“When he calls, read this exact sequence,” I said. “Do not stutter. Do not hesitate.”

She stared at the numbers.

“What if he asks me to verify the checksum?” she asked.

“He won’t,” I said. “He thinks he has you completely under his control.”

We sat in silence, watching the seconds tick away on the microwave clock.

The motel room felt smaller now, the air thick with tension.

Outside, the first drops of rain began to hit the windowpane.

At exactly ten minutes, the phone on the table began to vibrate again.

The name *Lucas* flashed on the screen.

Chloe looked at me, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.

“This is it,” I whispered.

She picked up the phone.

She didn’t hesitate this time.

She swiped the screen and put it to her ear.

“Lucas,” she said, her voice cool and steady. “I have the key.”

I held my breath, waiting to see if he would take the bait.

“Read it to me,” Lucas said through the speaker.

Chloe gripped the piece of paper in her left hand.

“Zero, four, alpha, nine,” she began.