Project S.T.A.T.I.C. Part 5: The Asylum

Meanwhile…

Jake and Rebecca had managed to slip past the titan and into the branching hallway opposite where Beth and Pam had escaped. The doors slammed shut behind them and the automatic locks engaged before they could react. Jake threw his weight against the door in hopes of testing the strength of the locks. Unsurprisingly, the doors refused to budge or give an inch. He grimaced as he looked through the small window and watched as the freakish monster turned to retreat back from whence she came. He spotted Pam peering through the window on the doors opposite his and Rebecca’s with an irritated look on her face.

“Dammit,” he sighed, slamming his fist against the door in frustration, “We’re cut off and that thing is leaving.”

Ashley appeared beside him, leaning against the door with her hands behind her head. “Deliberate,” she pointed out, “This is the second time that thing has been sent after us. Given that it’s here, I think it’s safe to assume that she belongs to the doctor.”

Jake frowned and sighed, “You think she was trying to split us up, not kill us.”

“She likely wanted to incapacitate and apprehend us,” Ashley shrugged, “I think she was prepared for either outcome. As much as I hate to admit it, she is nothing if not methodical and conniving. Miserable woman managed at least one victory. She’s broken our group up and managed to stick me with this insufferable witch…again.”

Jake rolled his eyes and pushed himself off of the door, “Yeah, Ash, because I’m sure that’s what Murray’s goal is. Her sole purpose in life is to irritate and annoy you.”

“Do not be so naive, Jake,” Ashley scoffed, following behind him, “You are failing to consider the broader picture. This is the same woman that gave Isley her technology. She was likely there while we were trapped in her idiotic game, and she’s been working for a great shadow-player for who knows how long. She may not know about me exactly, but our souls and minds are connected. Our minds emit a different wavelength from others, just as our physiology is unlike your average human. You were already a target before we became one, but you become twice as valuable when I am discovered.”

“Your humility knows no bounds,” Jake shook his head, continuing when Ashley gave him an irritated look, “It’s a joke, Ash, relax. I wanna say that you’re wrong, but somehow I doubt that. The fact is that she’s cunning. That’s what’s always made her dangerous. The chances are that she’s going to want to see what makes each of us tick before she hands us over to Eva and her group.”

“Precisely,” Ashley nodded, “She is selfish and insane. I’m not sure what’s worse. The possibility of being a science experiment for this psycho, or being stuck with this witch without a buffer like Pam or Beth.”

“I think we’ll live,” Jake shook his head, moving forward, towards Rebecca, “I get the short end of this stick. I’ll be the one to wind up with a damn migraine from you being pissed off.”

“Boo-hoo,” Ashley mocked, “You’ll live.”

“Issues with your other half?” Rebecca asked as Jake got closer, “I know she detests me, but I can feel it when you two are at odds.”

“Tell her to mind her own business,” Ashley frowned, “If I wanted her to know anything, I’d share it myself.”

“Ash, please,” Jake sighed, turning back to Rebecca, “She’s frustrated at the situation we’re in. She thinks that Murray did this on purpose; splitting us up with that thing.”

“It could have been avoided if she hadn’t charged in like an arrogant ass,” Ashley pointed out, “We could have at least managed to stay together, or at least had a higher chance of doing that.”

“Hmph, it seems she and I can agree after all,” Rebecca sighed, looking around, “My files on the infamous Babydoll Killer were limited, but I knew enough to know that she was dangerous, selfish, and relentlessly methodical. I considered her a masterclass in deception, and far too much of a risk for any of my underlings to associate with. Given how quickly that thing turned tail, I would wager that your other half is correct. She managed to divide her opposition with one swift and devastating move.”

“Yeah, but we could have played this better,” Jake sighed, “Maybe we could have found a way around that thing without splitting up if we hadn’t engaged.”

“If you expect me to feel regret for what I did, you are wasting your breath,” Rebecca replied, “I will not apologize for trying to take down a threat to…to the people I care about. All we can do is move forward.”

“Hmph, typical,” Ashley scoffed, “She knows she’s in the wrong, but won’t accept it when she’s confronted by it. It is never her fault, but it’s always somebody else’s. And you wonder why I hate her…”

“You really won’t admit that this could have been avoided?” Jake frowned.

“What is done is done,” Rebecca replied, taking the lead, “Things certainly could have gone smoother, but what is the point in dwelling on something we cannot change now? The only thing that matters is that we find a way to get out of this little trap and find the rest of our group.”

