11 AUG 1995

The agents pull themselves together for a final push in spite of their exhaustion, and step back out into the empty hallway, leaving Apartment 1A behind them.

Kylie waits for one of the professional security services based agents to lead the way, but she makes sure her weapon is free and clear in case it is needed.

Kirby makes his way up the stairs, He rubs his eyes and thinks to himself And here i thought the weird days were behind me...

Gun in hand, King flanked Kirby as they went up to the top floor. "Check every room?"

"Lets check the top and work our way down perhaps post one of us at the bottom of each stair just incase."

Karl draws his own weapon and nods. "Check the top first. I think we should stay together as much as we can. Each room we check, someone can stay out in the hall and watch our backs, but separating sounds like a bad idea to me."

"Agreed, I just don't want someone to slip down the stairs to get out incase something goes down."

"I'll hang back. I'm a trained marksman if you need backup, but not so good at clearing a room."

"Right, Kirby and I will do each room in turn. Karl along the hall, and Kylie at the staircase landing. Unbroken visual contact with each other always."

The agents get into formation to sweep the building from the top down. They follow the staircase up, from the ground level to the first floor... then to the second floor...

The second floor is the highest any of the agents (Kirby and King) have been so far in the building. The staircase continues up another story, running up to a landing with a closed door on it.

"See, there's no fourth level!" King hissed, trying to reconcile the conflicting information about rooms upstairs, and building layouts, and missing floors. "Ready to open this door when you are."

Kylie says only, "Aye," from her spot below them.

Kirby posts up one the door opposite King and attempts to breach the opening.

The handle turns easily, and the door swings open... to reveal an empty, tar-paper rooftop filled with vents, old aerials, and open airshafts. There are some empty beer bottles scattered around, and a few lawn chairs as well. Looking down, you can see the New York City streets, pedestrians scurrying about on their morning commute like little bugs.

"See what I mean? It's a bloody roof!" King stormed out onto the roof, knowing that it didn't tally with what he thought he understood about the building layout. Lighting another cigarette to calm himself down, he began to slowly search the roof for clues, since he was already up there.

"Perhaps we mistook the playwright and its a different building?"

"Nobody has been up here for a long time." King pointed out the garbage lying around. "These have been here for a couple of years, look at their expiration dates. Note also nothing expires past April this year. Everything is years old."

"Perhaps we should go back and check out the other residents."