The soldiers turned toward the distant roar.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
The sound had come from beneath the facility.
Deep.
Heavy.
Alive.
Elias watched the soldiers carefully.
They weren’t frightened.
That bothered him.
Any normal person who heard something like that would run.
These men simply exchanged glances before one of them touched the radio attached to his vest.
“Contact confirmed.”
A voice answered through the radio.
“Status?”
“Possible containment breach.”
A pause.
“Proceed with recovery.”
Elias heard every word.
Recovery.
Not rescue.
Subject Nine had been right.
They weren’t here for survivors.
They were here for something underneath them.
The soldier with the loudspeaker raised it again.
“Survivors, place your weapons on the ground and step away from the facility.”
Noah looked at Elias.
“What do we do?”
Elias kept his weapon lowered but ready.
“Don’t shoot.”
Noah frowned.
“Why?”
“Because there are too many.”
He counted them.
At least twelve soldiers were visible.
There were probably more behind the vehicles.
A firefight would end badly.
Subject Nine stepped closer to Elias.
“They’ll take us.”
Elias glanced at her.
“Then we don’t let them.”
The lead soldier moved forward.
His helmet had no visible insignia.
Only a small silver symbol was printed on his shoulder.
A circle surrounding a vertical line.
Elias recognized it.
The same symbol he had seen inside the facility.
Project Chimera.
His stomach tightened.
“Who are you?” he called.
The soldier stopped.
“We’re the people keeping you alive.”
Elias almost laughed.
“That’s not an answer.”
The soldier’s posture changed.
“You’re injured.”
“So?”
“You need medical attention.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
The soldier looked toward Subject Nine.
His expression changed.
For the first time, Elias saw surprise.
“Subject Nine.”
She stepped backward.
“No.”
The soldier lowered the loudspeaker.
“Nine, you’ve been missing for twenty-three days.”
Noah looked at her.
“Twenty-three?”
Subject Nine’s face became pale.
“I told you.”
She looked at Elias.
“I don’t remember.”
The soldier continued.
“You’ve suffered cognitive deterioration.
Come with us, and we’ll stabilize you.”
Subject Nine shook her head.
“You mean contain me.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“But it’s what you mean.”
Silence.
Then the soldier raised his weapon.
“Take them.”
Everything happened at once.
Elias fired first.
The shot struck the ground beside the soldier’s foot.
Not to kill.
To warn.
The soldiers immediately raised their weapons.
Noah grabbed Subject Nine.
“Move!”
They sprinted toward the ruins beside the road.
Gunfire erupted behind them.
Bullets tore through concrete.
Elias ducked behind a collapsed wall.
“Keep moving!”
Noah fired back.
The soldiers advanced in formation.
They weren’t ordinary survivors.
They were trained.
Every movement was coordinated.
Two covered the road.
Three moved around the left.
Another group circled the ruins.
Elias realized they weren’t trying to kill them.
They were herding them.
Toward the facility.
“They’re pushing us back!” Noah shouted.
“I know!”
A bullet struck the wall beside Elias’s head.
Dust exploded across his face.
Subject Nine suddenly pointed toward a narrow gap between two buildings.
“There!”
They ran.
Elias felt his injured side screaming with every step.
His vision blurred.
The black marks beneath his skin pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
He stumbled.
Noah caught him.
“You good?”
Elias nodded.
“Keep going.”
They reached the other side of the ruins.
But there was nowhere to go.
A tall concrete barrier blocked the road ahead.
Noah looked behind them.
The soldiers were closing in.
“We’re trapped.”
Then someone grabbed Noah from behind.
He nearly fired.
A hand covered his mouth.
“Quiet.”
A stranger pulled him into the darkness.
Elias followed instinctively.
Subject Nine disappeared after them.
The soldiers ran past.
None of them noticed the hidden entrance behind the collapsed wall.
The stranger waited until the footsteps faded.
Then he released Noah.
“If you want to live, don’t make a sound.”
Noah glared at him.
“Who the hell are you?”
The stranger ignored him.
He looked at Elias.
Then Subject Nine.
His expression hardened.
“Where did you find her?”
Elias kept his weapon pointed at him.
“Who are you?”
The stranger slowly raised his hands.
“Call me Marcus.”
He looked toward the entrance.
“You’ve got about five minutes before those soldiers realize you’re gone.”
Noah glanced at Elias.
“Can we trust him?”
“No.”
Marcus smiled faintly.
“Good answer.”
He turned and began walking.
“Follow me or don’t.
Either way, I’m not waiting.”
Elias hesitated.
Then followed.
The passage led underground.
Not into the Chimera facility.
Something older.
