Under Surveillance

Jill didn't waste a second. As the whirring hum of the surveillance drone grew louder, he motioned for Dr. Park and Henry to follow him toward a small side exit he had spotted on the way in. "This way," he ordered, keeping his voice low and urgent. "We need to stay out of sight."

The three of them moved quickly but cautiously, slipping through the narrow door into a darkened alley behind the warehouse. Jill glanced up and saw the drone's blinking red light sweeping across the area, casting a faint glow on the surrounding buildings. If they didn't move fast, they'd be spotted.

"SEA-Z, give me the drone's trajectory and the best route to avoid detection," Jill said, his tone sharp and commanding.

"Calculating optimal path," SEA-Z replied. "Head south through the alley. There's a drainage tunnel entrance approximately 300 meters away that will provide cover."

"Let's go," Jill said, taking the lead as they raced down the alley. His mind was in overdrive, already planning their next steps. Henry's sudden appearance had complicated things, and while the freelancer's intel on Project Helix had given them a crucial lead, the new alliance came with risks. He'd have to keep a close eye on Henry.

Dr. Park was struggling to keep up, her breaths ragged from the frantic pace. "Jill," she panted, "who exactly is Nexus? What do they really want?"

Jill kept his gaze forward, scanning for any sign of trouble. "They're a black-market network with deep ties to the underworld, private military companies, and some corrupt government officials," he explained. "They specialize in trafficking advanced technology and classified intelligence. But this—" He paused, glancing back at her. "This is the first time I've seen them target scientists on such a large scale."

As they reached the drainage tunnel entrance, Jill pried open the metal grate and gestured for Dr. Park to climb inside. Henry followed, and Jill slid in last, letting the grate fall back into place just as the drone's red beam passed over the alley's entrance.

Inside, the tunnel was damp and smelled faintly of mildew, but it was wide enough for them to move freely. The darkness closed in around them as they made their way deeper, the sounds of the city fading into the background. Jill's pulse slowly steadied as he finally felt they were out of immediate danger.

"Okay, SEA-Z," he said, his voice echoing slightly. "We need to find out more about Project Helix. What other leads do we have?"

"There are several scientists on the original list," SEA-Z responded. "Dr. Samuel Grant is the next most prominent. He is a physicist specializing in high-energy experiments. There's been chatter suggesting Nexus is interested in him as well. He works out of a secure government facility not far from here."

Henry, who had been listening quietly, spoke up. "Grant, huh? I've heard that name before. If Nexus is going after him, it won't be long before they make their move."

Jill shot him a sideways glance. "And you just happen to know this because…?"

Henry shrugged. "I've got my sources. Nexus leaves a trail if you know where to look."

Jill wasn't entirely convinced but didn't press further. Right now, they needed every advantage they could get, and if Henry had information, he'd use it. "Dr. Park," he said, turning his attention to her, "is there anything about Grant's work that could connect to Helix?"

She bit her lip, thinking hard. "If Grant's research is linked to Helix, it would be in the development of energy sources for advanced material applications. His theories involve manipulating energy states to create new forms of matter. It's theoretical, but if someone found a way to weaponize it…"

Jill's expression hardened. "Then we're dealing with a potential weapon of mass destruction."

As they emerged from the drainage tunnel on the other side of the city, Jill took a moment to get his bearings. They were near an old industrial area that had been largely abandoned. It wasn't far from the government research facility where Dr. Grant worked.

"SEA-Z," Jill said, "access the building's security schematics. We need a way in without alerting anyone."

"Accessing now," SEA-Z replied, flashing a hologram of the facility's layout into Jill's vision. "Security is tight, with checkpoints, surveillance cameras, and biometric locks. However, there is an old maintenance entrance on the west side that may not be fully monitored."

Jill turned to Henry. "You said you've been tracking Nexus for a while. Think you can get us past the guards without setting off alarms?"

Henry smirked. "If I couldn't do that, I wouldn't still be alive. Leave it to me."

Dr. Park's face was pale, and her hands trembled slightly as she looked at the facility looming ahead. "Are you sure about this?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "Breaking into a government building… if we're caught…"

Jill placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We're not here to steal anything. We're here to save lives—and stop a threat that goes beyond anything the authorities are prepared to handle."

As they prepared to make their move, the weight of what lay ahead pressed down on Jill's shoulders. The stakes had never been higher, and the lines between friend and foe were becoming increasingly blurred. One wrong step could mean not just failure, but the loss of innocent lives.

And in the back of his mind, he knew that SEA-Z was keeping a secret of its own—a secret that no one else could ever know. The AI system was his edge, his advantage in a fight against an unseen enemy. But it was also a double-edged sword, one that could easily turn against him if he wasn't careful.

"Let's move," Jill said, his voice firm and unyielding as he led them toward the facility. "Time to find Dr. Grant before Nexus does."