Chapter 7 - The Blackout Corridor
The emergency backup generators kicked in three agonizing seconds later, bathing the concrete parking garage in a sickly, amber-tinted glow. In that brief window of absolute darkness, the heavy metal security gate at the garage entrance had dropped shut with a resounding crash, sealing them inside the subterranean level.
Loasing gripped the flash drive in her fist, her tactical instincts surging to the forefront of her mind. She scanned the perimeter, noting the reflection of movement near the stairwell access door fifty yards away. A tall figure in a dark trench coat slipped through the heavy fire door just as the amber lights stabilized.
“We aren't alone, General,” Loasing whispered, gesturing toward the stairwell. “Stay behind me.”
They moved in tandem, hugging the concrete pillars as they advanced toward the stairwell. The heavy fire door was still swinging slightly on its hinges, the pneumatic arm hissing softly in the humid garage air. Loasing pushed the door open with the edge of her boot, revealing a dimly lit concrete stairwell that spiraled both upward toward the residential barracks and downward into the old utility tunnels.
A faint sound echoed from the landing above—the unmistakable scrape of a leather sole against the painted concrete steps.
“Halt! Identify yourself!” Loasing called out, her voice echoing sharply up the vertical concrete shaft.
There was no verbal response, only the rapid, heavy thud of running footsteps bounding upward toward the ground-floor exit. Loasing took the steps three at a time, her physical conditioning allowing her to close the distance rapidly despite the steep incline. When she burst through the stairwell door on the ground level, she found herself in the long, sterile hallway of the administration annex.
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The hallway was entirely empty, save for a single item left resting on the polished linoleum floor directly in front of the secure communications office: another black digital voice recorder, blinking with a steady blue LED light.
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