Returning to the stairs, the women descended to the basement level and cracked the door. The corridor beyond was poorly illuminated, and as far as they could tell, deserted. They listened for a few moments but heard no noises. Entering cautiously, they began to explore.

Most of the doors off the main corridor on the side facing the main building were locked. The open ones turned out to be storage areas. Eventually, to their encouragement, the corridor itself turned in the direction of the main building.

Advancing to the corner, they cautiously peered around, then abruptly pulled back. Someone was coming toward them. Almost at the same moment they began to hear the sound of approaching footsteps as they echoed in the narrow hallway.

Panicking, Marissa and Wendy ran back toward the elevators. There wasn’t much time. The footfalls were getting louder. Frantically, they began trying the doors along the way, hoping to find one that wasn’t locked.

“Here!” Wendy whispered. She had discovered a cleaning closet filled with a slop sink and mops. Marissa slid inside and Wendy followed, pulling the door closed behind her.

The two women held their breath as the footsteps bore down on them. They had no idea if they had been seen or not. When the footsteps passed their door without hesitation, Marissa and Wendy breathed a sigh of relief. They heard the elevator doors open, then close. Then silence.

“Whew,” Wendy whispered. “I don’t think my nerves can take much more of this slinking around.”

“It’s a good thing whoever that was didn’t see us,” Marissa said. “I doubt if our doctor’s coats would help us down here.”

“Let’s get out before I have a heart attack,” Wendy said.

Marissa gingerly opened the door. The corridor was clear. Venturing out, they returned to where the corridor took a bend toward the main building. No one was in sight.

“Okay,” Marissa said. “Let’s go.” The corridor dipped down and then up again. Thick exposed pipes ran along the left wall and along the ceiling.

At the end of that corridor, they came to another fire door. This one wasn’t locked. Pushing through, they entered the basement of the main clinic building.

A red Exit light marked the door to the stairwell. Feeling progressively more and more nervous, Wendy and Marissa entered and hurried up two flights, passing the ground floor where the janitorial staff had been working on the marble.

At the door to the second floor, they paused and listened for sounds of activity. Thankfully the place was as quiet as a mausoleum.

“Ready?” Wendy asked, putting her shoulder to the door.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Marissa said.