Harlan’s body cooled on the mezzanine floor.
I didn’t look back.
Rhea gripped my arm.
“Zurich.
How?”
“Ferryman,” I said.
“He has a jet.”
She didn’t argue.
She just followed.
We ran.
Through the fire.
Through the smoke.
Through the bodies.
Pier 9 was a nightmare of light and noise.
Ferryman’s boat idled at the dock.
He stood at the helm, cigar in mouth, eyes on the terminal.
“About time,” he said.
“You two look like hell.”
“Jet,” I said.
“Now.”
He nodded.
“Follow me.”
We boarded.
The boat roared to life.
We sped away.
Behind us, the terminal burned.
The airfield was private.
A single jet waited on the tarmac.
Ferryman killed the engine.
“This is as far as I go.”
I handed him a drive.
“That’s every Safe Point location.
Every patrol route.
Every name.”
He took it.
Smiled.
“Pleasure doing business.”
“AVG will come for you.”
He chuckled.
“Let them try.”
He turned to leave.
Then stopped.
“One more thing.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Lin’s not in Zurich,” he said.
“She’s in Reykjavik.
AVG’s backup hub.”
I froze.
“Why?”
“Because Zurich is the bait,” he said.
“Reykjavik is the trap.”
He tossed me a keycard.
“That gets you into the hub.
But once you’re in, there’s no coming out.”
I took the card.
“Thanks,” I said.
He nodded.
“Don’t die.”
Then he was gone.
The jet was small.
Fast.
Rhea sat beside me, silent.
I opened the Ledger.
Fresh page.
Wrote: “Zurich = bait.
Reykjavik = trap.
Lin = hostage.”
Capped the pen.
“Change of plan,” I said.
“We’re going to Reykjavik.”
Rhea looked at me.
“Why?”
“And because that’s where the real master key is.”
She didn’t argue.
She just nodded.
The jet took off.
Into the storm.
Into the dark.
Into the unknown.
Mid-flight, my phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number:
“Welcome to Phase Two.
First wave confirmed.
Twelve cities infected.
Timer: 68 hours.”
Attached: a map.
Seattle.
Portland.
Vancouver.
San Francisco.
Los Angeles.
Chicago.
New York.
Boston.
London.
Paris.
Berlin.
Tokyo.
All glowing red.
All burning.
I looked at Rhea.
She looked at me.
And we both knew.
There was no going back.
Only forward.
Into the fire.