CHAPTER 33: LOCKDOWN

# Chapter 33: Lockdown

The Association headquarters was chaos when they arrived.

Hunters rushing through corridors, security teams positioning at every entrance, medical personnel moving equipment, someone was shouting orders over the intercom about lockdown protocols.

Rin and Joy pushed through the crowd toward the main security desk where an official was checking IDs.

"Matsuda and Castellanos," Rin said, showing his Hunter card. "We were told to come in, Deputy Director Reva was—"

"Fourth floor, emergency command center," the official said, barely glancing at them. "Investigators are waiting, take the east elevator, west is restricted."

They took the elevator, the tension between them was thick.

"This is insane," Joy said quietly. "Volker just attacked a Deputy Director, in Association headquarters, how does someone even do that?"

"He’s not working alone, has to have help, inside access, people who know security protocols." Rin watched the floor numbers climb. "We walked into something bigger than one corrupt researcher."

The elevator opened on the fourth floor, more security, more armed personnel, they were directed to a conference room where Investigators Han and Osei were waiting along with three other officials Rin didn’t recognize.

"Mr. Matsuda, Ms. Castellanos," Han said, her expression was grim. "Thank you for coming in, we need your statements about recent events, everything leading up to today’s attack."

They sat down, spent the next hour recounting everything, Rin’s investigation, Kira’s findings, the evidence against Volker, his threatening messages, all of it recorded and documented.

"The evidence you provided was in Deputy Director Reva’s possession when she was attacked," Osei said. "The assailants took her tablet, her backup drives, destroyed her office servers, everything related to the Volker investigation is gone."

"What about digital backups?" Joy asked. "Association systems have redundancy, right?"

"They do, but whoever did this knew exactly what to target, they deleted files from backup servers, corrupted recovery systems, used administrator access to scrub multiple databases simultaneously." Han pulled up damage reports. "Forensics is trying to reconstruct what was lost but it’ll take days, maybe weeks."

"So Volker wins," Rin said, his jaw clenched. "He destroys the evidence, we have nothing, he walks away clean."

"Not necessarily," a new voice said from the doorway.

Everyone turned, a man walked in, late sixties, gray beard, sharp eyes, wearing a suit that looked expensive, his presence immediately commanded attention.

"Director Tau," Han stood up quickly. "Sir, we weren’t expecting—"

"I know, that’s intentional, I flew in from Johannesburg when I heard about the attack on Reva." He walked to the head of the table, looked at Rin. "You’re the portal boy, Matsuda, the one who’s been investigating Dr. Volker."

"Yes sir."

"And you believe he’s responsible for multiple Hunter deaths, including your friend Leo Penzerio."

"I have evidence, had evidence, it was stolen."

"Evidence can be reconstructed, sources can be re-interviewed, investigations can continue despite setbacks." Tau sat down. "I’ve known Henrik Volker for four years, he’s brilliant, ambitious, completely ruthless when it comes to his research, I’ve had suspicions about his methods but never proof, your investigation might have finally given us grounds to act."

"The evidence is gone though," Joy said.

"The digital evidence is gone, but the investigator who compiled it, this Kira person, she still exists, she can testify, provide her methodology, trace the accounts again." Tau looked at Han. "Where is she?"

"Unknown, we’ve tried to contact her, she’s not responding."

"Find her, offer immunity, protection, whatever she needs, I want her testimony documented formally." Tau pulled up files on a tablet he’d brought. "In the meantime, I’m initiating a formal investigation into Dr. Volker’s division, effective immediately all his projects are frozen, all his access is suspended, he’s confined to headquarters pending questioning."

"He’ll claim it’s fabricated," Osei said. "His division has powerful supporters, this could create significant political problems."

"Let it, I’m more concerned about Hunters dying than politics." Tau stood. "Mr. Matsuda, you and Ms. Castellanos will remain in protective custody until we’ve secured the situation, I can’t have key witnesses disappearing."

"For how long?" Rin asked.

"Until Volker is formally charged or cleared, could be days, could be weeks, you’ll be housed in secure facilities, provided everything you need, consider it mandatory vacation."

"We have missions, training, responsibilities—"

"Which will be suspended, your safety takes priority." Tau’s tone left no room for argument. "Investigators, arrange housing, security details, full monitoring, I want status updates every six hours."

He left the room as abruptly as he’d entered, the investigators immediately started making arrangements.

"This is insane," Joy whispered. "We’re basically under house arrest."

