Chasing the Unknown: Day 10

Word Count: 60,004

Summary of Events:

Vera and Hammy were invited to a party by the latest gangster they'd met with, but Hammy was suspicious of things when he was given the wrong drink and then got shot at by the bartender when he wanted to change his order; then, when they were on the elevator, it stopped and the power went out, but Hammy cut the ceiling open and sent Agent Ueno out to scout . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

""What's it look like?" Hammy asked.

"We'll need to climb the wall somehow," Agent Ueno said. "We're not terribly close to the next doorway."

"And the faster we get out of here the safer I'll feel because they could well drop us if they really wanted to," Hammy said.

"Would these work?" Vera asked, pulling out a pair of gloves covered in suction cups.

"Where did you hide those?" Hammy asked.

"In the shawl pockets," Vera replied.

"Is there enough for all of us?" Hammy asked.

"Of course," Vera replied.

"Good," Hammy said, putting his hands around her waist.

He lifted her up and she climbed out. Hammy followed after, getting a hand from Agent Ueno, and they all put on their gloves, as well as kneepads and shoe covers.

Hammy went to start climbing up the wall, but then he remembered that Vera had the lights.

She bunched her long skirt up over her knees, tucking it up slightly behind the caps so that she wouldn't have to fight with things before starting up the shaft. Hammy and Agent Ueno started after her.

She scrambled up the wall like she was an actual gecko — whom the Gecko Gear was inspired by — and Hammy and Agent Ueno had to hurry to keep up with her.

A creak echoed loudly through the shaft and Hammy paused for a moment before hearing the rush of the elevator descending. Hammy glanced down, but he could see only darkness, which chilled him.

He kept going after Vera, who stopped at the doors.

"I think the elevator's coming back," Agent Ueno said.

Hammy swore before grabbing onto the doors. They wouldn't be forced open.

Taking off a glove, he drew out his laser and cut an opening into the doors big enough for them to fit through.

He put the pen in his teeth and used his gloved hand to remove the pieces and drop them down, only to find that he'd only cut through part of the door. He could feel a rush of wind.

Swearing under his breath, he repeated the cut, only to pull away more layers.

"It's getting close," Agent Ueno said.

Hammy did a third set of cuts, but still hadn't pulled away all of it. This time he heard the layers hit the oncoming elevator.

Turning the laser around, Hammy aimed it at the elevator cables, which snapped and caused a vacuum force of wind to pull at them, but they all hung onto each other and the bit of a ledge Hammy had formed by cutting into the doors until finally the vacuum released them.

Hammy finally finished cutting through the doors just before a near-deafening bang sounded in the shaft.

He pushed Vera and Agent Ueno ahead of him and scrambled out, his heart pounding as he removed the Gecko Gear and gave it to Vera, who put it all away in her shawl again."

Next post on April 15.