I took a breath, the air smelling of ozone and damp concrete.

“Why are you doing this, Evan?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Dr. Halloran thinks he is the master planner,” Evan said, his tone conversational.

“But Julian is weak. He is driven by greed.”

“And what drives you?” Lorenzo asked, his finger tightening on the trigger.

“Justice,” Evan said simply.

He raised his left hand, showing us the black remote control again.

The single red button was still held down by his thumb.

“If I release this button, the secondary sequence completes,” Evan explained.

“And what is the secondary sequence?” I asked.

“The total isolation of the north wing,” Evan said.

“The nursery will be sealed with airtight security shutters.”

“The ventilation will shut down.”

“And the backup generators will be cut from the main grid.”

Lorenzo’s breath hitched in his throat.

“You’re bluffing,” Lorenzo said, though his voice lacked conviction.

“Try the radio, Mr. Rossi,” Evan suggested.

Lorenzo reached for the radio on his belt with his free hand, keeping the gun trained on Evan’s chest.

He clicked the button.