"Protective custody," Han corrected. "For your safety."

"Feels the same from where I’m sitting."

They were taken to a secured apartment building the Association used for witness protection, two-bedroom unit, basic furniture, stocked kitchen, guards posted outside.

"You’ll remain here until further notice," the security detail explained. "Communications are monitored for your protection, you can contact approved individuals, requests for visitors must be submitted in advance, any attempt to leave will result in immediate detention."

"So definitely house arrest," Joy said after they left.

Rin walked through the apartment, checked windows, doors, looked for surveillance devices, found cameras in living room and kitchen, bedrooms appeared clear.

"They’re watching us," he said quietly.

"Of course they are, we’re witnesses in a major investigation, they probably think Volker will try to eliminate us."

"He might."

Joy collapsed onto the couch. "My dad is going to lose his mind when he finds out I’m in protective custody, he’s probably already getting calls from his contacts."

"Let him, maybe it’ll keep you safe from whatever Volker threatened."

"Or it’ll make things worse, my dad has connections, resources, if he thinks you’re responsible for getting me locked up he’ll use everything he has against you."

Rin’s phone buzzed, message from Tayo.

Tayo: yo, heard you and joy got put in protective custody. you guys ok?

Rin: yeah, just stuck in an apartment. what’s happening outside?

Tayo: rumors everywhere. people saying volker attacked reva, others saying it was architect collective, some saying it’s all fabricated political drama. association is on full lockdown, no one in or out without clearance.

Rin: have you seen volker?

Tayo: no, heard he’s in interrogation. some hunters are saying he’s innocent, being framed, others saying he should’ve been investigated years ago. it’s divided people.

Another message came in, this one from Fiona.

Fiona: "Protective custody. How disappointing. I had training planned for this week. Seems you’ve accelerated the timeline on your confrontation with authority. Hope you survive it."

Rin typed back: "Not exactly by choice."

Fiona: "Circumstances are rarely chosen. Responses are. You chose to bring evidence to Reva, chose to trust the system to police itself. Now you’re dealing with consequences. Learn from this."

She wasn’t wrong, he’d put faith in official channels, believed the Association would act on evidence of corruption, now he was locked up while Volker’s fate was decided by people who might be compromised.

"What are you thinking?" Joy asked, watching him pace.

"That we made a mistake, we should’ve kept the evidence, used it as leverage ourselves instead of handing it over."

"And done what, blackmail Volker? Gone public and gotten ourselves killed?" Joy shook her head. "We did the right thing, sometimes the right thing doesn’t work out how you want."

"The right thing got Reva hurt, got us locked up, gave Volker time to destroy evidence and build his defense."

"The right thing gave Director Tau grounds to investigate, froze Volker’s operations, prevented more Hunters from dying in his experiments." Joy stood up, walked over. "We can’t control outcomes, we can only control our actions, we chose to expose corruption, that’s what Leo would’ve wanted."

She was right but it didn’t make the situation less frustrating.

They spent the rest of the day in forced idleness, watching news coverage of the "incident" at Association headquarters, reports were vague, cited "internal security matter" and "ongoing investigation," no mention of Volker, no mention of Reva’s condition.

At 1900 an official knocked, brought them dinner, standard cafeteria food.

"Any update on the investigation?" Rin asked.

"Nothing I’m cleared to share, Director Tau will brief you when appropriate." The official left.

"This sucks," Joy said, picking at her food. "We’re just sitting here while everything happens without us."

"Yeah."

His phone buzzed, unknown number.

"Enjoying your cage? - Volker"

Rin showed it to Joy, her expression darkened.

"He’s taunting you, probably knows protective custody means you can’t act against him."

"Or he’s planning something, letting us know he’s still a threat despite being investigated."

Another message: "Your investigator friend, Kira, she’s quite skilled. Managed to trace my activities impressively. Shame she won’t be testifying."

Rin’s stomach dropped. "He’s threatening Kira."

"Or he’s already got her." Joy grabbed her phone. "We need to tell the investigators."

She called Han, explained the messages, the investigator said they’d try to locate Kira immediately, increase her protection if they found her.

But Rin had a sinking feeling they were too late.

If Volker was messaging him openly, taunting about Kira, it meant he’d already dealt with that problem.

The night stretched on, neither of them could sleep, the apartment felt like a cage, comfortable but confining.

Around 0200 Rin’s phone rang, number listed as Director Tau.

