They took a few steps deeper inside the building carefully, and Charlotte made sure to watch beneath her feet so that she didn't step on any glass to give away their location to whatever or whoever may be lingering around.
It was extremely dark with no lights, and Charlotte had to resort to using her phone as a flashlight once again.
The windows didn't let in enough light outside due to the build of dust on the window panes which wasn't a surprise at all. The front doors that were unnaturally propped open may be their only clue at this point.
For buildings like these, even if they were ransacked, it didn't make sense to leave the door open with a small wedge unless someone was inside.
Vincent and Stone had to be inside somewhere unless they moved to somewhere safer, but Charlotte didn't think so, because Vincent would have at least updated her.
She knew that they had probably opened the door to let her know that she was going in the right direction. Well, at least, she hoped so since if that wasn't the case, she was likely walking into someone else's territory.
It felt as though they were exploring a horror game much to Charlotte's chagrin when they flashed the light around the empty walls full of cobwebs, and Charlotte looked over the desks all stationed into cubicles with broken monitor screens that were very dated for the time they were now. It was practically a relic inside this old business building with the signs of the times floating around.
Lucia stepped on some glass, and the crunch beneath her shoes startled Charlotte so much so that she spun around to send a glare at Lucia. "Watch where you're walking please."
"It's not my fault that you have a light pointed to your feet while I don't," Lucia whispered.
"Then walk beside me not behind," she said point blankly.
Charlotte needed to call Vincent first to see where he was inside the building and stared down at her phone was now weighty in her hand, and she swiped up and prayed that Vincent would pick up. The call went through, and Charlotte pressed the phone to her ear. But there was nothing.
She frowned. "Hello?"
There was nothing except the static sound of air over the receiver, and Charlotte pulled the phone back to see if the call was still going. Frustration ate her up inside, and she ended the call because she knew that nothing was going to change from wasting the few minutes on the line and fretting about it.
She didn't know what was up with him with all the dicey communication that made her hair stand on end. It seemed that Vincent wanted to play hide and seek with her. Charlotte lifted her pistol and started the walk to try and find the stairs up the place. If that was the case, she would have to take up the challenge.
Charlotte snooped around the desks a bit more to gather what little information was offered but decided to look elsewhere to find the staircase since the elevator was clearly not going to work in a run-down place like this.
Even if it did work, it would be best not to use it since it would advertise her and Lucia's location to everyone around which would put their safety at risk along with Vincent's.
She didn't know the demographics of the vigilantes as in where they lived and what most of them did for a living, but it was better to be safe than sorry which was why she kept her guard up at all times. Charlotte stepped over the broken chairs and sent Lucia another questioning glance when she practically ran into it.
Lucia lifted a hand in apology. "Sorry, sorry. I swear I'll be quiet."
Charlotte grabbed the broken chair to move it out of the way to ensure that Lucia wouldn't collide with it again and was startled by the living critters underneath scattering away when she lifted their home up and away. She couldn't tell what they were, but the sign of a long bug with many legs was enough for her.
A bug ran over her boots, and she shook it off silently while freaking out on the inside. Lucia was quietly laughing from behind with a hand up to smother the noise. Cringing, Charlotte took a step back and swallowed her frightened shriek before gingerly placing the rotting wooden chair down.
Wiping her hands down on her skirt in disgust, she gave Lucia her phone since Lucia needed it more than she did which should have been the other way around considering that Lucia was practically born in the darkest part of the city within the outer rings next to the outer walls that was shut out from the rest of the world.