I tiptoed to the panel, using my claws to pry it open. Inside was a tangle of wires and circuits beyond my understanding. I looked at Kalyndi questioningly.
"Red and blue wires," she whispered. "Cross them."
I did as instructed, and immediately sprinklers activated throughout the corridor, spraying everyone with fine mist. Simultaneously, compartment doors closed automatically, a safety feature to contain potential fires.
The guards shouted in confusion. The scientist demanding they find the source of the malfunction. As they moved away from Section 4 to check the panel at their end of the corridor, we slipped through the rapidly closing compartment doors toward the blue entrance.
This door had both a code panel and biometric scanner. Kalyndi studied it, then looked at me. "We need an authorized person."
I nodded, understanding immediately. We waited until the scientist separated slightly from his guards, then I moved, a blur of motion that ended with my hand over the man's mouth and my arm around his chest, dragging him back toward the door.
"Open it," I growled in his ear, "or discover how sharp mapinguari claws really are."
The scientist trembled but complied, pressing his palm to the scanner and entering a six-digit code. The blue door slid open with a soft hiss.
Beyond lay a large open space divided into smaller areas. Some resembled classrooms, others playrooms, but all were empty. At the far end, another door led to what appeared to be sleeping quarters.
"Where are the children?" I demanded of our captive.
"Sublevel C during emergencies," he stammered. "Standard protocol."
Kalyndi's face fell. "Another level down? We'll never reach them before security regroups."
The scientist's expression shifted subtly, something like relief in his eyes. I tightened my grip. "You're lying."
"I'm following protocol," he insisted.
But there was something in his scent, a nervousness beyond normal fear. I inhaled deeply, tracking the complex emotions radiating from him. "No. They're here. You're protecting them."
Kalyndi caught on immediately. "You're not afraid we'll find them. You're afraid we'll hurt them."
The man's resistance crumbled. "Please. They're just children. Whatever your quarrel with Magnus Terra… "
"We're here to free them," Kalyndi interrupted gently. "To return them to their parents."
Disbelief warred with hope in the scientist's expression. "You can't possibly… "
"We can and we will," I assured him. "Now, where are they?"
After a moment's hesitation, he gestured toward a seemingly solid wall. "Hidden door. Panel behind the bookshelf."
I released him cautiously, ready to recapture him if necessary, but he made no move to flee or call for help. Instead, he went to the bookshelf and pressed a specific sequence of books. The wall slid open, revealing a large room beyond.
Inside were twelve children of various ages, from toddlers to perhaps ten years old. All showed mixed human-monster heritage, some with scaled skin, others with distinctivemapinguari features, still others with characteristics of different monster tribes. They huddled together, the older ones protectively surrounding the younger.
A girl of about eight, with the distinctive ridge pattern of mapinguari along her arms but otherwise human-appearing, stepped forward. "Are you here to hurt us?" Her voice was steady despite her obvious fear.
Kalyndi knelt to the child's level. "No, sweetheart. We're here to help you."
"To take you home," I added, staying back slightly to avoid frightening them with my imposing presence.
The girl's eyes widened. "Home? To our parents?"
"Yes," Kalyndi promised. "If we can find them."
"I know where the records are kept," the scientist interjected quietly. When we both turned to him in surprise, he continued, "I've had... doubts... about this program for some time. The children are remarkable, but the methods..." He shook his head. "This isn't what I signed up for."
"You'll help us?" I couldn't keep the suspicion from my voice.
