The night was like a deep curtain, covering Barkley, Nora and Irene. They shuttled through the desolate streets, with only footsteps and rapid breathing in their ears, and the air was filled with tension. Although they escaped from the temporary base, the pursuit of the Shadow Council was approaching step by step, and their whereabouts seemed to have been exposed.
Barkley held the box containing the decoder tightly, sweat slid down his forehead, and his heart beat wildly in his chest. The alarm sounded from the decoder a few minutes ago was still echoing in his ears. It not only interrupted the decoding process, but also acted like a warning bell, reminding them that they were being tracked every moment. Time has become more precious than ever.
"We have to find a safe place to continue decoding." Irene said as she walked quickly, with a serious expression. "The Shadow Council's technology is far beyond our expectations. They have been able to track our location and this has proven it. If they find us again, the consequences will be disastrous."
"Where can we hide?" Barkley panted and looked around, but the streets were almost empty, and there were few hidden places. "Their tracking technology must be very advanced. We may be exposed wherever we go."
Nora walked in front, with a calm expression, her eyes always alert to the movements around her. "We can't stay in the city for too long. We must go to a more remote place where there is less signal interference and their equipment will not be so easy to locate."
"Do you have a place to recommend?" Barkley quickened his pace and asked Nora.
Nora did not answer immediately, but frowned and thought for a moment, then nodded. "There is a place, near the edge of the city, which is an abandoned underground facility. It is very hidden, with almost no people around, and no signal towers. We can take refuge there temporarily and continue the decoding work."
Erin nodded quickly, agreeing with Nora's suggestion. "Then let's go there. We must complete the genetic decoding as soon as possible. This may be the only chance to turn the situation around."
The three decided to go to the facility immediately. They quickened their pace, passing through the winding alleys, gradually moving away from the city center and heading towards the outskirts of the city. As their footsteps gradually disappeared into the night, the tall buildings behind them gradually disappeared from sight, leaving only faint lights in the distance.
As they got farther and farther away from the city center, the surrounding scene became desolate and dilapidated. Most of the buildings on both sides of the road have been abandoned, and the broken walls are covered with cracks and graffiti. There is an old musty smell in the air. Barkley felt the chill getting stronger and stronger, and hugged the box in his arms tightly.
"What is that underground facility?" Barkley asked Nora, trying to break the tense atmosphere of silence.
"It's an abandoned subway station," Nora explained in a low but clear voice. "It stopped operating a long time ago because the population in the nearby area decreased and the station was no longer maintained. Later, it became a corner that no one cared about, and only some homeless people occasionally stayed there temporarily."
"It does sound like a good hiding place." Irene nodded, her expression still serious. "We can try to avoid their pursuit there and make plans after the decoding is completed."
About twenty minutes later, they finally arrived at the entrance of the abandoned subway station. The entrance was blocked by an iron door, and the paint on the door had long been peeling off and looked mottled. Nora took out a tool and skillfully pried the lock. The door made a harsh creaking sound and then opened heavily inward.
Barkley and Irene followed Nora into the subway station. The air inside was damp and cold, and it was pitch black all around. Only the small flashlight in Nora's hand emitted a faint light. The underground space seemed spacious and empty, with debris and dust piled on the floor, moss crawling on the walls, and a rotten smell in the air.
"We have to complete the decoding work here." Nora shone the flashlight forward and pointed to a relatively clean corner. "Placing the equipment there should be hidden enough."
Irene nodded in agreement and immediately began to prepare the decoder. Buckley put the box on the ground, opened the box with slightly trembling hands, and carefully took out the equipment. Seeing the equipment running again, he felt a little relieved, but at the same time he felt even more pressure.
Time became unusually slow in this dark and humid space. Barkley sat on the ground, staring at the decoder screen, but his thoughts could not help but drift back to the past.
He remembered himself as a child, when his parents' laboratory was always full of advanced instruments and flashing screens. His parents were always busy there, seemingly studying some complex topics that Barkley could not understand at all at the time. At that time, he did not know that he was living in a world more dangerous than he imagined.
His parents never told him about their research, and even when his mother appeared in front of him for the last time, she only left him a vague warning: "You must find the truth."
"What is the truth...?" Barkley murmured in a low voice. He knew that his parents' disappearance must be related to the genetic modification in his body, but he could not understand why his parents conducted these experiments. His fingers gently stroked the surface of the decoder, as if looking for some long-lost answer.
At this moment, Nora suddenly walked back quickly from the entrance, looking anxious. "There's movement. Maybe the Shadow Council is here."
Barkley's heart tightened suddenly, and he quickly looked at Irene. "How long will it take?"
Irene looked up at him, looking a little nervous. "It will take at least a few minutes. You have to find a way to hold them back."
Barkley gritted his teeth and stood up quickly, his heart full of anxiety. If the Shadow Council's pursuers really come, they will have no place to hide. In order to succeed in this decoding, he must do everything he can to protect Irene and Nora.
Nora took out a small weapon from her equipment and said in a deep voice: "We have to be careful, they will definitely not let us go easily. There are many entrances to this abandoned subway station, and they can enter from different directions."
Barkley had no weapons, but his eyes quickly scanned the surroundings, trying to find anything that could be used for defense. Just as he looked around nervously, there was a slight sound of footsteps in the distance, and it seemed that several people were approaching.
"Here they come." Nora whispered, narrowing her eyes and holding her weapon tightly.
Barkley's heartbeat accelerated again, and his hands were sweating. He knew he had little combat experience, but he had no choice to survive.
The footsteps were getting closer and closer, and several figures gradually emerged from the shadows of the subway station. Barkley couldn't see their faces, but from their black uniforms and faintly flashing weapons, they were obviously pursuers sent by the Shadow Council.
"There are four of them." Nora observed for a moment and whispered to Barkley. "We have to be careful, they are well-equipped, and a head-on conflict is not good for us."
Barkley nodded and began to calculate quickly in his mind. They had no advantage and had to rely on terrain and wisdom to buy time. The buzzing sound of the decoder still echoed in his ears, and he knew that this small device now carried all their hopes.
"You take them to the left channel, and I will lead them away." Nora made a quick decision, and her tone was firm and unquestionable.
"But..." Barkley hesitated.
"Don't talk nonsense, this is the only way." Nora interrupted him with a firm look. "I can hold them back for a while, but you must complete the decoding as soon as possible, understand?"
Barkley did not refute again, he knew Nora was right. The current situation did not allow him to hesitate, and time was running out.
"Take care of yourself." Barkley whispered, then quickly followed Irene to another passage and hurriedly walked deep underground.