Chapter 46 - The Infiltration of Room 704
The snow storm masked their approach as they drove the salt truck into the underground service bay of Saint Jude Memorial Hospital. The towering brick complex loomed like a fortress against the dark winter clouds, half its windows darkened under an emergency municipal brownout.
Federal law enforcement cruisers lined the ambulance bay, their emergency lights painting the snow in eerie rhythmic pulses of red and blue. But the vehicles were empty. The snow piling on their hoods proved that no officer had entered or exited the bay in over two hours.
"Something's wrong," Miller whispered, pulling her secondary Glock from her ankle holster and checking the slide. "Where are the perimeter guards?"
Nathan handed Toby to Evelyn. "Take him into the security control room behind the boiler plant. Lock the steel bulkhead from the inside. Do not open it for anyone except me or Miller. If you hear heavy gunfire... take Toby through the storm drain access behind the furnace."
Evelyn held the little boy against her chest, her eyes wide with terror, but she nodded firmly. "Nathan... be careful. Vanessa isn't sane anymore. The bio-mimetic drugs she was taking to simulate lactation—they caused severe chemical psychosis. She won't recognize you as her husband."
Nathan didn't answer. He turned to Eli. "You stay with them."
"No," Eli said simply, stepping forward. His eyes were cold, calculating, and devoid of fear. "The seventh floor has biometric retina locks. Vanessa changed the encryption twelve hours ago. The only eyes that can open the primary vault doors belong to Harold Caldwell."
Eli pointed to his own face. "And I have Harold's eyes."
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Nathan looked at Miller. The federal agent gave a grim, reluctant nod. "He's right. Caldwell designed the failsafes to exclude everyone but his exact genetic duplicate. Without the kid, we'd have to blast through four inches of reinforced titanium."
With Miller leading with her weapon drawn, Nathan and Eli moved silently through the deserted corridors of the basement level, slipping past abandoned gurneys and overturned medical carts until they reached the private executive elevator marked: *Restricted - Mercer Bio-Capital*.
