The Enforcement Squad scattered. Some ran back along the passageway, some circled toward the outer walls and began searching floor by floor, while others crouched to inspect the shattered Poison Pouches in the corpses' mouths and analyze the chemical composition of the tooth fragments. Some used the Levitation Charm to send the bodies to the evidence room after sampling was complete. Others used sealing scrolls to contain the remaining Fiendfyre.
Morgan followed behind Douglas, the sound of his boots striking the passageway's stone slabs echoing back and forth between the narrow walls, half a beat faster than on the way in. His fingertips hanging at his sides were slightly cold, but that chill was wrapped in the dampness of the passageway, making it seem no different from a normal person's body temperature.
The iron door was pushed open, then swung shut. Wall lamps glowed in the corridor, their warm yellow light spreading across the stone floor and casting the two men's shadows at uneven lengths. Douglas did not turn around. His voice came from over his shoulder, level and steady. "The infiltration plan failed. The reason is still unclear, but our little lab rats have obviously made a new choice. The priority is finding them first. We—"
As he passed through the first-floor hall, he encountered three Enforcement Squad members coming down the stairs. One of them called out to him, "Captain, there's been a discovery in Cell Block Number Three. Two prisoners are missing!"
Morgan and Douglas exchanged a look, then immediately turned toward Cell Block Number Three.
When they arrived, the doors of the two innermost cells were closed. Their locks were intact, without any sign of damage. Douglas stood at the entrance and examined the teeth of the lock cylinder, then tilted his head to signal the