Jake's fists were raw from pounding the cell wall. Lila's curses echoed off the concrete, her rage a sharp counterpoint to his. The visitor's presence- so calm, so untouchable -made their blood boil. They watched the exchange between Ronald and the man in the suit with a mixture of fury and disbelief.
"That's the bastard in charge?" Jake spat, glaring through the glass. "If I ever get out of here......."
"I'll kill him myself," Lila muttered, her eyes never leaving the tall figure.
Ronald stood in the center of his cell, posture straight, chin lifted. The man in the suit,Mr. Keating, as Ronald introduced him,looked every inch the tycoon: expensive suit, gold cufflinks, a watch worth more than most houses. His hair was perfectly groomed, his presence radiating power and entitlement.
"Mr. Keating is the management head of LOOP," Ronald said, his voice steady but edged with contempt. "A millionaire, a real estate developer, and now the man who thinks he can control the uncontrollable."
Keating's lips curled into a thin smile. "You always did have a way with words, Ronald. But I'm afraid we're well past the point of clever insults."
He turned, addressing Ronald directly, but loud enough for Jake and Lila to hear every word. "You were right. The facility is out of control. The anomaly is growing....unstable, unpredictable. Our scientists can't contain it. The management is fractured, resources are shrinking, and the board is threatening to pull the plug. If that happens, this place will collapse in on itself.....or worse, the anomaly will spread."
Jake pressed his face to the glass. "So you're finally admitting you can't fix what you broke?"
Keating didn't even glance at him. "The only people who have ever managed to come out of the anomaly with their minds mostly intact are you three," he said, nodding at Jake, Lila, and Samuel. "That makes you valuable. You've survived what no one else could. We need your help to stop this before it's too late."
He turned back to Ronald. "I'm prepared to offer you a deal. Help us shut down the anomaly. Convince the others that you're working to improve the system, not destroy it. In return, I'll guarantee your freedom,and theirs."
Lila barked a bitter laugh. "You expect us to trust you? After everything you've done?"
Keating's expression didn't change. "You don't have to trust me. You just have to want out of here as badly as I do. If we fail, everyone in this facility.....including you...will be lost. If we succeed, you walk free. That's the best offer you're going to get."
Ronald eyed him, weighing the offer. "And what about the others? The ones still trapped in the loops, the ones you've experimented on?"
Keating's gaze hardened. "They're not my concern right now. My concern is containment. If you want to save them, help me fix this. Otherwise, they're as good as dead."
A heavy silence fell. Jake's anger simmered, but beneath it, a cold logic began to take root. They were out of options. If Keating was telling the truth.....if the anomaly really was growing—then their only hope was to work with him, at least for now.
Ronald nodded slowly. "We'll help. But if you cross us, Keating, I'll make sure you regret it."
Keating's smile returned, thin and brittle. "I wouldn't expect anything less."
He turned to leave, his guards falling in behind him. As the heavy doors slammed shut, Jake and Lila exchanged a look....equal parts hope and dread.
"We're not out yet," Jake said quietly. "But maybe, just maybe, we have a chance."
Lila nodded, her jaw set. "For Jeremiah. For Miya. For everyone they've hurt."