Chapter 7 - The Purge
The air in the subterranean lab grew instantly heavy as the ventilation system reversed, pulling oxygen out of the room while pumping a thick, sweet-smelling chemical fog from the ceiling vents.
Daniel coughed, feeling a sharp burning sensation in his throat. He holstered his weapon for a fraction of a second to rip the sleeve of his shirt over his nose and mouth, aiming his flashlight through the swirling white mist.
Michael was gone, slipping through a concealed sliding door behind the server racks.
“Carter!” Daniel yelled, his voice muffled by the fabric. He rushed toward the server racks, kicking open the hidden panel.
The panel led into a narrow, concrete utility tunnel that sloped upward toward the back woods behind the property. Without hesitation, Daniel charged into the dark tunnel, guided only by the distant sound of crunching gravel and heavy footsteps ahead of him.
His lungs burned with every breath. The chemical fog from the lab had clung to his jacket, making his skin prickle with heat. He pushed through the darkness, his boots slipping on the damp concrete until his shoulder slammed against a wooden exit hatch at the top of the ladder.
He threw his weight against the latch.
The wooden door burst open, and rain lashed furiously across his face as he tumbled out into the muddy backyard of the Carter estate.
A few yards away, a dark figure was sprinting toward the treeline where the dense forest swallowed the shadows of the hill.
“Stop right there! Police!” Daniel roared, forcing his exhausted legs to sprint through the thick mud.
Michael leaped over a low stone wall, but his boot caught the slick moss, sending him sprawling hard onto the wet earth. Before he could recover, Daniel was on top of him, driving him down into the mud and pinning his arms behind his back with practiced precision.
“I’ve got you! Don't move!” Daniel panted, securing the heavy steel cuffs around Michael’s wrists.
Michael thrashed once, then went completely limp in the dirt, laughing softly into the mud as the rain washed over them both.
May you like
“You’re too late, Officer,” Michael choked out, staring up at the dark sky through the branches. “The data is already backing up to the cloud. My research... it’s already out there.”
Daniel hauled him to his feet, ignoring the raving words, and marched him back toward the flashing lights of the backup units that were now swarming up the driveway.
