Turnner woke up to a blurry vision. He glanced around, attempting to make sense of the blurry surroundings, but the distorted images confused him. A sense of uneasiness washed over him as he realized that his attempts to teleport were futile. He muttered to himself, "The woman's stab must have disrupted my brain, preventing me from teleporting, since my latent ability relies on my brain."
Accepting his predicament, Turnner tried to move his hands, which were suspended in the air, but they remained firmly bound by chains, their rattling the only sound in the room. He let out a sigh of resignation and lay still until the door to the room swung open, and Irina entered.
She approached a square, silver machine at the center of the room, holding a thick black wire with four claw-like ends and a circular blue-lined disk in the middle. Irina settled into a chair beside Turnner, clutching the wire in her hand.
Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, "You understand the dire situation you're in?"
Turnner chuckled upon hearing her voice. "What makes my situation dire?"
Irina glanced at Amelia, still strapped to the same chair, blindfolded, and her mouth covered. Amelia's anxious movements mirrored her distress each time Turnner or Irina spoke. Irina kept her gaze on Amelia as she continued, "Regardless of the choice you make, neither you nor this girl will leave here alive."
"So you're playing God now?" Turnner retorted sarcastically.
Irina rested her chin on her hand, contemplating. "Hmm, you could say that. Now, tell me, where is the Theatom?"
"I don't know where it is," Turnner replied, his tone sharp.
Irina inched the wire closer to Turnner's head. "Looks like I'll have to take the Theatom from you."
Turnner cocked his head at her. "And how do you plan on doing that?"
Irina began adjusting the claws on the wire. "Have you ever heard of the Brain God?"
Turnner gave her the side eye, "Doesn't ring a bell."
"Hmm," Irina responded, looking up at the ceiling, "It was during World War II in 1641. The Americans were developing nuclear weapons, and the Germans were not pleased."
Turnner's face lit up. "Ah, I remember that. They managed to steal our data."
"Yes," Irina confirmed. "It was through the use of the Brain God that they extracted information from a captured scientist. After the Americans discovered this, they initiated Operation Brain Dead. Their primary objective was to eliminate the Brain God. So, in 1645, when the Allies pushed the Germans back to Berlin, the Brain God was believed to have been killed, but its whereabouts remained a mystery."
"It took two centuries before a French businessman named Barder De Cubertan stumbled upon the brain God buried under a church after experts identified its remains, he sold it in pieces for a hefty sum, as consuming it would grant the ability to read people's minds."
"And let me guess, you obtained a piece of it," Turnner remarked.
"Yes, about four decades ago, my sister and I acquired a small piece from a merchant in Jerusalem. It was expensive, but with the help of a tech expert, we constructed this machine. Now, I'm putting it to use. Once I extract the necessary information from you, I'll kill both you and the girl."
"Why don't you just kill her now?" Turnner inquired.
Irina attached the wire to the back of Turnner's head, and the machine emitted a shrill, screeching sound. The blue screen displayed a loading bar at 5%. "Because I have a feeling that this girl has something to do with the Theatom."
"That's one way to look at it. Also, why didn't you just consume the piece of the brain yourself?"
Irina's gaze fell, a sudden sadness overtaking her. "We couldn't agree on who should consume it."
Turnner chuckled. "So you think you've won?"
Irina's tone turned harsh. "Of course I have. By the way, you're awfully calm about this."
"That's right. I know when to accept defeat, but right now, I have a strong feeling I'm going to win."
Irina glanced back at the machine, which vibrated slightly, and she noticed the screen now read 10%. "Currently, it's searching for any information related to the location of the Theatom. The agency doesn't know where you are, so when all is said and done, your story will end here."
Meanwhile, Noria and the other agents arrived at the plant in their SUVs. As they exited their vehicles, Noria wasted no time issuing orders. "Split up into teams and search the complex for Turnner!" Everyone scattered in different directions, eager to locate their target.
Noria and three other contractors entered a massive building that appeared to be the control center for the complex, housing all the necessary electrical equipment. After a thorough search, they found nothing of significance.
Trent, on the other hand, ventured into the same building that Turnner had entered and began his search. His efforts yielded no results until he noticed a staircase leading to an underground corridor. He descended the hallway, checking each room meticulously, but found nothing. Finally, he reached the end of the corridor, not paying much attention to the wall where the third room was.
Trent pulled out his phone and called Noria. Her phone rang, and she pulled it from her pocket, answering as she exited the building they had been searching. "Did you find him?"
"No," Trent replied, staring at his shoes. "I don't think he's here."
Noria turned to the contractor walking beside her, holding a tablet displaying a blinking red light over the building Trent was investigating. "The GPS says otherwise. It indicates he's inside the building you just checked."
Trent glanced around the hallway. "There's nothing here."
"Then check again. Maybe he's underground. We're heading to your location now, anyway."
"Alright," Trent replied, ending the call with a sigh.