Richard and Mindy staked out in the middle of the night, wearing dark clothing to blend in as they hurried to their work building. Once they got there, Mindy pulled the handle, but it was unlocked. That could be a sign Charlie and Claudia forgot, but it also smelled like a trap. Richard and Mindy proceeded with caution.

With their flashlights, the two walked around the empty lobby. There weren’t even any security guards in sight. The duo ran to hide behind the receptionist’s desk for cover. Mindy put on a fresh pair of visors with x-ray visions to survey the area more. No sign of anybody else, yet. Still, she insisted that they both be careful when searching for the missing blue capsule.

They headed upstairs toward the boss’ room but found the door locked, and they needed a key. Figuring that’s where Charlie hid the capsule, Richard and Mindy headed back down to the cubicle rooms to search every nook and cranny for the key. The two looked inside the cabinets, under the drawers, even around computers, but turned up empty-handed.

The two slumped behind the desk, unsure of what to do now. There had to be a way to find and retrieve the key.

Ding! The elevator operator came on and moved to the floor they were on. Richard and Mindy paused and glanced at the now working elevator. Strange, the elevator shouldn’t operate at night. They both rushed behind a desk and waited for the figure to come out.

When the elevator opened, the two hunched their shoulders and peeked to check who it was. Light from her phone revealed Claudia’s stoic face. Something shiny appeared in her pocket as she headed to the nearest restroom. Richard almost questioned why she was there, but remembered what Claudia told him the first time he broke in.

Mindy squinted her eyes and pointed at the key in her pockets, which could lead to the boss’ office. She volunteered to go in and take the key while Richard went on standby. He reluctantly agreed and waited for Mindy to come back safe and sound. While waiting, an uneasy aura got to him as goosebumps rose from his arms and legs. Richard thought it was familiar, but also seemed to be a sense of danger, but he couldn’t piece together what it all meant.

He couldn’t process it for too long, as Mindy came back with the key in hand.

Richard gasped, but covered his mouth to prevent him from being too loud. “You got it without any problems?”

“That’s right.” Mindy nodded. “That’s what she gets for leaving it on the counter. Although, we’ll need to hurry and get out of here before Claudia notices.”

“You mean if she finds out.”

“No, she’ll definitely know.”

.-.-.-.

Richard and Mindy trudged upstairs and headed toward the boss’ office room with the key in hand. Mindy unlocked the door, then slowly opened it to peek at what was inside. She and Richard peered through as a figure talked to someone from the computer in the dark.

“So, how are things going, Charlie?” The voice from the computer inquired.

“Tremendous,” Charlie replied, falling back into his chair. “Have you looked over the data I sent to you? I believe I found the source of your problem. What do you suppose we do, Maxie?”

Maxie stroked his chin and pondered about the possibilities. “If the one responsible was alive, then we need them eradicated. As for those blob-like creatures, we have to subdue them before they cause more chaos in this city!”

Richard’s eyes widened as he processed those familiar voices. He didn’t know how to feel about the turn of events.

“Why haven’t you done your job yet?” Max continued, pointing at him.

“Don’t worry.” Charlie brushed it off and stayed calm the whole time. “I promise you I’ll take care of it and then hand them over to you. In fact,” He glanced at the entrance with an enigmatic smile. “They’re actually right here, right now.”

Richard and Mindy tilted their heads in confusion. What is he talking about? They thought. There’s no way that he…

“Sorry about this.” A meek voice whispered to them from behind.

A blunt force hit them in the back of their heads as they fell and blacked out.