Chapter 32: No Time for Questions

Ethan barely had time to process Rina's presence before the door behind them shuddered violently.

The drones were cutting through.

The red emergency lights flickered as the security override engaged. The steel door hissed, the edges beginning to glow from the heat of the cutting lasers. They had seconds.

Ethan turned to Rina. "Can you hack these systems?"

She scoffed. "I'm an intern, not a miracle worker."

The panel beside them beeped rapidly, and another message from Eve flashed across the screen.

"Ventilation shaft. Two meters ahead."

Ethan scanned the room and spotted a grated vent near the ceiling. He grabbed a nearby chair, dragging it under the vent opening. Rina crossed her arms. "Seriously? You think we're crawling through vents like some spy movie?"

Ethan shot her a look. "Would you rather get fried by drones?"

She shut up and climbed up first. The second she was inside, Ethan followed, pulling the grate shut behind him just as the door burst open.

The drones whirred into the room, their bright blue lenses scanning rapidly. Ethan and Rina held their breath.

Seconds passed. The drones hovered, recalibrating. Then, in perfect synchronization, they turned and flew out. The room fell silent.

Rina exhaled shakily. "That was too close."

Ethan pulled himself forward, crawling through the tight space. "Tell me about it."

They moved through the vents, guided by occasional flickers on Eve's hacked interface.

After a few minutes, Rina whispered, "Who's helping you?"

Ethan hesitated. "…Someone I trust."

She frowned but didn't push further. Instead, she muttered, "Figures. You know they'll send something worse if we keep running, right?"

Ethan's stomach twisted. She was right. The facility wouldn't let them leave easily.

Then, Eve's next message appeared on a hidden panel inside the vent.

"Exit ahead. But you won't like it."

Ethan sighed. "That's never a good sign."

As they crawled forward, the vent abruptly ended.

Rina peered through the slits. "Uh… Ethan?"

He looked over her shoulder—and his stomach dropped.

Beneath them was a high-security transport bay, and inside were dozens of heavily armed guards.

And right in the center of the room? A massive, reinforced pod, its status screen flashing.

CONTAINMENT STATUS: ACTIVE.

Ethan's pulse quickened. Something big was about to happen.