The Syndicate members still weren't entirely comfortable with what I could do. Can't blame them, really. Most days, I wasn't comfortable with it either.
The room gradually filled with a pulsing green light as my connection to the system deepened. It emanated from my fingertips first, then spread up my arms and eventually to my eyes.
I'd seen my reflection during these moments—eyes glowing neon green, face cast in eerie light. I probably looked like something from a sci-fi horror flick.
Layer after layer of security fell before me. Passwords were meaningless when I could feel the electronic pulse of the correct sequence. Biometric requirements couldn't stop someone who could mimic the exact electronic signature of an authorized user. I moved through the system like a ghost, leaving barely a trace of my intrusion.
"Got the security feeds," I announced, voice slightly strained as multiple screens flickered to life, showing different areas of the facility.
I tracked our people first—Dima and his team were engaged in a firefight in the east corridor, providing the distraction we needed. Zev's group had reached a research lab on the second level, securing potential intel on O'Rourke's operation. Ivan and Sergei were systematically disabling the facility's communication with the outside world.
"East corridor clear," I reported, directing my attention to the security doors that would allow our teams to move more freely. "Sublevel two security doors unlocked."
Each new system I accessed added to the strain. It was like trying to focus on dozens of conversations simultaneously, extracting the important bits while filtering out the noise. My temples began to throb, a familiar pressure building behind my eyes.
"Any sign of Nicolai?" Yuri asked, pacing behind me now, dividing his attention between guarding the door and monitoring my progress.
"Working on it," I grunted, diving deeper into the building's restricted areas.
The sublevel designations caught my attention—B1 through B4, with increasing security protocols for each descending level. If I were keeping a valuable prisoner, especially one as dangerous as a bear shifter, I'd put him as deep as possible.
I focused my efforts on B3 and B4, searching for any sign of Nicolai. The strain was becoming more noticeable now. Sweat beaded on my forehead, and I could feel the beginning of a nosebleed—a warning sign that I was pushing too hard. I ignored it, wiping my nose on my sleeve without breaking concentration.
"Yuri, watch the corridor," I said, sensing his growing concern as he hovered behind me. "I can't focus with you breathing down my neck."
He moved away with a dissatisfied grunt. "Don't push yourself into a seizure. We need you functional."
The words were gruff, but the sentiment surprised me. In Yuri's world, my worth was tied to my usefulness to Nicolai and the syndicate. This flash of concern for my actual wellbeing was unexpected.
"I'll manage," I replied, even as a fresh trickle of blood ran from my nose.
The strain was worth it when I finally breached the B3 security feeds. The sublevel was divided into sections, each dedicated to different "research" activities. My stomach turned as I flicked through images of laboratories and containment cells.
How many others like me had been trapped here?
How many still were?
The thought fueled my determination as I continued searching. Section A revealed nothing but empty cells. Section B contained laboratories with equipment I couldn't identify. Section C housed what looked like medical facilities.
Then I reached Section S—Special Talents Division.
"Got something," I murmured, focusing all my attention on those feeds.
The cameras in this section were more heavily encrypted than the others, requiring an exhausting push of my abilities to access. The effort sent a spike of pain through my skull, like an ice pick between my eyes, but I persisted.
The first clear image made my heart skip—a laboratory with specialized restraints, monitoring equipment, and a central examination table. Empty, but recently used based on the state of the equipment.
I moved to the next camera, then the next, scanning each feed for any sign of Nicolai. Most showed similar labs or containment cells, some occupied by figures I couldn't clearly make out.
The realization that O'Rourke was holding multiple people with abilities made my blood boil, but I couldn't let myself get distracted.
"Come on, where are you?" I muttered, ignoring the blood now freely dripping from my nose.
Yuri returned to my side, his expression darkening at my condition. "You're bleeding."
"I noticed," I snapped, moving to the final set of feeds in Section S.
And there he was.
