Chapter 18: The Calm Before the Storm

The city blurred past as we moved, slipping between alleys and side streets, keeping to the shadows. My pulse was still hammering from the encounter, but at least, for now, we had shaken them.

I wasn't naive enough to think it was over.

Ezekiel and Knox weren't the type to give up easily.

Reed guided us toward an old maintenance tunnel, prying open a rusted gate. Claire slipped in first, scanning the darkness ahead before motioning us forward. We stepped inside, and Reed pulled the gate shut behind us.

The moment we were enclosed in the damp, musty tunnel, I leaned against the wall, trying to steady my breathing. My skull still throbbed from severing the connection. The pain had lessened, but the aftershocks still lingered.

"You okay?" Claire asked, crouching beside me.

I nodded, though it wasn't entirely true. "Yeah. Just… adjusting."

Reed sat across from me, his expression unreadable. "That was reckless."

I glanced at him, waiting for the scolding.

He sighed. "But it worked."

I let out a dry chuckle. "That sounded painful for you to admit."

Claire smirked. "You'll get used to it. He complains, but deep down, he likes it when things explode in our favor."

Reed shot her a glare but didn't deny it.

I took a deep breath, rubbing my temples. "They'll regroup fast. Cutting the signal only bought us time."

Reed nodded. "Which means we need to figure out our next move before they do."

I closed my eyes for a brief moment, trying to process everything. "I need answers first. The system, the tracking, all of it. There's something bigger going on."

Claire frowned. "You think someone else is pulling the strings?"

"More like I know." I exhaled slowly. "The tracking wasn't just some feature. It was embedded into my system—like it was meant to be there from the start."

Reed's brows furrowed. "You think whoever gave you the system also made sure you could never truly be free?"

The thought made my stomach twist.

Had it always been like this?

From the moment I arrived, had I been nothing more than a pawn?

I clenched my fists, shaking the doubt from my mind. No. I wouldn't let that be true.

If someone thought they could control me, they were about to learn otherwise.

"First thing's first," I said, standing. "We need a secure place to lay low. Somewhere outside their immediate reach."

Claire crossed her arms. "I know a place."

Reed looked skeptical. "How secure?"

She smirked. "Let's just say… it's got an excellent no-tracking policy."

I arched a brow. "And you're only bringing this up now?"

Claire shrugged. "You never asked."

I sighed. "Lead the way."

As we moved through the tunnels, a weight settled in my chest. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot. But for now, I had time to breathe.

And when the time came to fight…

I'd be ready.

We walked for what felt like hours, navigating a labyrinth of underground pathways. The air was thick with moisture, the scent of damp concrete filling my lungs. The only sounds were our footsteps and the occasional drip of water echoing through the tunnels.

I kept my senses sharp, half-expecting an ambush.

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Claire glanced over her shoulder. "An old safehouse. Used to belong to someone I worked with—before things went sideways."

Reed narrowed his eyes. "And you're sure it's still secure?"

Claire gave him a lopsided grin. "Would you rather take your chances out there?"

Reed didn't respond, which was answer enough.

I exhaled through my nose, refocusing. "How much further?"

"Not long," Claire said. "Another turn, then up."

We moved in silence until we reached an old steel ladder bolted to the wall. Claire climbed first, disappearing through a hatch. I followed, wincing as my muscles protested the motion. Reed came up last, closing the hatch behind him.

The room we entered was small but functional. A single lightbulb flickered overhead, casting shadows against the cracked brick walls. An old cot sat in the corner, along with a metal desk littered with papers and maps.

Claire dusted off a chair and sat down, stretching. "Welcome to our temporary home."

Reed scanned the space, expression unreadable. "Looks abandoned."

"It is," Claire said. "But it's safe."

I didn't argue. At this point, I'd take whatever I could get.

I dropped onto the cot, letting out a breath. My body ached, my mind swirled with questions, but I pushed them aside.

One thing at a time.

Reed leaned against the wall. "What's our next move?"

I ran a hand through my hair. "First, we figure out how they're still tracking us."

Claire tilted her head. "You severed the signal, right?"

"I did," I said. "But something tells me it's not that simple."

Reed folded his arms. "What are you thinking?"

I hesitated. "I think… there's something else. Something embedded deeper than just a tracking function."

Claire frowned. "Like what?"

I exhaled. "I don't know yet. But I intend to find out."

A tense silence filled the room.

Reed was the first to break it. "Then we'd better get started."

I nodded. "Yeah."

Because if we didn't figure this out soon…

We were as good as dead.

Hours passed as we scoured the system, searching for anything that could explain how they were still tracking me. I combed through the interface, digging deeper than I ever had before.

Claire and Reed worked beside me, scanning through notes, piecing together whatever fragments of information we had.

Then, finally, I found something.

A hidden subroutine buried beneath layers of code.

It wasn't just a tracker.

It was a failsafe.

My blood ran cold.

I had been marked from the beginning.

This wasn't something I could simply remove. It was woven into the system itself—an anchor that kept me tethered.

Claire peered over my shoulder. "That doesn't look good."

"It's not," I muttered.

Reed exhaled sharply. "Can you disable it?"

I clenched my jaw. "Not without consequences."

Reed's gaze hardened. "What kind of consequences?"

I hesitated. "Best case? I lose access to the system temporarily."

Claire raised a brow. "And worst case?"

I swallowed. "Worst case… the system locks me out permanently."

Silence.

Reed rubbed his temples. "So we're stuck between a rock and a hard place."

I exhaled. "Pretty much."

Claire crossed her arms. "There has to be another way."

"There might be," I said. "But it'll take time."

Reed didn't look pleased, but he nodded. "Then we'd better start now."

I stared at the code, my mind racing.

Whoever did this… whoever designed this failsafe…

They had planned for everything.

But they hadn't planned for me.

And I was about to prove them wrong.