บท 139: Distraction
Amid the amusement, Jack seized the opportunity to gather information discreetly. To one of the players seated next to him, he whispered, "Heard there was a security breach earlier in the Genetic Wing. Any idea what's happening?"
The man, leaning in conspiratorially, replied, "Word is that one of the top specimens escaped. But between us, it's not the first time something like this has happened. The higher-ups keep most incidents hush-hush. Can't let the world know that their grand experiments sometimes go awry, can they?"
Jack nodded, hiding the satisfaction that they were on the right track. Lysa, catching the tail end of the conversation, felt a surge of hope. Perhaps the children of LeviTribe were closer than they thought.
Jack subtly leaned towards one of the card players, his voice a low, casual murmur. "I heard there was a new batch—"
But before he could finish, a sharp, sudden pain shot up from his shin. Startled, he glanced across to find the tall woman, her playful demeanor replaced by a steely gaze. The intensity of her eyes silenced him instantly. It was a wordless warning, and it was clear she knew something.
The break room atmosphere, jovial just moments ago, turned tense. The card players, sensing the shift, exchanged uneasy glances, their hands hesitating over their cards.
With a deceptive casualness, the tall woman shuffled her deck, her voice dripping with faux sweetness. "Davos, always the curious one. You should focus on the game. These hands can make or break fortunes, you know."
Jack, taking the hint, forced a laugh, playing along with the charade. "Always looking for a good story," he replied, shrugging off her comment, "You know me."
The conversation resumed its previous cadence, the tension melting away as the players returned to their game. Lysa, however, had picked up on the tall woman's reaction. The mention of a 'new batch' was clearly a sensitive topic, and she realized the gravity of their mission was more profound than they had initially suspected.
Jack subtly nudged Lysa under the table, a silent cue to wrap up the game. As the final round concluded, he feigned fatigue. "I think I'll call it a night," he remarked, stretching his arms. "These long shifts are catching up to me."
Lysa nodded in agreement, playing her part. "Yeah, I need some rest too. Long day tomorrow."
As they made their exit, Jack's footsteps were deliberately unhurried. Their pace was just slow enough to invite pursuit, and it wasn't long before the tall woman from the card game caught up to them. Her piercing gaze landed on Lysa. "Fuck off," she hissed, her tone dripping with venom.
Lysa cast a quick glance at Jack, a silent exchange of understanding. Without a word, she rounded a corner, taking cover behind a thick column. She hoped Jack's intuition was accurate, and this confrontation would provide them with more information.
In a swift move, the tall woman pinned Jack against a cold metallic wall. Her face was mere inches from his visored helm, her breath ragged. "What the fuck was that about? You nearly spilled everything," she spat, her voice low and furious.
In that split second, Jack's mind raced. This sprawling island facility had been an enigma from the start, seemingly dedicated to a plethora of dark and twisted experiments. But the tall woman's reaction hinted at something even more sinister, a hidden secret that only a select few were privy to. It made sense — bringing the LeviTribe children here through underground passages instead of openly abducting them indicated a covert operation.
Maintaining his calm, Jack responded, trying to gauge her further, "I thought everyone in the game was part of the operation."
She hesitated for a moment before nodding, her suspicion evident. "They are, but not the new guy." Her statement confirmed Jack's suspicions. A darker, concealed agenda existed within the walls of this facility, and only a handful were truly in the know.
Jack feigned relief, rubbing the side of his helmet. "Haha, right. My mistake. Sorry."
Although Jack's facade remained unflappable, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. He was closer now to understanding the heart of this labyrinthine establishment. And with every step, every interaction, the puzzle pieces were falling into place.
Lysa, from her vantage point, had overheard their conversation. Her heart raced, her instincts screaming that they were edging closer to the truth. The well-being of the LeviTribe children depended on their every move, and any mistake could be catastrophic.
After the tall woman left, Jack signaled Lysa to rejoin him. The two of them continued their charade, making their way through the various sectors of the facility. Their outfits, although initially unfamiliar, had become their armor, a disguise that allowed them to delve deeper into the belly of the beast.
Navigating the vast and intricate corridors of the facility, Jack pieced together the information he had gleaned so far. A dichotomy existed on the island: on one hand, experiments on animals and other life forms were conducted in the open, while on the other, the abductions of the LeviTribe children were shrouded in secrecy.
Connecting the dots, Jack deduced two potential realities. Either the children faced even darker fates than the animals, suggesting horrifying, clandestine experiments on human subjects, or the mastermind behind the facility was unaware or perhaps against human experimentation. The latter scenario was preferable, offering Jack the opportunity to expose the culprits and, hopefully, win the support of the island's ruler. Still, he wasn't banking on such a favorable outcome.
He turned to Lysa, her form weighed down by the shackles, her voice deepened to maintain their ruse. "The best way to uncover this facility's core secrets is to create chaos. As long as everything runs smoothly, it'll be nearly impossible for us to explore without blowing our cover."
Lysa, always quick to grasp the situation, nodded. "Agreed. If we cause a commotion, the higher-ups will be too preoccupied to notice our snooping."
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