“Don’t kill him.”
Renn turned toward Etzel. “What?”
Etzel didn’t look away from the security feed. Edran Vale stood inside the Hunter Authority building. The same Edran Vale they had watched in the forest. The same face. The same uniform. The same body. He had passed through the front entrance using a Hunter identity the Authority network had accepted as genuine.
And now he was standing among people.
“Tell them not to attack him,” Etzel said.
Renn stared at him. “Thirty seconds ago you were screaming at them to shut the door.”
“I haven’t changed my opinion about the door.”
“Then why—”
“Because we still don’t know what happens when one of those containers dies.” That stopped him. Etzel pointed toward the screen. “In the forest, DK could have cut one apart.”
DK stood behind him, silent.
“We didn’t let him,” Etzel continued. “Because if the body is a container, killing the body might open it.”
Renn’s expression hardened. “And now one is inside a populated Authority facility.”
“Exactly.”
Renn immediately touched his communicator. “Facility Four, initiate silent evacuation. Do not engage Researcher Vale. Repeat: no hostile engagement unless civilians are in immediate danger.”
The response came quickly. “Understood.”
Etzel folded his arms. “Look at that.”
Renn glanced at him.
“I’m becoming responsible.”
“No.”
“Let me have this.”
Edran moved. Slowly. Normally.
That was becoming Etzel’s least favorite part. Monsters were easier when they behaved like monsters.
The thing wearing Edran Vale’s face walked through the reception hall while personnel quietly began leaving through secondary corridors. A receptionist noticed him. Her face changed immediately.
“Researcher Vale?”
Edran stopped. Turned. For just a moment—nothing happened.
Then: “Yes.”
Etzel leaned forward. “Again.”
Renn looked at him. “What?”
“Replay that.”
The feed jumped back.
“Researcher Vale?”
Edran turned. Pause. “Yes.”
Etzel watched again. There. Less than a second. But there. “He had to process it.”
Renn shook his head. “Or he’s disoriented.”
“Possible.” Etzel watched the man continue.
The receptionist stood. “Everyone thought you were missing.”
Edran stopped again. “I was.”
Etzel’s expression changed. That was different. Not a repeated name. Not a simple response. A contextual answer.
“He can talk.”
Renn didn’t answer.
Edran continued toward the inner corridors. Etzel watched him pass the first intersection. Turn left. Second corridor. Right. Security junction. Straight. He never hesitated. Never checked a sign. Never looked around.
“Wait.” Etzel moved closer to the monitor. “Where’s he going?”
Renn checked the floor plan. “Research division.”
“Has he been here before?”
“Yes. Vale worked out of this facility periodically.”
Etzel watched Edran take another correct turn. “Exactly.”
Renn looked at him. “What’s the problem?”
“If it copied his ID, that’s one thing.” Edran entered the correct elevator. Pressed the correct floor. Etzel pointed at the screen. “If it copied his memories…”
He didn’t finish. He didn’t need to. Renn’s expression changed.
Etzel suddenly turned. “Where’s the other one?”
Renn frowned. “What other one?”
“Forest Vale.”
Silence. Renn understood. “Check the beacon site.”
Operations pulled up the remote feed. Trees. Empty clearing. Beacon. No Edran. No surrounding figures. Nothing.
Etzel stepped closer. “When did they leave?”
A technician began searching through the footage. “Stand by.”
The recording reversed. The forest filled again. Edran beside the beacon. Dark figures among the trees. The recording moved forward slowly.
Then—the moment the Authority facility accepted Edran Vale’s ID.
SECURITY OVERRIDE
[ACCESS GRANTED.]