I shot awake at the sound of my emergency pager that had incessantly begun to emergency page me from my sleep. I swung around the other side of the bed to slam my hand down on it to quiet it down, thinking it was some error in emergency routing, where the Dispatcher pages the wrong unit. It's some bullshit that's been barking up my tree for the past month and the Chief still doesn't wanna invest into some decent IT.
Speaking of the chief, he was the one on the other side of that pager. Declining the call the first time was a bad idea, considering it was my boss. It was 2:57 in the A:M and I had no choice but to answer. Barely awake and into the nth dimensions of groggy, I had to hear the Chief's croaky voice holler at me.
"Harrison," he said, "Harrison!"
I took a deep breath and settled myself on the edge of my bed. "What is it?"
"Active 10-86 at the VegaCorp Labs." He said, almost out of breath. "I need you and Gantheim to be on the scene, right now!"
I shook my head from the slight hangover, "If it's an active armed break-in, send SWAT, not some paper-pushers."
"I don't give a shit, Harrison." He sighed, "if it's Knight's business, I need you to get there yesterday. Move your ass, Gantheim is already on the way."
I took a few deep breaths. A silence which prompted chief Hylt to speak again.
"Harrison!"
"Yeah, yeah." I said begrudgingly, "I'm on my way."
I rushed my usual morning routine, barely finding any time to shower but I took a minute to brush my teeth. I put on one of my thicker bulletproof vests in addition to my usual shirt, pants and shoes. I stomped over to the car, put it in drive and drove code 3 to the scene.
I struggled to see as I hadn't still woken up 100% but the night life in this part of Liberty made it plenty vibrant and lively. All the neon lights shook me back into some reasonable awareness. The visual stimuli helps once in a while. It was all lit until I got to the district that came just before the abandoned patch of land that the VegaCorp labs were at. Weirdly enough, on the way there, I spotted a red Corolla; one that looked pretty close to Bridget, driving away. A man with shades was driving it. I didn't think much of it, probably some paparazzi or some shit, hoping to catch juicy snapshots of the disaster that the South Side of the building became.
As I got closer, the vibrant amber blaze continuously roared all the way up to the sky, contrasting with the pitch black, starless expanse above the labs. Fire trucks and ambulances were strewn all around, especially toward the entrance. They were all packed around and near the big gate that had already been open. I passed through and checked in with the security gate before parking my unmarked car right by a pack of NCPD patrol cruisers.
I stepped out to meet Gantheim who was already leaning on his cruiser. He greeted me with his usual grunt and nod.
"We don't get paid enough for this shit."
Detectice Elias Gantheim was in his mid-40's with a stocky build, easily six foot five He had a square face, a thick neck and a hint of muffin top. A muffin top that got worse with his wife's pergnancy. That same muffin top belly almost peeked out of his thick leather jacket. He rubbed the scruff on his chin and shook my hand as I approached.
I sighed loudly, "did Chief Hylte wake you up in the middle of the night, too?"
"No." He said flatly, "I run the night-shift."
"You ever deal with Evolved much?"
He shook his head once, "nah. You're thinking Jaeger and his fancy, special unit of defectives."
I nodded. "What do we know so far?"
"Hmph," He took his out notepad and began to walk me over to the main reception desk. Our footsteps echoing against the sleek, pristine white floor. "Evolved break-in, apparently. Upwards of four assailants, but no clear identification. Three males and a female. A speedster, a bruiser and a projector. They came in here a bunch of humans and came out Evolved. That's all we know so far."
"What did they want?" I asked.
Gantheim shrugged, "no clue. Staff aren't spilling anything."
I nodded.
The lady at the reception was definitely in her early twenties. The name tag read 'Emily'.f She had a red and white outfit, the one that all the VegaCorp staff would usually be in. She gave me a weary smile as I approached her and rested my elbows on the front desk she was tending to.
"I'm Detective Constance Harrison and this Detective Elias Gantheim and we're with the LCPD. Here about that break-in.."
She stuttered at first, "um, yes. I think we've told Detective Gantheim everything already."
"Of course." I scoffed, "can I talk to whomever's in charge?"
Gantheim joined in, "it'd really help us find whatever was taken. It'd be a shame if that ever got to be a bigger a problem."
