Chapter 155: Caught in the Web
It was completely dark inside the air vent. For Jonah, however, it was as clear as day. Through Trace’s vision, the narrow metal tunnels were a glowing map of heat and magic.
He could see the cool blue of the walls and the faint orange glow of electrical cables running next to them. Glowing purple lines of arcane energy, which were the security system of the building, pulsed with a steady beat.
Whirrrrrr. The sound of a distant fan was a low buzz that vibrated through Trace’s legs.
"Okay, I’m moving deeper," Jonah said softly. His real body was now in a chair, but his thoughts were far away, exploring the insides of the enemy’s base. "The tunnels are safe. No traps inside. They were sure no one could get past the outer wall."
He led Trace ahead, going down a big tunnel that looked like it went down. After a few minutes of quiet crawling, he saw a metal cover below. A weak light was coming through it.
He carefully put Trace in place, holding onto the metal roof of the vent right above the opening. He looked down.
His breath caught in his throat.
The room below was huge. It was a very big lab with many levels. It was completely different from the bloody, messy lab in the mountains.
Rows of glowing stasis pods stood against one wall, each one buzzing with a low energy. Robotic arms hung from the ceiling, moving quietly and smoothly. In the center of the floor was a massive, circular operating theater under many bright white lights. Scientists in clean, white lab coats moved like ghosts, their faces hidden behind masks.
"I have visual on the main lab," Jonah reported, his voice showing he was both amazed and sickened. "It’s huge. At least three levels. It’s... a factory. A production line."
In the safe house, Vanessa’s fingers moved very fast across her glowing console. A three-dimensional map began to take shape as Jonah described the layout. "I see it, Jonah. I’m mapping your feed now. Can you find a way down?"
"Looking," Jonah replied. He scanned the ceiling of the massive lab from his hiding spot. It was a complicated mix of pipes, support beams, and narrow walkways. Perfect.
He carefully guided Trace through the grate. The small creature was so light that it made no sound as it dropped the few inches to land on a thick, dusty pipe. He was in.
He started to move, crawling quietly along the pipes that crossed the high ceiling. What he saw was amazing. He was like an eye from above, seeing everything without being noticed. He sent every detail back to the team.
"There are armed guards on every level," he said softly. "They’re wearing Bureau uniforms. Standard energy rifles."
"Copy that," Seraph’s voice came over the comms. "Marking their patrol routes."
" The scientists are working on something in the central theater," Jonah continued. "I can’t see what it is yet. A lot of the big equipment is blocking the view." He pushed Trace forward, moving along the pipe, trying to get a better angle. "I’m moving toward the center of the room.."
The small creature moved silently along a huge metal beam that ran directly over the main floor. The scientists below moved with a cold purpose, completely unaware of the hidden eyes watching them from the darkness above. It was a perfect way to sneak in.
But the Bureau had learned from their last failure. They were paranoid. And they were prepared.
As Trace crawled along the beam, a tiny black spot broke off the metal just a few feet behind it. It was no bigger than a grain of rice. It unfolded six incredibly thin, hair-like legs. A small red lens turned on at its front.
It was a small robot made to find other spies.
It started following Trace, moving just like it, silently and perfectly.
Jonah didn’t notice it. His attention was completely focused on the scene below, on the layout of the lab, on finding the location of Subject Beta.
Back in the safe house, however, a tiny light began to flash on Vanessa’s console. It was a warning light she had set up to detect any unexpected energy signatures.
Beep. A sound that was hard to hear.
"What was that?" Draven asked, turning from the window.
"I don’t know," Vanessa said, her face serious with thought. She made the energy readings bigger on the screen. "It’s... nothing. Only a small, quick signal. Most likely a quick rise in power from their systems."
She almost dismissed it. But she was too good, too careful. She ran a diagnostic, finding the specific frequency of the tiny signal. It wasn’t random. It had a signature. A Bureau signature. And it was moving.
Her eyes quickly moved to the glowing map where a small blue dot was Trace. She put the location of the energy signal over the map.
A new dot, a tiny red one, appeared on the map. It was right behind the blue one. It was following him.
Her blood ran cold.
"Jonah," she said, her voice suddenly sharp and pressing, trying to stay calm. "Stay right where you are. Don’t move."
Jonah paused Trace, the Progeny freezing in the shadows of the metal beam. Through its senses, he felt nothing wrong. "What is it, Vanessa? What’s happening?"
Vanessa’s fingers moved very fast, trying to get a clearer fix on the signal. It was quick. It was aggressive. It was designed for one purpose.
"It’s a trap," she said, her eyes open wide in horror. "They knew we might try this. They have their own watchers."
The red dot on her map began to close in on the blue one. It was getting ready to make its move.
There was no more time to be calm.
"Jonah, something is following you!" she yelled into the comms, her voice full of sudden fear. "They’re after you! They’re looking at you!"