Chapter 5 - Darkness in the PrecinctThe emergency generators kicked in three seconds later, bathing the room in a dull, amber-tinted glow. But the hum of the building had changed. The distant chatter of officers typing at their desks was gone, replaced by an unnatural, suffocating quiet.
"Stay here," Detective Miller ordered, instantly drawing his service weapon and moving cautiously toward the heavy steel door. He pushed it open a crack, peering out into the long, fluorescent-lit hallway.
The corridor was empty. The other holding cells were dead silent.
"Miller," Daniel called out from inside the room, his instincts screaming that something was fundamentally wrong. "We need to get out of here. If Vance is on the run, and someone else is pulling the strings—"
Bang.
A loud, muffled gunshot echoed from the upper floor, followed by the sound of shattering glass and heavy boots running down a stairwell.
Detective Miller stepped fully out into the hallway, raising his weapon. "Security! Identify yourself!"
No one answered. Instead, a thick, white plume of chemical smoke began billowing from the ventilation system at the end of the hall, rolling rapidly toward them.
"Gas!" Noah yelled, grabbing Daniel by the collar and dragging him backward out of the interrogation room as the fire alarms finally shrieked to life.
Panic erupted across the precinct. Shouts echoed from the front desk, followed by the chaotic sound of doors slamming and frantic radio chatter. But in the midst of the chaos, a familiar figure appeared at the opposite end of the smoky corridor.
May you like
It was Dr. Vance.
He wasn't running. He stood calmly amidst the swirling white smoke, wearing a crisp lab coat, holding a small leather briefcase in one hand and a silenced pistol in the other. He looked directly at Daniel through the haze, smiled faintly, and raised his weapon.
