But as he stepped into the hallway, Sarah appeared at the far end.
Her expression was tense.
"Chief, I found him."
"Where?"
Sarah glanced toward the basement staircase.
"He's downstairs. But there's a problem."
"What problem?"
"His office is locked, and the archive access system shows that someone has just opened the restricted storage room."
Marcus stopped walking.
"Who opened it?"
Sarah swallowed.
"The system doesn't show a name. It only shows that the access was granted using an override credential."
Marcus looked toward the basement.
"Get Internal Affairs on the phone. Tell them to meet us downstairs."
He turned to Elena.
"Bring your notes. Nothing else."
The three of them moved toward the staircase.
Below them, the basement corridor was silent.
The fluorescent lights flickered above the metal doors. At the far end, a red indicator glowed beside the restricted archive entrance.
Marcus approached slowly.
The door was not fully closed.
Someone had left it slightly open.
He raised one hand, signaling Sarah and Elena to stay behind him.
Then he pushed the door.
Inside, several archive cabinets stood open.
Boxes had been removed from the shelves and placed on the floor. Documents were scattered across a metal table. A computer monitor displayed a directory of old financial records.
But there was no sign of Robert Collins.
Marcus stepped into the room.
"Don't touch anything."
Elena looked at the open cabinets.
"These are the original procurement files."
Marcus moved closer to the computer.
A list of folders appeared on the screen.
One folder was highlighted.
Its name was simple.
SHADOW VAULT.
Marcus stared at the words.
He had never seen that name in any official report.
"Elena, have you heard of this?"
She shook her head slowly.
"No. I've never seen that folder before."
Marcus looked at the screen again.
The folder contained dozens of subdirectories, each labeled with a year and a financial code.
He moved the mouse toward the first directory.
A warning appeared.
ACCESS RESTRICTED β AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED.
Then, without anyone touching the keyboard, the screen went black.
The computer had shut down.
Sarah stepped closer.
"Chief..."
Marcus turned.
At the far end of the room, a second door stood open.
Beyond it was a narrow corridor leading deeper into the basement.
A faint sound came from somewhere inside.
Footsteps.
Someone was still down there.
Marcus took out his radio.
"All available units, this is Chief Harris. We have an unauthorized entry into the restricted records archive. Secure the basement exits and preserve the scene. Do not remove or alter any documents."
He looked toward the dark corridor.
"Someone has been trying very hard to keep these records hidden."
Elena's voice was quiet.
"Chief, I think we just found the reason."
Marcus kept his eyes on the open doorway.
"Then we're going to find out what they're hiding."
He stepped forward.
Behind him, the archive door slowly swung shut.
Marcus stepped into the narrow corridor, keeping his eyes fixed on the darkness ahead. Elena followed close behind him, while Sarah remained near the archive entrance, waiting for the Internal Affairs team.
The corridor was barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Old pipes ran along the ceiling, and several doors led to storage rooms that had not been used in years.
A metallic sound came from somewhere ahead.
Marcus stopped.
"Who's there?"
No answer.
He raised his radio.
"Basement team, report your positions."
Static answered him.
Elena looked back toward the archive room.
"Chief, this corridor connects to the old evidence storage section. Most of those rooms were sealed years ago."
"Why?"
"They were supposed to be renovated, but the project was abandoned."
Marcus turned toward her.
"Who authorized the renovation?"
"I don't know. It was before I was transferred."
Another sound came from the end of the corridor.
This time, it was unmistakably a door closing.
Marcus moved forward.
At the final doorway, he found a small office. The lights were on, and a computer sat on a desk beside several open boxes. A man in his late fifties was hurriedly placing documents into a black bag.
It was Robert Collins.
"Stop right there."
Collins froze.
For a moment, neither man moved.
Then Collins slowly lowered the folder in his hand.
"Chief Harris. I wasn't expecting you."
Marcus looked at the open boxes.
"What are you doing in a restricted archive at this hour?"
"I was organizing old records."
"At two in the morning?"
Collins swallowed.
"I had some work that needed to be finished."
Marcus stepped into the room.
"Put the bag on the desk."
Collins hesitated.
"I don't think that's necessary."
"Put it down."
The records supervisor slowly placed the bag on the table.
Marcus nodded toward Elena.