Hunter watched Jake disappear behind the door and leaned forward, his gaze fixed on the unblinking red eye of the camera.
Thad cleared his throat, his eyes glued to the hand-drawn map. “I don’t trust that guy.”
“Me neither. But Ella does. So let’s stick to the plan and get out of here.”
“Deal.”
Hunter gritted his teeth, his focus unwavering until the red light winked out.
“Ready?”
Thad folded the paper, a crease forming between his brows, and slipped it into his pocket. “Um, no.”
“Me neither.” Hunter pushed himself out of the van, walked towards the heavy door, and paused, a knot forming in his stomach.
Thad held out a clenched fist. “To the end?”
“To the end.” Hunter bumped his friend’s fist, swiped the key card, and held the door open.
“After you.”
“Gee thanks.” Thad stepped inside, his footsteps echoing slightly in the sterile hallway. “That’s so kind of you.”
“Any time.”
Hunter followed, and the two walked stride for stride until they reached an intersecting hallway. Thad stopped abruptly, scratching the back of his head as his eyes darted between the two corridors.
“What are you doing?” Hunter’s whisper was sharp.
“Give me a minute.”
Hunter forced a smile at a man and a woman who shuffled past, their eyes downcast. “Minutes up.”
Thad pointed to his left. “This way.”
“Are you sure?”
“Why not?”
“Remind me to kill you later if we get out of this alive.”
“Will do.”
They continued down the hallway until a wooden-framed elevator, matching Jake’s description, came into view. Thad jabbed the down button and winked at Hunter as the doors slid open. He stepped inside.
“I never doubted you for a second.”
“Sure.” Thad pointed to the button marked zero. “Zero, please.”
“Of course, sir.” Hunter pressed the button, his thumb also swiping the keycard as the elevator began its descent. “My apologies.”
“It’s quite alright.”
The elevator chimed, and the doors opened onto a larger room with branching hallways. Thad’s gaze swept over them.
“What do you think goes on down those other hallways?”
Hunter moved towards the sign indicating corridor four. “You can ask Jake when we get out of here.”
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“Fair enough.”
“Alright, let’s get this over with. Follow the plan and meet back here when we’re done.”
“Check.” Thad disappeared through a door marked with a biohazard symbol: Cloning Room.
Hunter continued to lab number seven, the keycard clicking softly as he entered. His breath hitched. Floating in the illuminated tank was a man, his body thin and scarred. A blinking green light pulsed from a metal collar around his neck, casting an eerie glow on the swirling liquid. The same disturbing carvings that marred Ella’s skin covered the majority of his exposed limbs.
How could anyone do this to their own son? The thought resonated with a chilling familiarity.
Hunter moved to the touchscreen beside the tank, swiping until a gear icon labeled "settings" appeared. He mashed the button and scrolled to "release." With a soft whir, the tank activated.
Two metallic structures descended from the ceiling, locking around the unconscious man’s torso. As they secured him, the liquid began to drain rapidly, and the front of the tank hissed open. A louder whir followed as the mechanical arms lifted the limp figure, laid him gently on a nearby table, and retracted. Hunter mentally ran through the next steps.
Syringe gun and purple vial on the counter.
He rushed to the counter, finding a metal case containing the gun. Beside it, rows of vials shimmered with unnatural light. Blue, red, green, purple, yellow, and orange. Hunter picked up a blue vial, holding it to the light. The liquid inside seemed to writhe, like captured smoke, mesmerizing him for a fleeting moment before he blinked the daze away.
“What is this stuff?” he murmured, setting it back and selecting the purple vial.
He locked it onto the syringe gun and returned to the man on the table. His hand trembled as he approached the exposed neck, the needle glinting under the harsh lab lights. He paused, his eyes drawn to the sterile mask covering the man’s face.
A choked sound escaped Hunter’s throat. He abandoned the syringe and scrambled back to the counter.
He placed the syringe back in its case, the click echoing in the silent lab, and stuffed as many of the colored vials as his pockets could hold. Grabbing the case, he laid it on the man’s chest, held his breath, and swiftly pulled the mask away. His eyes darted around the room, waiting for the blare of an alarm that didn't come. When he was certain it was safe, Hunter carefully lifted the unconscious man into his arms and hurried out of the lab.
Thad emerged from the cloning lab, pushing an unconscious Michael in a wheelchair, the light blue of his scrubs stark against his pale skin. He stopped short as Hunter approached, carrying a limp figure.
“What did you do?”
“No time.” Hunter’s breath came in ragged gasps. “Wheelchair!”
Thad sprinted back into the cloning lab and returned with a second chair.
“Hunter,” Thad gripped the handles of Michael’s wheelchair, struggling to keep pace. “What did you do?”
Hunter snatched a lab coat from a wall hook, draped it over the still figure in his arms, and jabbed the up button for the elevator.
“Getting him out of here.”
“What happened to follow the plan?”
“I’m improvising.”
Thad hissed. “More like getting us killed.”
“Probably.”
They stared at each other, the unspoken fear hanging in the air until the elevator doors opened with a soft chime, revealing a woman with a surprised expression.
“Oh, hello.”
Hunter forced a strained smile. “Hello. Sorry if we surprised you.”
“That’s quite alright.” Her gaze flickered between Hunter and Thad, then settled on the two unconscious men in wheelchairs. “Can I help you with something?”
Hunter swallowed hard. “Nope. Just taking these two up to Jake.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I don’t recognize the two of you. What floor do you work on?”
“Third.”
“We’re new.” Thad’s cough sounded forced.
“That we are.” Hunter stepped into the elevator, pulling Thad with him, and pressed the button for the first floor. “Well, we better get going. You know how Jake can be.”
“Yeah,” Thad mumbled, cringing. “Wouldn’t want to get fired on our first day.”
“Have a good evening.”
“Mm-hmm. You too.”
Panic flared in Hunter’s chest as a vial of green liquid slipped from his overstuffed pocket, clattering loudly on the metal floor and rolling towards the woman’s feet just as the elevator doors began to close. Her eyes widened as she bent to pick it up, her gaze snapping back to them before she lunged towards a red button on the nearby wall.