The walls were reinforced with concrete, but cables had been installed recently.
A hidden shelter.
They passed several doors before reaching a large room.
Elias stopped.
People were everywhere.
Men.
Women.
Children.
Around thirty survivors.
Some were eating.
Others were cleaning weapons.
A few were treating injuries.
The room became silent when Marcus entered.
Everyone looked toward Elias.
Then Subject Nine.
One woman immediately stood.
“Who are they?”
Marcus answered.
“People who escaped the facility.”
The room erupted.
“Facility?”
“Which one?”
“Chimera?”
“Did they follow you?”
Marcus raised his hand.
“Enough.”
The noise died.
Elias looked around.
This wasn’t a random group.
They had structure.
Food was being rationed.
Weapons were organized.
Medical supplies were stacked against one wall.
Someone had even created a map of the surrounding area.
For the first time in days…
Elias saw something that resembled civilization.
A fragile version.
But civilization nonetheless.
Marcus looked at him.
“You can lower the weapon.”
Elias didn’t.
Marcus shrugged.
“Your choice.”
A woman approached.
She was in her thirties, with a medical bag hanging over one shoulder.
She looked at Elias’s injuries.
“You’re bleeding.”
“I’ll survive.”
“That’s what everyone says.”
She looked at Noah.
“Help him sit.”
Noah glanced at Elias.
Elias nodded.
They moved toward a table.
The woman opened her medical bag.
“My name is Mara.”
She examined Elias’s ribs.
“Nothing broken.”
“Good.”
“But you’ve got internal bruising.”
She looked at his shoulder.
“And that needs stitches.”
Elias noticed Subject Nine standing across the room.
She looked uncomfortable.
Almost trapped.
Marcus noticed too.
“She needs a private room.”
“No.”
Subject Nine immediately stepped backward.
“I don’t need one.”
Mara frowned.
“You’re sick.”
“I’m fine.”
Elias looked at her arm.
The black veins had spread farther.
She wasn’t fine.
Marcus approached.
“What happened to her?”
Elias didn’t answer.
Subject Nine did.
“I was experimented on.”
The room went silent.
Marcus’s expression darkened.
“By Chimera?”
She nodded.
“How long?”
“Long enough.”
Marcus looked toward Elias.
“And you?”
Elias said nothing.
Marcus noticed the hesitation.
“You’ve been marked.”
It wasn’t a question.
Elias’s hand moved instinctively toward his side.
Marcus saw it.
“How do you know?”
“Because we’ve seen it before.”
Elias froze.
“Someone else had these marks?”
Marcus nodded.
“Two people.”
“What happened to them?”
Marcus looked away.
“They changed.”
The room suddenly felt colder.
“Into what?”
“We don’t know.”
Marcus paused.
“One disappeared.”
“The other…”
He didn’t finish.
Elias understood.
Dead.
Or worse.
A loud metallic bang echoed through the shelter.
Everyone froze.
Marcus immediately raised his weapon.
“Lights.”
The room went dark.
Only emergency lamps remained.
People moved silently into defensive positions.
Elias reached for his weapon.
Noah whispered:
“What is it?”
Marcus answered quietly.
“Something found the outer tunnel.”
Another bang.
Closer.
Then another.
The children were moved toward the back of the shelter.
Mara handed Noah a weapon.
“Can you shoot?”
Noah nodded.
“Good.”
She handed Elias a second magazine.
Elias checked it.
“Thanks.”
Marcus stared at the tunnel entrance.
“We have another problem.”
“What?”
He pointed toward the radio.
Static.
Then a voice.
A familiar one.
Calm.
Distorted.
“Elias.”
His blood ran cold.
Noah stared at the radio.
“That’s…”
“Unit Zero,” Elias whispered.
The voice continued.
“You shouldn’t have left.”
Marcus’s face changed.
He looked at Elias.
“What did you bring here?”
Elias didn’t answer.
The tunnel door suddenly shook.
Once.
Twice.
Then silence.
Marcus raised his weapon.
Everyone waited.
Nothing happened.
A few seconds passed.
Then the radio crackled again.
But this time…
Unit Zero wasn’t speaking.
A different voice came through.
Human.
Terrified.
“Please…”
“Help me…”
Static.
“Please, they’re coming.”
Marcus slowly lowered his weapon.
His face had gone pale.
“No.”
Elias looked at him.
“What?”
Marcus stared at the radio.
“We don’t have anyone outside.”
The voice screamed.
Then the transmission ended.
The shelter remained silent.
Elias slowly looked toward the tunnel entrance.
Something had followed them.
Not the soldiers.
Not Unit Zero.
Something else.
And whatever it was…
It had learned how to use a human voice.