Chapter 25: The Team’s Discovery

"𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘬𝘦'𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴."

The air was thick with tension as they stood still, breaths held, eyes darting through the dimly lit corridor. The only sound was the low mechanical drone echoing from somewhere ahead—a noise that didn't belong in the dusty, decaying mansion they'd been navigating for the past hour.

Ethan Drake, the de facto leader, crouched slightly, his left hand gripping his custom Umbrella 1911 tightly, finger hovering just above the trigger guard. The light from his helmet's tactical lamp cut through the gloom, illuminating the grimy walls lined with faded, peeling wallpaper. He could feel the cold sweat trickling down his back, an all-too-familiar sensation that reminded him he was still alive.

"Hold," he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath. "Rain, take point. Shade, cover our six."

Rain Ocampo nodded once, a curt, controlled movement. She moved ahead, MP7 raised, her steps light and measured. Ethan watched her, trusting in her instinct, her eyes sweeping from corner to corner with a sniper's precision.

Shade, at the back, scanned the shadows, his own weapon raised, his presence a wall of silent assurance. There was no need for words between them. Years of missions had taught them that words could be as dangerous as bullets.

The corridor ended at a heavy metal door, reinforced with layers of new steel that gleamed unnaturally against the dilapidated surroundings. Rain halted in front of it, gesturing for Kaplan. He swallowed hard, the small click of his tools as he knelt by the door breaking the silence. 

"Electronic lock," Kaplan murmured. "Triple-layer encryption… sophisticated. I'll need a few minutes."

"You've got two," Ethan snapped, his tone a blend of urgency and command. "We don't have time for finesse."

Kaplan's hands trembled as he worked, his fingers dancing over the keypad. He knew Ethan was right, but the pressure knotted his stomach. The sharp beep of the bypass kit echoed in the confined space. His breath quickened, sweat dripping into his eyes, but he forced himself to focus, ignoring the weight of Rain's gaze.

Behind them, Shade's voice was low. "Miller, keep it steady. Davis, don't get too comfortable. Something feels off here."

Miller adjusted his grip on his HK G36C, nodding, the barrel following his line of sight. Davis, the older soldier, kept his own SCAR-L aimed down the corridor, his eyes narrowed. "You're not wrong," he muttered. "This place reeks of a setup."

Kaplan's fingers slipped slightly, and he cursed under his breath, recalibrating. He could feel Ethan's gaze boring into him, a silent reminder of what was at stake. He swallowed his nerves, typing in the final sequence. A moment of silence, then—*click*. The lock disengaged.

"I'm in," he breathed, relief flooding his voice.

"Good," Ethan replied, his tone a bit softer. "Step back."

Ethan moved forward, motioning for the others to stay sharp. He drew his combat knife with his free hand, the blade gleaming in the light, and carefully pushed the door open, his eyes narrowing as a faint, sterile light seeped through the widening gap. The smell hit him first—disinfectant, mixed with a chemical tang that made his stomach churn.

The room beyond was a stark contrast to the rest of the mansion. Pristine white tiles, overhead fluorescent lights buzzing softly. Computer terminals lined the walls, cables snaking across the floor like veins. A research lab, concealed within the mansion's bowels, cold and clinical.

"Looks like we've found the nerve center," Rain muttered, lowering her weapon slightly as she stepped inside, her eyes scanning every inch. "Kaplan, see what you can find on those terminals."

Kaplan nodded, moving quickly to the nearest terminal. His fingers flew across the keyboard, his tension shifting into focused determination. "Alright… Accessing local drives… there's… wait." His face paled. "There's a file… It's encrypted, but I can crack it."

"Hurry," Ethan urged. His senses were screaming at him. He moved to the other side of the room, eyes flicking between the door and the screens, feeling the minutes ticking away like a countdown.

A beep sounded from Kaplan's station. "Got it," he said, his voice a mix of triumph and dread. "It's… it's a dossier. Subject: Alice."

Rain's head snapped towards him. "Alice?" She exchanged a look with Ethan. "The woman we ran into?"

"Same name, and there's more… Experiments, genetic modifications…" Kaplan's voice trailed off, his eyes widening. "She's connected to the Hive, but… she might be something else entirely. Something they've been… testing."

Ethan's gut twisted. "What kind of tests?"

Kaplan's fingers tapped, bringing up the file. "Bio-augmentation, neural rewiring… They were trying to make her into… something beyond human."

A cold chill crept down Ethan's spine. He thought of the woman's eyes, the way she'd moved, almost too fluid, too precise. "She's not who we thought she was," he muttered.

The room fell silent, tension building like a rising tide. Then, suddenly, Ethan's communication device crackled to life. Static hissed before a distorted voice cut through, barely audible but unmistakable. *"Alice… she's not who she seems. Trust… no one."*

Rain's gaze snapped to Ethan. "What the hell was that?"

"No idea," Ethan replied, his mind racing. "But it means someone's watching us. Someone who knows more than they're letting on."

Shade stepped forward. "We move, now. We've been exposed."

Ethan nodded, turning to the team. "Everyone, gear up. We're going in." He stepped towards the now-unlocked door, his hand hesitating over the handle. This door wasn't just a barrier—it was the line between the known and the unknown, between safety and whatever nightmare lay ahead.

He took a breath, his mind cold and clear. Whatever was on the other side, they had to face it. "On my mark," he whispered, the tension in his voice sharpening into steel.

And then, he pushed the door wide.