Chapter 5: The Sub-Basement
The metal baton clattered across the linoleum floor.
Marcus struggled against the wall, but Adam’s forearm was pinned against his throat with immovable weight.
"The keys," Adam commanded, his breath hot against Marcus's ear. "And the override code for Level B."
Marcus wheezed, his smug veneer crumbling as he saw the raw, unbridled resolve in Adam's eyes. This wasn't the grieving, naive billionaire he had mocked over encrypted phone calls; this was a father fighting for the soul of his family.
"Key... keycard is in my chest pocket," Marcus choked out, pointing a trembling finger. "Room 404. It's on a time-lock. Victoria has the main disconnect code from her phone."
Adam ripped the master lanyard from the orderly’s neck, secured Marcus’s wrists behind a reinforced hallway radiator using his own heavy duty zip-ties, and picked up the dropped radio.
"If you move, if you yell, you won't survive the night," Adam warned.
He stepped into the elevator, swiped the master pass, and pressed the unmarked lower button. The carriage shuddered, descending deep below the foundation into the subterranean annex.
As the elevator sank, the air grew increasingly frigid. Adam checked his watch. Ten minutes had passed since he left Lily in the car. Every second felt like sand slipping through an hourglass.
The doors opened with a harsh screech.
The basement hallway was different from the upper levels. It was modern, clean, and terrifyingly clinical. A series of reinforced steel doors lined the corridor, each fitted with heavy viewing glass and digital biometric scanners.
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At the far end of the hallway, illuminated by a solitary blue indicator lamp, was Room 404.
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