"Nathaniel, you promised." Matthew stepped in front of Derek, shielding him. His eyes were cold, hard as winter ice.


    Nathaniel just smirked. "I never said I''d keep my word. I''m not just after that box. I want your lives. If you''re both gone, no one can ever pin this on me.”


    The words had barely left his mouth when the sharp wail of police sirens sliced through the air outside. The sound grew louder, closer, echoing through the old factory.


    Nathaniel''s face went pale. "How did the cops get here?"


    “Did you really think I''d show up alone?” Matthew''s lips curled in a mocking smile. "The second I got your message, I called in the SWAT team."


    He''d expected Nathaniel to double-cross him and had already arranged with the team. The sirens were their sign to move in.


    "Dammit!" Nathaniel snapped, eyes wild. "Kill them!"


    His men fired without hesitation. Bullets tore through the air toward Matthew and Derek.


    Matthew was ready. He dragged Derek down to the ground, then pulled a smoke grenade from his belt. He yanked the pin and threw it into the crowd. Thick white smoke exploded across the room, instantly blinding everyone. Coughs and curses filled the air.


    "Hang on," Matthew said, scooping Derek into his arms. Using the smoke for cover, he sprinted toward the back exit.


    Nathaniel saw what was happening and knew he''d lost his chance. He rushed to the metal box, grabbed what was inside, and barked out, "We''re leaving!" He ran straight for a hidden escape tunnel.


    His men fired a few more rounds toward the iing sirens, doing their best to keep the police out a little longer before following Nathaniel into the tunnel.


    When the SWAT team finally burst inside, all they found was chaos. Debris was everywhere. A few of Nathaniel''s guys had been too slow and were caught. In the middle of the fading smoke, Matthew was holding Derek up, steadying him.


    "Mr. Wiles, are you hurt?" an officer called, rushing over.


    "I''m fine. Derek''s badly hurt, he needs a hospital. Nathaniel got away he must have had another exit." Matthew scanned the room, still on guard.


    The officer''s face tightened. He turned to his team. "Seal off every road around the factory. Search everything. We have to find Nathaniel."


    The ce came alive with shouts and shing lights. Sirens, running boots, orders being yelled. Matthew just shook his head. He knew Nathaniel was gone.


    Nathaniel didn''t stop running until he''d made it through a pitch-ck tunnel and out into an


    abandoned t


    sewer. He was filthy, covered in mud, but he didn''t even pause fo wipe himself off. He tore off his


    outer jacket and chucked it in a


    trash can by the street, revealing the


    casual clothes he''d put on


    underneath.


    He checked the street, making sure no cops were around, then waved down a cab


    and rattled off an address.


    As the taxi sped off into the night, Nathaniel slumped back in the seat, his expression thunderous. When he''d first learned Matthew was


    secretty helping Reese, he''d start t


    digging into his background. But Matthew had spent years in the army and there wasn''t much to find. It had taken ages, but he''d finally hed finally discovered Matthew was sick and searching for a bone marrow donor. That was when he''d cashed in old


    favors and found Derek, a perfect match.


    The n was supposed to be


    simple. Use Derek to draw Matthew


    out, get Sofia to steal the files Bailey had on their old partnership, and take control. Without Matthew


    Reese would have more


    Bailey


    biggest secret would also me


    be in his


    hands, and the whole Meyer family would belong to him.


    Instead, everything had blown up in his face. Matthew escaped, the police showed


    up, and the cost was huge.


    When the cab finally stopped outside a fancy apartment building, Nathaniel paid the fare, hurried inside, and took the elevator up to the fifteenth floor.