The highway stretched like a black ribbon into nowhere. Rain misted the windshield, and the hum of the tires filled the car with a steady rhythm that almost felt like a countdown. Audrey’s hands were tight on the steering wheel, her knuckles pale. Finn sat beside her, eyes fixed on the paper folded neatly in his lap—the letter signed by Ruth Callahan and Dr. Silas Venn.The air between them was thick, silent, and sharp with anticipation.“How far?” Finn finally asked.“Another forty minutes,” Audrey said quietly. “If this address is real, it’s near the coast. Past the old industrial district.”Finn nodded, his jaw tight. “It makes sense. That’s where Ruth used to dump her failed investments—projects too controversial to keep on the books.”Audrey glanced at him. “Failed investments, or failed people?”He didn’t answer.The headlights carved through the mist as they drove deeper into the desolate stretch of highway. Signs of civilization thinned—the streetlights grew sparser, the build

The next morning dawned gray and brittle, the kind of light that felt like a hangover after a storm. Finn hadn’t slept. He stood by the window of his penthouse, shirt sleeves rolled up, staring at the skyline of a city that suddenly felt smaller, more suffocating. Every thought was tangled — Ruth, Shawn, Venn, and that whisper from the night before that still echoed in his skull: Meet me tomorrow, or Ruth suffers.He pressed his palms against the glass and exhaled sharply. Behind him, Audrey stirred on the couch, wrapped in one of his coats. “You’ve been up all night,” she said softly.“I couldn’t risk missing anything,” Finn murmured. “Every minute I waste, they’re working against me. And Ruth’s still in that tank.”Audrey got up and walked over, her movements slow, cautious. “You think Shawn’s bluffing?”Finn’s jaw flexed. “No. He’s not the bluffing type.”Audrey crossed her arms. “Then what’s the plan?”He turned toward her, his eyes sharper now, colder. “We go to that address. But

The explosion of light burned through the room like a living storm. Metal shrieked, alarms wailed, and steam erupted from the cracked pod. Finn’s body hit the floor, the shockwave rattling his bones. For a few seconds, he couldn’t see—just the echo of Ruth’s scream, raw and human.Then—silence.When the haze began to clear, Finn dragged himself upright. Shards of glass crunched under his palms, slick with a faint blue residue. The chamber was in ruins. In the middle of the wreckage lay a body—small, trembling, half-covered in frost.“Ruth…”He stumbled forward, ignoring the pain that flared in his ribs. Her skin was cold against his hands, her breathing shallow but real. Her eyes fluttered open—blue, unfocused, alive.“…Finn?” Her voice was cracked, the syllables barely forming.“I’m here,” he said, clutching her hand as if it could anchor them

The car sliced through the rain-slick highway, its headlights cutting narrow paths of light through the storm. Ruth’s knuckles were white against the dashboard, her heart thudding in the suffocating silence. Beside her, Finn’s jaw worked in tight rhythm, his eyes locked on the road—but his mind was nowhere near it.The dashboard screen blinked again. INCOMING TRANSMISSION: SHAWN.Finn’s breath came out as a sharp hiss. “He’s tracking us.”Ruth turned toward him, her voice shaking. “How—how can he still find you? You destroyed his servers, didn’t you?”“I thought I did.” Finn’s tone was low, controlled—but beneath it, something was unraveling. He pressed the comm button, and Shawn’s smooth, venomous voice filled the cabin.“Finn,” Shawn said, almost gently. “You’re making this much harder than it needs to be.”Finn’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “You should’ve stayed buried with your lies.”“Lies?” Shawn chuckled, the sound metallic through the static. “You met him, didn’t you

The early morning fog clung to the streets of South Haven like a shroud. Finn’s car rolled silently along the cracked asphalt, the only sound the hum of the engine and the faint patter of lingering rain. Ruth sat beside him, a mix of apprehension and resolve etched across her features. Neither spoke much; words felt inadequate for what lay ahead.The address Shawn had provided led them to an industrial district long abandoned by legitimate businesses. Rusted warehouses lined the street, windows shattered, paint peeling from the steel walls. Finn parked a few blocks away and killed the engine. He leaned toward Ruth.“We stay together,” he said softly. “Whatever this is… I don’t want to face it alone.”Ruth nodded, gripping his hand. “I trust you.”Finn exhaled sharply and led the way, boots crunching on gravel as they approached the building Shawn had marked. The entrance was wide, a pair of heavy steel doors slightly ajar. Shadows moved beyond, and a faint metallic scent hinted at rec