For Elián, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. He couldn't deny that he had been about to rush toward the elevator, but he was slower than the two unfortunate men.
He stopped dead in his tracks when faced with the horrific scene in which he could easily have been the protagonist.
One of the men collapsed under the weight of two monsters that, in an instant, tore apart his throat and face with a wet crunch. Blood gushed out in a crimson fountain, splattering the elevator's metal walls like a macabre painting. The other man barely raised his hands in a desperate attempt to protect himself, but the third creature sank its teeth into his face, tearing flesh and cartilage. His scream echoed briefly, only to be cut off abruptly.
The rest of the group recoiled, completely horrified.
The creatures were closing in on them quickly. The two guards, too busy helping the elderly get up, didn't even attempt to use their weapons. For a moment, the paralysis of panic took over everyone; no one knew what to do.
It was Elián who broke the trance. With a shout that sliced through the tension like a knife, he pointed toward the elevator.
"Now! Get in while they're distracted!"
His voice was enough to snap them out of their shock. The survivors moved as one body, rushing toward the elevator with desperate coordination. The creatures, focused on tearing apart the businessmen's bodies, didn't seem to notice the group's movement.
Elián stayed in the rear, making sure everyone got in, while the guards covered their advance.
Bang! Bang!
"Hrraa… aaghhh!"
"Urrrgh… grrrr… hrk!"
"Rrraahhh!"
Unfortunately, the group of creatures had already arrived and was about to pounce on them. However, the bald guard stepped away from the group and shot one of the creatures, causing all of them to stop dead in their tracks. As if ignoring the rest of the people in the elevator, the creatures fixed their attention on him and lunged, while the guard ran, shooting desperately.
When the last of the men entered the safety of the elevator, the scarred guard glanced at his partner for a moment before pressing the button that would take them to the floor connecting to the building's roof.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Click... Click...
Everyone watched sadly as the bald guard was surrounded and bitten all over, still firing until the sound of the shots faded, exhausted of bullets.
The elevator doors closed slowly, like a small relief amid all the desperation.
"Uuuurrrghhh!"
Suddenly, one of the creatures, still devouring one of the businessmen, lifted its bloodied head as if it had sensed something. It let out a chilling growl and, without warning, lunged toward the group. They were less than half a meter away, almost on the verge of contact with the monster!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The shots rang out like a thunderstorm.
"Rrrraaaaahhh!"
The last remaining guard fired without hesitation, and the impact of the bullets made the creature stagger back. But it didn't fall. It continued moving forward, emitting a guttural sound.
Bang!
The brief moment when the creature recoiled was more than enough for the elevator doors to slam shut.
But just a second before the doors closed, the scarred guard fired one last time. Although it was almost impossible for the creature to get in with the doors about to close, nerves pushed him to pull the trigger once more. However, seeing the elevator begin to ascend, he breathed a sigh of relief, leaving the tension of the moment behind.
Elián, who had been watching with wide eyes, noticed something that caught his attention.
Since the guards started shooting, Elián had observed every detail of how they handled their weapons, but he was surprised to notice that the damage didn't seem as lethal as the old weapon magazines he had read years ago suggested. Despite being shot directly in the chest, right in the heart, the creatures remained standing as if nothing had happened.
But this time, before the elevator doors closed, he saw how the monster's body twitched one last time before it became completely still after taking a bullet right in the forehead.
Elián wasn't sure if that thing had truly died, but he kept it in his mind.
Zzzzzzz... zzzzzz...
The elevator ascended with a constant mechanical hum, a rhythm that seemed to lull them with the promise of a nearby escape.
"..."
No one said a word; no one had the energy or desire to do so.
Floor by floor, the indicator lights blinked, marking their progress toward the last level. Every passing second felt like a century, but the sense of relief began to grow within the group. They were close. Just a few more floors and...
Zzzz... clank!
A dry sound, followed by an abrupt silence.
The elevator cab stopped suddenly. The lights flickered one last time before going completely out, plunging them into total darkness. A murmur of panic spread like wildfire, and the businessmen, still shocked by what they had just lived through, began to scream, pressing the buttons in a futile frenzy.
"What's happening?! This can't be happening now!" one of them yelled, his voice broken by terror.
"We're dead, I don't want to die, let me out!"
"Stay away from me, don't come near!"
Pah! Pah!
Rupert raised his trembling hands and clapped, while in a firm but calm tone, he ordered, "Shut up, everyone! Just wait a moment!" His gaze showed the exhaustion of dealing with young men with little will.
Silence returned, broken only by the labored breathing of the survivors.
Seeing that no one said anything, Rupert continued, his voice a whisper in the dark, "This building has backup generators… they always turn on after a few seconds."
Zzzz... clank... creak...
As if his words had summoned fate, the lights flickered back to life, illuminating the pale, sweaty faces of the occupants. The elevator buzzed again, resuming its ascent to the top floor. Everyone sighed with relief, though fear still gripped their hearts.
Ding!
When the doors finally slid open, the group stepped out slowly, following the guard who advanced with his weapon raised.
The hallway in front of them appeared clear, fluorescent lights flickering with a faint glow, casting long shadows on the walls. They only had to walk a little further to reach the access stairs leading to the helipad.
Tac... tac...
The echo of their footsteps resonated through the corridor, each sound amplified by the oppressive emptiness surrounding them.
