the tech’s foot and ran toward the sound of her voice. Behind him, three small monkeys burst from their cage, the latch broken from the impact when the lab tech’s body crashed into the metal door.
Zoovas froze in his tracks.
“Are those things dangerous?”
Occam sneered.
“Afraid of three little monkeys?”
“Not the monkeys,” Zoovas said. “I’m afraid of what might be inside ’em.”
Occam’s face went white.
“Shit.”
He began shouting into his radio.
They turned and ran back to the stairwell, slamming the door closed behind them. Moments later, a shrill siren began to wail.
Madison and Grace darted down a narrow hallway connecting the various Triad Genomics animal labs. The bleating sound of the alarm echoed in the corridor.
“We need to find another stairwell,” said Grace.
Behind them, a shout rang out.
“Stop where you are!”
Three security guards charged around a corner twenty yards behind them, weapons drawn.
Thirty-four
Triad Genomics
32nd Floor, Millennium Tower
Manhattan, New York
“Quick…this way,” yelled Madison, running down a corridor that intersected with the hallway.
Grace ran after him, trying to put distance between them and the pursuing security officers. Ahead, Madison spotted a doorway marked NE Stairwell. He made a beeline for the door and pulled it open.
“Down!” yelled Madison when Grace hesitated.
Madison’s breath came in ragged gasps as they ran down flight after flight of stairs. They could hear the pounding of footfalls above as the guards entered the stairwell and charged down after them.
“Stop!” yelled Grace, coming to a sudden halt on the landing on the eighteenth floor. Madison came to an abrupt stop behind her, grabbing the railing for support and struggling to catch his breath.
“Look,” she said, peering over the railing and down the stairwell.
Three floors below, a pair of Triad security officers had taken positions on either side of the fifteenth-floor landing, weapons drawn and trained on the steps above them.
Madison grabbed Grace by the hand.
“Come on. This way. This level is hotel guest rooms.”
They ran through the door at the landing and entered the hotel. The hallway was wide, with thick carpeting and rich wallpaper. Wall sconces illuminated the hall with indirect light. Lush green plants in Mediterranean clay pots filled alcoves between the numbered doors of the hotel rooms.
Thirty feet down the hallway, a housekeeping cart piled high with towels and linens was parked outside an open doorway.
“I have an idea,” said Madison. He led Grace down the hallway. Madison grabbed the handle of the cart and pushed it ahead of them into the open door.
Inside, a Hispanic maid in a pale blue uniform was startled by the sudden intrusion. “ Dios mío! ”
Grace closed and locked the door behind them. Before the maid could protest, Madison grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around, wrapping a hand around her mouth to silence her. Outside, the stairwell door banged against the wall as the Triad Genomics security guards entered the hallway.
Thirty-five
Room 1856, 18th Floor
Marriott Hotel, Millennium Tower
Manhattan, New York
Rosa Ortiz struggled against the young man, but his grip was too strong. The plastic clip holding her long black hair snapped and fell to the floor, releasing a tumult of curls across her face and shoulders.
The man’s voice was warm in her ear.
“We aren’t going to hurt you. There are some men chasing us. Men who want to hurt us. Just be quiet and nothing bad will happen. This will all be over in a minute.”
Rosa could hear the sounds of men running in the hallway outside. She looked at the woman leaning against the door of the hotel room. She looked genuinely frightened. Rosa could feel the heaving of the young man’s chest.
She allowed her body to relax and slowly nodded her head. The grip around her loosened a bit, but still held her fast.
“Here they come,” whispered the
Zoovas froze in his tracks.
“Are those things dangerous?”
Occam sneered.
“Afraid of three little monkeys?”
“Not the monkeys,” Zoovas said. “I’m afraid of what might be inside ’em.”
Occam’s face went white.
“Shit.”
He began shouting into his radio.
They turned and ran back to the stairwell, slamming the door closed behind them. Moments later, a shrill siren began to wail.
Madison and Grace darted down a narrow hallway connecting the various Triad Genomics animal labs. The bleating sound of the alarm echoed in the corridor.
“We need to find another stairwell,” said Grace.
Behind them, a shout rang out.
“Stop where you are!”
Three security guards charged around a corner twenty yards behind them, weapons drawn.
Thirty-four
Triad Genomics
32nd Floor, Millennium Tower
Manhattan, New York
“Quick…this way,” yelled Madison, running down a corridor that intersected with the hallway.
Grace ran after him, trying to put distance between them and the pursuing security officers. Ahead, Madison spotted a doorway marked NE Stairwell. He made a beeline for the door and pulled it open.
“Down!” yelled Madison when Grace hesitated.
Madison’s breath came in ragged gasps as they ran down flight after flight of stairs. They could hear the pounding of footfalls above as the guards entered the stairwell and charged down after them.
“Stop!” yelled Grace, coming to a sudden halt on the landing on the eighteenth floor. Madison came to an abrupt stop behind her, grabbing the railing for support and struggling to catch his breath.
“Look,” she said, peering over the railing and down the stairwell.
Three floors below, a pair of Triad security officers had taken positions on either side of the fifteenth-floor landing, weapons drawn and trained on the steps above them.
Madison grabbed Grace by the hand.
“Come on. This way. This level is hotel guest rooms.”
They ran through the door at the landing and entered the hotel. The hallway was wide, with thick carpeting and rich wallpaper. Wall sconces illuminated the hall with indirect light. Lush green plants in Mediterranean clay pots filled alcoves between the numbered doors of the hotel rooms.
Thirty feet down the hallway, a housekeeping cart piled high with towels and linens was parked outside an open doorway.
“I have an idea,” said Madison. He led Grace down the hallway. Madison grabbed the handle of the cart and pushed it ahead of them into the open door.
Inside, a Hispanic maid in a pale blue uniform was startled by the sudden intrusion. “ Dios mío! ”
Grace closed and locked the door behind them. Before the maid could protest, Madison grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around, wrapping a hand around her mouth to silence her. Outside, the stairwell door banged against the wall as the Triad Genomics security guards entered the hallway.
Thirty-five
Room 1856, 18th Floor
Marriott Hotel, Millennium Tower
Manhattan, New York
Rosa Ortiz struggled against the young man, but his grip was too strong. The plastic clip holding her long black hair snapped and fell to the floor, releasing a tumult of curls across her face and shoulders.
The man’s voice was warm in her ear.
“We aren’t going to hurt you. There are some men chasing us. Men who want to hurt us. Just be quiet and nothing bad will happen. This will all be over in a minute.”
Rosa could hear the sounds of men running in the hallway outside. She looked at the woman leaning against the door of the hotel room. She looked genuinely frightened. Rosa could feel the heaving of the young man’s chest.
She allowed her body to relax and slowly nodded her head. The grip around her loosened a bit, but still held her fast.
“Here they come,” whispered the
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