“Keep moving,” I urged, my hand on Evelyn’s elbow as debris rained down around us. Small chunks of concrete and metal pinged off the hood of the nearest vehicle where Flynn waited, driver’s door open. The sound of secondary explosions rolled through the desert as the underground levels collapsed, burying everything beneath tons of rock and twisted metal.
Flynn waved us forward urgently. “Time to go, people! We got a girl to rescue!”
Sophia.
My heart hammered against my ribs, and I couldn’t seem to move. All I could think about was that little girl—her solemneyes that had seen too much, her small hand in mine. The way she’d looked at me like I could keep her safe.
I’d failed her.
“Trent,” Evelyn said quietly beside me.
I turned to her, taking in the paleness of her face, the tight line of her mouth, the way her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. She was barely holding herself together. I wanted to reach for her, to offer some comfort, but what could I say? What words existed for this moment?
My earpiece crackled, Kate’s voice cutting through my paralysis. “I’ve got satellite on the SUV. California plates, registered to Innovixus Labs, Helena Kovacs listed as primary driver. Current heading is northeast on County Road 89, speed approximately seventy miles per hour.”
“Destination?” I asked, forcing my voice to remain steady.
“Unknown, but the road map suggests she’s heading toward State Highway 12. From there, she could go north into Canada, east toward Idaho, or connect to I-90 toward any major city.”
Evelyn swayed slightly beside me, and I steadied her with a hand on her shoulder. The contact seemed to ground her. She straightened, pulling in a deep breath that shuddered in her chest.
“How long until she reaches the highway?” I asked.
“At current speed, fourteen minutes and thirty seconds,” Kate replied, the clicking of her keyboard audible over comms.
Rafe’s voice cut in, “Forest Service Road 12 runs parallel to County 89 for about six miles before intersecting. If we take that, we can cut her off before she hits the highway.”
“Copy that,” Ethan said. He turned to Flynn. “You, Rafe, and Leo take the lead vehicle. Pursue and intercept. Non-lethal takedown if possible—we need Kovacs unharmed.”
Flynn nodded once, already sliding behind the wheel of the tactical SUV.
“Bricks, you and Evelyn follow at a distance,” Ethan continued, checking his weapon. His eyes met mine briefly, communicating what he couldn’t say aloud.
Don’t do anything stupid and get that girl killed.
“Roger that, Grim,” I said aloud.
Flynn’s vehicle was already moving, tires kicking up dust as it accelerated down the access road. I guided Evelyn to the second SUV, helping her into the passenger seat before sliding behind the wheel. The engine roared to life under my hands, familiar and solid in a world that had tilted off its axis.
“Fourteen minutes,” I said, more to myself than to Evelyn as we pulled away, following the taillights ahead. “We can make it.”
Evelyn didn’t respond. Her gaze remained fixed straight ahead, her body tense as a bowstring. I wished I could say something to reassure her, but words were useless now, so I pressed the accelerator harder, the SUV leaping forward as we hit the main road. The digital clock on the dash read 12:37 AM. Less than six hours since we’d gathered around Dutch’s kitchen table, planning the assault on the facility. Six hours since Sophia had sat beside Evelyn, clutching her stuffed bunny and penguin, watching us all with those serious eyes that saw too much.
I blinked away the image, forcing myself to focus on the road. The headlights cut twin paths through the darkness, illuminating scrub brush and rocks that blurred at the edges of our speed. In my ear, Kate’s voice provided continuous updates.
“Target vehicle is maintaining speed. Nine miles from highway junction.”
“Copy,” Flynn replied over comms. “We’re three minutes from intercept point. Will deploy roadblock.”
“Kovacs has a child in the vehicle,” Rafe reminded everyone. “Standard pit maneuvers risk injury.”
“Noted,” Flynn responded. “We’ll use the barrier system. Stop without impact.”
My fingers tightened on the steering wheel. They were talking about Sophia like she was just any child, just another civilian to extract. Not the little girl who’d taught me a complicated hand-clapping game at the cabin two nights ago. Not the kid who’d looked at me with complete trust when I told her monsters weren’t real.
“Trent,” Evelyn’s voice pulled me back from the edge. Her face was still pale, her eyes wide and glassy, but she’d gathered herself. “We’ll get her back.”
A statement, not a question. She needed me to be the operator she’d seen in action, not the man drowning in guilt and fear. She needed certainty.
