Romero Was Right.

"Romero was right," Gregg said, as we all stopped, despite ourselves, in the lobby. The sight of the little girl clawing at the glass and raging at us with those eyes devoid of any innocence had simply sapped our ability to move. Mission accomplished, but whatever euphoria we'd felt in the confines of that little office were gone now in the face of the mob in the darkness, cast in an eery glow by the lights coming through the glass from within the buidling. Dashed by one little girl.

"What?" Elisabeth was asking, but I didn't need to. "You don't really think they're--" I asked, but he cut me off. "There's no other explanation, is there. I mean look at them. Look at her." He was pointing at the little girl again. He was right, of course he was right. But, I mean, he couldn't possibly be right. How could he be right.

"What the hell are you guys talking about," Elisabeth shouted. Her voice broke through the daze and I spoke up, "We should probably get back upstairs. Maybe after we leave they'll stop trying to get in so hard."

"Yeah, maybe." We made our way to the stairwell without incident and got back up to the second floor. Gregg fumbled a bit with the access code, while I kept looking downstairs expecting something to come slithering up from the depths of the basement, or worse. But nothing did and before too long we were working the codes and opening the main doors. Kat screamed when the door opened, but we came in so quickly, she couldn't do much more. Still, she chastised us for not calling beforehand to warn them.

Apparently they'd watched the mob coming toward the door downstairs, but didn't know what it meant and for awhile wondered if they weren't getting in. Kat hugged us all, me last. While still embracing me she said, "You idiots could've called and told us what was going on."

"Well," I smiled. "We fixed the locks. Well, actually Gregg did." Kat let go and gave Gregg a high-five. Bryan had turned back toward the window. "They're dispersing a bit," he said. "The ones furthest back mainly, but it looks like they're not as interested in getting in here as they were while you kids were down there."

"Thank god for that," Gregg said. We hadn't mentioned the body on the floor, nor the burns, nor especially the litte girl, nor Gregg's comments about Romero. At her insistence, I pulled Elisabeth aside and explained what Gregg meant by that. I convinced her that it was best not to tell anyone about our theory and she agreed. But just as I told Kat shortly thereafter, I have no doubt that she told Bryan and maybe even the accountant and his secretary. Hell, if they had truly killed that guy in the lobby, they maybe knew better than any of us.

It's almost seven o'clock. Man, I did not intend to stay up all night writhing this. Wow, just checked outside the office here and it looks like everyone else is still up, too. Playing card games. Moment of truth, I guess. Time to see if Gregg earned his paycheck.