145 BEING WATCHED
When Kail rebuilt the underground research facility of GenSyn Industries, he uncovered a hidden level — one so well concealed that even the SIA had never found it.
Without warning, the floor of the basement storeroom split open, revealing a concealed elevator shaft. Kail, Dorin, and Lander slipped inside before the panels sealed shut again.
The elevator descended deep below the facility until it opened into a vast chamber lined with glowing holo-screens that wrapped around the walls like windows into other worlds.
"Welcome to my space," Kail said, his tone half-proud, half-mocking.
"So, this is where you've been hiding all those times, I was looking everywhere for you?" Dorin asked, shaking her head. "No wonder I couldn't find you in the basement…you're in the basement beneath the basement."
"Is it safe down here? The SIA have equipment that can scan through walls and floors?" Lander asked.
"Why? Are you still afraid of the SIA?" Damen asked smilingly.
Technically, Lander and Dorin had nothing to fear from the SIA — Lander's murder charge had been overturned, and they were both free citizens.
But they have their share of enemies in the city who preferred them harm. Ambrone Melrose was one of them. For now, hiding was simply the smarter choice.
"I'm not afraid of them", Lander said before Dorin added for him, "We don't want anymore trouble from the SIA. Staying anonymous is the only way to give us peace."
"Relax," Kail replied. "Even with the raid going on upstairs, they'll never find us down here."
Lander's gaze swept the holo-screens.
Not all of them showed the facility — some displayed feeds from streets, intersections, and high-security zones across the city.
"You can access the city's surveillance network from here?" Lander asked, impressed. "Even the SIA needs clearance for that…and even with clearance, they might not be able to get so many feeds."
Lander marveled at the live footages of everything in the city.
"If I had these before, I could solve so many more cases", he murmured.
Kail grinned. "I don't need to wait for clearance. I break in."
Dorin smirked. "You sound like Quantum."
Kail ignored her, fingers flying across the controls as he brought up the upper floors into view.
Ambrone Melrose arrived with hundreds of SIA officers, and a search warrant in hand.
"I guess someone should go upstairs," Kail asked.
-----
Ambrone Melrose approached with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Damen Dark. We need your cooperation."
Damen looked genuinely puzzled. "The SIA? Here? If this is about our shipments, I can assure you this month's elixirs passed inspection. There shouldn't be any problem."
Ambrone shook his head. "I'm not here about your products. I have a warrant, signed by the governor himself, to search your property."
Damen raised an eyebrow. "Search my property? For what reason?"
"We're investigating suspects connected to the murder of Garius Zetheris."
At the name, Damen smiled faintly. "Ah… Garius. I can't say I'm mourning him. In fact, Zairgid will be throwing a mock funeral party in his name."
Ambrone blinked, momentarily thrown off.
"You're not hiding your feelings toward the late Garius, I see."
Ambrone's assistant immediately noted it down. This was clear motive for murder.
"Hide them? Why would I?" Damen said evenly. "No one wanted him gone more than I did. He kidnapped my partner, sent assassins after me, and when we filed reports, your departments did absolutely nothing."
Ambrone hesitated. "The departments may have been… occupied."
"Right," Damen said dryly. "Yet you suddenly have time to search my property—with no warrant, and no cause? Let me remind you that GenSyn Industries pays its taxes in full."
Director Ambrone stared at him.
Only months ago, this was an intern he could dismiss with a wave of his hand. Now—
"You've learned to become rude, young man. Let me remind you—"
"Director," Damen cut in calmly, "I am no longer an intern in your stupid department. I am the owner of a conglomerate whose taxes pay your salary."
There was silence.
What Damen said was true, and Ambrone knew it. The balance had shifted. He was no longer in the position of strength against the boy.
He cleared his throat and returned to business. "We have reasonable—"
Damen cut him off again.
"Fine. Do as you please. Start with my restroom first, if that helps. After that I'm turning in. Lock up when you're done."
Ambrone studied him carefully.
Damen's confidence, even irritating behavior, didn't fit the profile of a guilty man. Still, he signaled his agents to begin the search.
Hours later, after combing through every lab, chamber, and storage wing, they found nothing. There was no evidence, no traces, and no suspects to be found.
Ambrone was about to notify Damen about the end of the search, but a drone approached him instead, speaking in its usual mechanical voice.
"My Boss said please talk to me if you need anything."
"My Boss said please talk to me if you need anything."
"My Boss said please talk to me if you need anything."
Damen wasn't there to send him off.
Ambrone left with his team, his expression irritated—but the unease in his eyes suggested he knew Damen was hiding something.
He just didn't know what.
-----
"What are they doing down there?" Lander asked sharply as one of the SIA officers was planting a small black device in the basement in the hologram feed.
"They are going to bug us?" Dorin asked.
Kail barely reacted. "Let them. It's expected. They wouldn't leave without slipping in a little surprise."
Lander frowned. "They're setting up surveillance here. That means they'll be watching everything we do."
Then again, he realized, "That's what I would do too in the circumstances."
"We just stay out of their sight," Kail replied calmly.
Dorin crossed her arms. "And where exactly do you suggest we go?"
"You can stay here for now," Kail said, gesturing around the hidden level. "We've got power, supplies, and enough tech to live here comfortably. Indefinitely."
"Why not just hack their cameras and shut them down?" Dorin pressed.
Kail hesitated for a moment. "Because the Zetheris family has another hacker—someone who's as good as me. Maybe better. He's probably the one behind those cameras. If I tamper with the feed, he'll know instantly, and I'd rather not alert his suspicions."
"So, all this search and investigation is because of the Zetheris family?" Dorin asked.
"It figures, GenSyn have every motive to kill Garius Zetheris, and his murder investigation would start here…" Lander said, sighing. "We should stay low for a while…until this blows over."
-----
Damen was jolted awake by a buzz on the comms.
"Big Brother, your girlfriend Eryn's been taken again," Kail's voice came through, sharp and urgent.
"What's the situation?" Damen asked as he entered the secret room.
The holo-screen flickered to life. Footage played soldiers dragging Eryn into an armored transport.
"What the hell is this? Another kidnapping?" Damen muttered.
"I pulled this from the city camera circuit," Kail said. "Zetheris' men attacked the Veyran residence and took Eryn."
"It's already on the news," Dorin added. "What do we do now?"
Damen's thoughts raced.
His gaze drifted to the hidden security cameras the SIA had planted to spy on him.
"I'm being bugged—and now this?" he said, glancing at Lander. "What are the odds?"
Lander smiled faintly. He was used to this kind of work.
"You know what's going on?" Dorin asked.
"If we were criminals, bugs alone wouldn't be enough," Lander said. "But that's too passive. If it were me, I'd create a crisis—force the suspects to act. Then I'd watch from the cameras and collect evidence."
Kail frowned. "I still don't get it."
But Damen did.
"So Ambrone planted the cameras to see whether I move to help Eryn," Damen said coldly. "If I do, he gets his proof."
"Proof of what?" Dorin asked.
"It's a fishing exercise," Damen replied. "Ambrone doesn't know anything yet. But if we are involved in the feud between Zetheris and Veyran, we'd expose ourselves to those cameras. Every call, every order, every ally—we'd hand it to him."
Kail looked between them, confused. "So… are we going to save Eryn or not?"
Damen was silent for a long time.
"I can't," he said finally. "I need to stay here."
He met their eyes.
"That's my only alibi."