Chapter 7 - Into the Depths
The private service elevator descended into the subterranean bowels of the Moretti estate with a low, mechanical hum. Vincent punched the master override code into the encrypted keypad—a code he hadn't used in a decade. With a heavy pneumatic hiss, the reinforced steel doors slid apart.
Sub-Level 4 smelled of damp concrete, old dust, and sterile medical equipment. Emergency fluorescent strips flickered overhead, casting a harsh, sickly green glow over the concrete corridor.
Vincent moved through the dark hallway with the relentless speed of a predator closing in on its prey. He passed rows of heavy-duty server racks and archived steel filing cabinets until he reached the final reinforced vault door at the end of the hall.
The digital lock blinked red, secured by a biometric retinal scanner.
Vincent didn't hesitate. He slammed his palm against the emergency manual override panel, ripping the metal cover away. Sparks showered over his knuckles as he manually crossed the high-voltage bypass wires, forcing the hydraulic locks to disengage with a deafening groan of bending steel.
The heavy vault door swung outward, spilling pale, artificial light into the dark corridor.
Vincent stepped inside, his breath catching in his throat.
The room was a clinical, windowless cell disguised as a high-tech panic room, lined with medical monitors, intravenous drips, and a narrow cot. And sitting upright against the pillows, squinting against the sudden influx of bright light, was a woman with pale skin, hollow cheeks, and haunting, familiar eyes.
"Vince?" a raspy voice whispered from the bed.
Vincent froze, his massive frame trembling as he crossed the room in a single bound. He fell to his knees beside the cot, his large, calloused hands hovering near her face as if afraid she would turn to smoke if he touched her.
"Sofia," he choked out, his voice breaking entirely as tears finally spilled over his hardened cheeks. "My God... Sofia..."
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She raised a thin, pale hand, resting her fingertips gently against his stubbled cheek. "I told you... Bellamy was working with her... I tried to warn you three years ago..."
"You're safe," Vincent whispered fiercely, gathering her fragile body into his arms, holding her as if he would never let go again. "You're safe. It's over."