“One of them could have died, and she’d say the same something just as belittling as this,” Ashley sighed, “She can say that she’s changed, but deep down she is still the same megalomaniac that tried to bind me time and again, and abused you and your good nature. I ruled an empire, and yet I was never this entitled.”

“I feel like that's not entirely accurate,” Jake admitted, “Still, I see your point…”

“We need to move, Jake,” Rebecca said, motioning for him to follow, “Come along, now, we cannot afford to waste more time than necessary. Murray has already managed to derail us with this detour. Let's not give her more of an advantage than she has already claimed, hmm?”

“Yes, follow behind her, Jake,” Ashley scoffed, “Tag along like the good little bitch you are. Hmph, at least Pam treats Beth with respect, as does Zoey with your sister. Even I have almost always tried to treat you with care and respect. You should follow someone because they view you as equal, not because they see themselves as above you.”

“Ash, I'm not in a relationship with her,” Jake reminded his other half, “I'm following her because there is a literal locked door behind us. We literally have nowhere to go but that way.”

“Again, do you take me for a fool?” Ashley asked, walking alongside him, “We share a mind and soul, idiot. I am well aware that there is nothing between you two at the moment, but I'm also aware that you still think about it. Need I remind you of your slew of drunken one-night-stands after her death? What was that clown girl's name?”

“Claudia, I think?” Jake sighed, shaking his head, “One, the idiot comment was harsh and uncalled for. Aren't you supposed to be the mature one?”

“Was that an age joke?!” Ashley gasped, “Oh, you are asking for it, Jake!”

“Yeah, and calling me stupid is perfectly fine,” Jake frowned, “Back to the topic at hand. I haven't denied how I feel. All I said was that I'm not in a relationship with her, and that I don't exactly have an option to go a different route. For the record, I'm not sure I would if I did. We can't really afford to lose any more manpower in this hell hole.”

Rebecca and Jake walked through a set of swinging double doors. There was a sign hanging above the doors, but it was covered in a layer of grime and scratches over the words. Behind the doors were several long tables with stools attached to them. They were spread out evenly and orderly, but there were clearly layers of filth on the surface. There were a handful of carts with discarded and old foods in some of the bins. The stench of rotting meat and vegetables was heavy in the air. It was clear that this cafeteria was still being used, but the level of quality with the food was questionable at best.

Rebecca brought a hand to her face and conjured a small white orb. She moved her hand away and held it out while turning to look at Jake, “Here, let me help to block out that repugnant smell.”

Jake hesitated for a second before shrugging and walking over to Rebecca. She cupped her hand and put it over his face. The same glow appeared for a second before subsiding. The scent of jasmine and juniper berries filled his nostrils and blocked out the horrendous smell of rotting foods. He took a deep breath and took a step back. “Thanks,” he nodded, breaking off and starting to look around the cafeteria, “It’s hard to believe that this place is still in use. Then again, Murray might be a doctor, but the last thing she cares about is the health and well-being of anyone under her.”

Rebecca dragged two fingers along the tabletop nearest her while Jake made his way around one of the other tables. She held her hand up and spread her fingers with a frown. A sickening sludge tried to hold them together. She sent an arcane charge through her hand and burned the residue from her fingers. She shook her hand to throw the ash away. “The question is how often this place is used,” she remarked as she looked around, “I suppose it is irrelevant, in the end. What matters is still us finding a way forward.”

“Up,” Jake corrected her, looking along the walls for a way out of the cafeteria.

“Excuse me?” Rebecca asked.

“Up, not forward,” Jake explained, “The place is three floors, four if you count the basement. We aren’t going back the way we came, not without fighting that thing again. I’m pretty sure the elevators were at the end of that hall, but there’s more than one set here. If nothing else, we can find a stairwell to get us to the next floor.”

“Do you have a map?” Rebecca asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not on me,” Jake shook his head, “If I still had full access to the city’s systems and networks, then I could pull one up, or even download it. Sadly, that’s not an option as long as Ingrid has her hooks into the virtual landscape. There might be a paper one around here somewhere, but we’d need to find the offices first. Otherwise, we’re going to have to work blind and hope for the best.”

“We can keep an eye out, but we are not going out of our way,” Rebecca said, her tone more dominant and matter-of-fact than Jake had heard in a long while.

“Either say something, or I’ll step in and do it,” Ashley warned, her frustrations reaching a tipping point, “She is falling back into old habits, Jake, and I won’t let her talk down to and disrespect you like this.”

