59 Danger's Coming

Full Series 1"drifting through the hell of earth- the beginning of all mysteries" is FREE on kindle unlimited, Series 2 is coming too

------------------------------------

Dr. James' office is full of history. There is an old painting on the wall. It shows a fierce dragon breathing hot flames, and a lonely knight holding a strong shield, bravely fighting against this dragon.

Mo Wen once again turned his gaze to the diary, its pages bound in aged cowhide. With a reverence that belied the urgency of the moment, he carefully cradled it in his arms. Suddenly, a sense of impending danger washed over him, a sensation so potent it felt as if electricity was coursing through his veins, causing every hair on his body to stand on end. His heart pounded in his chest, a cacophony of alarm bells ringing in his mind.

His instincts had never failed him before, and he knew he had to act immediately.

Silently, he retreated to the shadowy corner of the office, pressing a finger to the tiny earpiece nestled in his ear. A small electronic device lay forgotten in the gloom of the corridor entrance, yet it faithfully relayed the faint, chaotic sounds of footsteps echoing from the concrete hallway outside.

At least seven or eight individuals were rapidly closing in.

Their footfalls reverberated ominously within the silent confines of the building, a tolling bell of fate that seemed to tighten an invisible noose around his neck.

Mo Wen quickly scanned his surroundings, his mind coolly calculating his options. The office window overlooked the backyard, its view dominated by the imposing wall of a massive warehouse. He darted to the window, gently prying it open just enough for the biting cold wind to rush in. Half his body leaned out into the open air, his eyes scanning the scene below.

His heart sank at the sight of the decorative crossbar, a mere ten centimeters below his feet. It was a fragile adornment on the building's facade, likely to creak under his weight and possibly even collapse. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the risky escape through the window.

With utmost caution, Mo Wen maneuvered his body out of the window, his feet finding precarious purchase on the narrow crossbar, his body pressed against the icy wall. The crossbar was even more fragile than he had anticipated, creaking ominously under his weight, threatening to give way at any moment. Moreover, the window was lined with decorative protrusions that would slow his descent, significantly increasing the risk of detection.

It seems he have no other choice. It was a dangerous gamble, but one he had to take.

------

Just then, urgent shouts came from outside the door:"Open up! Open up!" The security guards' roars were accompanied by the dull thud of heavy objects hitting the door. Mo Wen's heart tightened, and he quickened his actions.

The key to the door was only in the hands of Dr. Thomas, who disliked others entering his territory, so the security guards adopted the most brutal method - ramming the door.

"Bang, bang!" A few violent crashes, the old-fashioned door was surprisingly sturdy, but it could not resist the huge force of the battering ram for long. The door panel opened with a crash at the last hit. The security guards rushed into the office, and what caught their eye was the open window, the curtains fluttering wildly in the cold wind, as if mocking their incompetence.

"Quick, someone escaped from the window!" The security guards quickly rushed to the window. The security manager yelled angrily,"Get out of the way, let me see!" The deputy manager leaned out to look, but was immediately hit by a wave of dizziness, his acrophobia made him involuntarily sit on the ground.

"Manager, are you okay, what happened?" His subordinates hurried over to help the shaken assistant manager. At this time, they always omitted the annoying"assisstant" in their address to him, seemingly subtly acknowledging the power he had already practically grasped.

A few security guards leaned out again, carefully checking the situation outside the window."It seems like there's someone down there!" A security guard pointed down. On the open ground below, a vague shadow seemed to have fallen in a hurry, lying on the ground unable to move, but still struggling desperately.

"Quick, go down and catch him!" The security guards rushed downstairs like hounds, but were blocked Hoxton again.

"Hey, don't all go down, leave two in the room, see what's missing? Don't mess up, beware of the doctor's bad temper!"

His voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, full of tension and anxiety.

Two security guards stayed behind. They dared not rashly search, they could only carefully inspect the room, like defusing a time bomb. This delay gave Mo Wen precious escape time, like a breath won at the edge of life and death.

When Hoxton arrived at the open space under the window, he saw a dummy on the ground, dressed in a courier's uniform, stuffed with some sundries, not very sturdy, blown by the wind, the sleeves and trouser legs moved from time to time, as if someone was struggling. His heartbeat stopped for a moment, then started beating faster than usual.

"We've been fooled! Get back, that guy is still in the room!" Hoxton was burning with anger, but also glad that he was smart, leaving people in the room, otherwise he would have really let the other party run away. His heartbeat was like a war drum, thumping in his chest.

When he anxiously notified the subordinates left in the office, what reassured him was that nothing unusual had happened. When they ran back to the office, they saw the two security guards still slowly checking carefully, as if nothing had happened. There was no panic on their faces, only calm and focus, as if they were conducting a routine check of no importance.

Hoxton squinted suspiciously,"Search, give me a search on every floor, don't make a big noise!" His voice was low and firm, like a sharp knife cutting through the tense atmosphere.

He thought for a moment, then issued further instructions in a deep voice:

"Leave the basic security at the door, the rest of you surround this building. I don't believe he could have run away in such a short time. Control room, leave someone to keep a close eye on the surrounding surveillance, report any suspicious persons at any time!"

His voice echoed in the empty building, like a command, but also like a challenge.

When he came back to the ground directly under the window, his eyes lit up. There was a small door less than half a meter high, the exit of a storeroom. The door was originally locked, but the cleaner, because of the trouble, did not lock it, it could be opened casually. His heartbeat accelerated instantly, as if he had found a glimmer of hope.

"This damn cleaner, must be lazy and didn't lock this small door!" He cursed through gritted teeth, but his eyes were sparkling with excitement.

The deputy manager peered inside, a sloping ramp, a thin young man could completely crawl up against it. He gently waved his hand, pointed inside, and then gently closed the small door. His movements were gentle and quick, like a cheetah hunting.