Hunter watched Jake disappear behind the heavy door, the click of the lock echoing the tightening in his chest. He leaned forward, his gaze fixed on the unblinking red eye of the camera, a silent sentinel judging their every move.

  Thad cleared his throat, the rough sound cutting through the sterile air. His eyes remained glued to the hand-drawn map, fingers tracing a route that felt increasingly precarious. “I don’t trust that guy.”

  “Me neither. But Ella does. So let’s stick to the plan and get out of here.” Hunter’s voice was low, a thread of urgency woven beneath the resolve.

  “Deal.” Thad’s agreement was clipped, his brow furrowed in concentration.

  Hunter gritted his teeth, his focus unwavering on the red light until it winked out, plunging the small space into a momentary darkness that mirrored his own unease. “Ready?”

  Thad folded the paper, the sharp crease a testament to his inner turmoil. He slipped it into his pocket. “Um, no.”

  “Me neither.” A knot of apprehension tightened in Hunter’s stomach as he pushed himself out of the van. The heavy door loomed before him, a formidable barrier. He walked towards it, each step feeling weighted.

  Thad held out a clenched fist, his gaze meeting Hunter’s, a flicker of grim determination in his eyes. “To the end?”

  “To the end.” Hunter bumped his friend’s fist, the contact a small spark of reassurance in the oppressive atmosphere. He swiped the key card, the soft beep a stark sound in the silence, and held the door open.

  “After you.”

  “Gee thanks.” Thad stepped inside, his footsteps echoing slightly in the sterile hallway, the faint hum of machinery a constant undercurrent. “That’s so kind of you.”

  “Any time.” Hunter followed, the metallic tang of the air prickling his nostrils. They walked stride for stride until they reached an intersecting hallway. Thad stopped abruptly, scratching the back of his head, his eyes darting between the two identical corridors like a trapped animal.

  “What are you doing?” Hunter’s whisper was sharp, laced with impatience.

  “Give me a minute.” Thad’s gaze flickered back to where they’d come from, a hint of doubt clouding his features.

  Hunter forced a strained smile at a man and a woman who shuffled past, their eyes downcast, their movements robotic. “Minutes up.”

  Thad pointed to his left, a newfound certainty in his gesture. “This way.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Why not?” A nervous energy vibrated in Thad’s voice.

  “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 with a soft sigh. 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, the faint scratch of the magnetic strip against the reader a subtle sound as the elevator began its smooth descent. “My apologies.”

  “It’s quite alright.”

  The elevator chimed, and the doors opened onto a larger room with branching hallways, each identical and unsettling. Thad’s gaze swept over them, a flicker of unease in his eyes.

  “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.”

  “Fair enough.”

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  “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 stark biohazard symbol: Cloning Room. A faint, rhythmic humming emanated from within.

  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, the lines etched deep into his skin. A blinking green light pulsed from a metal collar around his neck, casting an eerie, rhythmic glow on the swirling liquid. The same disturbing carvings that marred Ella’s skin covered the majority of his exposed limbs. Ella's scars... The thought slammed into Hunter, a punch to the gut. His own son? A chilling familiarity, like a half-forgotten nightmare, prickled his skin.

  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 with a precise click. As they secured him, the liquid began to drain rapidly, gurgling down unseen pipes, and the front of the tank hissed open, releasing a rush of cool, damp air. A louder whir followed as the mechanical arms lifted the limp figure, laid him gently on a nearby table with a soft thud, 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. Something about that color...

  “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, his heart hammering against his ribs.

  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, their cool glass a strange weight against his leg. 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, the silence amplifying the frantic beat of his own heart. When he was certain it was safe, Hunter carefully lifted the unconscious man into his arms, the limp weight surprisingly heavy, and hurried out of the lab.

  Thad emerged from the cloning lab, pushing an unconscious Michael in a wheelchair, the stark light blue of his scrubs a jarring contrast against his pale, still face. He stopped short as Hunter approached, carrying a limp figure draped in a lab coat.

  “What did you do?” Thad’s voice was a strained whisper.

  “No time.” Hunter’s breath came in ragged gasps, the weight in his arms making his muscles burn. “Wheelchair!”

  Thad sprinted back into the cloning lab, the rhythmic hum growing louder and then fading as the door swung shut, and returned moments later with a second chair.

  “Hunter,” Thad gripped the handles of Michael’s wheelchair, struggling to keep pace as Hunter moved quickly. “What did you do?”

  Hunter snatched a lab coat from a wall hook, the rough fabric brushing against his hand, draped it over the still figure in his arms, and jabbed the up button for the elevator, his finger hovering impatiently.

  “Getting him out of here.”

  “What happened to follow the plan?” Thad’s voice rose in alarm.

  “I’m improvising.”

  Thad hissed, the sound sharp and panicked. “More like getting us killed.”

  “Probably.”

  They stared at each other, the unspoken fear hanging heavy in the air until the elevator doors opened with a soft chime, revealing a woman with a surprised expression.

  “Oh, hello.” Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of the two men and the wheelchairs.

  Hunter forced a strained smile, every muscle in his body tense. “Hello. Sorry if we surprised you.”

  “That’s quite alright.” Her gaze flickered between Hunter and Thad, lingering for a moment on the lab coats, then settling on the two still figures in wheelchairs, a flicker of suspicion in her eyes. “Can I help you with something?”

  Hunter swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. “Nope. Just taking these two up to Jake.”

  The woman’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly. “I don’t recognize the two of you. What floor do you work on?”

  “Third.” Hunter’s answer came a little too quickly.

  “We’re new.” Thad’s cough sounded forced, betraying his nervousness.

  “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 inwardly. “Wouldn’t want to get fired on our first day.”

  “Have a good evening.” Hunter offered a tight smile.

  “Mm-hmm. You too.” The woman’s gaze remained fixed on them, a silent question in her eyes.

  Panic flared in Hunter’s chest as a vial of green liquid slipped from his overstuffed pocket, the cool glass suddenly slick in his sweaty palm. It clattered loudly on the metal floor, the sharp sound echoing in the confined space, and rolled towards the woman’s feet just as the elevator doors began to close. His heart leaped into his throat. Her eyes widened, her gaze snapping from them to the rolling vial. She bent to pick it up, her fingers closing around the smooth glass, her gaze snapping back to Hunter and Thad, a dawning realization in their depths, before she lunged towards a red button on the nearby wall, her movement swift and decisive.