The damp air inside the narrow ventilation maintenance tunnel tasted heavily of corrosion and dust. Located directly under the primary military base perimeter, the circular iron pipe vibrated with a rhythmic, low frequency hum that originated from the heavy security grids above. Condensation trickled down the curved metal walls, soaking into the knees of Delon’s combat gear as he crawled slowly through the dark space. Every movement had to be perfectly calculated, as the sound of a stray belt buckle striking the structural iron could alert the automated corporate sensors. Erica crawled directly ahead of him, her tactical vest scraping softly against the upper rivets of the pipe while she monitored the thermal indicators on her wrist panel.
"Keep your head below the joint line, Delon," E
