The bullet train pierced through the early morning mist, its magnetic track humming softly as it tore across the landscape from Detroit to Cleveland in a smooth, forty-minute glide.
Inside the sleek executive car, Rose and Scarlet sat across from each other at a small, polished table. Gone was the rigid, unyielding posture of the subterranean briefing room. Here, under the soft cabin lights and surrounded by civilian travelers, they looked like nothing more than two high-powered corporate professionals on a business getaway.
As the train swept past the outer limits of Cleveland, the morning sun broke through the heavy cloud cover, bathing the lakefront skyline and sprawling urban architecture in a vivid, golden warmth.
Scarlet pulled out her phone, holding it up against the window and took a few high-resolution shots of the glittering shoreline. Rose on the other hanleaned into the frame with a subtle relaxed smile, taking a quick joint photo as the scenic landscape blurred past. To anyone watching, they gave the impression of ordinary tourists capturing the beauty of a city waking up.
Upon pulling into the terminal, they bypassed the public transit lines and moved directly toward a private transport bay. There, a darkened, unmarked shuttle operating on an obscure regional access route waited for them. It, bypassing the congested public highways and state police checkpoints, the shuttle navigated the restricted service roads, passing through the countryside and bringing them across the Ohio border in just under an hour.
Their first stop was the Shilton Hotel. Arriving at the grand entrance, they were escorted straight to the top floor—the premium executive suite.
Grishile had already handled the advance reservations under corporate Business travel vouchers, ensuring a seamless, no-questions-asked check-in.
The suite was expansive, featuring floor-to-ceiling glass windows that overlooked the downtown district. After setting their luggage down on the dark oak wood racks, the two women stripped out of their tailored corporate coats and stiff travel attire.
Rose changed into a comfortable slate-grey knit sweater and dark trousers, while Scarlet slipped into a fitted black turtleneck, leather jacket, and comfortable boots. The shift in wardrobe instantly softened their tensed edge, allowing them to blend into the local environment effortlessly.
Before heading out, Scarlet pulled out a secondary, encrypted burner phone. She looked over at Rose, who was adjusting the strap of her shoulder bag.
"I'm calling Janvis," Scarlet said quietly.
Rose paused, glancing over. "Benedict and Dr. Maru didn't mandate a pre-check with local liaisons. They wanted us to drop in sneak in you know."
"Which is precisely why Bill would spook if we just appeared in his grid," Scarlet countered smoothly, tapping the screen. "Janvis handles local coordination. Letting her know we're in the sector under corporate compliance keeps things clean. At the very least prevents local suspicion before we even step foot in the ward."
Rose nodded once, conceding the point with a sigh. "Make it quick," She said.
Scarlet brought the phone to her ear. It rang twice before Janvis's low voice answered on the line. "Go ahead."
"Janvis, it's Scarlet. Rose and I just checked into the Shilton," Scarlet said, her tone casual, as if discussing a routine business audit.
"We're taking the hotel's premium cab over to the local clinic now to inspect the status of the Quive situation. We'll need clean clearance through the hospital's rear entrance."
On the other end, Janvis took a brief second to process the update. "Understood. The precinct has troopers on the main floor, but I'll ensure the administrative elevator is cleared for your arrival, also Bill isn't aware you're in the district yet."
"Keep it that way for now," Scarlet replied. "We'll see you shortly."
She disconnected the call and dropped the burner phone into her pocket.
Moments later, the pair rode the elevator down to the private garage, where a sleek, black Hilton executive sedan was idling. The driver opened the door with a quiet bow, and Rose and Scarlet gave a reciprocal nod as they slid into the leather interior. As the cab pulled out into the cool, damp Ohio morning navigating toward the clinic, Scarlet reached into her bag, her fingers briefly touching the cold metal of the silver cylinder containing Klaus's synthesized marrow serum but this was unknown to her.
The driver tuned on the radio glancing at the review mirror ensuring he didn't make the ladies uncomfortable to which they were just on there earpiece while glancing at their phone screen.