Emily pursed her lips and cursed under her breath as she pressed a few buttons followed by something she said in what sounded like Mandarin.
I shared a confused but expectant look with Gantheim as we waited for a few minutes before we were joined by a doctor in a white a coat.
Dr. Mei Ling walked up to the reception desk with an air of quiet confidence. She was an Asian woman in her late thirties, with sharp features and piercing eyes that seemed to take in everything around her. Her long, straight black hair was pulled back into a severe bun, and she wore a white lab coat over a sleek black dress. She carried a black leather briefcase in one hand and a silver pen in the other.
Despite her composed demeanor, there was something mysterious about Dr. Mei Ling that set her apart from the other doctors in the hospital. Maybe it was the way she seemed to move with a fluid grace, or the subtle hint of an accent in her voice when she spoke. Or maybe it was simply the sense that there was more going on beneath the surface of her calm exterior.
As she approached the receptionist, Dr. Mei Ling spoke in a low, confident voice that conveyed both authority and warmth. "Good afternoon," she said, her eyes meeting the receptionist's with a directness that made the younger woman feel as though she was being seen for the first time. "I'm Dr. Mei Ling. I believe I'm expected."
Before I could speak, she seemed to already be clued in.
"The scruffy man and the redhead." She sighed, "Gantheim and Harrison, respectfully."
We both nodded.
"Come with to my office." She siad
The waiting room of Dr. Ling's office was dimly lit and filled with an air of mystery. The walls were painted a deep shade of burgundy, and the lighting was low and intimate, casting long shadows across the room. The furniture was old-fashioned, with heavy wooden chairs and a large oak desk that dominated the center of the space.
Despite the antique feel of the decor, there were a few modern touches that hinted at the doctor's advanced medical knowledge. A large flat-screen TV was mounted on one wall, displaying a looping video of the human circulatory system, and a small refrigerator hummed softly in one corner, filled with vials of mysterious liquids and other medical supplies.
The air was thick with the scent of incense and a faint hint of antiseptic, giving the space a slightly surreal atmosphere. The only sounds I could discern were the soft rustle of papers as other scientists filled out forms and the occasional creak of the old floorboards as someone shifted in their seat.
As patients were called back for their appointments, they disappeared through a door at the back of the waiting room, which led to the inner sanctum of Dr. Ling's office. What happened behind that door remained a mystery to those waiting in the dimly lit waiting room, adding to the aura of secrecy that surrounded the enigmatic doctor and her office. She ordered everbody out and closed the blinds.
We took seats opposite her as she began to serve us some tea.
Gantheim quickly raised his hand, "I don't drink that chinese shit."
Dr. Ling scoffed, "shame. It's Moroccan mint."
"Either way, we're not here for pleasantries."
She took a sophisticated and calculated sip. "I understand that something of incredible note has ocurred at this facility. Something of incredible note to Police Chief Eric Hylte, and by extension, his most trusted… elements."
I nodded silently.
"If I am to understand the hasty deal mr Knight made with your chief, you aim to find these assailants and recover what was taken."
Gantheim cleared his throat, "and what was, uh, exactly taken?"
"Something valuable to our collective scientific endeavors." She said, "a canister."
"Apparently you're missing a patient from your lineup," Gantheim added. "A girl."
She sighed, "the girl."
"I'm guessing we need to find her, too?" I asked
"It would seem so." She continued, "I expect her to be returned safely. We don't know what those assailing ruffians could be doing to her."
"What can you tell us about this girl?" I demanded, "it'll make doing our jobs a whole lot easier."
She scowled at me in contempt, "I've said what you need."
"Just saying, mr Knight will be greatly disappointed to know an important element has gone missing." I continued, "worse yet, that the leading doctor retained critical information."
Dr. Ling sighed loudly.
"Her name is Paige Tran. Half-American, Half-Vietnamese young adult. She has shown significant potential in controlling gravitational fields. Idiots call it telekinesis, but everyone here, myself included, knows it's much more than that. She is dubbed Subject 'Horizon' in our database." She continued, "she lives on 4289 Kabuahana Street. She lived with her mother, Caroline Tran. She hasn't many friends except for a certain Beckett Saint-James. He goes to Liberty High. I'm no detective, but I would say he is the prime suspect."
What the hell did Beckett have to do with any this?