Chapter 1

The morning in Manhattan was filled with the sound of honking horns, hurried footsteps, and the unceasing roar of traffic. Amidst the crowded streets and towering skyscrapers piercing the city sky, Mond finally had a chance to sit back and relax after nearly a full day of patrols and errands.

He chose a small, quiet coffee shop tucked away on a corner. His NYPD uniform was still crisp, and his cap sat on the table. In front of him stood a half-empty cup of black coffee.

Mond leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath. It had been a long time since he could simply enjoy a cup of coffee without having to rush off somewhere.

Earlier that morning, he’d even had to help an old woman find her lost dog. After nearly an hour of searching around the housing block, the dog was finally found hiding under a car. The problem was solved, but it meant Mond had to head straight back to patrol without grabbing breakfast.

Now, at least he had a few minutes entirely to himself.

Mond picked up his cup and took a sip.

"Now this is life."

He had barely set the cup down when a voice called out from the street.

"Mond!"

He ignored it.

"Mond!"

The voice grew closer.

Mond sighed before finally turning his head. A fellow police officer in an NYPD uniform was jogging toward him, holding something in his hand. His breathing was heavy, his hair slightly messy, and his expression screamed urgency.

Andrew.

Mond instantly knew his break had just expired.

Andrew stopped right in front of the table.

"There you are."

Mond looked at him lazily. "If you already knew where I was, why were you running like a stray dog was chasing you?"

"I’ve been looking for you for almost twenty minutes."

"Why?"

Andrew started to answer, but Mond beat him to it by lifting his coffee cup for another sip.

"I'm on break."

"I know."

"And?"

Andrew drew a deep breath.

"We got a call."

Mond stared at him expressionlessly.

"What kind of call?"

"An explosion."

That answer made Mond freeze mid-sip.

"Where?"

"An abandoned laboratory downtown."

Andrew had barely finished the sentence when Mond instinctively turned toward him as Andrew stepped closer. The sudden movement caught Mond off guard, and the coffee in his mouth sprayed right out.

"PFT!"

The coffee hit Andrew squarely in the face.

Andrew froze.

Mond froze too.

A few seconds passed before Andrew slowly wiped his face with his hand.

"You literally just spit coffee all over my face."

Mond put his cup down.

"You startled me."

"I was just telling you about an emergency call."

"You came running and shouting."

"I was in a hurry."

"And now my coffee's gone."

Andrew stared at him in disbelief. "Is coffee the only thing on your mind right now?"

Mond grabbed his cap from the table and stood up.

"No. Now I'm also wondering why you're still standing here."

Andrew shook his head while cleaning his face with a handkerchief.

"You are seriously the worst."

"Thanks."

They quickly left the café and headed for the patrol car parked by the curb. The moment the door slammed shut, Andrew reached for the radio.

"Dispatch, we're en route to the laboratory."

The dispatcher’s voice crackled through the radio.

"Copy. Units are already being dispatched to the location. Possible explosion on the upper floor. Cause unknown."

Mond, sitting in the driver's seat, started the engine.

"An explosion in an old lab?" he muttered.

Andrew fastened his seatbelt.

"That's what the report says."

"Which lab?"

Andrew checked the details on his device.

"An old research facility in Midtown. Word is, it's been decommissioned for about two years."

Mond frowned.

"If it's been empty for two years, how did it explode?"

"That's what we're here to find out."

The patrol car pulled away from the curb. Mond switched on the siren and accelerated into the thickening traffic.

Along the way, they received a few more updates from dispatch. The explosion had occurred on the upper floor of the building. There were no confirmed casualties yet, but several locals near the scene claimed they had smelled a strange odor coming from the building over the past few days.

Mond listened to the report quietly.

"A strange odor?"

Andrew nodded.

"That's what they said."

"Like what?"

"Unclear."

Mond refocused on the road ahead.

"Let's hope it's just an old chemical leak."

Yet, for some reason, ever since hearing that report, an uneasy feeling had begun to coil inside him.

About twenty minutes later, they arrived at the scene.

The laboratory building stood among the modern structures of Manhattan like a forgotten relic of the past. Its exterior walls were stained with soot, and patches of paint were peeling away. Several windows were shattered, and thin wisps of smoke still drifted from the topmost floor.

Civilians' cars crowded the curbsides. People gathered on the sidewalks, buzzing about the explosion. Some even held up their phones to record the damaged building.

Mond cut the engine and stepped out alongside Andrew.

"Everybody move back!" Andrew shouted. "Stay behind the police line!"

Mond surveyed the surroundings before locking his gaze on the building.

"Has the FDNY arrived yet?"

"Not yet. They're still on their way."

A man in his early forties suddenly broke away from the crowd and hurried over to them.

"Officer!"

Mond turned.

"I'm the one who called 911."

"You're the one who reported the explosion?"

The man nodded rapidly.

"Yes. I saw smoke coming from the top floor."

Mond gestured for the man to calm down.

"Tell me what happened."

The man glanced back at the building before looking at Mond again.

"To be honest, I've been smelling something strange from over there for the past few days."

Andrew stepped closer.

"What kind of smell?"

"Hard to describe. Like something decaying, but with a strong chemical undertone."

"Do you live around here?"

The man pointed toward an apartment building not far from the laboratory.

"Right over there. My bedroom window faces the building directly. Over the last few days, the smell has just gotten stronger."

"Why didn't you report it earlier?"

"I thought it was just a plumbing issue or a dead animal. The place has been empty for ages, so I didn't think it was anything to worry about."

"And today?"

"I was in my room when I suddenly heard a massive explosion."

The man pointed up at the top floor.

"I ran right out to check. That's when I saw smoke pouring out of there."

Mond stared at the structure.

"Did you see anyone come out?"

The man shook his head.

"No."

Andrew glanced at Mond.

"If this building's been vacant for two years, there shouldn't be anyone inside."

Mond stared at the aged architecture for a long moment.

"There shouldn't be."

He unclipped the radio from his shoulder strap.

"Dispatch, this is Officer Mond. We're on scene. Possible hazardous materials incident at the abandoned laboratory. Requesting additional units and hazmat response."

"Copy, Officer Mond."

Mond clipped the radio back into place, then looked at Andrew.

"Let's go inside and see what caused the explosion."

They walked toward the main entrance.

As the door swung open, a wave of humid, stagnant air greeted them. The strange odor they had only heard about outside was now much stronger. Mond clicked on his flashlight, sweeping the beam across a dark, dust-choked hallway.

Andrew pinched his nose.

"The smell is definitely weird."

Mond didn't reply. He walked slowly down the corridor, shining his light into every corner.

The interior certainly looked abandoned. Old furniture was caked in dust, exposed wires dangled from the ceiling, and several room doors hung wide open.

However, the deeper they ventured, the more Mond noticed things that didn't fit an empty, abandoned building.

At the far end of the hallway, a lightbulb was still glowing.

Andrew noticed it too.

"Do you think the electricity is still active?"

Mond approached the light.

"Looks like it."

They continued toward the stairwell.

As they stepped onto the first flight of stairs, a faint sound drifted down from the floor above.

It sounded like machinery running.

Mond stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Andrew.

Andrew had heard it too.

"I don't think this building is empty after all."

Together, they resumed their ascent toward the top floor.