Anita, her friends and the world where they live are the product of my seedy little mind and so as a result belong to me!  If you read, please review cos feedback (good or bad) is always welcomed!

Anita Baxley looked up from her shoes and saw the brown carpeted, brown anaglypta wallpapered corridor disappear into a muzzy black hole in front of her.  She could hear the ‘thud thud’ of the lads further along who were no doubt waiting for her, (she’d get into trouble for letting herself lag so far behind).  Apart from that, the place was quiet. 

So quiet. 

She padded down the blank walled corridor that had wallpaper hanging from the ceiling in cobwebbed reams and up the thin, curving staircase that was carpeted with a quite horrible 1950’s pattern.  Her eyes, now adjusted noted that the staircase appeared to be the only way to the second floor.

She turned the corner onto the upper landing and found the four men in a safe position against the walls.  The ancient brown varnish of the banisters was cracked and dusty and tacky to the touch.  She absent-mindedly wiped her hand on her leg.

“Situation?” She said to Baz, eyebrow raised.

“All quiet” Baz panted in a rough whisper. “They’re all up there.” His eyes flicked to a second, thinner flight of stairs that led to a third floor. “Unlikely that they’ll leave it down the fire escape in broad daylight, they’re more loyal than that.  But that’s the way they seem to use at night.  Hence all this shit in here…Probably just waiting for dinner to walk into its bedroom.”

Anita nodded, thoughtfully and cast a glance up the flight. “Well…they no doubt know we’re here….why so quiet.  We’ve usually met at least token resistance by now…” She thought about drawing a deep breath to sigh and thought better of it given the smell.  She stroked her chin instead and then grinned.  “Well…as you know, subtlety has never been my forte……Onward and upward gentlemen?”  Anita sprung forward and bounded up the stairs.

“Funny” thought Tom  “She never makes any sound.”

The third landing was smaller again than the one below and darker.  She heard the whine of night vision goggles behind her.  Her own eyes adjusted and as they did so she noted that IKEA appeared to be something that had passed this occupant by completely.  Even by Necropolis standards this place was rough.  A single brown varnished door led off the landing to destination unknown.  She silently padded to a cupboard on the right and flicked to door open.  Nothing but ancient tins of paint looked back at her.  She let her breath release.

Anita turned to look at her team over her shoulder.  Six goggled eyes looked back at her.  Tom was whispering into his radio, Ade was in a playstation game as usual and Baz, usually so relaxed looked like six feet two of wiry coiled spring.

She could smell the fear that was starting to emanate from them.  Fear and adrenaline and it was starting to get to her too.  Fear, not for herself, but for them. 

They broke so easily. 

A whisper broke the dusty silence.

“They’ve pooled in there” Tom rasped “Expect a young one with a god complex….possibly packing heat…and four lackys all armed.” Tom raised and eyebrow and gave a thin smile “Ladies first?”

Anita returned the smile as reassuringly as she could.  “Absolutely Tom…Baz..after you.” She stepped out of the way to make way for Baz to stick his lump of putty to the door lock.

They all hit the ground at once as the door splintered into matchwood.  A hot lump of metal embedded itself in the floor by Anita’s head.

The team sprang up, not giving the dust time to settle and adopted positions behind what was left of the doorframe and in the stairwell.  Plaster exploded off the walls in little craters.

“They’re firing blind! They can’t see us because of the dust…return fire!!”  Tom said over the radio

“Tom?  You don’t have to use the radio..we’re only here…” Said Ade as he raised the assault rifle to his shoulder and let off a copuple of rounds into the gloom.

Tom rolled his eyes “Y’know, you try and retain a modicum of professionalism….”  The ground exploded in front of his feet as he returned fire.  “’Nita…when you’re ready eh?”

“Not yet” said Anita “It’s not ready yet…”

“Well, take your time” Tom said in sarcastic tones “I mean, y’know…you know how much we love to do this and all.  Lads…hold fire.”

And then the voice said “You could have knocked…”