Chapter 5 - The Service Exit
The humid city air hit Julian like a physical blow as he hoisted the newborn securely against his chest and grabbed Leo’s small hand. Around them, the hotel exterior had transformed into a ghost town; security personnel had cordoned off the main driveway, redirecting all civilian traffic away from the entrance. The stylish couple in beige suits was nowhere in sight, having vanished down the steep concrete steps leading to the subterranean commuter rail station beneath the hotel complex.
"Stay right behind me, Leo, and don't let go of my coat no matter what you hear," Julian instructed, his eyes scanning the shadows near the concrete stairwell where a flickering fluorescent light buzzed erratically.
As they reached the top of the stairs, a figure stepped out from the darkness, blocking their descent. It was Arthur, but he was no longer wearing the terrified expression he had worn on the lobby floor. His posture was rigid, his eyes cold and clinical, and in his right hand, he held a heavy-duty pneumatic stun baton that hissed softly in the damp air.
"You really think you can walk out of here with proprietary assets, Julian?" Arthur said, his voice completely devoid of its previous stutter. "Vanguard invested millions in those children. You're just a glorified bureaucrat who knows how to sign forms."
Julian placed himself squarely between Arthur and the children, his athletic frame tense and ready for impact. "They aren't assets, Arthur. They're human beings, and your little experiment ends tonight."
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"You don't understand the scale of what's coming," Arthur snarled, raising the baton.
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