"Mr. Matsuda, I need you to listen carefully," Tau said, his voice urgent. "We’ve located Dr. Volker’s research facility, the one where he’s been conducting unauthorized experiments, we’re sending a raid team now, I want you on it."

"I’m in protective custody."

"I’m overriding that, you’re the only Hunter we have who can neutralize contaminated entities effectively, the facility is full of them, we need your capability." Tau’s tone was firm. "Security will bring you and Ms. Castellanos to the staging area, you’ll be briefed en route, this is voluntary but highly recommended."

"What about the investigation, testimony, all that?"

"Can wait until after we’ve secured the facility and rescued any Hunters Volker might have imprisoned there, right now operational need supersedes witness protection." Tau paused. "This is your chance to see what he’s been doing firsthand, to gather evidence directly, are you in?"

Rin looked at Joy who’d been listening, she nodded.

"We’re in."

"Good, security will collect you in five minutes, gear up, this is a live operation."

They changed into combat gear quickly, the secure apartment suddenly felt less like a prison and more like a staging area.

Guards arrived exactly five minutes later, escorted them down to waiting vehicles, other Hunters were loading up, looked like a serious operation.

Tayo was there, he saw Rin, grinned. "Yo, they pulled me in too, said they needed sound manipulation for crowd control, guess we’re doing this together."

"Guess so."

They loaded into an armored transport, Director Tau appeared, holding a tablet.

"Here’s what we know," he said, pulling up facility schematics. "Dr. Volker’s primary research lab is in an abandoned industrial complex in Sector 9, underground levels, heavy security, scans show significant energy signatures consistent with artificial dungeon formation."

The schematic showed a massive underground structure, multiple levels, dozens of rooms.

"Intelligence suggests he’s been holding Hunters there, conducting forced ability extraction, the contaminated entities we’ve encountered in recent weeks likely came from this facility." Tau zoomed in on specific areas. "Your objectives: secure the facility, rescue any prisoners, document evidence, neutralize hostiles."

"What about Volker himself?" someone asked.

"He’s in custody here at headquarters, this raid is independent of his interrogation, we’re operating on assumption his facility is still active, possibly automated or staffed by associates." Tau looked at everyone. "This is D-rank minimum threat level, possibly higher, rules of engagement are weapons free, protect yourselves and each other, any questions?"

"How many hostiles are we expecting?" Rin asked.

"Unknown, scans show at least thirty entities, possibly more, mix of contaminated creatures and modified monsters, expect combat immediately upon entry."

The vehicles started moving, heading toward Sector 9.

Joy leaned close to Rin. "This is insane, we just got put in protective custody and now they’re sending us on a raid."

"They need people who can handle contaminated entities, I’m one of the few who can neutralize them effectively."

"Still feels like we’re being used."

"We are, but it’s mutual, we need evidence against Volker, this is our chance to get it directly from his operation."

The convoy reached Sector 9, pulled up to what looked like an abandoned warehouse, nothing obvious suggested a massive underground facility.

"Entry point is here," Tau pointed to a reinforced door. "Breaching team goes first, combat teams follow, support stays back until secured."

Rin was assigned to the second wave, along with Joy, Tayo, and five other D-rank Hunters, they waited while the breaching team planted charges.

The explosion was deafening, the door blew inward, breach team poured in, immediately followed by gunfire and shouting.

"Contact! Multiple hostiles!"

"Go, go, go!"

Rin’s team rushed in, found themselves in a descending corridor, concrete walls, industrial lighting, definitely not abandoned.

Creatures emerged from side passages, contaminated goblins, their skin that purple-tinted wrong color, eyes completely black.

Rin channeled fracture energy, met the first one head-on, his pure energy collided with its corruption, the goblin disintegrated.

"They explode when he hits them!" someone shouted.

"Then let him hit them! Everyone else provide cover!"

They pushed deeper, the facility opened up into a massive chamber, dozens of holding cells lined the walls, some empty, some containing creatures, some containing people.

"We’ve got prisoners!" Joy ran toward the cells. "They’re alive!"

Rin provided cover, neutralizing contaminated entities as they approached, his fracture energy was perfectly suited for this, each touch annihilated the corrupted creatures.

But there were so many, wave after wave, like the facility was spawning them.

"Where are they coming from?" Tayo blasted a cluster with sound waves.

"There!" Someone pointed to a large tank in the center of the chamber, filled with purple energy, swirling with corruption, creatures were literally forming inside it, crawling out fully formed.

