As Rachael and Stefan entered the room where the doctors typically congregated to monitor Mike's progress on the screen, they were met with an eerie silence, just how they'd met it when they arrived earlier.
The absence of medical personnel was striking, and Rachael's instincts told her something was amiss.
They hastily exited the room and got to the main corridor. Rachael's footsteps suddenly came to a halt as her gaze scanned the floor with an intensity that bordered on confusion.
Stefan followed her gaze, his eyes widening in shock as he took in the sight before him.
Four men lay motionless on the floor, their bodies splayed out in a manner that suggested a sudden and violent confrontation.
"What in the world happened here?" he said, his voice lowered to a whisper.
Fear crossed Rachael's face as she struggled to process the scene before her.
"There's no way Mike could have done this," she muttered, her eyes darting back and forth as if searching for an explanation. "No way!"
Without another word, she took off in a sprint, her feet pounding the floor as she made a beeline for the elevator.
But just as she reached it, the blaring of the alarm cut through the corridor, its shrill tone sending a chill down her spine.
"I suggest we take the stairs, I doubt the elevator will be functioning in a situation like this!" Stefan's voice cut through the din.
"That's going to take a while," Rachael replied, her voice trembling slightly, her eyes fixed on the stairs as if dreading the prospect of descending them.
The gentle breeze wafting from the open window beside her sent snakes crawling up her stomach, causing her hair to stand on edge as the soft whispers of the wind danced across her skin, leaving her with a sense of unease and foreboding.
But Stefan seemed undeterred, perhaps he was hiding it. He probably did.
"We're on the third floor," Stefan shouted. "We'll be on the ground floor in no time! Come on!"
Rachael shrugged, and they both scurried down the stairs, their footsteps echoing off the walls as they left the scene of chaos behind them.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, the ground floor, they were met with a sight that made their heart skip a beat.
Seven armed men stood guard, their presence a stark contrast to the usual calm and serene atmosphere of the hospital.
Rachael's heart pounded in her chest, as though it too was scared of the implications of what Rachael was seeing.
The armed men seemed to be searching for someone, their eyes scanning the area with urgency.
Without anyone telling her, Rachael knew Mike was the target, and that the armed men were determined to capture him.
"Come on, let's go back!" she said as she grabbed Stefan's hand. "We're not the ones they're after, let's go back to the third floor!"
Stefan shook his head in disagreement, his eyes fixed on the armed men.
"We're in school uniform, after all, they can't do anything to us," he insisted. "Let's get out of here, Rachael."
But Rachael hesitated.
"I can't leave Mike with these people," he said. "Heaven knows what they'll do to him if they lay their hands on him. I can't let them turn him into a lab rat, never!"
"Think, Rachael, think!" Stefan whispered. "They would've found him already if he was still here. Let's get out of this place, we can take the emergency exit."
But before they could make a move, one of the armed men spotted them.
"Look who we found here! They played right into our hands. Hello, kids."
Rachael's heart sank, she knew they had to act fast, or risk being caught in a crossfire.
*****
"I'm utterly perplexed by what you're trying to convey, Mrs. Maxwell!" a distorted voice bellowed through the telephone receiver, its irate tone unmistakable. "What precisely do you mean by 'the boy has vanished'?"
Mrs. Maxwell, one of the hospital's directors, hesitated momentarily before responding, her gaze fixed intently on the monitor displaying the security footage.
"He overpowered four of your agents and–"
"And what? Don't leave me in suspense!" The distorted voice cut in, its anger evident.
"He disappeared, sir," Mrs. Maxwell replied. "Furthermore, the CCTV recording of the incident appears to have been intentionally compromised, rendering it unusable."
"What utter nonsense is this?" The voice in the telephone erupted in furious. "I demand to know what transpired!"
"I understand your concerns, Dr. Idris. Rest assured, we will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to locate the boy and ascertain the full extent of his capabilities, including the circumstances surrounding his defeat of your agents."
"I expect nothing but the utmost dedication to this task. Utilize every resource at our disposal to ensure the boy's prompt recapture. Is that unequivocally clear?"
