Chapter 59: The Theater (3)
Just as he always carried a weapon when going out, Old John also had the good habit of keeping a Swiss Army knife on him at all times.
The restroom ceiling was about 2.5 meters high. Even Old John, the tallest of the three, could only reach about 2.3 meters on tiptoe. He handed the knife to Everly, then crouched down to let his lighter granddaughter climb onto his shoulders. Bracing one hand against the wooden partition of a stall and supporting Everly’s back with the other, he straightened up so she could use the screwdriver attachment from the knife to remove the vent cover.
However, just as she had unscrewed two screws, a chaotic rush of footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door. Immediately afterward, the handle of the men’s restroom door began twisting frantically, producing a rapid series of click-clack noises.
“Open the door—please open it! Someone’s killing people in the theater! Let me in—!”
Through the thin wooden door, the tearful plea for help outside came through loud and clear to the three of them.
Everly and Old John didn’t respond at all.
There was no way to know whether the person outside was truly a victim or one of the masked attackers. If they opened the door and were met with a burst of gunfire, all three of them would die on the spot. Besides, there was a women’s restroom right next door—whoever it was didn’t necessarily have to enter the men’s restroom to take shelter.
In a situation like this, survival came first. If they were going to save anyone, it would have to be after they were out of danger.
Without saying a word, Everly simply sped up her movements, focusing on removing the screws. But Xinkalan was an old theater with quite a history, and who knew how long it had been since the vent cover was last replaced. Two of the screws were heavily rusted; the screwdriver barely caught in their grooves, making them extremely difficult to turn.