54 CHAPTER 53 (1/2)

My foe my friend

The morning swerved into the hallway with a misty air that suspended around the light of the sun, which tubes in different numbers from the brick wall. Even though humid, the air smells fresh, pure and peaceful; its frigidity would have been welcomed if it was not clothing Matt's skin with goose bump.

As empty as the hallway appeared, Matt was careful not to rest in its comfort as he hurried down. He was curious about his environment, looking over his shoulders and careful enough to slow his pace when he sees anyone or hears approaching foot-falls. His heart was racing, his stomach almost full from the nervous saliva he had been gulping. Even though the air was frigid, Matt could feel the sweat forming under his palms and booted feet.

The light on the ceiling which mirrored on the marble floor, divided the direction in two and Matt took the right without thinking. He knew this place by heart, If his direction were to be the storage room, the left turn would have been necessary, but right now, he was heading to the surveillance and from this point, he'd be in trouble should anyone sees him.

Matt increased his pace that his walk turned instantly to a jog. The surveillance would be crawling with people any moment from now. He had only one shot, and that was to place Raz's Sol-X beside any computer in the surveillance room. It would copy all the secret code of the gates in the school, Raz has boasted, though he claimed he had not tried it before.

Matt hurried on

The zeal to see his best friend again pushing him forward

The humid rays of the sun had long been lost somewhere and the hallway was still noiseless. Matt could hear his heartbeat and the echoing sound of his boot on the marble floor. He couldn't tell which one was louder, his heartbeat or his foot step.

The anxiety Matt fears threatens to bring tears to his eyes when the door of the elevator, at the far end of the hallway beeped and started to slide open.

Matt's heart jumped to his throat as he pushed himself forward and turned the knob of a door at the right, he shouldered himself into it and closed it with great carefulness.

His head was aching slightly from the sudden burst of adrenaline even as he held his breath and listened.

There were echoes of approaching foot step in the hallway and the sliding noise, suggesting the elevator door closing. The rhythm of the footfalls was different. One was quite dull and uniform and the other echoed loudly like the noise of an empty vessel.

A man and woman, Matt guessed with relief as both people merrily passed his door and forged ahead.

The two people were saying something and laughing. Matt couldn't place a hand on what they were saying even as the noise of their footfalls was carried away by distance.

He pressed his ears on the door, waited until the grave-like silence of the hallway returned.

Matt opened the door where he had been hiding and walked back into the hallway, to the direction of the elevator.