The car sped through the rain-soaked streets.In the back seat, Elena sat rigid, arms folded tightly across her chest. Her reflection in the glass looked ghostly hollow, hair damp from the storm, jaw clenched as if holding back questions she wasn’t sure she wanted answered.“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice low, sharp, the words cutting through the hum of the engine.The driver said nothing. His gloved hands stayed fixed on the steering wheel, knuckles white, gaze locked on the road ahead. The windshield wipers beat a steady rhythm, the only response she got.“I asked you a question,” she pressed, her patience thinning.He hesitated before finally speaking. His tone was even, professional, stripped of warmth.“Safe house. Orders from Mr. Kane.”Elena let out a dry laugh. “Of course. Always Kane.”She turned her face back to the window, watching the city blur by streetlights smeared like bruises across the fog, silhouettes of strangers hurrying under umbrellas, unaware of the

Leonard’s boots hit the dock hard, breath steam in the cold air.“Adrian, perimeter,” he ordered. “Two teams left, two right. Cut power to the crane bays have no transmissions.”Adrian was already moving, fingers flying on the tablet. “I’ll blind their cams. You get on board.”Cole stayed close, nodding. “There’s a side hatch. Security’s lighter there.”Leonard didn’t waste time. “Go.”They slipped under the shadow of the hull, ropes and metal scraping. Rain hammered their faces. Leonard could taste the iron of adrenaline. Every step closer made his jaw tighter. He pictured Elena alive, scared, breathing. He pictured her not. He pushed the worst away and moved.On the ship, inside a metal-dark corridor, Elena blinked awake. Her head throbbed. Her wrists were bound with tape and cord. She smelled diesel and something medicinal. A single bulb swung overhead, casting the room in sickly yellow.She rolled, trying to remember flashes came back: the stairwell, the masked man, the device, he

The storm hadn’t stopped.It was still raining when dawn crawled through the cracks of Sector Nine’s ceiling vents, washing the underground in a pale, cold light.Leonard hadn’t slept. His eyes were red, his fingers still tapping over the keyboard, chasing trails of data that seemed to multiply like smoke.Every time he thought he’d cornered The Architect, the trail split again like whoever was behind it was taunting him.Adrian slumped in the corner with a mug of coffee that had gone cold hours ago. “You know, most people blink once in a while.”Leonard didn’t look up. “Blinking slows me down.”Elena crossed the room, her hair still damp from the storm, and placed a fresh cup beside him. “And dying from exhaustion slows you down even more.”He finally looked at her softly, just for a heartbeat then back to the screen. “The Architect’s using mirrored IPs. Whoever they are, they’re inside someone’s private network. Government-level encryption.”Adrian whistled low. “So we’re up against

Rain still fell in sheets when Leonard stepped out of the ambulance bay.He hadn’t spoken a word since they pulled Robert from the wreckage.The city lights flickered in the distance red, blue, white reflecting off the puddles like broken glass.Elena sat nearby, her hands trembling, face pale. Her father was inside, barely conscious.She looked up when Leonard approached.“Is he going to make it?”Leonard’s voice was quiet. “He’s strong. He’ll hold on.”He didn’t tell her the rest that Robert’s lungs had collapsed from the blast pressure, that the doctors had given him only hours unless they transferred him to a private facility Leonard secretly owned.Adrian jogged over, phone pressed to his ear. “Boss, we got movement. A private convoy just left Sector Eight same kind of unmarked SUVs that hit your family estate years ago.”Leonard’s expression darkened. “Destination?”“Old port district. Warehouse 47A. Looks abandoned.”Elena stood abruptly. “Then that’s where my mother is

Snow drifted across the runway as Leonard stepped out of the jet, his coat snapping in the wind. Adrian followed close behind, phone pressed to his ear, eyes scanning the tarmac.“Local contacts confirmed,” Adrian said. “But there’s a problem. Security around the foundation’s compound just tripled. They’re expecting someone.”Leonard adjusted his gloves. “Then we don’t go through the front door.”Adrian smirked faintly. “Knew you’d say that.”They climbed into a waiting car. The driver didn’t speak, just drove through the sleeping city past old stone buildings and silent banks that glowed faintly in the night. When they reached the outskirts, the glass towers appeared cold, bright, and quiet. Zurich’s wealth never slept.Elena’s voice came through Leonard’s earpiece.“Are you sure about this? You don’t even know what you’re walking into.”Leonard’s tone was steady. “If The Council is real, they’ll show themselves tonight. And I need to see who’s been playing god with our lives.”“