Mystery Story setup chapter (Final part)

Jane flicked the switch and the multiple room area illuminated completely -Pretty lights- Aside from the twenty-first floor where the clock mechanism resided, this was the only room in the entire building with electricity. She hurried towards the telegraph as the men in blue began to bash the window, it would take them a little longer than usual thanks to the reinforced glass in this particular room, but they would still get through sooner rather than later. She flipped the key that put the small machine to work and pressed nervously the button used to create the messages, in truth, Jane had no idea how the code worked, but she had been told time and time again that she only needed to send something and they would come, no matter how short or nonsensical the telegram was.

The window busted open and the man with the bloody hand clumsily climbed over while his partner began to throw knives at Jane in quick succession. She managed to cover from all of them by kneeling down behind furniture of the place, all this while moving towards the subsequent door. The last few feet had no cover though, so she made a final run for it with her heart pounding and her lungs hurting for air, behind her, the men in blue raised their knives and screamed something that sounded like insults, she was long past the point of caring about what they said.

Jane opened the last door and jumped inside as one the knives sunk in her left calf, she closed the door and locked the safety mechanism, then half-smiled in relief and half-screamed in pain.

“I did it…I really did it…” -Jane laughed nervously for a moment and then cried when she pulled the shining knife from her leg. She could barely stand now and her intensified wooziness difficulted even keeping her eyes opened.

“That won’t work” -She told them when they tried to smash the new window.

“This room and all the others next to it are used mostly for medical attention, but are designed for criminal retention” -Both ignored her and kept hitting the window, first with their elbows, next with the chairs and other furniture they could find near, not making a single scratch in the glass.

“It means the room is impenetrable, the window will not break, and the door won’t open even if I wanted to” -She was not bluffing, once the safety lock was in place it was impossible to open the door without the key. Still, they chose to ignore her, and kept trying. -Why do I even bother- Jane thought, looking sourly at the new scar in her leg. -I should just let them try and wait for the lizards to come and get them- she pulled the last chocolate out of her pouch and into her mouth, chewing quietly and descending slowly to sit on the ground.

“You guys aren’t from around here, are you? Can you even understand me?” -The blue men stared at her, but no words came out from their mouths. Jane had heard them numerous times during their encounters but she had never understood what they said, one of the punched the glass and screamed something at her.

“Yeah, yeah…fuck you too. Listen, I’ve no value for you, just take what you came to steal before the lizards arrive or you’ll regret it, trust me, revenge for your boyfriend downstairs isn’t worth it” – It was the last exchange she cared to make with them, she lied completely on the floor and relaxed for the first time since she had heard the sound, her muscles ached heavily and the cuts still hurt, however, Jane closed her eyes and dozed untroubled while tasting the sweet chocolate-flavored victory in her tongue; knowing that her nightmare was over she could go back to count the seconds passing by.

Tick...tick...tick...tick...tick…

The sound embraced her, now louder than she normally heard it, but just as calming, soon the lizards would arrive and brute force their way up to her side, soon she would be in her bed and soon the pain would go away; all she needed to do was wait and hear the clock.

Tick…tick...tick…BBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…

What now - Jane sat again, feeling a streak of heat coursing through her body. She tried to raise again to her feet when she saw the blue men pull their glowing knives, but her new wound weighed on her too much and she had to sit again.

BBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!...

The buzzing noise came from somewhere below, but unlike the first sound, this never stopped, and never moved -This thing isn’t from the lizards- she told herself while the sweat and the shaking made their way back. Jane opened the revolver and searched desperately her pouch for bullets, but the floor gave up below her before she could find any, sending her plummeting down to the lower level amidst debrief, smoke, dust and the contents of her pouch. She landed brutally with her back against the broken pieces of floor and ceramic.

Her spine was shattered along with multiple other bones across her body, Jane knew it before she even opened her eyes, and when the dusty smoke dissipated, the half dozen men surrounding her did not surprise her. Unsurprising as it was, she could still not hold her tears, or control her hard breathing.

“Please…” – She cried, unable to move a muscle.

One of the men stepped forward and bent over, close to her ear.

“I’m sorry” – He whispered, and sunk deep in her heart his shining knife.

Her senses slowly shut down as her life vanished away; the last thing she felt was the cold steel piercing her heart, the last thing she tasted was the leftovers of the chocolate combined with the dirt that made its way into her mouth during the fall, the last thing she smelled was the smoke that filled the room, the last thing she saw were more blue men carrying an enormous piece of multicolored metal; and the very last thing that Jane Linats ever heard was the ticking of her dear clock marking away the second she drew her last breath.