"…Who's there?"
The weak female voice echoed faintly through the intercom beside the reinforced blast door.
For a brief moment, nobody answered.
The operators kept rifles raised toward the dark corridors behind them while the emergency lights flickered weakly overhead.
Ryan slowly stepped closer toward the intercom panel.
"We're friendlies," he answered first. "Hopefully."
Adrian immediately gave him a look.
Ryan shrugged slightly.
"What? I'm trying to sound approachable."
The intercom remained silent for several seconds afterward.
Then finally.
"…Identify yourselves."
The woman's voice sounded exhausted.
Adrian stepped toward the speaker.
"My name is Adrian. We are a private military force operating out of the Philippines."
Silence again.
Then.
"…Philippines?"
"Yes."
Another long pause followed afterward.
The operators continued scanning the corridor while distant sounds echoed faintly somewhere deeper underground.
Metal scraping.
Movement.
