Chapter 8 - Into the Shadows
The heavy steel hatch slammed shut behind them, cutting off the howl of the blizzard and the distant sound of gunfire. The air inside the concrete tunnel was cold, damp, and smelled strongly of ozone and industrial disinfectant.
Marcus used a tactical flashlight to sweep the corridor. Emergency red lighting flickered along the concrete walls, revealing thick bundles of fiber-optic cables running deeper into the mountain.
"The radio signals are blocked by the mountain rock," Marcus reported, checking his wrist device. "We’re completely off the grid now. But their internal security system will know this hatch was breached."
Grant turned to Emma, who was comforting Lily under the dim crimson glow. "Which way to the central medical bay?"
"Up three levels," Emma said, referencing the blueprints stored on her handheld device. "Sub-level 4 is where they keep high-security subjects. If Clara is still here, that’s where she’ll be."
They moved quickly through the labyrinth of concrete corridors, Marcus leading the point, Grant guarding the rear, and Emma keeping Lily secure in the middle. Every sound echoed off the bare walls—the soft scuff of their boots, the hum of air filtration units, the heavy rhythm of Grant’s breathing.
As they reached a heavy blast door marking the entrance to Sub-level 4, a loud electronic chime echoed over the internal intercom system.
"Attention security personnel," a smooth, automated voice announced. "Breach detected in Sector 3. Sector 4 lockdown initiated."
Heavy iron grates began sliding down over the doorways ahead of them.
"Run!" Grant shouted.
Marcus sprinted forward, diving beneath a descending steel gate just before it slammed shut against the concrete floor. Grant grabbed Emma by the arm, pushing her and Lily through the narrowing gap of the second gate. He slid under himself just as the steel door crashed down with a deafening bang, sealing them inside the medical wing.
The hallway ahead was brightly lit with cold fluorescent lights. Glass observation rooms lined both sides of the corridor.
Grant’s heart pounded against his ribs as he walked up to the first window. The room was empty. He moved to the second. Empty.
Then, at the far end of the hall, inside a heavily reinforced isolation room behind reinforced glass, he saw her.
A woman was sitting on the edge of a narrow medical bed, dressed in a simple white linen gown. Her dark hair was long and unkempt, but her profile was unmistakable.
May you like
Grant stopped dead in his tracks. The breath left his lungs.
"Clara..." he whispered.
