He would go after the people I left behind.

My mind raced to my sister, Clara, who was still living under an assumed name in Chicago.

She didn’t have the protection of a mafia boss.

I stood up, my legs stiff from sitting on the cold floor.

I needed to get this data to Vincent immediately.

I walked to the door and pressed my ear against the wood.

The hallway outside was dead silent.

I tried the door handle.

It didn’t budge.

I went back to the terminal, hoping to find a manual override command on my phone.

Suddenly, the overhead fluorescent lights flickered.

They buzzed to life with a blinding glare that made me squint.

The computer screens around the room booted up simultaneously, their fans roaring.

My phone vibrated violently in my hand.

An unknown number was calling.

I hesitated, my finger hovering over the screen.

I pressed answer and put the phone to my ear.

I didn’t say a word.

“You always were too smart for your own good, Clara,” a familiar, raspy voice said.

It was Derek.