Chapter 390: Secret Lab II

"Doctor Athena...maybe we should go back?" The little girl’s voice trembled slightly, small fingers clutching at Athena’s sleeve as she watched the doctor move from one side of the smooth whitewashed wall to the other, eyes scanning every inch for a clue, a button–anything that would grant access to the hidden room hoped to exist behind it.

Athena froze, her hands pressed against the wall as though it might whisper its secret if she waited long enough. She turned to the girl, exhaling slowly, letting the tension roll off her shoulders in a faint sigh.

"What’s your name?" She asked, her voice calm but carrying that familiar undertone of command that never failed to make even adults comply.

"Cairo," the girl answered.

Athena blinked. Cairo. Like the capital of Egypt. Only someone as eccentric as those twins, as Mary, would name her child Cairo.

Did that mean the father was from Egypt? Or was it a whimsical choice? Athena’s mind churned briefly with the possibilities. She ruffled her hair, a habit she didn’t even notice, and tried to shake off the distraction.

"Okay, Cairo. Can you wait in the reception room? I’ll meet you outside soon enough," she instructed, her tone softer now, almost maternal. The girl’s nod was swift and obedient, padding away toward the reception.

Athena released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Mary had a family. Does Matthew have one too? Does he have a family?

Ruffling her hair again, Athena’s gaze returned to the wall. Smooth, white, nondescript, it seemed to mock her. Was this a wild goose chase?

Her eyes scanned each corner, each shadow where a panel might be pressed or a lever hidden. She would have called Ewan, of course, but she’d already warned herself that involving him here could trigger alarms among a traitorous staff who would be suspicious of his presence. So it was just her.

She muttered under her breath, almost to herself, "Think...think..." and leaned her forehead against the wall, closing her eyes briefly to focus.

Her gaze flicked downward almost by accident. Something caught the edge of her peripheral vision near a damaged printer, half-covered in dust and grime. A thin metal rod lay next to it, embedded slightly in the floor, unnoticed by any casual observer.

Athena crouched instinctively, her fingers brushing along its surface. It was stuck fast, but with a grunt and careful leverage, she managed to pull it backward.

A low rumble followed. The wall trembled beneath her palms, shifting in a way that made her heart leap. Slowly, a segment of the wall retracted, revealing a descending shaft—a vertical elevator, dimly lit but unmistakably real.

Athena’s pulse quickened. She adjusted her coat, fingers brushing the handle of her gun beneath it, and inhaled deeply.

it was a single, utilitarian

it was staggered in floors, she could see only one floor designation lit at the bottom: the

space in his

tense, the metal groaning softly as the elevator moved downward. Athena’s hand stayed close to her gun, eyes flicking constantly, cataloguing her

throwing harsh shadows across overturned tables, broken glass, and

Athena’s eyes tracked a human-sized hand, encased in a glass jar, a grim artifact that made her stomach churn. Nearby, small animals floated lifeless

at the gang’s hideout she had raided just yesterday—the grey mixture.

had been

a puddle of viscous fluid. The liquid inside glimmered faintly, almost phosphorescent, and she instinctively knew—it could be a virus. A chemical

cellophane bag and securing the tube inside. Careful,

again: analytical instruments toppled, microscopes cracked, centrifuges overturned. A chair lay on its side, a notebook scorched along the edges, notes in hurried handwriting barely legible. Clearly, the owners had fled,

raced. Mary and Matthew had obviously been planning something sinister. She cursed under her breath, annoyed at missing the chance to confront them, to stop whatever had been in

texted Ewan: You were right.

with a call

going on?" Aiden started, after

him a rundown

system that can detect radiation or chemical dispersions. I want full

This wasn’t just a lab—it was a ticking threat. What

much for a

connected immediately.

him of her search, of Ewan’s suspicions. She told him the full story. "...I think

units descended on the lab. Athena observed from a distance, every detail seared into her mind—the flashing lights reflecting on broken glass, the officers cautiously moving

nor was the little girl, Cairo. She had returned to the surface to start the search, to actually find the girl and ask her some questions, but the nurses had claimed they saw

been too frustrated to

on Cairo’s disappearance. Of course the twins had taken care

here with her. She hadn’t anticipated the possibility of missing

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