"That’s a dungeon core," Rin realized. "He’s using captured fracture energy to generate monsters on demand."

"Can you shut it down?"

"Maybe, need to get close."

They fought their way to the tank, the creatures got more aggressive the closer they approached, like they were defending it.

Rin reached the core, placed his hands on the containment field, channeled pure fracture energy into it.

The corrupted energy reacted violently, tried to reject his, but his was stronger, purer, it started neutralizing the contamination.

The tank began to destabilize, cracks forming in the containment.

"Everyone back!" Tau’s voice over comms. "It’s going to rupture!"

They retreated, the tank exploded in a burst of purple light, the contaminated energy dispersed, neutralized by Rin’s influence.

The creatures stopped spawning immediately, the existing ones collapsed, their connection to the core severed.

Silence fell over the facility.

"Clear," someone confirmed. "All hostiles neutralized."

Medical teams rushed in, started extracting prisoners from the cells, Rin counted eight Hunters, all unconscious, all showing signs of prolonged experimentation.

"This is enough," Tau said, surveying the facility. "This is enough to convict him, document everything, collect every piece of evidence, I want this place catalogued down to the last detail."

Rin walked through the facility while investigators photographed and documented, found rooms full of equipment, research notes, experimental logs, everything detailing Volker’s work over the past eighteen months.

One room had a wall covered in photos, Hunters who’d been brought here, some he recognized from reports, others were strangers.

Leo’s photo was there, marked "Terminated - Investigation Risk."

Rin stared at it, his hands clenched, fracture energy crackling unconsciously.

Joy found him. "We got him, Rin, this evidence is undeniable, Volker’s finished."

"Leo’s dead because he asked questions, because he noticed patterns, because he did his job." Rin’s voice was tight. "Eight other Hunters are barely alive because Volker wanted research data."

"And now he’ll pay for it, justice is slow but it’s happening."

They extracted from the facility at 0500, hauling evidence and rescued Hunters, the sun was rising when they got back to headquarters.

Director Tau called an emergency meeting, all senior staff, presented everything they’d found.

"Dr. Henrik Volker is formally charged with murder, unauthorized experimentation, creation of illegal dungeon formations, endangerment of Hunters, and conspiracy," Tau announced. "He will face tribunal, his research division is permanently shut down, all associates are under investigation."

Volker was brought in under guard, he saw Rin across the room, smiled slightly.

"Clever boy," he said calmly. "But you’ve only won this battle, the war is much larger than me."

"What war?" Tau demanded.

"The one between progress and stagnation, between those who understand the necessity of sacrifice and those who cling to outdated morality." Volker looked at the assembled officials. "I’m one person, my research is one project, you think shutting me down stops anything? You’re naive."

"Take him to holding," Tau ordered.

As Volker was led away, he looked back at Rin one more time. "The Architect sends his regards, he’s very interested in your performance tonight."

Then he was gone.

Rin’s blood went cold.

"The Architect," he said to Tau. "Volker just said the Architect sends his regards, they’re connected."

"We’ll investigate that connection, for now, you’re dismissed, get some rest, you’ve earned it."

Rin, Joy, and Tayo left headquarters, exhausted, covered in grime, but alive.

"We actually did it," Tayo said, sounding amazed. "We took down a corrupt Director, rescued Hunters, shut down his operation."

"We did," Joy confirmed, smiling despite the exhaustion.

Rin wanted to feel victorious but Volker’s words echoed: "You’ve only won this battle."

The Architect was connected to all this, had been watching, had sent his regards through Volker.

Which meant this wasn’t over.

It was just beginning.

But tonight, they’d won something.

Justice for Leo.

Proof that fighting back mattered.

And evidence that maybe, just maybe, the system could work if people pushed hard enough.

They caught a taxi together, Rin looked out the window at Windhoek waking up, normal people going about normal lives, unaware of the battles fought in shadows.

His phone buzzed one last time.

Message from unknown number: "Impressive work tonight. Dr. Volker was useful but ultimately expendable. You, however, continue to exceed expectations. We’ll speak again soon. - The Architect"

Rin deleted the message.

Tomorrow he’d worry about the Architect, about connections, about larger wars.

Tonight he’d just sleep.

For the first time since Leo died, he felt like he’d actually accomplished something.

It wasn’t enough.

It would never be enough until Kazriketh was dead.

But it was a start.

The grind continued.

One battle won.

Many more to come.