5 – HIDD

o to work the

her mind replayed the files she had seen on the flash drive-those numbers that didn't match, the coded

hotog

em

document titled: "Nec

felt col

e air felt heavier, the walls too close. Even her favorite mug-white porcelain with a fad

th and tried to

nk before you do

she wasn't sure what cou

th the type of information she had stumbled into. The files implicated major corporations, government o

weater tighter ar

one vi

olently she nearly

tension in her muscles refusing to loosen. She tried to convince herself that everything was

r did her

as wrong. B

inary black casing. Small. Harmless-looking. The kind of thing p

s one carr

knew

ike a weight

orbell

fr

d in for a friendly chat. No friends dropped by on earl

ang again-insi

ulse

could be a delivery.

ollowed by a sl

frie

ca

her apartment door, careful not to step on the noisy floo

od in the

ilored. His posture was rigid, professional. He didn't lo

ed... o

he comfor

eyes. No impatient shuffling. He stood there as

breath

ock again. H

or rippled

t op

uition

rain

ed utter

ced once down the hallway, t

heart s

as a

lipped it under her door with deliberate precision. The

until she heard the

ged with a s

picked up the card w

r

ompliance In

ggs, Lea

someone printed it quickly. Cheap paper pretending t

a

shot down

the door, card still

cts whispe

eone knows you

dn't stay here. She couldn't go to work. She couldn't te

ready bein

ed them into her tote bag. Her movements were shaky, unplanned,

it behind, s

it, they'd

t it, her br

she gra

tend I didn

et this d

has to s

into her pocket, a sharp metallic sou

fr

d-this one u

tst

ing quietly. Contr

d turned

inds. A black SUV had parked directly in front

it

t hammer

steps gr

trying to be

caught. Her

Stairwell?

only had one e

le

arted to h

d the building. A metal ladder for

limbed onto

e str

idn't lo

stopped in fro

angerous kin

heaved. Tears burned behind her eye

d bang rattl

ga

er. L

voice called. Low.

eed a

a hand ove

new he

the distinctive click of

art lu

epped into the cold morning air. The ground floor felt im

ont door creaked a

a-st

ed onto t

ake this

etal ladder. Her fing

or bur

iple footsteps

ulse

p,

panicked-and her fingertips fin

houted b

pu

ped down with a

t in her throat. Her arms trembled. Her breath

e alley floor, she d

steps thundered

IR

n't loo

idn't

treet just as the black

houted: "

ted something she c

ce boomed:

Her legs shook.

she

creamed that if she slowed down-even for

nded th

crashed in

ma

reathless as if he'

s widened wh

ale?" h

fr

ng her shoute

engine

ently, "come with me if

eath h

ho are

er wrist-not hard

s Donovan,

oth in a lot

she cou

ack SUV screeched

s grip t

-run

she

y turned down the narrow path behind an abandoned storage building. His steps were qui

shaking, her heart still trapped so

" she gasped. "How d

down. "Because they

pped. "You were

his shoulder with sharp blue eyes that missed no

it her like

iv

sa

unha

iv

to jerk free. "Stop-just st

n his expression-fear, frustration, determination-befo

d quietly. "And they're not going to stop. They won't negotiate

"You're talking li

he sai

the distance. Voices e

fli

an di

rategic precision. "We can talk lat

ng docks. She didn't want to trust him-but she didn't have a choice. The men from her apar

find me?" s

"Because you weren't the o

h

gain. "You're n

ally s

d a rusted dumpster. His face was close-closer than s

dark

rp

car along

n but expensive underneath

crets like they w

Donovan Wolf

ns the empire you

ath dis

o expose him for ye

as never meant to reach you. It

ind b

ou mean this i

he mercenary teams he pays to silence loose ends.

ntly she had to grip the edge

nsane," sh

e low, urgent. "But it's real.

ic click echoe

s head s

ushing her behind him. "They follow

kyrocketed. "W

jaw tightened. "But

mp at the far end of the alley. The

e tra

n muttered.

his jacket-a small meta

how to p

ger. "My father may run a corporate emp

ick in with p

a voice shout

ver her mouth to stif

" she w

didn't

k click

. The path opened into a fenced courtyard behind an old mechanics shop. Do

a dark silhouette appe

d in a sh

enough to watch but not be seen. They crouc

tactical clothing, gloves, communication earpiece

ed the fence line

e said into his com

ded, "Orders are the

w to her mouth,

her shoulder gen

ded, tr

ay, heading deep

ira could almost feel his mind calculat

he exhaled slowly. "We need

akily, "Where? Th

n hesi

on whether y

runs a- a- a criminal empire. And somehow you know what's on the flash drive. You

m for years, Kira. And you-accidentally or not-just be

d at him,

t me to be

ou want to survive the next

it-the raw honesty, the exhausti

tr

as too

dang

her. He simply stood

Or stay here and pray they

engine rev

calle

ross the far wall of

breath

ok his

se she tr

e she unde

only person who wasn'

s eyes. He led her to the back of the shop, to a met

hed it

a narrow stairway de

e. "What

ads out beyond the block. I used it e

re this morning," she whis

n hesi

es

r went

she whi

ce dropped lo

ve wasn't supposed to

ake sure my father didn't have you ki

lurched

he could

attled t

fli

to the stairwell just as the garage door

he s

ust rained fro

ts thunde

own the stairs,

al door shut behind the

e the doo

darkness sw

hea

rom the m

Cold.

TO THE TUNNEL-K

oor s

airway

in the dark, b

re does this

answer i

his voice held the trut

my father's old

roze m

oward the people wh

ps stopped

novan wh

e only place he's not

ng echoed b

omeone-had rea

hoved her

UN

, metal beg

swallow

hunters