Toc... toc... scrape... toc...
"!"
Just as they were a few meters from the stairs, an unexpected sound stopped everyone in their tracks: steps, dragging and clumsy, coming from a side hallway.
The group stood still, frozen in fear.
"Gurg... ggrrrr..."
The guard raised his weapon, pointing toward the source of the noise. The sound grew louder, accompanied by a low and eerie gurgling, as if something was breathing through a hole in its neck.
Finally, the figure appeared.
It was one of those creatures, but this one had something even more grotesque...
Its back was arched unnaturally, as if an invisible weight were pushing it backward. Its arms hung limp at its sides, while its head dragged along the floor, leaving a trail of yellow, viscous liquid.
Its jaw clicked with spasmodic movements, and its whole body seemed to convulse with every step it took.
The group held their breath, their faces showing a mix of absolute terror and restrained desperation. The guard slowly tightened the trigger of his weapon, ready to fire, but before he could, Elián raised a hand in a clear gesture of "wait."
"?"
Everyone looked at Elián, confused, not understanding why he was stopping the guard from shooting at the thing.
With slow and precise movements, Elián pointed to his own eyes and then to the creature's, whose eye sockets were empty. Elián instantly understood that these things were blind. By making no sound or movement, the creature didn't react to them; it simply kept moving forward, crawling along the hallway as if it couldn't see anything.
The message was clear to the group: as long as they didn't make noise, they could pass unnoticed.
When the creature disappeared into the distance, they continued walking. However, it wasn't long before another monster appeared. This one was even stranger, as it crawled almost lying on its back, using its limbs to drag itself forward.
Everyone stayed still as it moved slowly. The problem was, by crawling so slowly, some of them, who were holding their breath, began to feel suffocated.
Then the worst happened.
One of the businessmen, unable to control his nervousness, breathed heavily, feeling as if he were suffocating. The sound, though faint, echoed like a gunshot in the silence of the hallway. The creature stopped suddenly. Its body tensed, and its head turned toward them with a jerky movement. In the blink of an eye, like a frog waiting to strike, it lunged with terrifying speed at the businessman who had made the mistake.
"Hhhrrraaaaa!"
"Nooo... please... aaaaahhh!"
"Run!" yelled the guard. There was no point in keeping quiet anymore; the man's scream had surely alerted all the creatures on this floor.
Fortunately, they were very close to the access stairs.
The creature collided with the man with such force that it slammed him into the wall before sinking its teeth into his chest. The sound of tearing flesh filled the air, accompanied by the businessman's agonizing screams.
"Uuuh... n-no... aaaaagh…"
Blood splattered the floor and walls, forming a pool beneath his convulsing body.
Without thinking twice, everyone turned and ran toward the stairs. The echo of their footsteps was deafening as they desperately climbed, the businessman's screams fading behind them as a reminder of what awaited them if they made a mistake.
When they reached the top of the stairs, they found a metal door locked with a heavy bolt. Seeing this, panic seized them again.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
"We don't have the keys!" someone exclaimed, pounding on the door in frustration.
The guard didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, aimed his weapon, and shot at the lock. The sound of the shot reverberated through the narrow staircase, and the lock disintegrated into pieces. Without wasting a second, he shoved the door open, which creaked loudly, allowing them to step out onto the helipad.
The guard acted quickly, pushing the metal door with all his strength, securing it in place. His breath was labored, but he didn't dare relax.
He knew that the creatures wouldn't stop for anything.
One of the businessmen, eyes fixed on the door, murmured in a deep voice, "If one of those things gets in..."
"Help me hold the door!" the guard yelled at the nearest businessman. He hesitated for a moment, but seeing the guard's terrifying face, he quickly pressed his back against the door, holding it with all his might.
Since the bolt had been damaged, they acted as human barricades, using their bodies to prevent the door from being opened.
Bam! Bam! Crash!
The creatures finally arrived at the door, banging against it with force, their bodies crashing into it with a terrifying bang. The guard and the businessman, sweat soaking their foreheads, pushed with all their might. The blows echoed like thunder, but neither dared to give in. They knew that if they did, the creatures would break through and there would be no survivors.
The rest of the group watched, from a distance, an enormous helicopter parked.
The faces of everyone reflected the exhaustion, fear, and sadness from the losses suffered. From the original 14 men, only 10 remained. But with the helicopter before them, a spark of hope emerged amid the sadness.
It was an imposing and shiny black color with yellow stripes. It also had an aerodynamic shape.
Edmund, with a sharp gaze despite his age, looked at the helicopter with a mix of relief and calculation. "It's an Airbus H145," he said in a grave voice. "Although we'll be a bit cramped, we can all fit. It has capacity for up to 10 people."
Rupert looked at him in silence, then directed his cold eyes at the men around him.
"Quick, we won't hold out much longer!" the guard shouted, veins bulging from his neck and arms from the extreme effort he was exerting.
The group quickly approached the helicopter, running.
Upon arrival, they stopped for a moment, and one question lingered in the air, unanswered: "Who's going to pilot it?"
They all looked at each other in silence, and for a moment, the air was filled with heavy uncertainty. No one had the answer. Doubts began to suffocate the atmosphere. Who among them knew how to fly a helicopter? Had they come so far just to die, with salvation within reach?