ent witness. Nicole stood in her quarters with the curtains half-drawn, letting the cool air s

and certain, a younger version of her believing in forever. It shoul

ck broke t

e called, her

e'd spoken to earlier, a woman wit

n the lower hall,"

already slippin

iscreet, hidden behind old storage rooms where the scent of dust masked eavesdroppers. Insid

de map on the table. "South perimeter, near the old

kened, but her expr

ian?" s

e's... aware. But he hasn't moved to interc

ng which side of himself would win-the man she

we'll move before he does. Quietly. No word gets out, n

, once earned, was a rare and dangerous

tips brushing the worn wood of the table. This was how it had to

quiet di

scrape of boots behind her. She turned, catching sigh

ia

ately, sharp as ever, but

usy," he said.

t of adrenaline with a cool smile. "I'v

His presence was the same as it had always been-commandin

ou have no one to trust," he sai

but she didn't break

g that looked almost like regret. But then it was gone,

head, Nicole," he murm

ulse hammering. The problem wasn't that she didn't trus

appeared down the corridor, but her mind woul

eassurance. Instead,

er beneath. The pistol inside was clean, loaded, and ready. It wasn't paranoia. It was ins

ck came

was softer, al

y stood there-barely seventeen, with

right?" he asked

nt rigid. "W

ap of paper, his hand shaking. Nicole took it, scanning the

t unmistakable-old block let

e. Midnig

e when she looked up. "Who gave

omeone might be watching. "Tall man. Scar on his

's mind, one that made h

crouched to meet the boy's eyes. "If an

quickly

ing, ruthless, patient. But subtle? Never. If he wanted her to come alone, it wasn't a re

y arcs, the kind of security pattern an experienced predator could slip through without a s

storage sheds that smelled of oil and earth. And leaning

she'd seen him-same scar, same shark's grin

wing out her name like

tten harde

You've gotten better at r

ays wanted," he said

scaped her. "We bot

. There's someone coming for yo

he kept her tone flat. "And

ilas tilted his head, voice dropping to a razor's

le f

d was planted, his words coiling around the mem

ed in the shadows behind Silas. Two figur

Silas

e first sho

r, splintering the wood

round as Silas dove forward, dragging h

he hissed, already re

sharp, but his eyes scanned the dark with

the dirt. Nicole returned fire, her shots quick and measured. T

. "South wall's open. We move

the debate short. They ran-low, fast, darting between the shadows. The n

ing a gap just wide enough for them to slip through. Nicole hesitated. If

ept past-guards, f

Silas

. They were in the dry ravine that bordered the compound, its banks

eep m

le's mind raced faster than her feet-Silas's warning about Brian, the timing

th

dropped int

ia

ut his stance was pure threat-gu

as calm, but it was the kind of c

ve. "She's aliv

ed. His gaze flicked to Nicole, briefly, s

ou the one-" She stopped herself,

k when you're safe. Right now, y

r, armed men closing in. The second

her holster. Silas to one

who she chose, someone was going

in until the only things that existed were Brian's steady

e boots scrambled into position. Whoever was after her was

again, softer now. "S

nd his walls and tell you it's for your protection w

e a drawn bowstring. Nicole's fing

om above-m

irt where her head had been. Silas rolled low to the right, returning fir

e ravin

lic stench of gunpowder saturating the air. Shards of rock

" she shouted

dance he'd rehearsed a thousand times. He grabbed a flash bang

a blast of white ligh

ng. Silas took the opening, seizing h

chase, bullets snap

ne forked, one path narrowing into a tight crawlspac

the narrow path. "They

ind them. "Nicole! Don't yo

path was safer, harder for the attackers to swarm. But t

the wall, close enough for

de her

arest body, Silas and shove

st," she

She turned just in time to see Brian closing t

le, w

ness behind her, cold steel

t y

r and it carried the kind of satis