The group retraced their steps down the corridor.
The heavy metal blast doors of the Sanctum Vault's Outer Perimeter sealed shut behind them with a heavy thud.
The freezing air was finally cut off.
Serena walked at the front, looking thoroughly exhausted, as if all she genuinely wanted was to crash in her bed.
But her fingers tapped a silent, rhythmic beat against the handle of her medical
case.
In those brief ninety seconds, she had secured residual data from the bio-chamber interface, analyzed the structural security of the Inner Sanctum Gate, and confirmed that the specimen bearing her grandmother's sequence number was inside.
It was a massive haul.
And as for the mercenary...
Serena glanced out of the corner of her eye at the towering man in black walking beside her.
He got exactly what he came for, too.
This Gatekeeper Hound was proving to be a highly effective temporary ally.
But it could only be temporary.
After all, neither of them truly knew what the other was ultimately after.
Before they could fully exit the perimeter zone, her medical case had to be subjected to one final scan.
This time, the ship's security detail was noticeably more on edge than when she arrived.
She had just been in direct physical contact with Specimen Seven's Legacy Bio- Chamber.
Absolutely nothing from inside that vault could be allowed to leave undetected.
Director Kaelen looked at Serena, his eyes cautious.
Serena's dark, beautiful eyes held zero warmth. Too tired to argue, she rolled her eyes. "Your ship has too many annoying rules."
With a dramatic sigh, she slammed her medical case onto the inspection table. "Scan it."
She popped the latches open.
A ship guard stepped forward, but Jerrick's cold voice stopped him. "I'll handle this."
Director Kaelen didn't object.
Jerrick had done the initial scan anyway.
Plus, The Panacea seemed far more tolerant of the mercenary handling her gear than anyone else.
Despite the fact that they constantly traded insults, they seemed to share a strange dynamic. At the very least Jerrick wouldn't accidentally touch something he shouldn't and trigger her wrath like the normal guards would.
Jerrick stepped up to the table, his slate-blue eyes calm and intensely focused.
Serena didn't rush him this time.
She just watched his hands.
He wore black tactical gloves, his long fingers moving with slow, deliberate precision.
The sweep was incredibly thorough.
It had to be, considering half the security team was watching him like hawks.
As the scanner glided over the lip of the medical case, Jerrick paused for a fraction of a second.
Amusement flickered in Serena's eyes.
The Wraith-Node wasn't in the case. She wasn't stupid enough to try and smuggle a physical hack straight past the checkpoint.
The real payload was currently sliding down the chamber's condensation track, exactly where she wanted it.
In exactly three minutes, it would detach.
It would wash right down the Drainage Trough and straight into the Bio-Hazard Disposal Conduit.
All she had to do was locate the conduit's discharge vent later, and the residual data was hers.
But Jerrick's micro-hesitation confirmed he knew she had pulled something. He just knew the evidence wasn't in the case.
He was testing her.
Seeing that he was still dragging out
the scan, Serena smirked. "Checking quite thoroughly there Mr. Fens Warded I stuffed some of your
precious cargo in my bag?
Jerrick didn't look up. "With how much you love money, Madam Panacea, being
thorough is just common sense."
Serena chuckled. "Well, keep your eyes peeled. If I actually smuggled something out and you missed its will they dock your pay?
Jerrick pulled the scanner back, his voice cool. "No."
"Are you that confident?" Serena arched a brow.
Jerrick finally looked at her. "If I can't find it, they certainly won't."
The smile in Serena's eyes deepened.
It was an incredibly arrogant statement, but entirely true.
Director Kaelen watched the exchange, his heart pounding in his chest.
Every time these two spoke, it felt like they were trading lethal threats, yet he could never quite put his finger on why.