“Someone gave them the encryption keys to our secondary transport.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his vibrating phone.

The screen showed a single message from Marco: *Perimeter breached from the east. Signals compromised. Move to Point Blue.*

“We cannot use the main vehicles,” Ryker said, looking up at me.

“They know the transponder IDs.”

“Where do we go?” I asked, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady.

The wind picked up, shaking the pine branches above us and sending a shower of cold droplets down our necks.

“The old logging cabin,” Ryker said, standing up and grabbing his rifle.

“It has no power, no network, and no digital footprint.”

He reached down and lifted Owen into his left arm, keeping his right hand free on the weapon.

I took Lily’s hand, her small fingers freezing cold against my palm.

“Keep close,” Ryker muttered, turning away from the main path.

We plunged deeper into the dark underbrush, leaving the estate’s manicured trails behind.

The branches tore at my coat and scratched at my face, but I did not slow down.