Chapter 2 - The Midnight Escape
The lead suit stepped forward, pulling a gold-crested badge from his coat. "Officer Donovan. I am Agent Vance from the Department of Advanced Technology Control. We are here to take custody of the runaway child and the stolen property she is holding."
Barnaby let out a sharp, distressed beep inside the bag, his blue lights turning a panicked shade of crimson. Emily shrank behind Donovan, clutching the bag to her chest.
Donovan looked at the badge, then at the men. Something didn't sit right. The protocol for tech control didn't involve hunting barefoot children in torrential downpours. "I need to verify this with the captain," Donovan said, reaching for his radio.
"That won't be necessary," Vance replied coldly, reaching inside his jacket.
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Donovan’s instincts flared. He grabbed Emily, scooped her up into his arms, and dived behind the heavy metal reception desk just as a silenced kinetic pulse shattered the glass partition above them. The precinct erupted into chaos as alarms blared. Realizing the entire department might be compromised, Donovan looked at Emily. "Do you trust me?"
She nodded bravely. Grabbing his car keys, Donovan led Emily through a restricted maintenance tunnel beneath the station, escaping into the pouring rain just as the rogue agents locked down the building.
