Nobody touched the notebook.
It rested on the hood of the old delivery truck while the evening wind moved gently through the open pages. The photograph remained visible beneath the fading light, showing a structure built far below the surface of the sea.
Adrian stepped closer.
The image looked grainy, probably taken by an underwater camera or remote vehicle. Large metal sections disappeared into darkness beyond the reach of the lights. Thick cables stretched across the seabed, while what appeared to be reinforced tunnels connected several parts of the facility.
It did not look abandoned.
It looked hidden.
Marcus kept his rifle trained on Kenji.
"Step away from the truck."
Kenji obeyed without complaint.
Two Atlas operators approached and searched him carefully. They found no weapons, no radio, and no identification beyond an old laminated card bearing a Japanese government seal that none of them recognized.
Ryan picked it up and examined the faded photograph.