“Me or us?” Jake asked.

“You, Jake, you,” Ashley sighed, “She can insult me all she wants because I know it is done out of insecurity and fear. She is intimidated by me, my power, and how close I am to you. She wants to control you, just as she did in times past. Call this harlot on her bullshit before I lose my temper, Jake.”

Jake frowned and shook his head. He knew that Ashley had a point, but more than that, he knew how serious she was. If he didn’t speak up for himself, then Ashley would indeed take control and make things worse. More than that, though, she had a point about Rebecca falling back into old ways. He wasn’t quite sure that he believed that it was intentional on her part or not. If it was unintentional Jake needed to call her out, and more so if it wasn’t. He’d been the whipping boy for Rebecca before, and he refused to go back to that life.

“That wasn’t what i was saying, Rebecca,” he began, keeping his voice firm, “And for the record, I don’t appreciate you barking orders at me. You’re not the one running this operation.”

Rebecca looked slightly taken aback by his remark and tone of voice. She put a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes at him, “And I suppose you are, hmm?”

“Check that attitude, will you?” Jake sighed, “That’s not what I was saying.”

“Care to elaborate then?” Rebecca asked.

Jake looked down and shook his head. There was a certain familiar bite in her tone that he’d heard many times before. He looked up at her and narrowed his eyes, “You’re starting to sound a lot like the woman that I loathed.”

Rebecca scoffed, but she stopped herself from spitting a scathing retort. She could hear the conviction in his voice, but more than that she could feel it behind his words. The word loathing was a strong one that brought back memories of hate and fury the likes of which she distinctly remembered from shortly before her death. “Is that so?” she eventually asked.

“I’ve got no reason to lie,” Jake replied, “Look, this isn’t the time or the place for us to be fighting or slipping back into old, shitty behaviors. We need to focus on working together as equals, not as…whatever we were before. Stop trying to call the shots, and let’s start working together.”

“It’s not perfect, but I suppose that’s a start,” Ashley rolled her eyes, “I guess some semblance of a spine is better than none.”

“I-you are right,” Rebecca sighed, realizing that Jake was more right than she liked to admit, “This is no place for superiority complexes. I will try to watch myself, but-”

The intercom let out its familiar chime as it came to life. The chilling voice of Anna Murray came across the loud speakers, “Attention, patients and staff, the time is now a quarter after one. As you all are aware, it is feeding time for our more…eccentric patients. All patients are advised to report to their rooms, and all staff are to initiate lockdown on the outer halls until lunch is concluded. Those patients that choose to remain out do so with an understanding that they are risking their very lives. As for our new arrivals…well, I trust you’ll enjoy the spectacle and improvements that we’ve been making with our oldest and most reliable patient base. This has been a courtesy call from your loving care provider Doctor Anna Murray, also known as the Magnificent Babydoll, have a wonderful day!”

“How quaint,” Rebecca frowned, looking up at the speakers in the corners of the cafeteria, “We will have to table this discussion, but you have my word that I will watch myself. Now, if you have any suggestions for dealing with whatever is coming next I am all ears.”

“Jake,” Ashley warned, turning her attention back towards the rooms leaving the cafeteria, “As much as I would love to hear her continue to eat crow, we need to be mindful of whatever that woman is getting ready to send after us.”

Heavy footfalls and shambling could be heard coming from the opposing halls. There were faint and familiar sounds of the infected growling and shuffling forward, but they had a distinct way of walking and moving. The footsteps that Jake heard were too even, too deliberate, and far too human to be a mindless herd of Courtney’s infected. No, it was all too clear that it was the living that was coming towards them. There might have been a handful of infected with them, but Jake had a suspicion that they were being escorted by what he could only assume was Murray’s staff.

“Shit, get down,” Jake warned, ducking behind the tables, “We need to find a place to hide. We can wait out some of them, get a feel for their numbers, and ambush the others if we get the chance. Keep your spellcasting to a controlled degree unless shit hits the fan, alright?”

“Running is not something I’m overly fond of,” Rebecca sighed, despite following Jake’s instructions, “Still, I…I trust you. There is a large number coming from the doors on the opposite end. I believe the kitchens are not far. We may be able to fortify our positions if there are no other ways in or out.”

