American comic book: An aging Wolverine, doing whatever he wants.

Chapter 86 The Laboratory Beneath the Old Factory

In the office, McCa sat at his desk, his gaze deep and thoughtful.

Logan, Lorna, and the others opposite him were all watching him, waiting for his decision.

After a moment of silence, McCain nodded and said, "We need to go check out the lab."

After saying that, he hesitated for a moment and said, "But the farm is gradually reaching full capacity, and the current facilities can no longer accommodate so many people. I'm afraid I can't accept these people into the shelter."

He paused, then added, "But if you can rescue them, I can send them to Mexico and other shelters; I have those connections."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Logan and the others, letting them decide whether to go or not.

Logan nodded. He understood McCa's predicament. Currently, the shelter's only source of income was this farm. Although the profits were considerable, it had to support the food, clothing, and other necessities of more than a hundred people, which was indeed a bit tight.

If they were to accept even more people, the burden on the shelter would be far too great, and McCain could not support it at its current level.

Clarice nodded without hesitation from the crowd, "Yes, anything is fine as long as we can get them out."

As long as you escape that hellish laboratory, you can go anywhere.

McCain nodded. "In that case, Logan, you'll be in charge of this. Just pick whoever you need to bring; they'll cooperate."

Logan nodded without hesitation, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Victor, John, Marcus, Klaus, plus me and Clarice will do."

The people he chose could be considered the backbone of the shelter, and Logan was more familiar with them, making cooperation easier.

As for Lorna, although she is also very strong, Logan can't possibly redeploy the shelter's defenses; someone has to stay behind.

After saying that, Logan looked at Clarice and asked, "Do you remember where the lab is?"

"Of course I remember!"

Clarice nodded excitedly, "31st Street in the North Side."

Although she successfully escaped last time using her teleportation ability, she made a point of memorizing the laboratory's location after leaving it.

Although that place brought her endless fear, the little girl showed great courage in returning to save her friends, her eyes filled with no fear.

"North District..."

Logan paused for a moment, glanced at the time, and then decisively said, "In that case, let's set off now!"

Soon, all members quickly gathered outside the farm and boarded the vehicle to head to the North District.

After driving for more than two hours, the group arrived at 31st Street, which Clarice had mentioned.

Because it is located in the suburbs, this place is rather deserted. There is no bustling city center, but rather various factories. Most of the traffic consists of trucks, and the noise from the factories is constant.

There weren't many people on the street, and even those who were were mostly workers in overalls; it looked like just an ordinary industrial area.

Along the way, Logan couldn't help but check the guarding situation at each checkpoint.

After more than half a month, the guards at the checkpoints are now much more relaxed, with far fewer checkpoints than when he escaped the city last time.

Clearly, the rumors from last time have gradually subsided, and the influence of mutants is gradually fading.

"This is it."

Clarice, sitting in the back seat, poked her head out and pointed to a factory emitting white smoke.

Victor, sitting in the driver's seat, slowly parked the bread truck in a parking space near the factory.

Everyone looked at the factory with some surprise on their faces.

"Right inside this factory?"

Logan looked up at the billowing white smoke above the factory, his face full of curiosity.

"Um."

Clarice nodded. "If I'm not mistaken, it's in here."

"It seems the owner of this factory is indeed someone of extraordinary status."

Looking at the factory gate, Victor couldn't help but joke, "It's been a long time since I've seen a mutant research lab in the city."

Most of the laboratories they had previously contacted were located in the suburbs, mostly in remote and uninhabited areas.

After all, they are conducting research on mutants. If they accidentally create an uncontrollable experimental subject, it could easily have a significant impact on the surrounding residents.

Moreover, human experimentation is prohibited openly; all their actions must be kept secret and not known to the public.

Therefore, for both safety and to avoid suspicion, many laboratories are forced to choose suburban locations. Those that can establish laboratories in the city are obviously not simple.

It seems this mission will be more difficult than expected; the factory or laboratory background is definitely not small.

But since we've come all this way, we can't just leave empty-handed.

Let me explain the plan.

Logan drew everyone's attention and began to devise a plan for infiltration.

His idea was actually quite simple: John and Victor would wait outside with Clarice to provide backup.

He then led Klaus and Marcus to infiltrate the laboratory, take control of the main control room, and locate the place where the mutants were imprisoned.

Once the mutants are freed from their restraints, they will have enough power to break out of the laboratory.

During this process, if they are discovered, they must resolve the situation as quickly as possible, without giving them any time to sound the alarm. Otherwise, the city's patrol team and police will arrive immediately and surround the area.

At that point, not only will they be unable to escape, but even Victor and his men waiting outside will likely be discovered by the police.

"Everyone, let's begin."

After explaining the entire plan, Logan climbed out of the passenger seat and into the back of the vehicle.

Klaus understood immediately, took Logan and Marcus's hands, and the three of them disappeared from the car in an instant.

Upon seeing this, John immediately got out of the car and opened the carriage door.

