Crimson Gauntlet: Factions by Adler I.O

Author:Adler, I.O.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lucas Ross Publishing
Published: 2023-02-04T00:00:00+00:00

2

We finally parked in a dark neighborhood some twenty minutes later. I could make out the second floor of a row of townhouses. Mr. Montgomery muttered to himself as he shut off the engine and got out. I raised my head and tried to figure out where we were, but Olive, Bell Park, and the surrounding communities had scores, if not hundreds, of small developments like this.

He had pulled the bus across a row of parking spaces near a central office and clubhouse. Past an iron gate, a pool shimmered and reflected starlight.

Mr. Montgomery went past the office and entered a townhouse. Soft illumination, like from an electric lantern, winked on through the window.

So he wasn’t superhuman. He, too, needed rest. Now that I was out and away from the others, what was next?

Finding Dr. Galen didn’t seem possible. I had no clue where to start. But Mr. Montgomery remained a mystery I needed to learn more about.

I used the lever and opened the side door. The lights came on in the shuttle. I closed it as fast as I could and waited for the ten seconds it took for the shuttle to go dark again. Cursed myself for being so stupid. I went to the driver’s console and switched the lights so they would stay dark. Then I exited the shuttle and surveyed my surroundings.

The car ports were full of dismantled vehicles. Many of the windows of the surrounding units were broken. A townhouse two down from Mr. Montgomery had a glow in an upper window. A shape moved past a curtain.

Others were here. The hotel employees? More NPCs?

In Mr. Montgomery’s unit, the lantern light vanished. It appeared again on the upper level for a moment before going out.

I went to the front door and tried the latch. Locked. But there was a kitchen window. It had been slid open a couple of inches. I got my fingers on the window screen and tried to push it from side to side. It moved ever so slightly, giving me enough purchase to pull it out of its track. I set it aside, hoping no one heard the scraping sound. The window slid open easily enough. It was at chin height. I disconnected a box with a coiled hose inside and brought it over.

Not an easy climb, and the poncho snagged. I stepped back down onto the hose box and removed the poncho. Better, but getting my shoulders through proved tricky. I had to carefully shove empty jars and some dead plants aside as I pulled myself onto the sink. I accidentally turned the water on full blast and got myself wet as I tumbled onto the floor.

The ceiling creaked. I waited and listened. A toilet flushed. More creaks, then silence.

I’d need a light if I was going to make a meaningful search. A duffel bag slumped in the space just past the front door. I couldn’t see enough to go through its contents.

Something on a side table beneath a mirror caught my attention.

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