Page 5 of Hell's Fear

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We entered a large reception room, and a girl stood behind the counter. She offered us a wan smile as I walked up to the desk.

“Welcome to Haunted Nightmare Escape Rooms,” the girl welcomed a little stiffly.

I peered at her name badge. Brooke.

“Hi, I’ve got a booking for tonight,” I said.

“Phoenix Michaelson?” she asked.

“Yes. It’s for seven suites,” I confirmed with a smile.

Brooke gave me a stiff smile back, and I frowned. This wasn’t the usual friendly welcome.

“You’ve paid in advance. Please stay within the areas designated to you. Only exit through the doors and refrain from damaging the walls or seeking alternative exits. And please restrain yourself from hurting an actor. We will take prosecution in those instances,” Brooke said and offered a weak smile.

I gave my guys a stern look and received some sheepish smiles in return. Yeah, at least I didn’t have to pat them down and check them for a weapon like Drake did Gunner.

“Miss Hawthorne has stated that all weapons must be locked in a locker and the key held by one of you. Would you please disarm yourself and then step through the metal detector?” Brooke directed.

The guys swapped glances, and I wondered who’d kick off.

“We’ll keep ours, thanks, we’re cops,” Ben replied.

“Yeah, we can’t hand over a police weapon,” Nando agreed.

Brooke looked frightened and seemed about to argue but nodded instead.

“I need to see your IDs, please,” she asked.

The four cops all showed their IDs, and Brooke waved them through the metal detector.

Meanwhile, the rest finally disarmed.

I almost laughed at the number of weapons being dropped into a locker. We walked through security and assembled on the opposite side.

“Would you all please get into your teams? A member of staff will take you to your suites. You have four hours to escape. Failure to do so will result in a penalty play, introduced by Phoenix. Listen to the clues, and remember, you may not hurt our staff or actors. I can’t tell you how many rooms there are in your suites, but you will know when you’ve escaped.

“Should you find yourself in the main room, you will remain there until the rest of your teams arrive. Once four hours end, you will be expected to escape the final room while the failures are locked into cells.

“You have an hour to escape the main room. Refreshments will be available in the third room of each suite. You may eat and drink to your heart’s content, but do remember the time limits! Good luck, have fun, and please enjoy yourself,” the girl said.

I frowned. She hardly filled anyone with excitement or joy. As we separated and followed a member of staff, I glanced back.

Sweat beaded on her brow, and she looked petrified. Her eyes screamed a warning, and I didn’t understand why. The door shut, and I forgot about her.

I followed the guy who chatted happily to us as he led us to our suite.

Let the games begin!

Brooke

Brooke watched as the door shut. She hoped Phoenix had got her silent message.

A gun nozzle jammed hard into the back of her head.

“Please don’t kill me,” Brooke begged. A hand ran down her cheek and gripped her as she was forcefully turned to face the fat man holding the weapon.

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