just seemed to easy.

     Outside was a concrete roundabout with a set of tall flags in the middle. Lights shone up on a plaque beneath them, no doubt engraved with some motto about secrecy and integrity. Government agencies loved those.

     James and I looked at each other, unsure what to make of the situation. “I guess we just go?” There were likely to be guards around the perimeter, but we didn’t have much other choice. As my drink began to wear off from earlier, a tiny pain crept into my temples.

     We began walking quietly along the road, unsure of what direction we had come from.

     Then, off to the right, floodlights illuminated, revealing a state of the art helicopter pad. Standing on the walkway was the clean cut man who had questioned them before. He clapped his hands slowly. “Well done you two. Escape within thirty minutes.”

     Both James and I froze. My blood turned to ice.

     “Oh relax. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again.” He began walking towards us, face looking friendly, but once again holding that confidence that unnerved me. “If I wanted you dead, I would have had them shoot you in the desert before you had a chance to walk away. No one questions a few deadbeats in the desert.”

     The tension in my muscles loosened. He was right. “So, if you don’t want to kill us, why are we here? Why let us escape?”

     “A simple test Mr. Ventner, and you passed with flying colors. Why don’t we take a ride?” He gestured toward the helicopter and its blades began to turn.

     “And if we don’t want to?” asked James.

     “Well, then I guess I really would want you dead, wouldn’t I?” He winked, and once more we found ourselves in the crosshairs of a dozen laser sights. It was impossible to tell where the men behind the triggers were, only that they were there. “Come on, let’s go for a ride…”