“She’s suggesting we corner ourselves like the rats Murray continues to compare us to,” Ashley scoffed, sighing and adding, “It’s insulting, but I will admit that it isn’t the absolute worst plan. It’s better than running into the fires again.”

“Alright, let’s go,” Jake agreed, taking the lead and making his way towards the swinging door past the carts. 

Rebecca was quick to follow, although it was clearly more difficult for her to hide her large, albeit slender frame. They made it across the filthy floors of the cafeteria with ease. The heavy footfalls of the staff and the clumsy footsteps of the infected were getting closer and growing in volume. Jake pushed the door to the kitchen open as quietly as he could. Thankfully, it opened without a sound. He held the door open for Rebecca and looked behind her to try to see what they might be up against. He could see infected in robes and gowns, but what caught his attention more were the people wearing black kevlar suits. Their entire bodies were covered, and they were wearing headgear. They had weapons on their backs, but more than one was holding a leash attached to one of the zombies. Jake’s frown deepened as he slipped into the kitchen and carefully closed the door.

Jake was thankful for Rebecca’s spell when he looked around the kitchen. Dirty pots and pans could be seen stacked along the counter and in the sink. There were bits of discarded food that had been left out to rot and spoil. The trash cans were overflowing, and there were bags of discarded trash that were piled up in the corners. There were bloody cutting boards with knives stained with dried blood and cuts of meat that Jake wasn’t entirely sure were from animals. There were pots on the burners that had the lids on them, and Jake was almost afraid to investigate. It wasn’t about the noise, though, it was more about seeing whatever gruel might have been cooking and stewing. 

“This place just continues to get more charming and inviting,” Rebecca quietly sighed, looking around the disgusting kitchen, “Did you get a look at our guests?”

“Yeah, this place is something else,” Jake agreed, “I saw a couple of them, yeah. It’s more than the usual fodder we see out on the streets. There’s some mixed in, but I’m more concerned about the living. They’re wearing protective gear that can withstand a bite and a likely a good few hits. They’re leading them and they’re armed, but I couldn’t tell with what.”

Rebecca looked around as she stood up and stretched. “How curious,” she hummed, “We are faced with a choice now. We can either draw them to us and fight, or we can look for a way to get past them.”

Jake sighed and nodded as he tried to formulate a plan. While he was glad that Rebecca was relenting on her more domineering side, he didn’t have all the answers. “None of us do,” Ashley pointed out, wandering around the kitchen “We may sound like we do, but we are merely speaking with false confidence. Over here, Jake, this might be something worth considering.”

Jake looked over to where Ashley had meandered over to. There was a large rubber mat that was on the ground near the sinks. Part of the mat was rolled up from where somebody had kicked it inadvertently. Jake quickly made his way over to the mat and lifted it up as much as he could. There was a steel set of doors that were underneath the mat, but part of it was stuck under a large steel cart full of dirty dishes.

“There,” Jake nodded at the mat, “That’s our way out.”

Jake made his way towards the cart to further investigate the mat and the cart. He rolled more of the rubber up to make sure he was right. Sure enough, the outline of the doors was indeed there. However, they were older than he thought. The doors weren’t steel, they were iron. Jake frowned as he ran his hand along the door. He could feel Ashley recoiling despite her best efforts to hide it. These things were going to be heavy, but he had to move that cart before he could try to open their escape route.

“Keep an eye out,” Jake whispered, eyeing the cart and trying to figure out the best way to approach it.

“Be careful,” Rebecca said, “There are at least four nearby, maybe more.”

Jake didn’t reply outside of a shrug of surprise and annoyance. It wasn’t as though he was planning on making noise, but the way the dishes, pans, and trays were stacked had him nervous. The cart had wheels on it, but the lip near the edge of the mat had him nervous. He took a deep breath and pressed his hands against the edges of the cart. He let out a slow exhale as he carefully started to push the cart forward. The wheels let out a shrill squeak as they turned that made him freeze. The noise was far louder to Jake, but he stopped and waited to be safe.

A minute passed by at an agonizingly slow rate, and Jake decided to get back into position. The guards and patients outside hadn’t burst through the door. Jake started pushing against the cart again once he realized that they were relatively safe. The cart started to roll towards the edge of the mat. He braced himself and kept his hands firmly in place in hopes of steadying the cart. The first set of wheels rolled over the lip of the mat and the cart shook. Again, Jake froze and looked up at the stack of dishes. They wobbled and shook,but they remained atop the cart. It was far closer than he would have liked.

