The screen lit up.

It was a text message from an unknown number.

I opened it.

The message was a single photo.

It was a picture of the hospital room where Marcus was supposed to be.

The room was empty, the bed sheets torn and stained with dark blood.

My breath caught in my throat.

I looked down at the screen, the blue light reflecting in the dark glass of the stairwell door.

Then, from the speaker of my phone, a soft chime sounded.

The chime on my phone was a notification.

I tapped the screen.

It was an encrypted message from Elena.

“The lobby is clear,” the message read. “Come up.”

I looked back down the dimly lit hallway toward the server room.

Romano was still inside, his shadow cast long against the blue carpet.

I could not wait for him to finish.

I turned and pushed open the heavy metal door of the service stairwell.

The air inside the stairwell was cold and smelled of damp concrete.

I began to climb.

My knees ached with every step, a dull reminder of my age.