They ran through backstreets, avoiding cameras and passerby, eventually disappearing into the Rivershore Metro. Evan held Sophie close, whispering directions through underground maintenance tunnels he’d explored years ago for previous investigations.
After a tense journey, they reached a hidden network of abandoned service corridors. A familiar figure emerged from the shadows: Duke, a mountain of a man with patchwork coats and a beard like steel wool. He nodded at the child, assessing the danger.
“You brought trouble,” he said simply.
“She’s the story they’re hiding,” Evan replied. “And I have proof.”
Sophie’s bracelet still pulsed faintly, a tracker designed to locate her at a distance. Evan knew it had to be removed. Using a rusted toolbox, he carefully cut the bracelet off, hiding it in a low vent so the signal would be lost in the labyrinth beneath the city.
Hours later, Evan navigated them through a service hatch into the North Harbor Community Hub, an abandoned school-turned-tech center he had once used with his sister. Inside, Sophie explored timidly, pushing a rolling chair across the floor. Evan logged into the old admin system, tracing Hartton Pharmaceuticals’ private network.