Jake looked back at Rebecca who had her back to him and was facing the doors. One of her hands hovered over the whip hanging from her hip, and her other hand was held at the ready with a strange blue glow radiating from it. She was focused, and for that he was incredibly grateful. It meant that he could keep his attention on the task at hand. He was almost there. They’d have their way out in just a short while. He resumed his efforts on moving the cart once again.

The wheels of the cart touched down over the edge of the rubber. Jake breathed a sigh of relief as he scooted back from the rolling cart. He started to stand up and prepared to move the mat out of the way. As he bent down and grabbed the mat, it bumped against the cart. He froze as the pots, pans, trays, and dishes started to shake and tremble once again. His eyes widened as gravity took hold and pulled the stack down onto the floor. The resounding crash echoed throughout the kitchen, and Jake was sure that it carried into the cafeteria.

“Son of a bitch,” Jake grumbled, turning his attention to the door.

A chorus of growling and snarling could be heard coming from behind the door to the kitchen. It still paled in comparison to what they were used to hearing in the streets, but they were cornered. “What was that?” a man asked.

“Something fell,” another one replied, “Sounds like our new arrivals might be closer than we thought. Come on, and bring the freaks.”

“Shit,” Jake sighed, grabbing his escrima sticks from their holsters, “Looks like we're gonna have to deal with them before we bail after all.”

The door to the kitchen swung open. One of the zombified patients broke through with distant, dead eyes. It was a woman with disheveled hair and flaky skin. A collar was around her neck with a leash attached to it. She growled and moaned when she saw Rebecca standing at attention behind the door. Rebecca extended her left hand that had been holding a spell to send a jagged spike of ice flying through the air. The spike pierced through the skull of the woman and sent her body flying backwards through the doorway. An annoyed grunt could be heard alongside dual thuds.

“Shit, get in there!” someone shouted, presumably whoever had been holding the leash.

There was one other door that led into the kitchen, and it was closer to Jake. Rebecca had drawn her whip and was readying another spell, but she was keeping her attention on the door closest to her. The one closer to Jake burst open and two guards dressed in heavy black kevlar rushed into the room. They had guns slung across their backs, but they had stun batons out and at the ready. They spotted Jake and one of them stepped in and swung their baton in a downward arc. Jake raised his weapon to block the incoming attack, and quickly spun around to deliver a roundhouse kick to the guard and push him away. The guard staggered backward a few steps.

Jake took a step back as the other guard thrust his crackling baton forward. The edge of his weapon had been aimed at Jake's midsection, but Jake easily dodged the stab. The guard stepped forward and swung his weapon in an upward arc aimed at Jake's jaw. Jake knocked his arm away with a quick swipe of his escrima stick. He quickly threw a jab at the throat of the guard. His knuckles connected, but the jawline of the helmet kept him from landing a successfully devastating punch. The guard recoiled, but seemed to recover quickly enough. He threw his head forward to headbutt Jake who manages to sidestep him before he could connect.

Rebecca had been watching the confrontation out of the corner of her eye as Jake fought off two attackers. She flicked her wrist and summoned a wall of ice against the door nearest her. She turned her attention to the two that were attacking Jake and the only remaining door in the kitchen. Jake had just managed a successful dodge, but he hadn't seen the other guard sneaking up behind him. Rebecca snatched the whip that had been dangling from her hip and gave it a quick crack. The leather coiled around the arm of Jake's would-be attacker and she immediately pulled her wrist back, effectively stopping the momentum in one swift motion. 

“Pay attention, will you?!” she shouted in frustration at Jake.

“I'm a little preoccupied here,” Jake fired back, sweeping the legs of the guard and followed him to the ground with a swift punch to the face.

Rebecca rolled her eyes and channeled her energy through the leather of her whip. The leather began to heat up and translucent blades began to form around it. The guard she'd ensnared struggled and fought to free himself, but she had him bound tight. The blades started to spin and cut through his protective gear. She pulled back once again and forcefully yanked him towards her. She reached out with her free hand and slid it under his helmet. Her hand was still freezing from the spell she’d cast only a few moments ago. She pressed her fingertips against the base of the guard’s eyes and his jaw. His body tensed as she channeled the cold arcane energy into his skull and brought him down to his knees.

Rebecca pushed his body off to the side and turned her attention back to Jake and his other attacker. He’d managed to subdue the guard, but she knew he wouldn’t finish the job. She sighed and conjured an icy blade into her free hand. She moved to finish him, but stopped when Jake stood between her and her target. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, eyeing the blade in her hand.

