Michael sat in the corner booth of a quiet Italian restaurant three blocks from Sullivan Solutions' new office. He'd chosen this spot specifically because it had multiple exits and a clear view of the street. These days, he never ate anywhere without checking the exits first. Brother North's training had drilled that into him.The waitress refilled his coffee for the third time, shooting him concerned looks. He'd been nursing the same sandwich for forty minutes, checking his phone every few seconds. The text had been simple: "Meet me at Romano's. I have information about your android. Come alone. - D.R."Diego Reyes. The name made Michael's jaw clench. Wagner's man who'd helped with Ava's upgrade, who'd watched silently as Wagner activated that Phoenix protocol, who'd stood by while Michael lost the only... the only friend he'd ever had who truly understood him.The bell above the restaurant door chimed. Michael looked up to see Diego enter. His eyes scanned the room with before spott

The glass doors of Sullivan Solutions Tech gleamed in the morning sun as Michael reviewed security footage from the previous night on his tablet. Alexis sat across from him at the conference table, her red hair catching the light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. She was explaining something about the new clients when the receptionist's voice crackled through the intercom: "Mr. Sullivan, you have visitors. It's Phillip Medici and his...lawyer."Michael felt his jaw tighten. Then he said, "Send them to Conference Room B. And ask Marcus and Tony to join us there."Alexis raised an eyebrow and said, "This should be interesting."Michael straightened his suit jacket, another gift from Alexis that cost more than most people's monthly rent. The expensive fabric felt like armor as he walked down the hallway, his confidence growing with each step. Marcus Thompson and Tony Rivera fell into step behind him, their presence subtle but unmistakable. Both men wore perfectly fitted bus

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the Denver streets as Michael walked toward his car, still feeling the aches from that morning's training session. His shoulder was still bandaged from yesterday's training exercise, and his pride was still recovering from North's lecture about "showing off instead of showing results."Professor Nakamura had called an hour ago, asking Michael to meet him at a small electronics repair shop on the east side of town. Something about a lead on Ava's location, though the old man had been cryptic about the details over the phone."You sure you're okay to drive?" Lizzy asked, hovering beside his car like a concerned mother hen. "You look like you got hit by a truck.""I feel like I got hit by a truck," Michael admitted, "but I'm...functional. Besides, if Nakamura has information about Ava, I'm not waiting until tomorrow.""Just be careful," she said, giving him a quick hug. "And call if you need backup. North's guys are still in the area."Mich

Two weeks later, Michael sat in Sullivan Solutions' expanded office space, reviewing contracts with three new clients. The company had grown from a desperate scheme to a legitimate business faster than he'd expected. But as he looked over the financial reports, he couldn't shake the feeling that time was running out."The Denver Community Bank wants to talk about a partnership," Alexis said, walking into his office with a stack of proposals. Her red hair caught the light as she leaned against his desk. "They like our track record."Lizzy came in behind her and offered Michael a wave before plopping herself on a chair."That's good," Michael replied, though his mind was somewhere else. Sullivan Solutions was doing well, but Ava's absence hurt every day. Every technical problem his team solved reminded him of her lightning-fast thinking. Every client meeting made him remember how she could read people instantly.A knock on the door interrupted them. Brother North entered, his huge frame

The parking garage was dark and quiet at 11:30 PM. Michael crouched behind a concrete pillar, checking his watch for the third time in two minutes. Around him, the team made final preparations in tense silence. The air smelled of motor oil and concrete dust, mixed with the nervous sweat of people about to risk everything."Communications check," he whispered into his headset, adjusting the small microphone near his lips."North here, main entrance team ready," came the reply. Michael could hear the barely contained excitement in North's voice. The big man lived for action like this."Salvatore, service tunnel team in position," another voice confirmed. Salvatore sounded calm and professional, like he was discussing dinner plans instead of breaking into a military facility."Diego here, cyber attack launching in thirty seconds," Diego said from his position at a mobile command station they had set up in a van outside the facility. His voice was tight with concentration.Michael looked