Chapter 41 - Phase Three Begins
The alarms echoed through the underground complex, overlapping with the mechanical sounds of heavy security doors unlocking one after another. Marcus Hale instinctively stepped in front of Rachel while Detective Susan Ortega scanned every corridor with her flashlight.
"No movement yet," Officer Ortega whispered.
Kevin Ross wasn't watching the hallways.
He was staring at the terminal.
"The system changed."
Marcus turned.
Every monitor that had displayed family records only seconds earlier now showed a live map of the underground facility.
Dozens of red dots blinked across the screen.
"What are those?" Rachel asked.
Kevin enlarged the map.
"They're moving."
The red dots slowly converged toward their position.
Marcus counted quickly.
"One... five... twelve..."
His voice became quieter.
"Twenty-three."
Detective Ortega looked over Kevin's shoulder.
"Those aren't security cameras."
Kevin nodded.
"They're access badges."
Rachel frowned.
"People?"
"Yes."
Marcus checked the corridors again.
"How many?"
Kevin zoomed farther out.
The total appeared in the corner.
ACTIVE OPERATORS: 37
Nobody spoke.
Thirty-seven people were somewhere inside Phase Two.
The speaker overhead activated again.
"Attention all operators. Secure Archive Level Three."
Marcus immediately noticed the wording.
"They aren't hunting us."
Rachel looked confused.
"They're protecting something."
Kevin searched the facility blueprint.
There was no mention of Level Three.
No elevators.
No hidden shafts.
Nothing.
Then another notification appeared.
LEVEL THREE REMAINS LOCKED
PRIMARY KEY REQUIRED
Rachel slowly looked down at her own identification profile still displayed on the monitor.
Marcus followed her gaze.
"They still need you."
A loud metallic slam echoed from the western corridor.
Someone had just sealed another security door.
The operators weren't surrounding Marcus's team.
They were herding them.
May you like
Toward a destination chosen long before they arrived.
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