The two security men were standing just outside the elevator, guns drawn, when the door opened. As soon as they recognized the doctor, they dropped their weapons to their side.
“Do you know what’s going on?” the doctor asked as he stepped out of the elevator car.
“No, sir,” one of the guards said. “No word from up top yet. They’re probably busy dealing with whatever the situation is.”
“Did you hear the explosion?”
The men glanced at each other.
“What explosion, sir?”
“Maybe three or four minutes ago, on the top floor.”
“Do you think one of us should go up and check?” the second guard asked.
“I’d rather you both stay here,” the doctor said, which made it an order.
“Yes, sir.” The first guard paused for a moment, then said, “With your permission, sir?”
“Yes?”
“When the alarm went off, per procedure we stationed ourselves here. But if it’s okay with you, one of us could go to the substation down the hall, and bring up the security cameras so we can determine what’s going on.”
The doctor thought for a moment, then nodded. “Good idea. Report to me as soon as you know. I’ll be with the subjects.”
“Yes, sir.”
The stairs ended in a brightly lit room, approximately fifteen feet square. The only things there were an elevator door and a call button. As soon as Chloe joined him, Ash pushed the button.
Almost immediately, the heavy door at the top of the stairs began swinging down again, closing them in.
“I’m not sure I like that,” Chloe said.
“They’re probably designed so both doors can’t be open at the same time,” he guessed.
“I hope you’re right.”
The door thudded shut.
Chloe stared at the elevator, then glanced nervously at Ash. “I don’t think it’s coming.”
“It’ll be here.”
She began rocking slightly back and forth. “Are you sure? Maybe this is just a trap.”
“Too elaborate for a trap.”
She looked around, her gaze darting from one spot to another.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She said nothing for a second, then, “I don’t like enclosed spaces.”
“You were fine in those tunnels at the hospital.”
“There was always a way in and out. We’re locked in here.” Her breathing began to increase.
“Are you going to be okay?”
She gave him a single nod, but he could see it was an effort for her. Then, soundlessly, the elevator door opened. With a relieved gasp of breath, she raced in.
“This is an enclosed space, too,” Ash said as he entered.
“Yeah, but it’s going somewhere.”
There was a row of five buttons, and another security pad on the control panel. The top button was lit up. Ash touched the one on the bottom, figuring that would take them to the lowest level, but nothing happened. He tapped the security pad with the badge, then touched the button once more. This time the button flashed red, and the car remained stationary. He used the badge again, then tried the fourth button down. Flashing red, no movement. The third button down received the same response. He did it once more for the second button.
This time it lit up green, and the car began to move.
As the car began to stop, he said, “Move to the side and get ready.”
She went left, and he went right, positioning himself so he could see out but duck quickly for cover if need be. He raised his gun, then tensed as the doors began to slide open.
There were half a dozen people just outside. None, though, was holding a weapon. They froze as a group. All, that was, except one in the back who started running down the hall away from them.
Ash stepped out quickly. “Stop!”
The man skidded to a halt.
“Don’t hurt us!” one of the others shouted.
“Walk back here now, and I won’t shoot you.”
The runner turned around, then began retracing his steps back to the group, his arms in the air.
“Who are you?” a man standing in the middle asked.
Ash moved his gaze quickly over them. “How many of you have access to the bottom level?”
No one moved.
He pointed his gun at the guy who ran. “How many?”
“We…we all do,” the man said.
“Good. You have your badge?”
The man nodded. “Yes.”
“Then you’re coming with us.”
The man’s eyes widened as Ash reached out and grabbed his arm.
“No,” Chloe said.
Everyone looked at her, including Ash.
“I want that one.” She pointed at the man in the middle who’d asked who they were.
“Why me?” he said, sounding frightened.
“Sorry, buddy,” Ash said. He moved over and grabbed Chloe’s choice. “You’re with us.”
Dr. Karp stood in the entrance to the room, watching the children. The boy had fallen asleep beside his sister, his arm lying protectively over her shoulder.
In the morning, he had planned to take sections of their vital organs before their bodies were disposed of, but now there would be no time for that. They needed to disappear to prevent any potential connection to the project.
Like most of the project’s facilities that Dr. Karp used, this one had something that could handle just such a problem. There was a biosafe level-four laboratory on this very floor. It had three specialized chambers for the most delicate work. In the case of an emergency, a code could be entered into the system, and the chamber in question would go through a series of events designed to render whatever was in the room harmless. First, fire would be blasted into the room at temperatures exceeding 2,370? F. Though this would ensure nothing survived, the project Directors didn’t want to take any chances, so next a quick hardening polymer, stronger than most metals, would be pumped into the room, filling it to capacity and sealing away forever anything that was in the room.
The chambers were not meant to serve as tombs, but the doctor knew the Directors would approve of his improvisation.
In the hall outside the patients’ room, he heard two gurneys being rolled in his direction. He moved to the side just as Ramos brought the first one in. Learner followed right behind him with the second.
The doctor watched to make sure the children didn’t wake up while they were being transferred, then said, “I’ll meet you in the lab.”
He had to stop by the medical supply room first to pick up something that would let the children slip away before the first flame licked their skin.
