Chapter 3: Shadows at the Door

The knocks echoed through the apartment, each one reverberating louder than the last. Kaira froze, her heart pounding in her chest. The message still glowed on her phone screen: "We're closer than you think. Don't trust him."

Her gaze flicked to the door, then to the map spread out on her table. Whoever was out there, they couldn't see it—not now, not ever. She folded it hastily, shoving it back into her tote.

The knocks came again, more insistent this time.

"Kaira?"

Her breath caught. The voice was familiar. Soft but laced with urgency. "It's me, Alyssa. Open up!"

Relief flooded her for a brief moment. Alyssa was her closest friend, the one person who had been with her through thick and thin. But doubt quickly crept in. Why would Alyssa show up unannounced, and at this hour?

Kaira approached the door cautiously, her hand hovering over the lock. "What are you doing here?" she called out.

"I saw something online," Alyssa replied, her voice low. "About him. Kaira, I think you're in danger."

Her blood ran cold. "What are you talking about? Who's 'him'?"

There was a pause, and then Alyssa's voice dropped to a whisper. "Just let me in. Please."

Kaira hesitated for a heartbeat before unlocking the door. The chain rattled as she slid it off, and she cracked the door open. Alyssa slipped inside, drenched from the rain, her curly hair clinging to her face. She clutched her phone tightly, her eyes darting around the room.

"What's going on?" Kaira demanded, closing the door behind her.

Alyssa held up her phone, showing a grainy photo of the man from the café. "This. Do you know who he is?"

Kaira stared at the image, her stomach twisting. "I met him today. He gave me this," she said, pulling the crumpled note from her pocket.

Alyssa's expression darkened. "Kaira, he's dangerous. His name is Adrian Cross. Or at least that's what he goes by now. He's been linked to... disappearances. People who've worked with him, trusted him—they just vanish."

The words hit Kaira like a freight train. "Disappearances? Why would he come after me?"

Alyssa's eyes flicked to Kaira's tote, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with a knife. "It's the map, isn't it? That's what he wants."

Kaira's pulse quickened. "How do you know about the map?"

Alyssa looked away, her silence speaking volumes.

Kaira stepped closer, her voice shaking. "Alyssa. What do you know?"

Before Alyssa could answer, the lights flickered.

Kaira's gaze snapped to the window. A black SUV idled across the street, its tinted windows gleaming under the streetlights. Her stomach dropped as two men in dark suits stepped out, one of them holding what looked like a surveillance device.

"They've found me," Kaira whispered, her voice barely audible.

Alyssa grabbed her arm. "We have to leave. Now."

The elevator was too risky, so they took the stairs, their footsteps echoing in the narrow stairwell. Kaira clutched her tote to her chest, her mind racing. Who were these people? And how did Alyssa know so much about Adrian Cross and the map?

As they reached the lobby, Alyssa slowed, peering around the corner. The two men from the SUV were speaking with the doorman, flashing what looked like badges.

"They're blocking the main entrance," Alyssa hissed.

Kaira's chest tightened. "What do we do?"

Alyssa scanned the room, her gaze landing on the maintenance door near the back. "This way."

They slipped through the door into a dimly lit alley. The rain had started again, soaking them as they moved deeper into the shadows. Kaira glanced over her shoulder, expecting to see the men following them at any moment.

Alyssa stopped suddenly, pulling Kaira into a recessed doorway. She took Kaira's shoulders, her grip firm. "You have to trust me, okay?"

Kaira nodded, though doubt clawed at her. "Where are we going?"

"There's a safehouse," Alyssa said. "It's not far. We'll figure out our next move there."

Before Kaira could respond, her phone buzzed again.

She hesitated, then pulled it from her pocket. It was another message.

"Alyssa isn't who you think she is. Don't let her take you anywhere."

Her breath caught. She looked at Alyssa, who was watching her with a mix of urgency and concern.

"Who's it from?" Alyssa asked.

Kaira hesitated, her mind racing. She couldn't show the message—not yet. Instead, she shook her head. "It's nothing. Just spam."

Alyssa nodded but narrowed her eyes slightly. "Let's keep moving."

As they turned a corner, a figure stepped out of the shadows ahead, blocking their path. Kaira's breath hitched as she recognized him. Adrian Cross.

He stood calm and composed, his coat soaked from the rain. His piercing eyes locked onto Kaira, ignoring Alyssa entirely. "I told you not to trust her."

Kaira's world tilted.

"What are you doing here?" Alyssa snapped, stepping in front of Kaira.

Adrian tilted his head, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing."

Kaira felt trapped between them, two forces pulling her in opposite directions. The rain fell harder, and somewhere in the distance, sirens wailed.

"Don't listen to him," Alyssa said firmly, her voice steady but her hands trembling. "We need to go."

Adrian took a step closer, his voice low and deliberate. "Think, Kaira. How does she know so much about me? About the map?"

Kaira looked between them, her mind spinning. She had no idea who to trust anymore.

"Time's running out," Adrian said, his gaze unwavering. "You have to choose."