Chapter 6 - The Trap is SprungArthur knew he couldn't rely on the board, the police, or the hospital administration anymore. They were either compromised or too terrified to act. He decided to turn the facility’s high-tech security system into a lethal trap.
Working through the night, he rewired the central surveillance hub, converting the infrared cameras in the sub-levels into motion-activated laser tripwires linked to heavy steel security shutters.
"If anything moves in the tunnels tonight," Arthur muttered to himself, loading a heavy hunting rifle he had smuggled in from his cabin, "it's staying down there forever."
At precisely 2:00 AM, the central control board lit up like a Christmas tree.
Motion detected in Sector 4: Sub-level Corridor B.
Arthur stared at the monitor. A single thermal signature—bright orange and unnaturally fast—was gliding through the service tunnels directly toward the women's ward.
He grabbed his tablet, checked his rifle's safety, and marched down to the basement entrance. The iron door to the catacombs stood slightly ajar, cool air rushing out like a welcoming sigh.
"I know you're in there, Bauer," Arthur shouted into the dark, his voice bouncing off the concrete walls. "Show yourself!"
From the deep recesses of the tunnel, a slow, rhythmic clapping began. Clap... clap... clap...
Step by step, the tall figure in the vintage surgeon's coat emerged from the shadows. The steel mask gleamed under the emergency lights, reflecting Arthur’s horrified expression.
"You always were too curious, Arthur," the figure spoke. The voice was distorted, metallic, yet agonizingly familiar. It was the exact voice of Clara’s long-dead father, who had founded the asylum.
May you like
"You're dead," Arthur whispered, raising the rifle. "You died forty years ago."
The figure let out a low, rasping laugh, slowly reaching up and unbuckling the steel mask.
