Mission Possible (part 1)

They walked slowly down the old staircase, stepping carefully to avoid the creaky stairs.  The lights were off and they moved quietly through the deserted hallway.  If anyone heard them, their mission would come to an abrupt end.   Samantha peaked around the archway into the front room.

"All clear," she whispered back.  She turned enough to see Aaron give her the nod to move forward.

"Stay low when you enter and I will have your back."  Aaron turned to look back at the hallway to make sure no one surprised them from behind.

"We're good," she replied, though so quietly Aaron could not have possibly heard her.  Samantha checked the front room and made her way across while staying low and out of sight.  She motioned back to Aaron, who had turned back towards her just in time to see her signal.  While she watched, he made his way across the front room, staying low and stepping lightly.

Just then, they heard someone move in one of the offices off the front room.  The noise was getting louder and it seemed obvious that whoever was in the office was headed right towards them.

"Quick, in here!" Aaron grabbed Samantha's hand and dragged her into the coat closet nearest the front door.  They stood still,  hardly breathing, waiting for the unknown person to pass them.  They heard the office door open and close and they heard footsteps grow faint as the person walked into a different part of the huge old mansion.

"That was close," Samantha spoke softly, as Aaron was about 2 inches from her.

"Yeah,  too close.  We could have been caught.   Maybe this mission is too dangerous."  Aaron was never sure about this effort.   He was not convinced that Samantha was truly up for an assignment of this caliber.  She was still so young.  She had shown a lot of potential and was extremely sharp.  He only hoped he had not gotten her in over her head on this one.  "Ok,  lets get back out there.   You're sure about this?"

"I am sure.  This means as much to me as it does to you.  We can do this.  I can do this."  Samantha had that determined look on her face.  Aaron knew there was no way he would ever convince her to give up now.  They were in too deep.

Aaron slowly opened the door to the closet and checked the room once more.  All was quiet and there was no sign that anyone was about.   The hallway they had come from remained dark, but the hallway on the other side of the room had light coming from under a door about halfway down.

"This is going to be trickier"  Aaron warned.  "I think they are gathered in there, we may not make it by without getting caught."

"We can do this,"  Samantha said, reassuringly.  "We have to."

TO BE CONTINUED...