Next stop was the guard’s barrack house. It didn’t take long to get there, but I spent some time hiding nearby to make sure it was empty. By the time fifteen or so minutes had passed, I was sure there was no one inside.  What I knew about the defences on the wall amounted to little more than rumours.  However, I was determined to give myself the very best chance of completing my climb as possible and so I found myself picking the lock on the front door of the guard’s headquarters.  It wasn’t the best security.  The guards obviously relied on nobody being crazy or desperate enough to break into the central hub of all things law and order in DownTown.  Additionally, there was probably not much of any value inside.  That wasn’t a worry for me.  I was here for a very specific reason.

It took me longer than I was happy with to open the lock, but I was stuck using a looted knife instead of a proper tool. Finally, the door popped open and I took a quick look up and down the street to make sure that no one was about.  The street was empty and the dark doorway beckoned.  Quickly, before anyone could wander past by chance, I stepped into the dark corridor and let the door swing closed behind me.

As soon as I’d taken my first step, I knew I’d made a mistake.