Mikey, Gregor, and Lila hid in a small alleyway, breathing hard after sprinting away from the park. The distant sound of voices and footsteps made Mikey's heart pound, but he forced himself to stay quiet. He looked at Lila, who was still shaken from what she'd overheard. She wouldn't stop staring at him, her eyes filled with confusion and anger.
"You really do owe me an explanation, Mikey," she whispered sharply. "You can't just say 'It's not safe' and expect me to go home and pretend everything's fine!"
Mikey opened his mouth to reply, but Gregor cut in. "We don't have time for this right now," he said, peeking around the corner. "They're looking for us, and they aren't giving up anytime soon. We need a plan, and we need it fast."
Mikey clenched his fists. "Fine. Let's take the fight to them."
Lila blinked. "What are you talking about?"
"We've got files, names, a lead," Mikey said, his voice more determined than ever. "We can't keep running forever. If we hit them where it hurts, maybe we can throw them off our trail, even if it's just for a little while."
Gregor hesitated, then nodded. "Alright, there's a building connected to them not too far from here. It's risky, but we might be able to sneak in and see what else we can find. Just a quick in-and-out, nothing fancy."
Lila crossed her arms, clearly upset. "And I suppose you're going to tell me to wait here?"
"No," Mikey replied, surprising even himself. "You're already involved. They saw you with us. But stay close and don't do anything risky."
They moved out of the alley, keeping low and sticking to the shadows. The building Gregor mentioned wasn't too far away, a dark structure with flickering lights and high fences. Mikey could feel the weight of what they were about to do pressing down on him, but he couldn't back out now.
When they reached the building, Gregor gestured to a side entrance. "I'll keep watch," he whispered. "Mikey, you and Lila check inside. Look for anything that could give us an edge."
Lila's expression was tense but determined. "Let's do this."
The two slipped into the building, careful to stay silent. The hallways were dimly lit, filled with shadows that seemed to move and stretch with every flicker of light. Mikey's heart raced as they crept deeper inside. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking into a trap, but there was no turning back now.
As they reached an office at the end of a corridor, Mikey noticed a computer left on, its screen glowing faintly. "Bingo," he muttered, quickly moving to the desk. He sat down, tapping a few keys to access what he could.
Lila kept watch at the door, her body tense and alert. "Hurry up, Mikey. This place is creeping me out."
He clicked through files, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds. "There's a list here…names, addresses. And look—these are the same names we saw in Gregor's files. They're everywhere, Lila. This group is more connected than we thought."
"Then take what you need, and let's get out of here," Lila whispered, looking over his shoulder.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching from the hallway. Lila's face went pale, and Mikey felt his stomach twist. He grabbed a flash drive from his pocket and copied what he could, his fingers moving as fast as possible.
"Hurry, Mikey!" she hissed.
The footsteps grew louder, stopping just outside the office. Mikey froze, praying they wouldn't get caught. He glanced at Lila, who looked just as terrified as he felt.
Finally, the footsteps moved away. Mikey let out a shaky breath and pulled the flash drive out, tucking it back into his pocket. "Let's go. Now."
They slipped out of the office and hurried back to where Gregor was waiting by the door. His eyes widened when he saw them. "Did you get anything?"
Mikey nodded. "A lot. Enough to keep us busy for a while."
"Good," Gregor replied. "Now, let's get out of here before they realize we've been here."
They sneaked out, blending into the night as they made their way back to safety. But as they walked, Mikey couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. This was just the beginning of a much larger storm, and he had dragged Lila right into the center of it.
"Are you going to tell me everything now?" Lila asked quietly, her voice trembling.
Mikey looked at her, feeling the weight of his choices settle heavily on his shoulders. "I will," he promised, "but not tonight."
Lila's expression was a mix of disappointment and worry. She had trusted him, but now that trust was being put to the test. And Mikey knew that as long as the shadows of his secret life haunted him, he could never truly keep her safe.