El día que supe que no estabas allí. (5)

Laura could barely catch her breath as she watched the official struggle with the lock on the chamber, his trembling hands betraying just how nervous he was.

The distant echo of alarms reminded her that the building’s main doors were sealed and that security forces could appear at any moment — ready to arrest them or worse. The charged tension in the air made each heartbeat pound in her ears like a drum accelerating its tempo.

The official, sweat beading on his forehead, swore under his breath when the access slot refused to cooperate. They’d spent several minutes in the same spot, trying to force the mechanism, and Laura was starting to fear that the security teams would arrive before they managed to get inside. It was then that, as her gaze darted around for something that could help, she noticed a faintly blinking light at the end of the corridor. A recessed corner that had seemed empty at first glance housed a secondary console, nearly hidden behind a metal panel.

“Do you see that?” she asked quietly, trying not to startle the official.

“See what?” he muttered, not taking his eyes off the lock.