Page 37

"System still operational," Trent confirms, checking the relay's status. "Power levels sufficient for transmission."

I connect the transmitter to the relay's input. "Once I activate this, how long before Unity can trace the signal?"

"Three minutes, maybe four. Depends on how close their nearest monitoring station is."

"And how long to complete the transmission?"

"Two minutes minimum." His eyes meet mine. "It'll be close."

I take a deep breath, finger hovering over the activation switch. "Cutting it fine seems to be our specialty lately."

His expression softens momentarily. "We've faced worse odds."

"Have we?"

"Containment breach in Eastern Arcology. Rogue drone swarm in Maintenance Sector 12." A ghost of a smile appears. " That time you decided to improvise during the Chancellor's inspection."

The shared memories trigger an unexpected warmth. "You were so mad."

"I was terrified," he corrects quietly. "You took an unnecessary risk."

"It worked, didn't it?"

"That's not the point." His eyes hold mine. "I've never liked watching you in danger, Zara. Even when it was just standard missions."

The simple honesty catches me off guard. Before I can respond, Vex returns, tension radiating from him.

"We've got company," he announces. "Unity transport, one kilometer east and moving this direction."

"How many?" Trent asks, immediately alert.

"Full extraction team. Eight operators, heavy equipment." Vex's eyes narrow. "They're moving with purpose. Someone tipped them to this location."

My stomach drops. "The relay station is compromised?"

"Possibly," Trent says, moving to check surveillance feeds. "Or they've detected our approach and are converging on our last known position."

"Either way, we need to transmit now," I insist.

Trent nods grimly. "Do it. Vex and I will prepare defensive positions."

As they move to secure the small building, I activate the transmitter.

The screen lights up with Reid's preprogrammed message—a complex sequence of genetic markers that only other Haven children would recognize, warning them of Unity's hunt and providing instructions for contacting the sympathizer network.

The transmission bar inches forward agonizingly slowly.

"Status?" Trent calls from the window where he's positioned.

"Thirty percent complete. "

"Transport has stopped half a kilometer out," Vex reports. "They're deploying ground teams."

"Standard containment formation," Trent confirms. "They'll establish a perimeter before moving in."

"How long?" I ask, watching the transmission creep to forty percent.

"Five minutes, maybe six."

"Transmission needs four more minutes minimum."

Vex moves to another window, checking sightlines. "Once they detect the active signal, that timeline shrinks considerably."

"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.

By the time I reach the cave entrance, night has fully fallen. I pause, checking for signs of pursuit before slipping inside. The cave extends into the hillside, branching into multiple chambers. I follow the path we'd briefly surveyed earlier.

"Zara?" Trent's voice comes from deeper inside.

"It's me," I confirm, moving toward the sound.

I find them in a small chamber illuminated by a single light stick. Both rise immediately, relief evident in their postures.

"Transmission?" I ask.

"Complete," Trent confirms. "Signal sent to all sympathizer networks near the targeted arcologies."

"Unity forces?"

"Still searching the western quadrant," Vex reports. "Your diversion worked perfectly."

The tension that's held me together during the mission suddenly releases, leaving exhaustion in its wake. I sink onto a rock formation, the events of the day catching up all at once.

"You did well, Flutterby," Vex says, his normally intense expression softened with something like pride.

"We all did," I correct, including Trent with a glance.

For once, the two men don't bristle at being grouped together. Instead, a tentative truce seems to have formed—forged in the heat of shared purpose and concern for a common priority.

Me.

The realization would be amusing if I weren't so tired. I lean back against the cool cave wall, closing my eyes briefly.

"Rest," Trent says quietly. "We'll take watch."

As I drift toward sleep, I'm vaguely aware of them positioning themselves protectively nearby—Trent near the chamber entrance, Vex closer to me.

My last conscious thought is that despite everything, despite the danger and uncertainty, I feel strangely, unexpectedly safe between these two very different men.

The warning is sent. The other Haven children have a chance. For now, that's enough.