Free [Janitors 01] Janitors by Tyler Whitesides

direction, toward the wall of the bathroom stall. Erratically, the light jumped between two objects.
    The target near the sink crawled forward. When the next flash of light highlighted it, Spencer and Daisy saw that it was one of the salamander creatures. The flashlight shifted targets and Daisy backed up, fearful that the little monster would crawl up her leg in the darkness. The next time they saw the creature, it was stretching its pale body through the grate on the floor drain. Then it was gone.
    With only one magical target now, the flashlight shone a steady white beam at the silver wall of the bathroom stall. All of the light honed in on one small area no larger than the head of a nail.
    “There!” Daisy whispered. They had just taken a step toward the stall when the wooden door of the bathroom banged shut behind them. Spencer whirled around, but the flashlight changed to a weak glow as he faced away from the nail. Spencer felt Daisy draw closer to him. The boy’s bathroom was almost completely dark again.
    But three people were breathing in the darkness!
    “Ha ha!” laughed the intruder. “Gotcha!”
    That voice was much too familiar—and the last one that Spencer or Daisy expected to hear.
    “Open the door, Dez,” Spencer spoke into the darkness. They’d seen the nail and, according to Spencer’s timer, had two minutes before the lights came back. Spencer had hoped to take a closer look at the bronze nail, but there wasn’t time now.
    “That’s a wimpy flashlight,” Dez said. His voice had drawn a step nearer.
    Spencer reached into his pocket and felt the latex glove. Then he quickly withdrew his hand, realizing that Daisy would be stuck in the boys’ room alone with Dez if he used the glove to escape. Facing away from the nail, the little flashlight wasn’t doing much. Spencer didn’t want to arouse Dez’s curiosity further, so he switched off the light.
    At seeing the dim bulb turn off, Dez laughed. “You can run, but you can’t hide!”
    Spencer grabbed Daisy’s hand and jerked her against the wall as they heard Dez lunge through the blackness.
    “Oh, ho.” Dez chuckled. “Not bad, lovebirds.” The big kid was swiping his arms through the darkness, dirty fingers eager to find them. Spencer held close to the wall, dragging Daisy around the urinals toward the door.
    Thirty seconds left on Spencer’s watch.
    They were almost to the exit, Dez still blundering behind them, when Spencer and Daisy froze. On the other side of the door, they heard a heavy sigh followed by the sound of jingling keys. Someone else was trying to get in! Someone with a big ring of keys. In Spencer’s mind, that narrowed it down to two people: Marv, or maybe Walter Jamison himself!
    “Back, back!” Spencer hissed in Daisy’s ear.
    “I hear you,” Dez whispered back, trying to make his voice low and menacing.
    “Listen, Dez!” Spencer warned. “Someone’s trying to get in and we’ve got to hide fast.” Spencer was across the room, braving the germs on the bathroom wall and pushing Daisy into the stall.
    “What?” Dez asked. Obviously this was the last thing he expected Spencer to say. On the other side of the door, they heard a mumbled curse. It was definitely Marv. And he seemed to be having trouble finding the right key in the darkness.
    “Just get in here and shut up,” Spencer ordered.
    “In where?” asked Dez, taking a step toward Spencer’s voice.
    “The stall,” answered Spencer impatiently. Then, suddenly, the lights went on. Spencer blinked against the brightness and Daisy shielded her eyes. Dez stumbled across the bathroom toward them. Outside, Marv managed to get the key into the lock.
    The door opened and Marv stepped in.

Chapter 15
    “What’s so funny?”
    The bear of a janitor glanced around the bathroom and then snorted. Marv didn’t see the three kids and the baby doll balancing silently on the cold rim of the toilet, holding on to each other and bracing themselves against the