Chapter 2: Underground Whispers

The morning repair job in the north sector took longer than expected. A malfunctioning air purifier had turned into a full system overhaul, eating into their investigation time. By the time Warrick and Carlo reached the Former Gahad District border, the sun was already past its peak.

"Two hours until the next Jerusalem Family patrol," Carlo noted as they made their way through the rubble-strewn streets. "They've maintained the increased frequency – fourth pass today. Unusual for a sector they claim to have abandoned."

Warrick studied the crumbling buildings around them. Once, this had been the pride of Krynosia's scientific community. Now it was a maze of broken concrete and twisted metal, home to those desperate enough to risk living in the shadows of the old Tag control facilities.

"That free clinic Maria mentioned," Warrick said, checking a worn datapad displaying sector maps. "Should be two blocks east of here."

"Was two blocks east," Carlo corrected. "It's been moved. Recently, based on the residual chemical traces. The official site is empty – picked clean, professionally. But there's something else…" He tilted his head, focusing his enhanced senses. "Underground activity. The old maintenance tunnels are still in use."

The entrance to the Former Gahad District's underground network looked exactly as uninviting as Warrick remembered. Crumbling concrete stairs descended into darkness, the air growing thicker with each step down. The beam from his flashlight caught decades of decay – and more recent signs of use.

"We should inform Maria of our progress," Warrick said, closing his phone after sending a brief, encrypted message through their repair business's scheduling system. Standard code: 'Maintenance inspection delayed due to equipment complications.' Simple, but it would let her know they were investigating.

"She's safer not knowing specifics yet," Carlo confirmed, his clouded eyes focused on the darkness ahead. "Better she maintains normal routines. The patrols have been watching her building."

They paused at a junction, studying the tunnel markings. Most were old – maintenance codes from before the Tag Riot – but some were newer. The fallen districts had their own language of symbols, warnings and directions for those who knew how to read them.

"Fresh scuff marks on the walls," Carlo observed, his footsteps silent despite the debris-strewn floor. "Multiple people. Some dragging something… or someone. Within the last forty-eight hours, based on the dust patterns."

Warrick studied the marks. "Weight distribution?"

"Adult and child-sized prints. The dragging suggests resistance." Carlo's expression darkened. "There's something else. A chemical trace in the air. It's faint, but…" He trailed off, his clouded eyes narrowing.

"What is it?"

"Ascendrix." The word hung heavy in the stale air. "Not the pure military grade, but close. Someone's been using a refined version down here. Recent too – the molecular decay suggests less than twelve hours old."

Warrick felt his jaw tighten. Black market Ascendrix was common enough in the fallen districts, but refined versions were another matter entirely. That required resources, knowledge, and connections that street dealers couldn't access.

"This section of tunnels," he consulted his datapad, "it connects to the old Gahad research grid. Territory's supposedly condemned, but…"

"But the power readings suggest otherwise," Carlo finished. "Low level usage, carefully masked. Someone's tapped into the old infrastructure."

They pressed deeper into the tunnel network, following Carlo's enhanced senses. The passages here had once connected various Gahad research facilities, before the Tag Riot had torn everything apart. Now they served smugglers, criminals, and anyone else trying to move unseen through the fallen districts.

"More signs of traffic ahead," Carlo murmured. "And… wait." He stopped abruptly, head cocked to one side. "Someone's coming. Heavy footsteps, military training. The echo suggests they're armed."

They ducked into a side passage just as a beam of light cut through the darkness. Warrick recognized the stance of the approaching figure immediately – Family security, but trying not to look it. The man's clothes were civilian, but his bearing screamed military training.

"Bambino Family enforcer," Warrick whispered, barely audible. "Third one we've seen in supposedly abandoned territory this week."

The enforcer paused, speaking into what could only be a military-grade comm unit. "Section D-7 clear. Continuing patrol route." His clipped tones carried the distinctive accent of the Bambino District's military sector.

They waited until his footsteps faded before emerging. "The Bambino Family has no jurisdiction here," Warrick said. "Unless…"

"Unless they're involved in whatever's happening," Carlo finished. His expression darkened. "The air's getting worse. More chemical traces. And something else… something familiar."

They followed Carlo's lead through the winding passages, the air growing increasingly thick with the tang of industrial chemicals. The tunnel architecture changed subtly – newer supports, recently installed lighting fixtures, signs of active maintenance.

