Chapter 20 - The Breach
The stolen sedan screeched to a halt half a block from Vanguard Tower. The massive skyscraper pierced the storm clouds like a dark obsidian needle. Surrounding the plaza were dozens of black tactical vehicles. The building was already in a state of high alert, its perimeter swarming with Victoria's private security forces.
"The place is entirely locked down," Julian whispered from the passenger seat, wrapping a makeshift bandage tightly around his bruised knee. "How do we even get inside?"
Elara stared at the glowing blue lights of the underground parking entrance. "Silas gave us access to the service garage before he died. The automated doors should still recognize our vehicle as an authorized delivery van."
She threw the car into drive and accelerated aggressively toward the heavily guarded ramp. Two guards stepped out, raising their assault rifles and motioning for the car to stop.
Elara didn't slow down. Instead, she flashed her headlights twice and held her breath.
As they closed the distance, the heavy steel barricade protecting the ramp suddenly hissed and retracted into the ground, and the green "ACCESS GRANTED" light flashed above the bay doors. The guards, momentarily confused by the system overriding their physical commands, hesitated. That hesitation was all Elara needed. She floored the accelerator, blowing past them and plunging down into the spiraling concrete depths of the parking garage.
"Get ready to run!" she shouted, slamming on the brakes as they reached sub-level three.
The car drifted to a chaotic halt, tires screeching against the polished concrete. Elara and Julian threw open their doors and sprinted toward the service elevators.
"The system is going haywire," Julian noted, watching the elevator display panel flicker rapidly between numbers. "Silas’s data dump must be wreaking havoc on their internal servers. The firewalls are collapsing."
Elara smashed the 'UP' button repeatedly. "Come on, come on..."
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The doors slid open, revealing an empty, mirrored elevator car. They rushed inside. Julian swiped his stolen medical badge, and Elara pressed the button for the 40th floor.
The elevator lurched upward. Elara pulled the stolen security baton from her belt, the metal cold and heavy in her hand. The hunt for Leo had officially begun, and she was done hiding.
