The doors had a heavy magnetic lock.

“The guards are right behind you,” Marcus said. “Don’t look.”

I kept my eyes straight ahead.

We reached the end of the hall.

The door to the clinical lab was open.

Inside, the room was filled with computer monitors and steel tables.

A single leather chair sat in front of a large console.

“Sit down,” the first guard said.

I sat in the chair.

The console screen glowed with a blue light.

It showed a prompt for a fingerprint scan and a digital signature.

“Put your hand on the scanner,” the guard said.

I placed my right hand on the glass plate.

The scanner beeped, and a red line of light moved across my fingers.

“Validating,” a synthesized voice said from the computer.

“Marcus,” I whispered. “Now.”

“Initiating loop,” Marcus said.

The computer screen flickered.

The progress bar froze at forty percent.

“What’s happening?” the guard on the right asked.

He stepped closer to the console.

“The system is slow,” I said. “It’s a high-security transfer.”

“The connection is dropping,” the guard said, looking at his radio.