Maya hit the ground with a jarring thud, her knees buckling as she rolled across the cold grass. The lantern clattered to the ground beside her, the metallic sound echoing in the night. Pain shot through her legs, but she forced herself to stand, her breath ragged as she scanned the darkened grounds for movement.
Shouts erupted from the mansion above, voices calling orders in the distance. The glow of flashlights flickered in the windows, dancing shadows spilling out onto the lawn.
Elliot’s voice echoed faintly from the open window. “Are you insane?”
Maya cupped her hands around her mouth. “Jump!”
“What?”
“Jump, Elliot!” Maya yelled. “We don’t have time for this!”
Another flashlight beam swept across the mansion’s exterior, heading straight for the window where Elliot and Evelyn stood. Without further hesitation, Elliot climbed onto the ledge, clutching the bag with the ledger.
“This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done,” he muttered, and then he jumped.
He landed awkwardly, hitting the ground hard and rolling onto his side with a groan. “Oh, great. I think I broke my everything.”
Maya pulled him to his feet, her hand gripping his arm tightly. “You’ll live. Come on!”
Evelyn followed a moment later, landing with surprising grace for someone her age. She straightened quickly, brushing grass off her coat. “That wasn’t my preferred method of escape,” she said dryly, “but it’ll do.”
Maya grabbed the lantern, her fingers tightening around its handle as she glanced back toward the mansion. More lights appeared, bobbing toward them as guards spilled out onto the grounds.
“They’re coming!” Maya shouted.
Elliot swore under his breath, his eyes darting toward the tree line. “This way! Go!”
They sprinted across the lawn, the cool night air burning in their lungs. Maya clutched the lantern tightly, her mind racing as the shouts behind them grew louder. She could hear the pounding of boots on grass, the distant crackle of a radio.
“They’re faster than I thought!” Evelyn called, glancing over her shoulder.
“They’re trying to cut us off,” Maya said, her voice tight. “We need to get to the trees!”
The forest loomed ahead, its dark silhouette offering a thin veil of cover. If they could just make it into the shadows, they might have a chance to lose their pursuers.
But the Society’s guards weren’t slowing down.
A sharp crack split the air, followed by the faint whine of something passing close to Maya’s ear. She ducked instinctively, her heart leaping into her throat.
“They’re shooting at us?” Elliot shouted, his voice rising with panic.
“Of course they are!” Evelyn snapped. “We stole their secrets and jumped out of a window. What did you think they’d do—send us a thank-you card?”
“Less talking, more running!” Maya yelled.
They reached the edge of the forest just as another gunshot rang out. This one struck a tree trunk mere inches from Maya’s head, sending splinters flying. She flinched but didn’t stop, diving into the cover of the trees.
The dense foliage swallowed them, the moonlight barely piercing through the thick canopy above. The shouts behind them grew fainter as the trees and underbrush slowed the guards’ pursuit.
“Keep moving!” Maya urged, her voice strained.
Branches whipped at her face, roots threatened to trip her, but she pressed on, the lantern swinging wildly in her hand. Every step felt heavier than the last, her legs burning from the effort, but she refused to stop.
Elliot stumbled beside her, clutching the bag with the ledger like a lifeline. “Please tell me you have a plan!”
“Get away first,” Maya said, her breath ragged. “Plan later!”
Evelyn stayed close behind, her movements surprisingly agile for someone who had spent years chasing stories instead of running from armed guards. “There’s a stream nearby,” she called. “If we follow it, it might mask our trail.”
“Lead the way!” Maya shouted.
The sound of rushing water soon reached their ears, and they followed Evelyn toward the stream. The ground grew softer beneath their feet, the damp earth clinging to their shoes as they ran.
The stream was narrow but fast-moving, its surface glinting faintly in the moonlight. Without hesitation, Evelyn stepped into the water, her boots splashing loudly as she began wading downstream.
“This way!” she called over her shoulder.
Maya and Elliot followed, the cold water soaking through their shoes and biting at their legs. The stream was shallow, but its current was strong, tugging at their movements as they struggled to stay upright.
The noise of the water drowned out the sounds of pursuit, but Maya knew the guards couldn’t be far behind.
“How much farther?” Elliot asked, his voice strained.
“Just a little more,” Evelyn said. “There’s a clearing ahead. We can regroup there.”
Maya’s legs felt like lead as she pushed through the stream, her grip on the lantern never loosening. She could feel its faint warmth against her hand, a small comfort in the chaos.
They reached the clearing just as the first light of dawn began to break over the horizon. The pale glow illuminated the forest, casting long shadows across the grass.
Evelyn collapsed onto a fallen log, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Elliot dropped onto the ground beside her, his face pale and his hair plastered to his forehead.
Maya remained standing, her eyes scanning the tree line for any sign of movement. The forest was quiet now, the only sound the soft rustling of leaves in the breeze.
“Do you think we lost them?” Elliot asked, his voice hoarse.
“For now,” Evelyn said, wiping sweat from her brow. “But they’ll keep looking. They won’t stop until they find us.”
Maya nodded, her jaw tightening. “We need to keep moving. Find somewhere to lay low.”
“Easier said than done,” Evelyn muttered.
Elliot groaned, leaning back against the log. “At this point, I’d settle for five minutes of not running for my life.”
“We don’t have five minutes,” Maya said sharply. “Every second we waste gives them a chance to catch up.”
Elliot opened his mouth to argue but stopped when he saw the look on her face. He sighed, nodding reluctantly. “Fine. Where do we go?”
Maya glanced at Evelyn, her eyes narrowing. “You’ve been doing this longer than any of us. Where would you go?”
Evelyn hesitated, her gaze distant. “There’s an old network of safe houses used by whistleblowers and investigative journalists. Most of them have been compromised over the years, but there’s one—just one—that might still be secure.”
“Where is it?” Maya asked.
“About twenty miles east of here,” Evelyn said. “It’s a cabin, deep in the woods. Remote enough to keep us off the grid.”
“Then that’s where we’re going,” Maya said firmly.
The journey to the cabin was grueling. They stuck to the forest, avoiding roads and open spaces where they might be spotted. The rising sun brought little warmth, the cool morning air chilling them to the bone as they trudged through the underbrush.
Maya’s mind raced as they walked, her thoughts consumed by the events at the mansion. The Architect’s words echoed in her head: “The Convergence is the culmination of centuries of work. You can’t stop it.”
What did it mean? What was the Convergence, and why was it so important to the Society?
She glanced at the lantern in her hand, its surface dull and lifeless. Whatever power it held, it had failed her when she needed it most. But she refused to give up. The fight wasn’t over.
Finally, after what felt like hours, they reached the cabin. It was a small, weathered structure nestled in a clearing, its windows dark and its roof covered in moss.
Evelyn stepped forward, unlocking the door with a key she’d kept hidden in her coat. “Welcome to the middle of nowhere,” she said dryly.
Maya and Elliot followed her inside, their exhaustion evident in every step. The cabin was sparse but functional, with a small kitchen, a single bedroom, and a living area furnished with mismatched chairs and a threadbare couch.
“It’s not much,” Evelyn said, dropping her bag onto the couch. “But it’ll keep us safe for now.”
Maya set the lantern on the table, her eyes narrowing as she looked at it. “We need to figure out how to stop the Convergence,” she said. “Before it’s too late.”
Elliot sank into a chair, his face pale. “And how do we do that, exactly?”
Maya’s jaw tightened. “We find The Architect again. And this time, we get answers.”