Level P

evel P

  B. Heather Mantler

  Copyright 2015 Heather Mantler

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-927507-18-6

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold

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  Table of contents

  Introduction

  Level P

  About the Author

  Introduction

  I belong to a writer’s group, which meets at the Prince George Public Library and the idea for this story came about at a meeting of the group. First I need to explain a little history of the PG Public Library. Back when the city was building the library someone decided (foolishly) that the allotted budget was too big and had it cut. This resulted in the second level of parking to not be built, even though they had put in the floor for it. Instead it is used for storage and most people don’t know it exists.

  Andrea (our liaison to the library at the time) had just found out about level P (as they call it) when she joined us at the end of the meeting. So she had to tell us all about it, which is what triggered me to write the story. Everyone, except Code Name Isaac, is a real person and all quotes were used with permission. The writers in the offices are or were members of the writing group, Scribblers Unanimous, while Allan Wilson was the chief librarian at the time. I hope you enjoy the read.

  Level P

  Code name Isaac got out of the taxi across the street from the address he had been given. Once the door was closed the taxi slipped into traffic and was getting honked at. Isaac turned his attention to the building. It was two storeys and built out of concrete. It looked older than the surrounding buildings.

  Isaac thought back to the meeting with his boss. He had just come back from bombing a diplomat's car and was ready for the next mission he would receive. Isaac had sat outside his boss's office for half an hour before the secretary had told him that he could go in. Isaac's boss had asked how he felt about the last mission, like he usually did, and then had handed Isaac a card rather than a file. Isaac had looked at the card and found the only writing on it was an address. He had looked up at his boss in confusion. The answer Isaac received was that he was supposed to find level P.

  Isaac crossed the street. He timed it perfectly so he didn't get hit, nor did a car have to slow down. Once on the sidewalk he stopped to study the building again. It looked like any other building on the street with its glass doors and people going in and out at regular intervals. The concrete walls had been sided with something and painted grey.

  Isaac stepped inside. The floor was full of offices, from what Isaac could see. Most of the offices had doors that were closed. On the wall to the right of the front doors was a panel with a directory on it. Isaac scanned the names. None of them were linked to the organization he worked for. In fact a lot of them looked like individuals renting office space. And level P was not listed on there anywhere. Isaac decided he would have to knock on office doors to see if anyone knew where level P was. He started with the first door on the right.

  There was a nameplate on the door that read Heather. There was the sound of music coming from inside the office when Isaac stopped in front of the door. He knocked. The music stopped.

  "Yes?" called a voice from inside. Isaac opened the door. A woman was sitting behind a desk and working at a computer with papers scattered and piled on the desk.

  "I am looking for level P," Isaac said, "Do you know where it is?"

  "No, I don't," Heather replied, "But if you find Allan I'm sure he can direct you there."

  "Where is Allan?" Isaac asked.

  "He has an office further into the building," Heather answered, "I'm not sure where, I don't usually go any farther than my office."

  "Thank you for your help," Isaac said. He closed the door on his way out of the office and heard the music come back on.

  Isaac went back to the directory and looked for the name Allan. The name was nowhere on the board. Back to where he was a minute ago, Isaac moved on to the next office. He was just about to knock when he saw the sign on the door below the nameplate that read Sarah. It read: this office is closed, but hopefully will reopen soon. Isaac moved on to the next office.

  Isaac knocked on the door with the nameplate that read Ian.

  "Come in," came a voice from inside. Isaac opened the door. This office had a bearded man sitting behind a desk. The man had taken his headphones off and was alternating between looking at Isaac and whatever was on the computer screen.

  "I am looking for level P," Isaac said, "Do you know where it is?"

  "If that is suppose to be a euphemism for the bathroom it is over there," Ian pointed farther down the hall.

  "No, I mean level P," Isaac said.

  "Have you checked between O and R?" Ian asked.

  "Sorry to have interrupted," Isaac said before stepping out of the office and closing the door behind him.

  The next several offices had secretaries that gave Isaac confused looks or shook their heads to say no.

  Isaac knocked on the door of the next office that had a nameplate. It read Paul and a voice from inside told him to come in. Isaac opened the door. This was another office with only one person and one desk. The man behind the desk was an older gentleman. He looked up from his typewriter and over his reading glasses at Isaac.

  "What can I help you with?" Paul asked.

  "I am looking for level P," Isaac answered, "Do you know where it is?"

  "I don't believe I have heard of level P. Perhaps you should check with the building's owner. I have his card here somewhere." Paul went through a thick notebook that was sitting beside the typewriter. After a few minutes he came up with a card.

  "Here it is." Paul held out the card to Isaac. Isaac stepped forward and took the card. "His name is George, named after the prince I believe. His number is on the card."

  "Thank you," Isaac said before leaving the office. He closed the door behind him. Not sure what to do with the card he put it in his pocket and moved on to the next office.

  This office's nameplate read Ara. Isaac knocked on the door only to have the door open part of the way. He opened it the rest of the way. This office was empty. In fact by the smell of cleaners it had been recently vacated. There was a piece of cardboard in the trashcan that had been left near the door. Isaac lifted it out and read it. It read: closed due to flooding. Isaac put it back in the trashcan and left the office. He closed the door as he had found it.

  Isaac continued to knock on doors and continued to get strange looks. Finally he knocked on the office door beside the elevator. The nameplate on this office read Lauren.

  "Yes?" the voice came through the closed door. Isaac opened the door. Again this office had a lone woman sitting behind a desk. This woman had a computer sitting on the corner of the desk, but was writing things in a notebook that was in front of her. On the other corner of the desk was a stack of books. They were all the same book and looked like they were for sale.

  "I am looking for level P," Isaac said, "Do you know where it is?" The woman gave him a strange look, but it was not a confused look so Isaac stayed where his was.

  "Try the button in the elevator," Lauren said.

  "Thank you," Isaac said. He left the office and closed the door behind him.

  He moved over to the elevator and pressed the call button. Could it all really be that easy? Isaac asked himself as he waited. Finally the elevator opened. Isaac stepped inside. He looked at the buttons and t
here was indeed a button with the letter P on it, right under the buttons for the first and second floor. Isaac pressed the button and the elevator went down after the doors closed. When the doors opened again Isaac found himself in the underground parking lot of the building. With a sigh Isaac stepped back into the elevator and pressed the button for the second floor.

  On the second floor the door opened to another hallway with offices. Isaac stepped out of the elevator and went over to the first door on the left. The nameplate on this one read Andrea. He was just about to knock when the door opened. A woman with long hair and glasses stepped out of the office.

  "I'm sorry I have to go," the woman said before Isaac could get a word out of his mouth, "I'll be back in about fifteen minutes, I have a meeting I have to facilitate." Then the woman went passed him and into the elevator. Isaac watched as the doors closed before moving on to the next door.

  He knocked on the door with the nameplate that read Colin. This time the door opened. It was a man, who looked over his reading glasses at Isaac.

  "Are you the fourth player that we are waiting for?" Colin asked. Isaac could see a table in the office with two other people sitting at it, a deck of cards and several piles of poker chips.

  "No," Isaac answered, "I'm looking for level P."

  "Sorry, I don't know where that is," Colin said.

  "I'm