He chuckled at her remark about the briefcase. 
"Yeah, well, I suppose it would be a safe trade. Briefcase for survival." He hoisted the briefcase up to her before he jumped up himself, grabbing the edge of the hatch with both hands. With a labored grunt, he heaved himself up onto the platform, mumbling a derivative remark against himself for choosing to wear a black fleece on the one day that he would be climbing through metal hatches that could catch the zipper. Norman spotted the ladder that led up to a steel door maybe one floor above theirs. 
"Up we go." 

After ensuring that the woman was on the platform, Norman took a deep breath, the air in the shaft reeking of mechanical oil and dirt(yes, dirt had a smell) and even a slight coppery tinge. He nodded to his companion before opening the door, which led to a darkened hallway illuminated by dim red lighting that ran along the lower sides of the wall. Norman withdrew his phone and turned on the handy flashlight app he had installed upon day of purchase, a small cone of light emitting from the camera. The hallway looked like a services corridor, no doors visible except for what looked like a set of double doors at the very end. Norman thought he heard what could have been...scratching? Maybe?
"You hear that?"