We step outside onto what looks like a private patio. Stone pavers. Low lighting. Trees in the distance. The sky is dark; stars scattered across it like broken glass.
It's quiet.
Peaceful.
And for the first time in days, I feel like I can breathe.
Silas pulls a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, shaking one out and handing it to me. Then he lights it, the flame briefly illuminating his face.
I take a drag, the smoke burning my throat, and I close my eyes.
God, I needed this.
We start walking.
Slowly.
Silas matches my pace, his hand still hovering near my elbow, ready to catch me if I stumble. He doesn't rush me. Doesn't push. Just stays close.
"Where are we?" I ask after a moment, my voice rough.
"Safe house," he says. "Off the grid. No one knows about this place except my team."
"How far from Clarks Summit?"
"Far enough."
I take another drag, exhaling slowly.
"What about David?" I ask. "Christina's husband. You said you've been watching him."
Silas nods.
"He's been searching for her since she was taken," he says. "Police aren't helping. He's doing it on his own. Former SEAL, so he has skills. But he doesn't have resources."
"And you're thinking about bringing him in," I say.
"Yes."
"Why haven't you yet?"
"Because I wanted to make sure you were stable first," he says quietly. "And because bringing him in means revealing the operation. Once he knows, there's no going back."
I glance at him, studying his profile in the dim light.
"You think he'll help," I say.
"I think he'll do whatever it takes to get his wife back," Silas says. "And that makes him useful. But it also makes him unpredictable."
"You mean dangerous."
"Yes."
I take another drag, my mind working through the implications.
"What about Christina?" I ask. "Do you know where she is?"
"Not yet," he admits. "But we're tracking leads. Lionetti moved her after the breach. She's valuable. He won't kill her."
