And then he turns and walks away.
Like we’re not worth his time.
The moment the steel door hisses open, Jace is already moving. “Let’s go.”
Tex doesn’t wait for a second order; he’s on Daniel’s trail like a predatorunleashed. Luca mutters something sharp under his breath and pulls his blade tighter in his grip. Noah grabs his tablet and runs a quick scan ahead, already plotting the quickest route.
I’m right behind them.
The second we pass through the threshold, the air shifts, less lab, more fortress. Metal catwalks, concrete stairwells, fluorescent lighting buzzing overhead. We move fast, boots slamming against steel, weapons drawn.
“He’s trying to draw us in,” Jace says through clenched teeth as we climb the stairs. “Trying to break formation, make us reckless.”
“It won’t work,” I bite out.
But my blood is pounding.
Because I want him.
Not just stopped. I want him at my feet.
“Don’t let him get under your skin”—I turn to look at the guys— “you let your emotions take over, we get sloppy, then mistakes happen.”
We hit the first landing, a long corridor with doors on either side, some open, some sealed shut. Red overhead lights pulse as the facility begins full lockdown. It doesn’t matter.
We push forward.
Noah points down the hall. “Motion detected. Northeast wing. He’s running.”
Jace nods. “Cut him off from the right.”
We split into a tactical V-formation, Luca and Noah peeling off to flank while Jace, Tex, and I charge straight through the middle.
Door after door blurs past me. I don’t stop. I don’t blink.
And then— A shadow darts across the far end of the hall.
Daniel.
He turns a corner.
Jace is already barking commands. “Tex, breach the side door. Isobel, with me!”
We pivot fast, crashing through an alternate hallway. The floors are slick with condensation. Pipes overhead groan like the building itself is trying to slow us down.
We don’t stop. A stairwell looms ahead, narrow, steep. Daniel’s boots clang above us.
“I’ve got visual!” Luca shouts through the comms. “He’s heading toward the training grounds.”
The door seals behind us with aclangof finality.
The night air is bitterly cold, slicing across sweat-slick skin. Floodlights mounted along the rooftop perimeter cast long, stark shadows over the training grounds, a concrete jungle of raised platforms, narrow pillars, blocks and walls of all sizes spread across the rooftop like a deadly playground.
Tex gives a sharp nod and slips to the left, vanishing into the concrete maze. Luca charges down the center with Noah on his flank, seamlessly fading into the shadows. Jace taps my arm once, and we break right.
“Stay alert,” Jace mutters, sweeping his rifle left to right. “Watch for trip wires, traps, gas. Anything.”
My fingers tighten around my pistol. My heart’s still pounding from the sprint, but this— this is worse. This is the waiting.
