Ice-cold water crashed over my ankles with terrifying speed, soaking through my boots and turning the concrete floor into a slick river.Before I could catch my breath, a massive iron anchor broke through the collapsing ceiling overhead, smashing directly into the mahogany desk where Arthur Vance had just fallen. The desk splintered into a thousand wooden pieces, sending glass shards flying across the rising water."Kyle! Move!" Elena shouted, grabbing my arm and pulling me hard to the left just as a second heavy iron beam crashed down right where we had been standing a second before.The water was already knee-high, swirling rapidly around our waists as more pipes burst from the walls, feeding the underground flood. The secret vault was turning into a watery grave, and the automated locks on the exit doors were com

The red light pulsing from the heavy stamp in Marcus's hand burned brighter than the floodlights above the harbor.I stared across the concrete shipping platform, my fingers tightening around the wooden stamp in my pocket. The man standing ten feet away wore the same face, the same familiar smile, and the same worn leather jacket from the coffee shop where we used to buy our morning drinks. But the person inside was completely gone."Marcus died three weeks ago," I said, keeping my voice steady as I stepped in front of Arthur, who was still slumped on the wet ground. "I saw his shop get leveled by the board's security team."The man formerly known as Marcus laughed—a sharp, dry sound that cut cleanly through the roar of the ocean wind."The board only destroys what