Chapter 8 - The Federal Handler
The mention of the federal badge temporarily froze the tension in the room, but it did nothing to soothe the mounting panic inside Elena’s chest. She took a protective step backward, shaking her head. "I'm not going anywhere with you. How do I know you're actually FBI? For all I know, you're working for the people who sent that thing through the window."
Agent Miller sighed, sliding her badge back into her coat pocket with a practiced, fluid motion. She kept her posture relaxed, but her eyes remained hyper-vigilant, scanning every corner of the study. "If I worked for them, Mrs. Miller, you and your husband would already be breathing through tubes. We've been tracking Genesis splinter cells for over a decade. The fact that one of their early-generation prototypes made it to your front door means your containment protocol has officially failed."
Vance stepped between Agent Miller and the family, resting a hand near his holster. "Hold on a minute, Agent. You just walked into a crime scene on local jurisdiction. I need to see proper identification, and you need to explain why federal agents are tracking a civilian family in the middle of the night."
Agent Miller didn't flinch. She reached into her trench coat again, pulling out a secure encrypted tablet, and handed it directly to Detective Vance. The screen flashed a high-clearance federal seal followed by a surveillance photo of the exact woman who had shattered the study window minutes earlier.
"That woman," Miller said, pointing at the tablet screen, "is Subject Four. She was grown in an underground subterranean lab located three miles from this property. When the facility lost power twenty-four hours ago, half a dozen biological assets escaped into the local water table and surrounding woods. They share your wife's DNA, Detective. They share her memories, her voice, and her aggressive impulses when provoked."
Marcus turned to Elena, his face pale and stricken. "You knew about this? You knew they were nearby?"
"I knew they were out there, yes," Elena admitted, her voice dropping to a fragile whisper. She looked down at the infant in her arms, who was beginning to fuss softly again. "When we moved out here to the country, it wasn't just for the quiet. It was because the radiation readings near the old industrial park matched the decay signatures of the lab's backup generators. I thought we were safe as long as we stayed away from the fence line."
"You were never safe," Agent Miller said bluntly. "Subject Four didn't come here to scare you, Elena. She came here to reclaim what she believes belongs to her."
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Before anyone could ask what that meant, the house shuddered violently, as if a heavy explosion had just gone off in the basement below.
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