CHAPTER 10 The Breach
The steel blast door groaned.
A deep metallic crack echoed through the laboratory.
Everyone instinctively stepped back.
Another impact.
BOOM!
Dust drifted from the ceiling.
Lily buried her face against Elena's side.
"They're coming."
Elena wrapped one arm around her daughter and the other around her stomach.
Her unborn baby kicked for the first time that night.
She closed her eyes for a brief second.
Hold on.
Both of you.
Michael watched the security monitor.
"There are eight of them."
Daniel frowned.
"Only eight?"
Michael nodded.
"That's what worries me."
Richard looked at him.
"Why?"
"If Margaret sent only eight people..."
"...she believes eight are enough."
Outside the laboratory...
The tactical team moved in complete silence.
No shouting.
No panic.
Each person knew exactly where to stand.
The man leading them raised one gloved hand.
The others stopped immediately.
He placed a small device against the blast door.
A green light flashed.
"Charge ready."
He stepped back.
Inside...
Frank looked around desperately.
"We need weapons."
Richard pointed toward an old storage cabinet.
"There."
Daniel forced the rusted door open.
Inside were emergency tools.
Axes.
Crowbars.
Flashlights.
A heavy bolt cutter.
Daniel picked up the bolt cutter.
"It'll have to do."
Michael grabbed a fire axe.
Richard took another.
Frank smiled faintly.
"I never thought I'd fight another war at my age."
The explosion came without warning.
BOOM!
The blast door buckled inward.
Smoke filled the laboratory.
The emergency lights flickered.
Through the haze...
Dark figures entered one by one.
Black helmets.
Body armor.
Night-vision goggles.
No insignias.
The leader calmly removed his helmet.
He looked directly at Michael.
"You've made this difficult."
Michael sighed.
"I was hoping you were retired."
The man smiled.
"I don't retire."
His name was Elias Kane.
Richard recognized him instantly.
"Elias..."
Daniel looked between them.
"You know him?"
Richard nodded.
"He trained Phoenix operatives."
Elias gave a polite nod.
"And Richard trained me."
No one expected what happened next.
Elias raised his hand.
His team lowered their weapons.
"We're not here to kill you."
Michael frowned.
"Then why are you here?"
"To escort Subject Zero."
Michael laughed once.
"I'm done being your subject."
Elias's expression remained calm.
"That wasn't a request."
Daniel stepped in front of Michael.
"He's not going anywhere."
Elias looked at Daniel.
"You must be Daniel Ashford."
Daniel stiffened.
"How do you know my name?"
"We know everything."
Before anyone could react—
Victor burst into the laboratory through the rear maintenance entrance.
His suit was torn.
His face bruised.
He carried the black Project Phoenix briefcase.
"Everyone get down!"
A gunshot echoed.
BANG!
The bullet wasn't aimed at Michael.
Or Richard.
It struck one of Elias's operatives.
The man collapsed instantly.
Chaos erupted.
Elias dove behind a steel console.
His team returned fire.
Bullets shattered glass chambers throughout the laboratory.
Daniel pulled Elena and Lily behind the cryogenic pod.
Richard dragged Frank to cover.
Michael sprinted toward Victor.
"What are you doing?"
Victor shoved the briefcase into Michael's hands.
"Take it."
Michael stared.
"What?"
"If Margaret gets this..."
"...everyone dies."
Daniel looked up in disbelief.
Victor...
Was helping them?
Victor glanced toward the security cameras.
"They're watching."
Michael understood immediately.
"So this was never about the money."
Victor shook his head.
"No."
"It was survival."
A bullet struck Victor's shoulder.
He staggered backward.
Elias emerged from cover.
"You've betrayed the Director."
Victor laughed painfully.
"You think she ever trusted me?"
Another bullet grazed his arm.
Victor fell to one knee.
He looked at Richard.
"I owe you the truth."
Richard cautiously stepped closer.
Victor coughed.
"Your wife..."
"...never died in the fire."
Richard froze.
"I know she's alive."
Victor shook his head.
"No."
"You don't understand."
Richard's voice became a whisper.
"What are you saying?"
Victor looked him directly in the eyes.
"The woman in the cryogenic chamber..."
"...isn't Claire."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Elena stared at the chamber.
"No..."
Victor nodded weakly.
"It's a decoy."
Richard felt the room spin.
"Then where is my wife?"
Victor opened his mouth to answer—
A single suppressed gunshot echoed.
PFFT.
Victor's eyes widened.
Blood spread across his chest.
He slowly looked down.
Then collapsed.
Behind him stood one of Elias's operatives.
Smoke still drifted from the suppressed rifle.
Victor reached toward Richard.
His lips moved.
One final word escaped.
"Lighthouse..."
His hand fell lifelessly to the floor.
Michael immediately opened the black briefcase.
Inside were dozens of classified files.
Encrypted drives.
Old photographs.
One document lay on top.
It contained only a set of GPS coordinates.
And beneath them...
Three handwritten words.
Bring Elena Alone.
Michael looked toward Elena.
"This wasn't meant for Victor."
Richard frowned.
"It was meant for her."
Suddenly...
Sophia's voice echoed through the laboratory speakers.
"If you're hearing this..."
"...I found your mother's location."
Everyone looked toward the nearest monitor.
Sophia appeared, breathing heavily.
"They're taking her to Blackwater Lighthouse."
She looked over her shoulder.
"They know I'm helping you."
Gunfire echoed behind her.
She looked back at the camera.
"You have less than twelve hours."
The video feed glitched.
Then froze.
Before the screen went black, Sophia whispered one final sentence.
"Don't trust..."
Static swallowed the rest.
Daniel clenched his fists.
"Don't trust who?"
No answer came.
Only silence.
Then the laboratory lights suddenly shut off.
Emergency power engaged.
A red arrow illuminated on the floor.
Pointing toward an exit no one had noticed before.
Michael stared at it.
"That's impossible."
Frank frowned.
"What is?"
Michael pointed down the corridor.
"That exit..."
"...doesn't exist on any blueprint."
The hidden door slowly slid open by itself.
Beyond it...
A narrow hallway stretched into darkness.
At the far end stood a lone figure.
A woman.
Back turned toward them.
She spoke without looking around.
May you like
"If you want to find Claire..."
"...follow me."
