Page 75 of Undercover Infidel
“We need to hurry,” said Lex, racing ahead of me.
“Wait—”
An explosion rocked the facility, the concussion wave nearly throwing us off our feet. Alarms blared as emergency lighting switched on, bathing everything in pulsing red.
“That came from the east entrance,” I noted grimly. “Bennett and Archon’s position.”
Lex’s expression tightened. “We need to keep moving.”
We navigated through increasingly unfamiliar passages, guided more by instinct than intel. Another explosion, closer this time, sent debris raining from the ceiling. The facility was under attack—but from whom?
As we rounded a corner, three guards appeared, weapons raised. I fired first, dropping two while Lex eliminated the third. We claimed their access badges, hoping they might grant us entry to restricted areas.
“The main laboratory is one level down,” said Lex.
We located a stairwell and descended, the sounds of conflict intensifying above us. At the bottom, an armored door stood between us and the laboratory complex. I swiped one of the confiscated badges, but the reader flashed red.
“Higher clearance required,” Lex muttered, examining the lock. “I can override it, but I’ll need time.”
“Which we don’t have,” I replied, eyeing the corridor behind us. “Step back.”
I planted a small breaching charge on the electronic lock, using our bodies as shields when it detonated. The door’s mechanism failed, allowing us to force it open manually.
Beyond lay a transitional space—an antechamber leading to multiple laboratory wings. The central display indicated active testing outside, with power consumption spiking to unprecedented levels in a lab different than where we were previously.
“That’s our target,” I confirmed, checking my weapon’s magazine.
“Con,” Lex gripped my arm, her expression grave. “Whatever happens in there?—”
“We come back out together,” I finished for her.
She squeezed my hand once, then we moved toward the lab, flanking its entrance. Through the reinforced glass panels, I glimpsed a central apparatus glowing with blue-white energy. In the control booth above, monitors displayed what appeared to be targeting data.
I tried my comm unit one final time. “All teams, report position.” Only static answered.
“Ready?” I asked Lex.
She exhaled steadily. “Now.”
We burst through the doors, weapons raised, but the place was empty. At the center of the room stood the neural interface device.
“We need to stop the test sequence!” Lex shouted, advancing toward themain control console.
A gunshot rang out, the bullet striking the floor near my feet. I spun toward the source and froze.
Bennett stood with his weapon trained not on me, but on Lex. His arm encircled her throat, the barrel of his pistol pressed against her temple.
“Don’t move, Carnegie,” he called out, his voice eerily calm. “Not if you want her to live.”
McLaren emerged from behind the neural interface, tablet in hand. “This isn’t what you think, Infidel.”
“What have you done?” I gasped.
Bennett’s expression was sinister. “What was necessary.”
“Put down your weapon,” McLaren instructed, her tone that of a professor addressing a wayward student. “Please don’t force Malcolm to hurt her.”
I assessed our options, finding none that guaranteed Lex’s safety. Slowly, I lowered my weapon to the ground.
