The hum of the car engine filled the silence between Harper and Rossy as they sped away from the warehouse. The adrenaline was still coursing through Rossy's veins, her hands gripping the edge of her seat so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Harper's jaw was clenched, his eyes focused on the road ahead. His hands were steady on the wheel, but she could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his mind was racing.
"Where are we going now?" Rossy asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Somewhere safe," he replied curtly.
Her stomach churned. "You said the safe house was secure. But Zeath found us there. How do we know wherever we're going next won't be the same?"
Harper didn't answer immediately. He exhaled sharply, his fingers tightening around the wheel. "We'll figure it out. One step at a time."
Rossy turned her gaze to the USB drive in his hand, the faint glint of its metallic surface catching the light. "Do you think this will be enough to stop him?"
Harper glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "It's a start. But we'll need to decrypt whatever's on it. And we'll need to move fast. Zeath won't stop until he gets it back."
A Temporary Refuge
Harper pulled into a secluded motel hours later, the neon "Vacancy" sign flickering against the night sky. The place looked run-down, the kind of spot people went to when they didn't want to be found.
"This'll have to do for now," Harper said as he parked the car.
They checked into a room under fake names, Harper paying in cash to avoid leaving a paper trail. The room was small and dimly lit, the scent of mildew lingering in the air. Rossy barely noticed, her thoughts consumed by the events of the day.
Harper set up his laptop on the rickety desk, plugging the USB drive in. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he worked to bypass the encryption. Rossy paced behind him, her nerves fraying with each passing second.
"What if it's nothing?" she asked, voicing the fear that had been gnawing at her since they left the warehouse. "What if this was all for nothing?"
Harper didn't look up. "Then we keep going. But let's not assume the worst just yet."
Minutes stretched into an hour as Harper worked, his brow furrowed in concentration. Rossy sank onto the bed, her mind racing.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Zeath's face—his cold, calculating stare, the smirk that told her he believed he was still in control.
She opened her eyes and looked at Harper. "What if he finds us again? What if—"
"Stop," Harper said firmly, cutting her off. "We can't focus on the what-ifs. We deal with what's in front of us. And right now, that's this." He gestured to the laptop.
Rossy bit her lip, nodding even though her fear refused to subside.
The Evidence Unveiled
Finally, Harper leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Got it."
Rossy jumped to her feet, moving to stand behind him. "What is it?"
The screen displayed a series of files—spreadsheets, emails, and detailed logs. Harper clicked through them, his expression growing darker with each document he opened.
"This is it," he said, his voice low. "This is everything we need. Financial records, bribes, illegal shipments. Names of everyone involved in Zeath's operations—including people in law enforcement."
Rossy's breath caught. "Law enforcement?"
Harper nodded grimly. "That's how he's been staying one step ahead. He's got cops, prosecutors, maybe even judges on his payroll."
Her stomach turned. "How do we even fight that? If he has people in the system protecting him, how can we ever take him down?"
Harper's jaw tightened. "We don't go through the system. Not yet. First, we find someone we can trust—someone who can't be bought. Then we make this public. Once the world sees this, Zeath won't be able to hide."
Rossy stared at the screen, her mind reeling. The evidence was damning, but it also painted a terrifying picture of just how far Zeath's reach extended.
"Do you think he knows what was on this?" she asked.
Harper hesitated. "If he sent those men to the warehouse, he knows it's important. But whether he knows exactly what's on it, I can't say."
A Call from the Past
As Harper worked to copy and encrypt the files, Rossy's phone buzzed on the nightstand. She froze, staring at the screen.
Blocked number.
Her heart pounded as she reached for the phone. Harper glanced at her, his expression sharp. "Don't answer that."
But something in her gut told her she needed to. She pressed the answer button, bringing the phone to her ear.
"Hello?"
There was a pause, then a familiar voice that made her blood run cold.
"Rossy."
Zeath.
Her grip tightened on the phone as her throat went dry. "How did you get this number?"
His chuckle sent a shiver down her spine. "You should know by now that there's nowhere you can go where I won't find you."
"What do you want?" she demanded, her voice trembling despite her attempt to sound strong.
"You have something that belongs to me," he said, his tone calm but laced with menace. "I'm giving you one chance to return it. Hand it over, and we can put all of this behind us."
Her hand shook as she clutched the phone. "You think I'd just hand it back? After everything you've done?"
Zeath's tone hardened. "This isn't a game, Rossy. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. Give me the drive, or you'll regret it."
Before she could respond, the line went dead.
Harper was on his feet in an instant. "What did he say?"
She swallowed hard, her pulse racing. "He knows we have the drive. And he's not going to stop until he gets it back."
Harper nodded, his expression grim. "Then we move. Tonight. We can't stay here."
The Chase Begins
Packing up their things, Harper and Rossy left the motel under the cover of darkness. Every shadow, every car on the road felt like a potential threat.
As they drove, Rossy's mind raced. Zeath was closer than ever, and the stakes were higher than she'd ever imagined.
But she couldn't let fear control her. Not anymore.
"I'm not going to let him win," she said softly, more to herself than to Harper.
Harper glanced at her, his eyes filled with determination. "Neither am I."
As they disappeared into the night, the weight of the battle ahead pressed heavily on them both. Zeath was coming, and they would need every ounce of courage and cunning to survive what was to come.