“Keeping him from causing further problems,” she replied, “I would think that would be obvious. Stand aside and let me do what you will not.”

“Not everyone has to die,” Jake argued, holding his hands up in an attempt to dissuade Reebcca, “He’s down and out, and there are plenty of other threats to deal with.”

“Which is exactly why we should not waste time arguing over the lives of worms like this,” Rebecca scoffed, “I will not tell you a third time, move. If he lives, then he will come for us again. The best option is to remove that possibility. Would you tell your gun-toting counterpart to show mercy?”

“I have and I would,” Jake said, standing his ground, “It’s not our job to play judge, jury, and executioner.”

“Are you serious?” Rebecca asked, her tone clearly exasperated and irritated, “You would put the lives of others in danger to save this little wretch? Do you hear that, out there? The wall I summoned will fall soon. Let us deal with this one and we can move on. We have seconds before the ice shatters and they begin pouring in.”

As though on cue, the door behind them swung open while the sheet of ice Rebecca had erected began to splinter and fracture. One of the zombified patients stumbled into the kitchen. Rebecca glared at it, but Jake was already moving to stop it. He grabbed one of the larger pots that was nearby and flung it across the room at the infected. It slammed into the face of the zombie and knocked it to the ground with a loud bang. There would be more in a moment, but he hoped that it might slow the others down. 

“If you want to help, then help me get the passage open,” Jake said, turning back to the doors he’d managed to uncover, “If we hurry, we can slip out and block it off.”

While he was arguing and trying his best to plead his case, the guard had managed to draw his pistol. Rather than aiming it at either Jake or Rebecca, he aimed it at the patient on the ground. He managed to squeeze the trigger and send a dart flying across the room and into the chest of the zombie. A strange yellow liquid was in the syringe, and it began to inject itself into the body of the man. The effects were almost instant. His body started to twitch and convulse, and his eyes started to become bloodshot. His muscles started to tense up, and he let out a loud and shrill scream that quickly devolved into a snarl.

“Code yellow,” the guard said, having grabbed his walkie from his hip, “Repeat, code yell-ack!”

Rebecca cut him off by throwing her knife down and slicing through his neck guard. Afterwards, she quickly turned to the zombie that had now gotten to its feet. The second she turned, their eyes met and it broke into a remarkably fast sprint. It was faster than any of the ones she’d seen throughout the city, and it seemed far more rabid. She stepped to the side to avoid it, but it surprised her by pivoting as though it were still somehow in possession of a fully functioning brain. She managed to hold her hand out and push it away before it could sink its rotting teeth into her neck.

She was preparing to blast its head when Jake suddenly pulled it off of her and threw it to the ground. She gave another roll of her eyes and threw another cold spell at it. Its legs were suddenly frozen solid and it was stuck on the ground. He began beating on the casing around its legs. “What the hell was that?” she asked, nodding at the dart in its chest.

The sound of more dart guns going off could be heard going off in the cafeteria. “I don’t know, but we need to go, now,” Jake said, hurrying back to the hidden passageway, “Come on, gimme a hand!”

“Dammit,” Rebecca grumbled as she followed Jake’s lead again.

They pulled as hard as they could, but the doors were almost rusted shut. Crashing and snarling could be heard behind the kitchen doors. The ice she’d built was suddenly shattered as well. Their anxiety was continuing to mount as they pulled again, but again were left stuck. They didn’t dare look back for fear of seeing how many of those things might be behind them. Rebecca summoned all of her strength with a final heave, and the doors flung open. There was darkness leading down to the lower levels of the asylum. Neither of them were overly fond of going into the basement, but they’d be overwhelmed if they stayed put.

“Grab onto me,” Rebecca ordered Jake.

Jake didn’t argue this time. He wrapped his arms around his ex as she took a step forward and into the abyss. She turned as they fell and flicked her wrist. Her whip, still filled and brimming with her power, shot out and wrapped around the doors they’d flung open. One of them had slammed into and under the cart that Jake had moved. She pulled back and slammed the doors shut, and by extension caused the cart to topple over and onto the doors. The path to them had been blocked off, but they were falling into the darkness and unknown. Rebecca was able to slow their descent with a simple spell, but they had no idea what they were walking into, or how they were going to make it back to the first floor. Of course, then there was the matter of finding their friends. Neither were sure if this was a step forward, or a step backward.