flash
The audio file on Marina’s phone was timestamped three minutes ago. Ignacio’s thumb hovered over the screen, trembling so violently he nearly dropped the device into the crib. / Chapter 15 / 20

Chapter 15 - Underground Echoes

The railway tunnels were pitch black, smelling of damp earth, rust, and stagnant water. Ignacio stumbled forward, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his arms aching under April’s weight. Sarah led the way with a small tactical flashlight, its narrow beam cutting through the dense, swirling fog.

"They won't follow us past the third junction," Sarah panted over her shoulder, slowing her pace as they reached a brick-lined maintenance alcove. "The old rail system was decommissioned during the municipal expansion. It's a dead end for anyone without the city's historical schematics."

Ignacio set April down on a dry concrete ledge. The little girl looked up at him, her dark eyes clear and unafraid, reaching out a tiny hand to touch the smudge of soot on his cheek.

"You okay, my girl?" Ignacio whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.

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Sarah kept watch near the tunnel entrance, scanning the darkness with her weapon raised. "We need to get out of the city limits by sunrise, Ignacio. The people hunting you aren't cops or corporate thugs—they’re private contractors tied to the international defense syndicate. They will burn this entire block to the ground to wipe that data."

Suddenly, the radio clipped to Sarah’s belt crackled to life with a burst of static, followed by a cold, distorted voice echoing down the tunnel: “Ignacio... we know you’re listening. Drop the child at the East End bridge, or watch the entire hospital district burn.”

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