Chapter 13 A RISK WORTH TAKING

ADRIAN POV

The diner had returned to its usual noise, but I no longer trusted the normality of the environment. 

Every movement outside the window looked normal, but every vehicle passing the building made me wonder whether someone inside was watching us.

Worst of all, the connection stopped the moment we saw the notification. That bothered me more than if it had continued.

The sudden stop left me with two possibilities: either they had failed and backed off to try again, or they had gotten what they came for.

I moved toward the back exit.

“Where are we going?” Rook asked, keeping his steps light as though the person tracking us was already outside.

“To check the signal.”

“Thought you said we were leaving.”

“We are.”

“That sounds like two different plans,” he groaned softly. 

“It is. We’ll check the signal first, then we leave.”

He let out a short, heavy sigh, shaking his head.  “I knew bringing you food was going to cost me.”

I turned around in shock. “When did you get the food?” I asked. 

“While you were busy talking with your wife.” Rook’s mouth curled into a teasing smile.

I frowned. “She’s not my wife.”

“Yet,” he said.

I rolled my eyes. “Anyway, thank you. We’ll eat later.”

“Sure, boss,” he said in a mocking tone before getting back to his serious look. 

We slipped through the back door into a narrow lane behind the diner. The rain was stopping, but the pavement was still wet and slippery.

I pulled out my phone, holding the device flat in my palm. The screen went dark again.

I pressed the power button, holding it down for three full seconds. It didn’t turn on. I tried once more, forcing my thumb down harder against the buttons. Still nothing.

Rook leaned over my shoulder. “Maybe your phone’s malfunctioning.” 

“It wasn’t before.” My voice came out serious. 

“So sorry.” 

I ignored the dry remark and shifted my attention directly to my canvas bag. Unzipping the top. 

I looked down at the Apex core. The blue light had disappeared completely, leaving the exposed wires dark and lifeless.

I crouched beside a rusted, leaking drainage pipe along the back lane and unzipped the bag further to inspect the damaged casing. 

“Adrian.” Rook’s voice wasn't loud, but the sudden, sharp change in his tone made me lock up instantly.

“What?”

Rook pointed toward the mouth of the lane, at the corner of the main street. “The van.”

I looked up, keeping my body low against the wet brick wall.

The black delivery van wasn’t parked across the street again. My jaw dropped, a wave of panic hitting my body. “Have you seen it move?” 

“We’ve been together the whole time, so why are you asking me?”

I stood up immediately, stretching my body, like I wasn’t bothered. 

Rook stared at me, confused. “Aren’t you even scared?” 

I didn’t reply. My silence was enough to answer. "We’re moving. Stand up.” 

We took the longer route through the Lower Wards instead of heading directly to Rook’s temporary place. It was an underground passage that smelled of rust and grease. 

Though no footsteps followed us inside the dark tunnel. No vehicle appeared behind us. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched. 

When we finally reached the building, Rook checked the entrance while I waited across the street.

He opened it and we went inside, locking the door shut. Only then did I allow myself to breathe.

I walked straight to the wooden table in the center of the room, pulled the Apex core from my bag, and placed it flat on the surface.

The device had given me more questions than answers since the night I escaped. First, there was the wrong rank classification. Then the incomplete readings. Now, a live signal.

Now it changed my entire plan. I couldn’t investigate Apex easily and definitely not alone.

Now, I needed more information from someone who understood how the underground networks worked.

My thoughts drifted immediately to one person.

VIVIAN VANCE.

She had information from the underground broker network. I had knowledge of Project Apex.

But contacting her now was dangerous. If someone had traced the Apex core, they might also be monitoring the people connected to it. 

Rook noticed my silence, leaning his heavy frame against the doorframe.  “You’re thinking about her.”

I looked at him, my expression unreadable. “About who?”

He gave me a tired, knowing stare. “Please. I’m not blind, Adrian.” 

I said nothing, letting the quiet hang between us.

He came closer, leaned against the table. “You need her information.”

“I know.” I said, my face still frowned about what he said. 

He ignored. “So what’s the problem holding you both?”

“Trust,” I said simply. 

Rook’s expression softened slightly, a small, hard smile came and left. “That thing you don’t have?”

I ignored him because he was right. I hadn’t really trusted anyone since the incident, including him.

My fingers hanged over the dark glow of my phone.

If only I could contact her, maybe I could ask about the meeting, or perhaps it was better to stay away and investigate the signal alone.

The second option was safer but it was also slower.

If the last three weeks had taught me anything, it was that surviving alone had already cost me too much.

“Rook, could you…”

Before I could finish asking for his phone, my dead screen suddenly turned on.

It was a message from Vivian.

VIVIAN: We need to talk.

My eyes narrowed. Another message appeared beneath it, before I could type a reply.

VIVIAN: I found something about Project Apex.

Rook watched my face closely from across the table. “What is it?”

I handed him the phone, his thick eyebrows rising slightly as he handed the device back to me. “That’s convenient.”

“Too convenient, “ I agreed softly. 

“You think it’s a trap?” Rook asked. 

“I don’t know.”

He sighed, turning his attention back toward the locked door. “So what are we going to do?”

I stared at Vivian’s name. For the first time since the disaster, I had two paths in front of me: One led deeper into the Apex investigation. The other led directly to a broker who might have information I couldn’t afford to ignore.

I opened the message box. My thumb stayed over the keyboard, as I thought it through. 

Then I typed.

ME: Where?

The reply came almost immediately, as if she had been staring at her screen waiting for my response.

VIVIAN: Tomorrow. Midnight.

Then a second message followed, half a second later. 

VIVIAN: Come alone.

I stared at those two words, burning on the screen.  

My instincts told me not to go. Everything about it felt like a trap but my investigation told me I had to because obviously I had no choice. 

I showed Rook the message. “Do you think we should trust Vivan?” 

“Honestly, Adrian, I don’t know if we should. I can’t tell if she’s setting us up.” He paused. “But I think we should give it a try. I’ll follow you secretly and find out what she’s planning.”

Then another message. 

VIVIAN: Do not bring Rook.