“You watched me search.”

“You watched me break.”

Caleb did not look away, his eyes fixed on mine with a terrifying lack of remorse.

“You were getting too close,” Caleb said.

“You were always too smart for your own good, Adrian.”

“If you had just let the past stay buried, we wouldn’t be here.”

“Where is Lila?” I demanded, grabbing the collar of his coat and pulling him forward.

Marcus let him lean into my grip, his eyes watching the timer.

02:50.

“She is safe,” Caleb sneered, a cold smile touching his lips.

“For now.”

“But if that timer reaches zero, she won’t have a home to come back to.”

“And you won’t be alive to find her.”

Daniel stepped closer to the plastic case, pulling a small multi-tool from his pocket.

“Adrian, I might be able to cut the power,” Daniel said, his forehead beaded with sweat.

“But if there’s a mercury switch, any movement will trigger it immediately.”

I looked at the blue and red wires feeding into the mortar.

They were taut, pulled tight against the stone.