Chapter 11 - The Override Protocol
The emerald green glow washed over the shattered street, cooling the superheated air and dissolving the toxic black sludge into harmless, clear water that drained rapidly down the storm grates. Officer Miller stared down into the subterranean vault in stunned silence, his hand slowly lowering from his sidearm.
“He didn’t trigger a detonation,” Miller breathed, his voice laced with awe. “He executed a system purge.”
Clara scrambled free of Miller’s grip, dropping to her knees at the edge of the open hatch. “Leo! Can you hear me? Come back up here!”
Leo turned around on the vibrating bridge of light, his big watery eyes blinking innocently. He reached down, scooped the orange and white tabby kitten into his arms, and took a small, steady step toward the edge of the vertical shaft where a series of recessed metallic rungs led down into the depths.
“I have to turn off the big light, Clara,” Leo said, his voice echoing clearly up through the shaft without any trace of infant hesitation. “The bad men are coming back.”
True to his words, the distant rumble of heavy diesel engines echoed from the end of the street. Headlights pierced the violet haze as two armored transport trucks bearing the private security logo tore around the corner, their roof-mounted spotlights sweeping across the rubble.
Miller cursed, chambering a round in his service pistol. “Vance brought heavy backup. They’re locking down the entire district grid to isolate the bunker.”
“We don’t have time to argue,” Clara said, swinging her legs over the edge of the hatch. She gripped the first cold metal rung and began descending into the glowing emerald abyss. “Cover us!”
Miller didn’t hesitate. He dropped to one knee, taking aim over the rim of the concrete barrier as the first armored truck slammed on its brakes forty feet away.
“Federal lockdown! Surrender the asset!” a voice bellowed through an external loudspeaker from the lead transport.
“You’re talking to a police officer performing a rescue operation under emergency municipal statute!” Miller shouted back, opening fire on the truck’s reinforced radiator grille. The heavy bullets sparked against the steel, forcing the vehicle to swerve violently into a streetlight pole.
Down in the subterranean chamber, Clara dropped the last few feet onto the metallic floor, the air smelling of clean ozone and rain. Leo was standing right beside the central glass cradle, his tiny white shoes clicking against the polished chrome panels.
“Clara, press the blue button,” Leo said, pointing a tiny finger at a massive biometric console glowing at the base of the cradle.
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Clara rushed over, her hands shaking as she stared at the glowing handprint scanner. The screen blinked, demanding a genetic match.
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