“Opening… carefully…” Then nothing. A stillness so dense it felt alive. Daniel held his breath. Megan felt her pulse in her throat. And then. A choked gasp. “Oh my God—” an agent blurted, stumbling back. “What is that?” Another voice followed, lower, shaken. “Sir… you need to see this. Now.” Flashlights shifted. Boots scraped. Someone swore under their breath.
Halpern stepped forward, his voice taut with disbelief. “…It’s a grow lab,” he said finally. “Mushrooms. Several species.” A beat. Too long. Too tense. “Some are medicinal,” he continued slowly. “Some are… psychedelic.” A second agent added, voice wavering, “There’s… a lot of them. Christ. It’s like they took over the whole room.”