Chapter 10 - The Subterranean Maze
The heavy iron maintenance hatch slammed shut behind them with a hollow, echoing clang, cutting off the deafening roar of the storm above. The descent into the subterranean utility tunnel was steep, a rusted vertical ladder leading down into absolute darkness. Julian went first, his boots slipping on the damp rungs, followed closely by Lily, who moved with an eerie, spider-like agility despite her formal dress. Elena brought up the rear, her rifle light cutting a sharp beam through the damp, subterranean mist.
"Hold up," Lily whispered from a few rungs down.
Julian stopped, hanging onto the ladder. The air down here smelled of stagnant water, rust, and centuries of industrial decay. Below them, the beam of Lily's flashlight caught the surface of dark, knee-deep water sloshing slowly through the concrete corridor.
"The biometric deadbolt is right around the corner," Lily said, her voice echoing off the curved brick walls. "And it's wired to a security feed that alerts Viktor’s private network the second we touch it."
Julian dropped down the final rungs, splashing into the icy water. He waded forward, the cold biting through his dress trousers. "Can you bypass it?"
"Of course I can bypass it," Lily muttered, pulling the modified tablet from her pocket and wading through the water until she reached a heavy steel panel set into the brick wall. "It uses an outdated 2018 encryption algorithm. It's practically asking to be hacked."
Elena dropped down beside Julian, splashing water against the concrete walls. She kept her rifle trained on the dark tunnel behind them. "How much time do we have before Clara’s team realizes where we went?"
"About four minutes," Lily replied, her fingers flying across the glowing screen of her tablet with astonishing speed. "Unless they brought thermal drones, in which case they already know we're standing right here."
Julian turned to Elena, the dim light reflecting off the pale skin of her face. The rain had washed away most of her wedding makeup, leaving her looking raw, exhausted, and fiercely alive.
"Elena, I'm sorry," Julian said quietly, the sound of dripping water filling the brief pause between them. "I never wanted you dragged into this syndicate war. The marriage was supposed to be a clean break from my past."
Elena stared at him, her dark eyes reflecting the harsh blue light of the tablet. "You lied to me about everything, Julian. But right now, we're the only two people in this city who know where the bodies are buried."
Click.
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The heavy steel gate groaned, sliding smoothly back into the brickwork with a pneumatic hiss. But instead of an open path to the old subway line, the beam of Elena's flashlight revealed a dozen armed men waiting in the darkness on the other side.
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