"Absolutely, Dr. Idris."
Upon concluding the telephone conversation, Mrs. Maxwell turned her attention to the security room personnel.
"I want you to exhaust every avenue in attempting to restore the corrupted files. It is imperative that we gain insight into this boy's abilities and the circumstances surrounding his overpowering of the NPS agents," she ordered.
"Yes, ma'am!"
The employees acknowledged her directive with a unified chorus and set to work with renewed determination.
*****
Rachael and Stefan were apprehended and presented before the captain of the NPS agents, who gazed at them with an air of authority.
"Release me at once, you brutes!" Rachael exclaimed as she struggled against her restraint.
The captain knelt beside her and smiled faintly. "Easy, young lad. We mean you no harm. Simply inform us of your friend's whereabouts, and we'll set you free. I assure you, no harm will come to him."
"You're really asking me?" Rachael curted. "Are you truly this obtuse? Can't you see we're also searching for him, or do your eyes fail to convey messages to your brain?"
If the captain was annoyed by her harsh response he made no record of it. He simply stood up and folded his arms. However, his dark eyes never left the duo.
"How can we trust that you're not involved in his disappearance?" he finally asked.
"And how can we trust your benevolent intentions when you're hunting a defenseless blind boy with loaded guns and ammunition?" Rachael retorted astutely.
The captain was taken aback, his eyes locked on Rachael in a mixture of surprise and admiration.
"She's indeed a perceptive and articulate young girl," one of the armed men remarked, chuckling.
The captain silenced him with a glare.
"Sometimes, the mouth can be deadlier than any weapon," he said. "Learn to keep your gob shut when appropriate."
Turning back to Rachael and Stefan, the captain's expression turned serious. "Your friend is no longer the person he once was. He's become a danger to himself and others."
He bent down again and stared deep into Rachael's eyes.
"We initially intended to help him, but he overpowered four of my men," he continued. "We urgently require your cooperation now. Help us find him; he desperately needs help."
"Are you genuinely attempting to assist him?" Stefan, who'd been quietly observing the exchange, finally asked, seemingly entranced by the captain's fervent pleas.
"Have you lost your mind, Stefan?!" shouted Rachael vehemently. She then turned to the captain, her eyes blazing with indignation.
"As you witnessed earlier, we were alone on the stairs, searching for him just like you. And even if we knew his location, do you think we'd divulge that information to you?"
She gestured upward. "Check the CCTV records if you're curious about his whereabouts. Unless, of course, you're trying to shift the blame for your own negligence on us."
"Hey, little girl, don't you think you're being too impertinent?" one of the men rebuked her, but the captain silenced him with a raised hand.
"Let's not forget, they're just children," the captain whispered to his men. "It's only natural for her to be protective of her brother. Our best approach is to persuade them to share some information."
"You almost fell for his ruse," Rachael whispered to Stefan. "Helphim? Don't make me laugh! Do you think they'll be asking us his whereabouts if the CCTV camera was functioning properly? They are poor at their job and that's why they're trying to blame us for their carelessness."
Her voice was barely audible, but the captain's keen ears picked up on her words.
"Contrary to your claims, we're not blaming you for anything, kids," he interjected. "We truly want to assist him."
"We don't require your assistance, nor does he!" Stefan declared. "Leave us be, and let us proceed to school before we're late - a consequence of your doing!"
The captain exhaled a deep sigh and ordered their immediate release. Without any delay Rachael and Stefan rose up and scurried out of the hospital.
"But, sir, are you certain you want to let them go? Isn't that a bit...lenient?" one of the men asked.
"Can't you discern the determination on their faces?" the captain replied. "They're unaware of his whereabouts, and even if they were, coercing information from them would be futile. You'd do the same to protect your loved ones - go to great lengths, even sacrifice your own lives if necessary."
He turned to two of his agents.
"Agent One and Agent Four, I want you to survey his residence and school around the clock, and submit regular reports directly to me. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" the agents replied in unison.
"Given his day-blindness, it shouldn't be challenging to identify a lone individual heading in the wrong direction."