43 Mr. Cloud

They continued down the new floor, Damien being dragged by Gradis as they weaved through the multiple hallways, her footsteps getting faster with every step. Damien watched as franticness started to show in her steps, like she was being chased but tried her best not to show it. A part of him wanted to slow down and see her anxiously pull him along, but he wasn't comfortable with the halls either. He felt like someone was watching their every turn and analyzing them from afar.

"Goddamn it, why did he build this place to be so complicated?" Gradis mumbled under her breath. She knew the real reason but hated it because it meant that she was a suspect too. Finally, the final door came into view, another elevator at the end of another hall. Gradis slammed down on the elevator call button, pissed at the length it took to get to get to this elevator and the fact that she felt intimidated by it.

The elevator came soon after she pressed it and Gradis and Damien walked in and stared straightforward as the elevator door closed. The numbers started to rise again this time going over 30.

"You were gonna say something?" Gradis asked.

"Hmm?" Damien looked down at his right.

"You had a question for me, right?" Gradis asked again, turning to her left and looking up at him. Before turning back to face the front wall of the elevator.

"Yes, I did," Damien grinned, "will I be allowed in the meeting?"

"Ah…" Gradis muttered realizing the fact that she had nowhere for Damien to stay. She didn't want him to involve himself with her business partner but she was going to have to now because the seemingly empty halls of these buildings are more dangerous when alone. "I guess you are. That old man won't have a say in anything though since he won't even be able to touch us."

"Wha-" Damien began, the ding of the bell interrupting him again. "I swear do these bells ring intentionally? I swear it's trying to cut me off with every word I say."

"Ha," Gradis muttered, stepping out of the elevator and though Damie couldn't see her face he could feel the tension and frustration in her voice, "I won't be surprised if there was."

A slight gasp escaped Damien's lips, he wasn't even sure if this was the same building he had stepped into earlier. This last floor was completely different from the others, with only two doors in the entire floor, one of the doors was to the left of the other, with a little space in between to be a mini hallway. But the unique part was that the white door opposite the one on the left was on a transparent glass wall and the other side was completely open to see upon entrance.

Gradis walked out and knocked on the white door, "I'm here."

"Let her in," a voice replied.

"Sorry if I'm a little late, your building will always be a hassle to go through," Gradis greeted sitting in the chairs facing a large desk that sat in front of another transparent glass wall, it's back to it. Gradis did a little nod to signal Damien to take a sit beside her and he obeyed, taking a seat next to her.

"No problem," the voice chuckled, "it was built for that reason."

Damien did a tiny look around the room to find the voice until he spotted a face staring at him from inside a computer screen.

"It seems you brought a new friend today," the voice smiled, his grin sending a tremor down Damien's back, "it's been a while since the last one."

Damien flinched at his comment, 'what did he mean by it's been a while since the last one?' he pondered turning to Gradis hoping for an answer but was even more perplexed to find out that she hadn't even batted an eyelash to his comment.

"Please refrain from beginning up the past," Gradis replied brushing off her hair behind her eyes, "I'm sure it isn't a good memory for us both. Right, Mr. Cloud?"