The safe house buzzed with activity as Maya hunched over her laptop, her fingers flying across the keyboard. The glow from her screen illuminated her determined expression as she sifted through mountains of encrypted files.
“I’ve got him,” she said suddenly, her voice cutting through the silence.
Blair and Jax rushed over. “You found Calder?” Blair asked, her tone a mix of relief and readiness.
Maya nodded. “He’s holed up in a secluded cabin upstate. It’s remote, but I tracked a recent purchase he made—supplies and high-grade surveillance equipment. He’s definitely preparing for something.”
Blair’s lips curved into a small smirk. “Perfect. Let’s get ready to move.”
Before they could dive further into the plan, Jax’s phone buzzed with a notification. He frowned as he checked it.
“Uh, we’ve got a problem,” Jax said, holding the phone up for Blair to see.
It was a message from an informant.
“Travis has vanished. No trace of him in the safe house. He’s on the run.” 
Blair’s expression darkened. “Unbelievable. We turn our backs for one second…”
Maya sighed, closing her laptop. “If Travis runs, there’s a chance he’ll sell us out to save his own skin.”
Jax added, “Or worse—he could run straight to Vincent if he thinks it’ll buy him protection.”
Blair paced the room, her mind racing. “We can’t take the risk. Calder will have to wait. Our priority now is finding Travis before he does any damage.”
The team sprang into action, splitting up to cover more ground. Maya stayed behind to monitor any digital breadcrumbs Travis might leave, while Blair and Jax hit the streets.
Blair’s first stop was a dingy motel on the outskirts of the city. Travis had a habit of seeking out seedy places where he could blend in.
She bribed the clerk for information, but the man shook his head. “Haven’t seen anyone matching that description,” he said gruffly.
Frustrated but undeterred, Blair moved on to another lead.
Meanwhile, Jax was combing through underground bars and gambling dens. He leaned on old contacts, offering cash and favors for any hint of Travis’s whereabouts.
Back at the safe house, Maya hit pay dirt. “Blair, Jax, I’ve got something!” she said through the comms. “Travis used a burner phone to make a call a few hours ago. He’s somewhere in the industrial district. I’m sending you coordinates now.”
Blair and Jax regrouped and headed to the location.
The industrial district was a labyrinth of abandoned warehouses and shipping containers. The air was thick with the smell of oil and rust.
Blair spotted movement in one of the warehouses. She motioned for Jax to follow her as they approached silently.
Inside, Travis was pacing nervously, his hands shaking as he clutched a phone.
“Travis,” Blair said, her voice calm but firm as she stepped out of the shadows.
He froze, his eyes wide with fear. “Blair! I—I wasn’t going to do anything, I swear!”
Jax appeared behind him, blocking the exit. “You’ve got a funny way of showing loyalty, running off like that.”
Travis stammered, “I just needed to get away! This is too much for me. I can’t handle it anymore!”
Blair’s eyes narrowed. “And what? You thought you’d be safer out there on your own? You have no idea who’s watching you—or how close you came to leading them to us.”
“I didn’t tell anyone anything!” Travis pleaded. “I swear!”
Blair stepped closer, her voice low and dangerous. “We don’t have time for games, Travis. If you’re hiding something, now’s the time to come clean.”
Travis hesitated, then finally broke. “Okay, okay! Someone contacted me—one of Calder’s men. He said they’d protect me if I gave them information about your team.”
Blair’s expression hardened. “You’re lucky you didn’t take them up on that offer. But now you’re coming back with us. We can’t afford to have you out here making stupid decisions.”
While the team dealt with Travis, Vincent remained in hiding, his operations slowed to a crawl. His once-formidable network was in shambles, and his resources were dwindling.
He sat alone in a darkened room, his mind racing with plans for his next move. The death of the Architect had been a crippling blow, but Vincent was nothing if not resilient.
“They think they’ve won,” he muttered to himself. “But they’re just giving me time to rebuild.”
Meanwhile, word reached Blair that Leo had returned to the country. He’d been laying low in a neighboring country after Kai’s death, but his arrival back home had stirred some curiosity.
“Have you heard from him?” Maya asked as she worked on her laptop.
Blair shook her head. “No, and I don’t plan to. Leo’s been distant ever since Kai died. I don’t have the time or energy to chase after him.”
Maya raised an eyebrow. “You don’t think he could be useful?”
Blair sighed. “Leo made his choice when he walked away. I’m not going to beg him to come back. If he wants to help, he knows where to find us.”
With Travis back under their watchful eye, the team regrouped to refocus their efforts on Calder.
“He’s still at the cabin,” Maya reported. “But we need to move quickly before he catches wind that we’re onto him.”
Blair nodded. “We’ll handle it. But first, we need to make sure Travis doesn’t pull another stunt like that.”
Jax grinned. “Don’t worry. He won’t get far with me watching him.”
As the team prepared for their next mission, Blair couldn’t shake the feeling that their enemies were closer than ever. Vincent might have gone quiet, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he struck again.