Sam followed without question, so when Lou led her almost to the back of the building, she didn’t ask why. Lou had a reason. Lou opened a door and entered, then seemed to talk to herself. Sam got her bearings. Lou shut the door behind them, quietly. The room was large and empty, but looked just like the non-service areas of Brentwood, which made little sense this far into the service areas. Another door was in the back. Lou walked up to it, jiggled the handle, then kicked the door near the lock. The wall near the lock, not the door, gave a soft sound of strain. Lou tilted her head, then gave it another sharp kick. She did notice that Lou was looking somewhat better. Less sweating, less flush, not quite as pale. The idea earlier that Lou might be dead was terrifying, but the idea that Lou might die in front of her was just crushing. Sam couldn’t help but smile a little at the improvement. A loud crack sounded, and the door swung open to reveal a large, dark, windowless room. When Lou turned on the light, Sam could see a large metal cage with bars easily an inch and a half thick took up most of it.
