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"We need a diversion," Trent decides. "Something to draw their attention away from the building while the transmission completes."

"I'll go," Vex volunteers immediately. "My modifications give me better odds in open terrain."

"Too risky," Trent counters. "We need to?—"

"Wait," I interrupt, an idea forming. "What if we use their tactics against them? Start the false genetic trail now?"

They both look at me, understanding dawning.

"The suppression compound," Trent says, following my logic. "They'll prioritize capture over the signal source."

I nod. "I leave obvious genetic markers heading west. They follow, giving us time to complete the transmission and escape in another direction."

"You'd be deliberately putting yourself in their path," Vex objects.

"Not for long. Just enough to draw them away." I check the transmission—sixty percent complete. "Besides, I'm the fastest one here."

The two men exchange a look that, for once, contains no antagonism—just shared concern.

"We'd need perfect timing," Trent says.

"And a rendezvous point," Vex adds.

"The cave system we bypassed two kilometers north," I suggest. "Easily defensible, multiple exits."

"If you're not there within thirty minutes of our arrival, we come looking," Trent insists.

"Deal." I disconnect the transmitter, leaving it to complete its cycle autonomously. "Transmission is running independently now. Reid built in an auto-destruct once it's complete."

I move to the door, heart pounding with a mixture of fear and determination. Trent catches my arm before I can exit.

"Zara." His voice holds something I've rarely heard—raw emotion breaking through his usual control. "Be careful."

"Always am," I reply.

Vex steps forward, pressing something into my hand—a small metal object I recognize as one of his hidden knives. "Just in case," he says simply.

With a final nod to both men, I slip out into the gathering darkness. The forest beyond the relay station provides good cover as I circle toward the Unity forces. When I'm positioned appropriately, I implement the most uncomfortable part of the plan—deliberately leaving genetic evidence.

A small cut on my palm, blood wiped on leaves. Hair strands caught on branches. Footprints slightly deeper than necessary in soft soil. All pointing west, away from the signal relay and our planned escape route.

I've just placed the final marker when I hear them—Unity operators moving through the forest with measured precision. Their equipment hums with power, sensors sweeping the area methodically.

Taking a deep breath, I break into a controlled run, making just enough noise to attract attention without seeming deliberate.

"Movement, west quadrant," a voice calls behind me. "Biological signature detected."

"Confirm identity," another responds.

"Matching Thorne parameters. It's her."

"Capture team deploy. Suppression protocols active."

The hunt is on. I push myself faster, drawing them further from the relay station. My modified body responds beautifully, carrying me through the forest with a speed and agility that feels almost like flight.

Behind me, I hear the capture team pursuing—their movements hampered by equipment but driven by determination. I lead them on a twisting chase, always moving west, always just visible enough to keep them following.

When I judge they've been drawn far enough, I implement the second phase—disappearing completely. My training as a Sentinel combined with my modifications makes this easier than it should be. I double back through a stream to mask my scent, then climb up the largest tree and use the surrounding canopies to avoid leaving ground traces, much like the monkeys that used to exist, and finally make a dash northward toward the cave rendezvous.