Logan and his two companions slowly got out of the car and walked towards the factory discreetly.

The security at the factory gate was very lax, just like many normal factories, with only a security room at the entrance where a few security guards sat.

These security guards were clearly not very competent. They were gathered in the security room smoking and chatting, completely unaware that three faint footsteps had already crossed the security room and successfully entered the factory.

"These security guards are really negligent in their duties. They got in so easily. I thought it would be like in the movies, where we would have to knock them out and then change into their clothes."

Klaus couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Stop talking, this way."

Logan tugged at his arm, leading the two of them in the direction he had chosen.

The three of them are currently invisible and cannot see each other's status. All their movements can only be controlled by the traction on their arms.

As Logan walked, he looked around the factory.

Before he set off, Clarice drew him a simple map. Based on the route on the map, Logan knew that the laboratory was located below the factory, but the exit was designed to be very hidden, so he would have to search for it carefully.

At this moment, the workers in the factory are busy, and various machine tools are making a lot of noise. The uniformed staff are constantly busy in front of the machine tools, producing batch after batch of industrial parts.

This is the disguise of the laboratory; from the outside, it looks like a very ordinary parts processing plant.

But no one would have guessed that beneath this seemingly normal factory, a blood-soaked biological laboratory was being operated.

Logan recalled the blueprints Clarice had drawn and, after some careful exploration, found the entrance to the underground laboratory.

This is the entrance to an underground passage hidden behind two large trees. The door is blocked by the tree trunks. If Logan hadn't seen the blueprints beforehand, it would have taken him quite a bit of effort to find this hidden place.

This entrance is clearly not simple; it is made entirely of high-quality steel, making it extremely sturdy. There is also a dedicated guardhouse and surveillance system next to it.

The place is heavily guarded; not even a rat could sneak in, especially with surveillance cameras all around the gate.

Unfortunately, Logan and his team were invisible to the naked eye, and they arrived at the gate right under the noses of the security guards.

Marcus reached out and touched the door at the entrance, saying helplessly, "No, this door is too sturdy; brute force cannot break it."

He paused, then added, "And I suspect that if this kind of door is damaged, it will sound an alarm on its own."

Logan nodded. This door felt to be on the same level as a bank vault, so the possibility of it being forcibly destroyed was unlikely.

"You can enter by swiping your card over there."

Klaus glanced at the card reader on the side of the door. "But we don't have a card..."

The three of them were in a real predicament. After all, they couldn't just sit there and wait for the people downstairs to open the door and come up.

We don't know when that will be.

Just as the three were at a loss, the roar of a car engine suddenly came from behind them.

The group quickly turned around and saw a truck speeding towards them.

"It's a police car. They really are working with the police!"

As Logan pulled the two men away, his eyes were fixed on the riot police logo painted on the truck.

The truck eventually stopped in front of the basement door. The window rolled down, and the patrolman in the driver's seat waved to the security personnel, "Check, open the door."

The security personnel in the pavilion came out and carefully inspected the vehicle, including the person in the driver's seat, the chassis, and even the roof. They thoroughly checked every possible hiding place.

Logan noticed that the truck's cargo compartment was covered with a white sheet. One of the security guards lifted the sheet to inspect it, and inside sat several disciplinary teams, guarding an iron cage in the middle.

The guards only glanced at them before ending the search and letting them pass.

Marcus muttered a curse under his breath, "I think they're transporting mutants. These damn bastards never treat mutants like human beings!"

Anyone who gets treated like that by several disciplinary squads and is locked in such a huge cage must be a mutant.

Seeing his kinsmen imprisoned in cages, Marcus was filled with rage.

"Shh!"

Logan quickly interrupted his anger, whispering, "Don't speak, or we'll be found out!"

After saying that, he stared intently at the truck, "As soon as the gate opens, we'll climb onto the truck and go inside!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a member of the patrol team got out of the car, swiped his card, and the heavy door slowly opened, and the vehicle started moving.

"Now!"

Logan quickly pulled the two men onto the running board at the back of the truck, clung tightly to the truck's frame, and followed the truck into the basement.

The basement was clearly very deep; it took quite a while to reach the designated parking area.

This is an empty parking lot with several trucks parked inside. The lighting is dim, and the overall environment is very cool because it has not been exposed to sunlight for many years.

Logan and the others quickly jumped out of the car and jogged to the side to observe.

"Let's see what they're transporting first. If they really are mutants, then we won't have to search for them anymore; we can just follow them!"

Logan spoke in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the truck as he spoke.

After all, this basement is quite large, and if we search blindly, it could take a very long time.

If these patrol teams are transporting mutants, it actually makes it easier for Logan and his team to pinpoint the target area.

"Unload! Unload!"

At this moment, the patrolmen also got off the vehicle and waved as they unloaded their belongings from the carriage.

The people unloading the cargo were all special police officers from the military police unit. There were six of them in total, and each of them carried a rifle. They were struggling to carry the cages out of the carriage.

