A breakthrough

Tricia tightened her grip on the knife beneath the table, her pulse hammering in her ears. Her attacker was walking towards them, his dark hoodie casting shadows over his face.

She glanced at Daniel, he wasn't trying to stop the man. He led him there, definitely.

"You betrayed me." She whispered.

Daniel exhaled, his reaction torn. "You were never supposed to know, Trish."

Her stomach twisted, but she didn't have much time to process the hurt. The man was almost at their table.

Move. Now!

In one fluid motion, she grabbed the scalding cup of coffee in front of her and threw it at the man's face. He roared in pain as the liquid burned his skin, giving her just enough time to bolt from the booth.

Daniel cursed, reaching for her but she was faster. She grabbed a chair and shoved it into his path before dashing towards the kitchen. The diner's staff yelled in confusion, but she ignored them pushing through the back exit into a dimly lit alley.

She had seconds before they recovered and came after her. She sprinted down the alley, her mind racing. She needed to disappear, again.

But, she also needed to figure out what Maya had hidden. She had a lead, the oak tree.

It was her only chance.

The trap

She reached the park twenty minutes later, her breath ragged from running. The old oak tree stood tall in the moonlight, just as she remembered.

She dropped to her knees, frantically digging at the base of the tree. Her fingers clawed through damp earth until they hit something solid.

A small, rusted metal box.

Her heart pounded as she pried it open. Inside was a USB drive wrapped in plastic and an old, crumbled photograph.

She pulled out the photo first, and froze.

It was a picture of a little girl. Her.

But standing beside her wasn't her parents, it was a woman she doesn't recognise.

And behind them, scrawed in ink were five words that sent ice through her veins.

"Find her before they do"

She barely had time to react before she heard it.

A footstep behind her.

Too late.

A heavy arm wrapped around her from behind, yanking her up. A cloth pressed against her mouth.

The sharp, sickly-sweet scent of chloroform filled her nose.

She thrashed, kicking and clawing, but darkness was already creeping in.

The last thing she saw before blacking out was the USB drive, still clutched in the trembling fingers.

And then, everything went totally blank.

A race against time

Darkness.

Tricia's mind swam in a haze, her body sluggish and unresponsive. The scent of chemicals still lingered in her nose, her throat dry as sandpaper. Slowly, awareness crept back in.

She was alive.

But she wasn't safe.

Her wrists ached. She tried to move them, but they wouldn't budge. Tied. Her ankles too. She was bound to a chair, her body slumped forward.

She forced her eyes open.

A dim light flickered overhead, barely illuminating the small, windowless room. The concrete walls were bare, the air damp and suffocating. There was a table in front of her, metal and rusted, and sitting across from her,

Daniel.

Her breath hitched. He was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, his face unreadable.

"You don't know when to stop, do you?" he said finally, his voice oddly calm.

Rage burned through her. "Go to hell, Daniel."

He exhaled, rubbing his temples. "You think I wanted this? I warned you, Tricia. I told you to stop."

Tricia clenched her jaw. "So, what now? You hand me over to whoever's pulling your strings?"

Daniel didn't answer.

That's when she noticed something, his hands were shaking.

He was nervous.

Scared.

Before she could press him, the door creaked open.

The man from the alley walked in. His face was no longer obscured by a hood. He was in his forties, with sharp, calculating eyes and a scar running down the side of his jaw.

"She's awake," he said, his voice smooth, controlled.

Tricia glared at him. "Who are you?"

The man smirked. "You can call me Carter."

The name meant nothing to her.

Carter pulled out the metal chair beside Daniel and sat down. "I have to admit, I underestimated you. We thought Maya was the real problem, but you," He leaned forward. "You're persistent."

Tricia kept her expression blank, even as fear coiled in her gut. "If you wanted me dead, you would've killed me already. So what do you want?"

Carter smiled. "Smart girl." He nodded toward Daniel. "Your friend here vouched for you. Said you weren't a threat."

Tricia shot Daniel a look. He wouldn't meet her eyes.

Carter continued, "That USB drive, where is it?"

Tricia's stomach dropped.

She had been holding it before she blacked out. Did they take it?

She feigned confusion. "USB drive?"

Carter sighed, pulling a knife from his pocket and lazily twirling it between his fingers. "Tricia, I don't have time for games. That drive contains information that doesn't belong to you."

"Then who does it belong to?" she shot back.

Carter tilted his head. "People who don't like loose ends."

Her pulse pounded. Whatever was on that drive, it was dangerous.

And Maya had died for it.

She couldn't let them have it.

She swallowed hard. "I don't have it."

Carter's smirk faded.

The knife in his hand slammed into the table, the blade embedding deep into the metal.

"Wrong answer."

Tricia flinched, but she didn't break.

Carter leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You think you're scared now? Wait until they come for you. I'm your best option, Tricia."

A chill ran down her spine.

They.

Who was he talking about?

Carter stood, rolling his sleeves up. "I'll ask one more time. Where is the drive?"

Tricia's mind raced. She had to think fast.

She took a slow breath and forced a smirk onto her lips. "If I didn't have it, you would've already killed me. Which means…" She tilted her head. "You're afraid of what I might do with it."

Carter's expression darkened.

"Let me make something clear," she continued. "I may not know who you work for, but if you kill me now, that drive will end up in someone else's hands. Someone who won't hesitate to expose whatever you're hiding."

It was a bluff. But she had no other choice.

Carter stared at her for a long moment. Then, to her shock, he laughed.

He shook his head. "You really are your mother's daughter."

Tricia froze.

Her mother?

"What," she started, but before she could finish, Carter turned to Daniel.

"Keep an eye on her," he ordered. "We'll deal with this soon."

And then he was gone, leaving her alone with Daniel.

Silence hung between them.

Tricia's voice was barely a whisper. "What did he mean? About my mother?"

Daniel hesitated. Then, finally, he met her eyes.

"You're not who you think you are, Tricia."

The room spun.

Everything she knew, everything she had been fighting for, was unraveling.

And now, she was in more danger than ever.