"This equipment," Warrick examined a junction box, "it's not scrounged or black market. This is military-grade power distribution. Recently installed too – the insulation hasn't shown any decay."

A distant sound made Carlo freeze. "Multiple heartbeats ahead. Elevated, irregular. Signs of Ascendrix use. And…" He tilted his head. "The echoes are wrong. This section's been modified. There's a larger space ahead, hidden behind the old walls."

"How many?"

"Three active signatures. Recently enhanced – their neural patterns are still stabilizing. Two more in the chamber beyond, unconscious or sedated. Younger, based on their cardiac rhythms. Children."

They found the hidden entrance – a service panel that opened into a much larger chamber. The space had been converted into some kind of processing facility. Banks of equipment lined the walls, their purpose all too familiar to Warrick.

"These are Tag creation protocols," he said, examining a display. "Modified versions of my father's old equipment signatures. Someone's trying to restart the program."

"Warrick." Carlo's voice was urgent. "The enhanced signatures are moving. They know we're here. Their heart rates just spiked – combat drugs in their system."

The attack came without warning. Three figures burst from a side passage, moving with the unnatural speed of fresh Ascendrix users. Their eyes blazed with the telltale luminescence of recent dosing, muscles bulging beneath their clothes.

Carlo moved faster, his Tag abilities allowing him to intercept the first attacker before they could reach Warrick. The enhanced thug's strength was impressive, but Carlo's years of training and naturally evolved abilities proved superior. He dispatched the first attacker with precise strikes to nerve clusters, then spun to engage the second.

The third rushed Warrick, who barely managed to dodge the enhanced human's first strike. The concrete wall cracked where the attacker's fist impacted. These weren't ordinary thugs – this was military-grade enhancement, the kind that came with proper training.

"They're using an experimental formula," Carlo called out as he disabled his second opponent. "Their neural patterns are unstable. The enhancement won't last long, but they'll be dangerous until it burns out."

Warrick ducked another enhanced strike, using his knowledge of Tag physiology to stay alive. "How long?"

"Minutes at most. Their cellular degradation is accelerating." Well Carlo moved to intercept the third, his movements flowing like water. The enhanced thug never saw the final strike coming. In seconds, all three attackers lay unconscious.

"We need to move," Carlo said, already alert for more threats. "They'll have called for backup. And whoever's running this operation now knows we're here."

Warrick quickly documented what he could of the facility with his phone, making sure to capture the equipment configurations and power signatures. "The setup, the enhanced guards, the military-grade hardware… this isn't some small-time operation. This is organized. Professional."

"We need proper documentation for the Guild," Warrick said, pulling a specialized data drive from his tool bag. Standard repair equipment, as far as any inspections would show, but modified to capture and encrypt sensitive data. "They'll want verification of power signatures, chemical traces, everything." He connected it to the nearest terminal, starting a comprehensive scan. The Guild had strict standards for evidence - they'd learned the hard way that accusations against the Families required ironclad proof.

"With Bambino Family connections," Carlo added. "The enforcer we saw wasn't here by accident. And there will be more coming. Soon."

They made their way back through the tunnels, moving quickly but carefully. The implications were piling up, each one worse than the last. Tag creation experiments. Military-grade Ascendrix. Family involvement. And somewhere in the middle of it all, missing children.

"The sedated signatures I detected," Carlo said as they finally emerged into the fading daylight. "They weren't Sara Torres or any of the recently missing children. The neural patterns were wrong – they'd already begun the modification process."

"Which means there's another facility," Warrick concluded grimly. "Somewhere bigger, more secure. This was just a processing station." He checked the time – they'd been underground for nearly three hours. "We need to get back to the repair shop, maintain our cover. But first…"

"The mother needs to know what we found," Carlo finished. "That her daughter's still out there. And in more danger than she realized."

Above them, the sun was setting over the fallen districts. In the distance, security sirens began to wail. The night shift was starting – and with it, the real dangers would emerge.

"Tomorrow," Warrick said as they made their way back to safer territory, "we need to contact the Guild. If they're really restarting the Tag program, we'll need resources."

Carlo nodded, but his expression was troubled. "The Guild will want proof. Documentation. And getting that means going back down there."

"I know." Warrick's hand tightened on his tool bag. "But first, we need to figure out where they're really keeping the children. And for that…" He trailed off, knowing what he was asking.

"We'll need to track the enforcer," Carlo finished. "Follow him back to the main facility."