My fingers touched the back of the bear’s neck.

Underneath the soft stuffing, there was a hard, rectangular shape.

It didn’t feel like plastic joints or a battery pack.

It was metallic, heavy, and completely rigid.

“Let me see it, buddy,” Ryker said, gently coaxing the bear from Owen’s grip.

Owen hesitated, then let his hands drop.

Ryker turned the toy over, examining the clumsy stitching.

He didn’t use a knife.

He used his strong fingers to pull at the blue thread, snapping it with a sharp tug.

The seam split open, spilling a small clump of white polyester stuffing onto the carpet.

Ryker reached deep into the cavity of the bear’s neck.

His fingers clamped onto something solid and pulled it out.

It was a sleek, silver flash drive, wrapped in a small piece of clear plastic to protect it from dust.

On the metal casing of the drive, the letters *M.S.* were scratched into the surface.

Mara Steel.

“She hid this,” I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs. “She knew they were coming for her.”

Ryker stared at the drive in his palm, his jaw tight.