Elijah Greyhawk — Point of View
The crawlspace swallowed them the moment the panel shut behind Eliza. Dark. Tight. The air was stale and metallic.
Elijah had to turn his shoulders sideways so he could move forward. The ceiling brushed his back. The floor scraped his knees. Like the inside of a coffin, the walls pressed in on both sides. Ahead of him, the girl crawled on hands and elbows, her breath quick and shallow. Behind him, Eliza and Hayes slid in, sealing the panel. The last sliver of light vanished. Darkness took everything.
Elijah whispered, “Keep moving. Slow and steady.”
His voice sounded wrong in the space — too loud, too close, like it had nowhere to go.
###
Evan Blackhorse — Point of View (Front of the Line)
Evan led the way, flashlight held low, the beam barely more than a thin blade of light cutting through the dust. The crawlspace was narrower than he expected — barely wide enough for one person, with pipes running along the right wall and electrical conduit along the left. He moved carefully, testing each section of the floor before shifting his weight. “Watch the pipes,” he whispered back. “Some of them are hot.”
Elijah murmured an acknowledgment. The girl didn’t speak. She just kept crawling.
###
Leah Gagnon — Operations Room (Comms)
Leah’s voice crackled through their earpieces, hushed but urgent. “Team, I’ve got movement. Contractors breached S‑3 Storage. They’re inside the room.”
Eliza whispered, “Are they opening the panel?”
A beat of static. Then Leah’s voice, tight: “Yes.”
Elijah felt the girl freeze in front of him. He touched her ankle gently. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “Keep going.” But his heart hammered. They were seconds away from being discovered.
###
Eliza Morningstar — Point of View (Rear of the Line)
Eliza crawled behind Hayes, her elbows scraping metal, her breath echoing in the tight space. She could hear the contractors in the storage room — muffled voices, boots on concrete, the metallic clatter of tools.
Hayes whispered: “They’re trying to pry it open.”
Eliza swallowed. “Leah, how long until they get through?”
“Not long,” Leah said. “They’re using a crowbar.”
Eliza closed her eyes for a moment. Then they will open it. “Then we move faster.”
###
Elijah Greyhawk — Point of View
Elijah kept one hand on the girl’s ankle, guiding her forward. The crawlspace dipped slightly, forcing them to move lower. His shoulders scraped the ceiling. Dust filled his nose and throat. He whispered, “You’re doing great. Just a little farther.”
The girl whispered back, voice trembling: “It’s so small.”
“I know,” Elijah said softly. “But you’re not alone.”
Behind them, metal groaned. The contractors were getting closer.
###
Evan Blackhorse — Point of View
Evan reached a junction — a narrow split where the crawlspace branched left and right. He froze. “Elijah,” he whispered, “we’ve got a problem.”
Elijah’s voice came back low. “What is it?”
“Two paths,” Evan said. “One goes toward the utility room. The other… I don’t know.”
Leah’s voice cut in. “Evan, hold position. I’m pulling up the old schematics.”
Evan waited, breath shallow. The girl whimpered softly. Elijah whispered reassurance.
Leah came back on. “Okay. The left path leads to a maintenance hatch near the old generator room. Right path dead‑ends at a sealed panel.”
Hayes muttered, “So turn left.”
Evan nodded. “Left it is.” He turned and crawled.
###
The Contractors — Heard but Unseen
A metallic clang echoed through the crawl space. Then another. Then a voice, muffled but nearby: “Found the panel. Get it open.”
Elijah felt the girl flinch. He whispered, “Don’t look back. Keep going.” She nodded and crawled faster.
###
Eliza Morningstar — Point of View
Eliza heard the panel behind them give way — a sharp metallic crack.
Hayes whispered: “They’re in.”
Eliza’s pulse spiked. “Leah,” she whispered, “we need that hatch.”
Leah’s voice came back, urgent: “Thirty meters ahead. Evan’s almost there.”
Eliza exhaled shakily. “Then we move.”
###
Evan Blackhorse — Point of View
Evan reached the hatch; a rusted metal grate bolted to the wall. He tested it. It didn’t budge. “Elijah,” he whispered, “I need you up here.”
Elijah crawled forward, guiding the girl past him. “Stay with Eliza,” he whispered to her.
Then he moved up beside Evan. Together, they braced their shoulders and pulled. The hatch groaned. Then stuck. Evan gritted his teeth. “Come on…”
Behind them, the contractors’ voices grew louder. Closer. Elijah whispered: “Again.”
They pulled. The metal screamed. Then—it gave.** The hatch swung inward. Cool air rushed in.
Evan whispered, “Go. Go now.”
###
Elijah Greyhawk — Point of View
Elijah reached back for the girl. “Your turn.”
She crawled into the opening, Evan helping her through. Eliza followed, then Hayes. Elijah was last. He slid through the hatch just as a flashlight beam swept the crawlspace behind him.
A voice shouted: “There! In the tunnel!”
Elijah slammed the hatch shut. Evan threw the bolt. Elijah leaned against the wall, chest heaving. They’d made it. Barely.
###
Leah Gagnon — Operations Room (Comms)
Leah exhaled shakily into her headset. “Team… you’re clear of the South Wing.”
Eliza whispered: “Not for long.”
Hayes nodded. “They’ll come around.”
Elijah looked at the girl — trembling, exhausted, but alive. He whispered: “We keep moving.”
###
Eliza Morningstar — Point of View
Eliza steadied her breathing. The generator room was ahead. The exit is beyond that. But the contractors were coming. Fast. She raised her weapon. “Let’s finish this.”