Chapter 21
I watched with baited breath as Amber checked the seams around the door at the bottom of the stairs and turned the handle. No alarms sounded, and we stepped into the basement. The air was markedly cooler here, damp and tinged with the scent of chlorine. A mop and bucket stood nearby, and I imagined that they had to wipe everything down regularly to keep mold from forming in the dankness.
Fluorescent spotlights lit up the corridor, even with the main overhead lights out. Pipes ran everywhere, moist with condensation. Water dripping into puddles echoed loudly through the concrete space, making me flinch. Amber put a finger to her lips, and began creeping through the maze of pipes and tanks. Every so often, one of the tubes would groan or gurgle. My stomach in knots, I padded sil
