[Dante, I detect multiple cameras and several types of sensors in the vicinity.]
Even without Volcan’s report, Dante already knew that the place was surrounded by a surveillance system that rivaled that of the most guarded mansions in wealthy parts of the city. The reason his resident AI bothered to mention it was because he had asked him to drop the perfect camouflage he had benefited from a few days ago.
After everything that transpired in Factory Town, Dante came to recognize that being a ghost the entire time increased the chances of him getting exposed instead of erasing them. That’s why he abandoned the idea of relying on it for everything, instead choosing to leave himself exposed and hope what he did to hide his connections to his previous crew was enough to throw the ones looking for the relic off his tracks.
The building under the bridge looked rundown and desolate, on the cusp of turning into a pile of rubble. The windows were sealed with a mishmash of alloy panels held together by steel wire. The paint had long since chipped off, and the reason the yellowish cement blocks under it had yet to corrode was likely the bridge shielding it from the rain.
A bunch of empty oil barrels were scattered outside, surrounded by piles of garbage bags in every color of the spectrum. Those were the ones still left intact. A literal sea of trash covered the surrounding area.
One wouldn’t be wrong to call the place a dump—not even the homeless would actively choose to live in such a place, or the many similar buildings that lined the street it was on. And that’s exactly what made it such a great hiding place.
"This way." Boris motioned for him to follow, leading the way with a small package under his arm. "Don’t step on anything made by Mega Crunch."
And of course, there were traps. If the surveillance systems were meant to alert the building’s residents in case of law enforcement or other intruders, and whatever was hidden under the trash had the job of buying enough time for them to relocate.
Dante followed after Boris, only stepping on things the big guy had already stepped on. They left the front entrance behind and circled to the back of the building where several containers were stacked on top of each other, their doors left wide open so the trash filling their interior could spill out.
Standing at the entrance to one of the containers, the two of them waited, and waited some more. Eventually, a frown found its way to Dante’s, but before he could complain, Boris beat him to it.
"Fucking bastard. Don’t tell me he really choked on his fumes this time."
Dante guessed that he had sent a message or something as in the next few seconds, the trash inside the container in front of them rose and revealed a set of stairs that led underground.
Shifting aside, Boris gestured to the stairs with his head.
Dante looked at him, then at the hole in the ground, then at him again. Heaving a sigh, he held his hand out. The big guy stared at it for a couple of seconds then raised an eyebrow.
"You can’t fit through that hole." Keeping a neutral expression, Dante motioned for the package and spoke with utmost seriousness. "That’s why you brought me along, right?"
Smiling, Boris slowly shook his head.
"Dante, brother, you know this place is great for hiding corpses, right?"
The two had a short laugh then proceeded down the stairs. Surprisingly, Boris was able to squeeze through with ease. The entrance closed behind them and everything was plunged in absolute darkness, but the big guy came prepared with a descent flashlight, which only he needed, seeing as Dante’s upgraded OAM had a night vision function.
After walking through a long corridor with several turns and twists, Dante noticed a rusty metallic door a dozen or so meters ahead of them. He was going to keep walking toward it, but a big hand fell on his shoulder and pulled him back.
He glanced back at Boris, who pointed his flashlight ahead and gestured with his chin. Looking again, Dante saw an old bag of chips with a big "Mega Crunch" logo written in red. If the size of that thing is any indication, whatever trap lies ahead must be massive.
With their path blocked, Dante couldn’t help but wonder how they were going to proceed. He got his answer right away as Boris inched closer to the wall to their right, raised his arm, and banged on it a few times. Right after, the line Dante thought was just a crack in the old building’s basement slowly widened as the two sides moved in opposite directions, a faint green glow shimmering through the gap.
"Hey now," unable to hide his excitement, Dante turned to his friend with a big grin. "He didn’t hold back on the upgrades, huh?"
Boris wore a satisfied smile, having expected him to have that exact reaction. The only thing better than a hidden door is a second one that had been camouflaged better than the first. The wall split open, revealing the wide room behind it. A few steps near the entrance went down, showing that the floor wasn’t on the same level as the corridor.
The ceiling was higher as well. Several long tables lined up the interior, with crates and cardboard boxes scattered here and there, each filled with so much junk that one can hardly tell what’s inside. In one corner, twelve screens were stacked in neat rows, each one displaying four different images.
On the opposite side of the room, a number of machines hummed a silent tune. Some were long, some were short. Some wide, others thin. Compared to their surroundings, they seemed strangely pristine, as if they had just been unboxed.
At the center of it all, a large containment tent made from translucent plastic reached up to the ceiling. Behind the foggy veil, a tall silhouette moved around, illuminated by the source of the green glow. The person casting it seemed oblivious to the guests that had just arrived, but the instant they passed the invisible line drawn on the floor, it went static, prompting Dante and Boris to freeze as well.
Though they both knew exactly who it was behind the translucent veil, there was no stopping the sense of dread that slowly crept over them as the silhouette shifted, revealing a crow’s head resting on a man’s shoulders.