"Damn it, they really are mutants!"

Marcus looked at the goods in the cage, clenching his fists tightly, his voice filled with anger.

Inside the cage, six mutants sat slumped and numb, each with a collar around their neck. They were like soulless shells, leaning against the cage, seemingly having given up struggling.

"Damn it, these riot squads really are working with the lab. They capture mutants to supply the lab, those damned bastards!"

Driven by anger, Marcos couldn't help but tighten his grip.

Klaus, standing nearby, couldn't help but gasp and complain, "Stop pinching! It hurts!"

"Who's there!"

However, the sound was spotted by a member of the disciplinary squad, who immediately became alert. He quickly moved the gun slung behind his back to the front, pointed it in the direction of Logan and his group, and spoke sternly.

Fortunately, it seemed that only he had overheard the conversation; the other five members of the disciplinary team all looked at him blankly.

"Nobody's here. You must be hallucinating."

A special police officer carefully examined the empty area. There wasn't even a pillar, so it was impossible to hide anyone, and they didn't see anyone either.

"Alright, put the gun away. This place is relatively safe; no one will be able to sneak in."

Another SWAT officer pressed the gun down in his hand, signaling him to put it away.

The SWAT officer, gun in hand, stared blankly at the wall in the distance. He put away his rifle, scratched his head in surprise, and said, "There's really no one here. Am I hallucinating? This has never happened before."

"Stop nagging."

The two SWAT officers pushing the cage rolled their eyes at him. "You're just tired. Hurry up and finish delivering them so you can go back and have a few drinks."

This cage is specially made and has two wheels at the bottom, making it easy to move.

"I think you're just so tired you're hallucinating. If you can't take it, get in the car and rest. A few of us can take you this way."

A special police officer patted him on the shoulder, gesturing for him to get in the car.

"It's alright, Captain, I can still move around."

The SWAT officer put away his gun and went to help pull the cage.

However, as he left, one of his eyes couldn't help but glance back, as he felt he hadn't just been hallucinating.

In the distance, Logan and his two companions watched the backs of the SWAT officers and breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Thankfully, it wasn't sent."

Logan let out a breath. If a fight really broke out here, the entire basement would probably have to be sealed off, and then it would be difficult for them to escape.

"Hurry up and follow them, try to rescue that mutant."

Marcus couldn't help but urge them on, and then he pulled Klaus and Logan along with the SWAT team.

Clarice didn't have the blueprints for the basement; she only knew it was large, but she didn't know the exact location of each department.

She couldn't even remember the location of the main control room, nor had she ever been there.

After all, she escaped the blockade step by step by relying on her teleportation ability. She didn't stay in the laboratory for long and only knew that the laboratory was underground. She didn't know anything else.

Logan and his team have to find everything themselves.

Fortunately, with these special police officers leading the way, things became much easier.

Soon, Logan and his group followed the SWAT team to a freight elevator.

Fortunately, the freight elevator was large enough that after the cage was transported in, there was still room for several special police officers to stand inside.

Logan and his group looked at the empty seats, gritted their teeth, and squeezed in.

At this moment, the SWAT team was only ten centimeters away from them, and they could touch them with just a slightly larger movement.

Logan could even clearly smell that the SWAT officer in front of him had eaten a Mexican chicken wrap for breakfast!

At such close range, Logan and the others couldn't help but hold their breath.

Fortunately, these special police officers were very relaxed, chatting about trivial matters in the elevator and occasionally making a crude joke, which made the other special police officers laugh.

In such a relaxed environment, they did not notice that three special forces personnel were standing less than ten centimeters away from them.

Boom!

The elevator descended to the bottom floor, and Logan quickly led the three of them out.

The SWAT officers pushed the cage through a long, narrow corridor, with Logan and his men following closely behind.

Immediately afterwards, a notification sound suddenly came from the loudspeaker in the corner.

[Scanning has begun. Please do not move.]

As soon as the voice fell, the special police officers stood at attention, waiting for the scan as usual.

However, Logan and his team were stunned for a moment, and by the time they realized what was happening and tried to escape the scanning area, it was too late.

A grid of interwoven infrared rays, like a net covering the sky and the earth, scanned from all directions.

As the scan ended, the adjacent display screen lit up.

"Scan complete. Fifteen people in total. Welcome in."

A clear, ethereal voice came from the loudspeaker, and scanned images of fifteen people appeared on the screen. The door at the end of the corridor slowly opened, revealing bursts of light.

"Fifteen people..."

Hearing the voice from the loudspeaker, the SWAT officer paused for a moment, glanced at the image on the screen, and then looked at the group of people.

In an instant, that face panicked visibly, as if it had seen a ghost.

"No, including the guys in the cage, there are only twelve of us!"

He shouted suddenly, grabbed the rifle from behind him, and looked around warily.

The other five were also terrified, their faces turning deathly pale. They raised their guns and pressed their backs tightly against the cage.

(End of this chapter)