Chapter 20 - The Unseen Vault
Dozens of Military Police officers flooded the subterranean corridor, rifles raised, securing the remaining operatives.
General Marcus Vance stepped out from the elevator bay, accompanied by federal prosecutors and high-ranking Pentagon auditors.
Richard Vance slumped against the steel vault door, bleeding from a superficial shoulder crease, sobbing in complete surrender.
"Secure the evidence drives!" General Vance ordered sharply, gesturing to the federal agents.
"Take Dr. Vance into federal custody under charges of high treason, grand larceny, and corporate sabotage."
As the federal agents dragged the corrupt director away, General Vance walked up to me, looking at my steady, unshaking hands.
"Flawless execution, Colonel Holloway," General Vance said proudly, offering me a crisp, formal salute.
"You just dismantled the largest corruption network in Defense Department history."
"I was just clearing the bay for tomorrow's shift, General," I replied, holstering my sidearm and rolling my scrub sleeves down over my tattoo.
We walked together toward the subterranean vault's heavy inner steel doors—a door that had remained locked for over forty years.
A glowing digital keypad sat beside the steel frame, flashing with a strange, high-frequency purple light.
"What is behind that inner vault door, Marcus?" I asked, noticing that the door bore no hospital markings or military codes.
General Vance stopped in front of the purple light, pulling a silver master key card from his jacket pocket.
"This hospital wasn't built just to treat wounded soldiers, Grace," General Vance revealed softly, his tone turning dead serious.
"Harold Grant built this subterranean vault in 1984 under a classified Pentagon program called Project Omega."
"And now that we have secured the facility, it's time to show you what lies sleeping beneath Gate C-Level."
He swiped the silver key card, and the massive steel vault door hissed loudly, unlocking a deep, dark passage into the earth.
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A cold, metallic draft blew out from the darkness, carrying a strange, hummed energy that made the hair on my arms stand up.
I looked down the dark corridor, knowing that my quiet civilian life was officially gone forever... and a much bigger war was waiting in the shadows.
