Liam's feet hit the stairwell door so hard it slammed against the wall.He didn't take the elevator. Too obvious. Too many cameras. He'd spent five years memorizing every blind spot in this building, every corner where the security didn't reach. Tonight, that knowledge was the only thing keeping him alive.His sneakers squeaked against the concrete stairs as he flew down, skipping three steps at a time. His heart was pounding so loud he could barely hear anything else. The USB drive felt like a burning coal in his pocket.Twenty-second floor. Twenty-first. Twentieth.He had to get to the basement. There was a service exit there, one that led to the alley behind the building. No cameras. No security guards. Just a door that didn't lock properly and a garbage bin he could hide behind until he was safe.Nineteenth floor. Eighteenth.Liam's lungs were burning. He wasn't in shape for this. Five years of pushing a mop had turned his muscles soft, replaced the sharp reflexes he used to have

Liam woke up on Maya's floor.His back hurt. His arm throbbed where the gash was still healing. And for a split second, he forgot where he was.Then he remembered everything. Mike's body. The USB drive. Julian's cold eyes scanning right past him like he was invisible.He sat up fast, his heart already racing.Maya was at her computer, still in her clothes from last night. She had dark circles under her eyes and a coffee cup that looked like it had been refilled about twelve times."You didn't sleep," Liam said."Couldn't." Maya didn't look away from the screen. "I've been going through the metadata. And Liam—you need to see this."Liam got up and walked over, rubbing his sore neck. His body wasn't used to sleeping on floors anymore. Five years of a crappy mattress had made him soft.Maya pointed at her monitor. "I found something weird. There's a file in the Atlas folder that shouldn't be there. It's encrypted with a different protocol than everything else.""So?""So I checked the ti

The safe house was underneath a laundromat.Elena led them through a back door, down a flight of creaky stairs, and into a room that looked like it hadn't been updated since the 1990s. Old computers lined the walls. Maps were pinned everywhere. And in the corner, a stack of weapons that made Liam's stomach turn."Nice place," Maya said, still catching her breath. "Very cozy."Elena ignored her. She walked to one of the computers and started typing furiously. "Julian's people are everywhere. They've got eyes on every major road out of the city. We're stuck here for now."Liam leaned against the wall, his heart still pounding. "How long have you had this place?""Since I went into hiding." Elena didn't look up from the screen. "I knew I couldn't stay in one spot forever. So I set up a few backup locations. This is the last one.""Last one?""Julian found the others." Elena's voice was flat. "He burned them down. Killed the people who helped me hide."Liam felt sick. "How many?""Six." E

They ran through the streets like their lives depended on it.Because they did.Liam's lungs were burning. His legs were screaming. But he kept running, pulling Maya behind him, weaving through alleys and jumping over fences.Behind them, they could hear shouts. Car doors slamming. Engines revving."They're coming!" Maya gasped.Liam spotted a narrow gap between two buildings. He shoved Maya through first, then squeezed in behind her. The space was so tight they had to turn sideways to fit.They stumbled out the other side into a deserted parking lot."This way." Liam grabbed her hand and pulled her toward a rusted delivery truck. They ducked behind it, pressing their backs against the cold metal.The shouts grew closer. Then faded.Liam waited, counting his heartbeats. One. Two. Three. Four. Five.Nothing.He let out a shaky breath and slumped against the truck.Maya was crying again. Silent tears streaming down her face."Liam," she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I know you don't believe

Liam sat on the steps for an hour.Maybe two. He'd lost track of time.The sun climbed higher, burning off the morning fog. The neighborhood stayed quiet. No cars, no people, no sound except the birds and the wind.He just sat there, staring at nothing.His father was Julian Croft.Elena had been lying to him for five years.Maya was the only one who'd been real.The irony was so painful it almost made him laugh. The girl who'd been sent to spy on him ended up being the only person he could trust.He heard footsteps behind him. Soft. Hesitant."Liam?" Maya's voice was quiet. "Can I sit with you?"He nodded without looking up.She sat down next to him, close but not touching. They sat in silence for a while."I'm sorry," she finally said. "About Elena. About everything.""Not your fault.""I know." She paused. "But I know what it's like. To find out someone you loved isn't who you thought they were. It hurts."Liam finally looked at her. "How do you know?"She gave a small, sad smile.