The night wrapped around them like a shroud as the train rumbled through the countryside, the rhythmic thumping of the wheels echoing in Cassie's ears. The cold wind bit at her exposed skin, but she and Anya clung to the metal railing of the train, their eyes locked on the dark expanse of land unfurling behind them. The moon's pale light glistened off their faces, casting long shadows that danced across the train's exterior.
The lights of a small station appeared in the distance, flickering like sentinels in the dark. Cassie's fingers tightened around the railing as the train began to slow, brakes hissing in protest. Anya leaned close, her voice barely more than a whisper against the roar of the wind.
"We jump as soon as it stops. Stay low, keep to the shadows. They'll be looking for us."
Cassie nodded, swallowing the lump of dread that rose in her throat. The train rolled into the station with a final shudder, and they slipped off the metal platform and onto the gravel, careful to stay out of sight. The station was small and mostly deserted, save for a couple of railway workers who paid no attention to the quiet figures that darted through the shadows.
They crept along the station's edge, moving past dimly lit signs and benches, until they reached the cover of the nearby trees. Cassie glanced back just once, seeing the dark shapes of agents spilling out onto the platform, their eyes searching and voices sharp. A twinge of satisfaction bolstered her resolve. They were already a step ahead.
Anya motioned forward, and Cassie followed as they navigated deeper into the woods. The branches above intertwined, blocking out the moon and plunging them into near darkness. Twigs snapped underfoot, their breathing the only sound beyond the distant echoes of the station. Minutes stretched into what felt like hours before Anya finally spoke.
"There's an old network of tunnels a mile from here. It'll take us beneath the city, away from prying eyes. We need to find the entrance before dawn."
Cassie's muscles ached, each step fueled only by determination. "Do you trust that these tunnels haven't been compromised?"
Anya paused, the pale light catching the gleam in her eyes. "There's no such thing as trust, only calculated risks. This is the best one we have."
Cassie accepted that answer with a grim nod. She knew Anya's guarded nature wasn't a weakness; it was the very reason she'd survived this long. They pushed on, the chill in the air sharpening with the approach of dawn.
Finally, a clearing opened up before them, and nestled within was the moss-covered stone mouth of an old, forgotten tunnel. Its arched entryway yawned in the ground like the gaping maw of a beast, the iron gate rusted and broken. Anya slipped inside first, her steps careful on the uneven stone floor. Cassie followed, the darkness swallowing them whole.
Inside, the air was stale, laced with the metallic scent of damp iron and earth. Their footsteps echoed as they moved, the tunnel stretching out like the veins of a forgotten beast. Cassie switched on a small flashlight, the beam cutting through the shadows to reveal the cracked stone walls lined with cobwebs and old, faded markings.
Anya pointed to one of the symbols, a mark Cassie recognized from Adam's notes. It was part of the network of signals spies used to leave coded messages for one another, and it marked the tunnel as an old drop point. Cassie traced her fingers over the faded lines, feeling a rush of connection to the ghosts of those who had come before them.
"We'll need to rest here for a few hours," Anya said, slumping against the wall. "But we can't stay long. They'll fan out once they realize we've left the station."
Cassie's body screamed for sleep, but her mind buzzed with thoughts of the USB drive, tucked securely in the hidden pocket of her coat. Whatever secrets it held were powerful enough to cost Adam his life and turn both of them into fugitives. She sat beside Anya, the flashlight casting their shadows long and thin.
"What's on that drive, Anya?" Cassie asked, finally breaking the silence. She turned her eyes to the woman beside her, searching for any sign of hesitation.
Anya's jaw tightened, a muscle twitching near her temple. "The names of key operatives in the agency, along with their offshore accounts, connections to rogue states, and a list of sanctioned eliminations. It's a map of corruption so deep, exposing it would unravel decades of covert operations."
Cassie's breath caught in her throat. She'd known it was damning, but hearing the full weight of what they held was staggering. "No wonder they're hunting us like animals."
"They won't stop, Cassie. Not until this is over, one way or another." Anya's voice held a note of finality that settled like a stone in Cassie's gut.
She looked out at the darkness of the tunnel, the sound of dripping water echoing from deeper within. She tried to picture what victory would even look like—a life free from the agency's shadow. The image was blurry, an abstraction that felt almost unreachable.
"We need to find a way to release it. Publicly," Cassie said, breaking the stillness. "Something that's too big for them to suppress."
Anya's eyes met hers, the edges softening for the first time since they'd left Prague. "Then we need allies. And I know just where to find them."
Cassie's exhaustion took a back seat to the flicker of hope sparking to life. They were far from safe, but they were no longer just running—they had a plan.
As they leaned back against the cold stone wall, the first rays of dawn crept into the mouth of the tunnel, painting thin lines of gold against the darkness. It was a fragile, fleeting peace, but it was enough to carry them into the next step of the fight.