Mission Possible (part 3)

Part 3

         Carefully they came back out of the office, making sure to quietly close the door completely.  Whoever had left could come back and would be suspicious if it were not exactly how they left it.  Samantha crossed back to behind the sofa and watched as Aaron started down the wide hallway.  She followed behind him, allowing enough distance should he need to turn quickly to seek cover. 

         This hallway, unlike the other, was lined with the most popular rooms in the house.  They had a feeling that the room at the end of this hallway would be exactly where they would find what they had come for.   There were several rooms currently being used on this route.  Ahead and to their left was a grand library that had two stories worth of old books and other expensive things.  Further down and also on the left was a large family room, where many of the inhabitants were gathered.  The end the hallway opened through an archway into a formal living room.  It was there they figured they needed to be to find what they were searching for.  Although they knew clues could be anywhere inside the old manor.  On the far end to the right was a large formal dining room.  There was not much in that room but a dining table that could seat twenty and huge cabinet full of beautiful plates and bowls.  Just before the dining room was a room used for viewing movies and television.  No windows in the center of the manor made for a nice dark theater environment. 

         A private guest room was the very first door on their right.  They were aware that an older man was staying in the small room.  It was the only bedroom on this floor and was reserved for guests with trouble moving freely about the house.  Aaron guessed the man would be sleeping by now, but he could not be sure.  Just as Samantha crossed in front of the door to the room, they heard a creaking of a door opening further down the dark passage.  Samantha, leaned heavily into the guest bedroom doorway and the door fell open, she toppled into the room.  Aaron rushed back to assist her and take cover.

       Aaron hurried into the small dark room and pushed Samantha slightly.  He knew he had heard someone enter the hallway, probably from the family room.  He heard footsteps and needed to be fully into the guest room to avoid being caught.

          “Hey, what are you…”  Samantha’s inquiry was met with a finger to her lips.

          “shhhh….  Someone is coming, and I believe there is already someone in here.”  Aaron said, in a voice that Samantha could just barely hear.  Sure enough, they could hear someone breathing behind them.  It was obviously coming from the big bed that practically took the whole room.  Aaron and Samantha froze where they were, listening.   Both were pretty sure that they were to be caught any second.  They stayed there, still and frightened, for what seemed like an eternity.

         Aaron was the first to move.  “I think he is sleeping.”  He said, gesturing towards the bed.  They  then heard what sounded like an injured duck.  Samantha’s eyes grew wide in fear.  “He is just snoring.”  Aaron smiled.

         Samantha took a deep breath and tried to relax.  “That was so close.”  They moved back towards the open door.  There was now no sign of whoever had been in the hallway seconds before. The hallway was once again dark, except for a small slit of light coming from under the family room door.