Chapter 5 - The War Room Beneath the City
By midnight, the abandoned subway station had been transformed into a command post. Marcus had brought three crates of tactical gear, satellite communication arrays, and emergency medical supplies from Harrison's private safehouse.
Harrison sat at a makeshift table covered in blueprints of the Vance Bio-Tech headquarters—a ninety-story glass monolith located in the heart of the financial district.
"Dr. Evelyn Thorne controls the top ten floors," Harrison explained, pointing a stylus at the blue schematics. "That’s where the bio-synthesis labs are located. The security is military-grade: biometric scanners, nerve-disruption fields, and automated turrets."
Julian, tied tightly to a iron pillar in the corner, spat blood onto the concrete and laughed bitterly. "You're insane, Harrison! You're a cripple in a wheelchair, leading a starving street rat and a glorified chauffeur against a multi-billion-dollar private army! The moment you step into the lobby, Thorne will fry your brains with the neural grid!"
Harrison didn't even look at his brother. "Marcus, hand me the neural interface headset from crate three."
Marcus hesitated. "Sir... that prototype hasn't been tested since your accident. The feedback could kill you."
"My life ended seven years ago, Marcus," Harrison said grimly. "This boy gave me ten seconds of it back. I intend to spend the rest of it making things right."
Kael walked over to the table, staring at the blue holographic schematics. His fingers traced the power lines running through the building's skeleton.
"I can disable their neural grid," Kael said softly. "The main transformer is in the sub-basement. If I touch the high-voltage relay, I can send a feedback loop all the way up to the 90th floor."
"No," Harrison commanded sternly. "You told me using your power burns your life force. You're already bleeding from your nose. I won't let an eleven-year-old boy die to fight my battle."
"If I don't use it, those children on the cots won't live until Sunday," Kael countered, his voice unyielding. "I don't have a future anyway, Mr. Vance. My nerves are already turning grey at the edges."
Harrison looked down at Kael's bare feet. For the first time, he noticed tiny patches of grey, stone-like scales creeping up the boy's ankles. Kael was infected with the very same toxin he was holding back in others.
Harrison’s eyes burned with unshed tears. He reached out and grabbed Kael's small hand.
"Listen to me, Kael," Harrison promised, his tone ringing like forged steel. "You are not dying down here. We are going to break into that tower, we are going to synthesize a permanent cure for you and every child in this ward, and then... I am going to adopt you."
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Kael froze, his eyes widening in shock. "What?"
"You heard me," Harrison said, a fierce smile breaking through his tired face. "A Vance doesn't leave his partner behind. Now let's go take my company back."
