Page 100 of Knight

I just hope whatever we're driving toward is actually safe, because right now, that concept feels as foreign as everything else about my life since walking into Knight's apartment with that stupid phone.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

Knight

Bishop’s safehouseturns out to be a three-bedroom ranch house in a quiet suburb. The kind of neighborhood where people complain about their HOA and debate whether their dog is part of the family or just freeloading. It screams middle-class normalcy—the kind of place no one would think to look for us.

My brother’s knack for hiding in plain sight never fails to impress me, though I’d rather eat glass than admit it out loud.

"Security's active." Bishop guides the SUV into an attached garage. "Full coverage, motion sensors, panic room in the basement if needed."

Eva helps Michael from the vehicle while I scan the area on my tablet. No suspicious network activity. No digital signatures that shouldn't be here. The security system isn’t as sophisticated as mine, but it’s solid enough to give us warning if anyone tries to crash the party.

“Inside.” I guide them through a door that leads directly into a kitchen that could have been plucked from any suburban model home catalog.

The countertops are spotless, the appliances stainless steel, and the air faintly smells of citrus. It’s the perfect façade.Nothing about it suggests a safehouse—except for the reinforced doors and windows if you know where to look.

“Rook?” I call as we step inside.

"Perimeter clear." His assessment comes from somewhere outside. "No signs of surveillance or pursuit."

Victor moves through the space like he's cataloging exits and defensive positions. Old habits. I catch myself doing the same thing—measuring distances to windows, calculating angles of attack.

Eva helps Michael sink into a chair at the kitchen table, her hands steady despite her obvious exhaustion.

“What happened to him? Why aren’t you sick?”

Victor turns at Eva’s demand. I brace myself for a sharp retort, but his eyes soften, and he smiles. “I’m just an old man, no danger to them. Michael … he wasn’t happy about his captivity. After the third time he tried to escape, they took … extra measures.”

Eva stares at him for a moment, then nods. "Medical supplies?" She looks at Bishop. "He needs fluids, probably nutrients."

"Fully stocked first aid station in the main bathroom." Bishop's preparation, as always, is thorough. "IV supplies if needed."

Michael tries to mumble something resembling a protest, but Eva’s already on the move. That determined set to her jaw is quickly becoming familiar. It’s the kind of expression that screams arguing will only waste your time.

She returns moments later with supplies that suggest Bishop prepped for anything short of open-heart surgery.

I watch as she starts an IV line in Michael’s arm.

"You learned this in a first aid course?" The question slips out before I can stop it.

"Advanced emergency care certification." She tapes the line in place. "I took the basic first aid with my job at the library, then decided to take extra training for myself."

Of course, she did more than basic first aid. Eva doesn’t do anything halfway—whether it’s finding her brother, breaking into my apartment, or insisting on being part of this rescue. The realization sends an uncomfortable warmth through my chest. One I absolutely do not have the bandwidth to analyze right now.

"We need to move the vehicles." Bishop checks his phone. "Rook?"

"On it." My brother's voice carries through our comms before he appears in the doorway. "Trade-off points are set."

The two of them leave to handle the cars, their movements so synchronized it would be unsettling if I hadn’t seen it a million times before. I’d comment, but then they’d have an excuse to gloat about their flawless teamwork, and my day’s already been annoying enough.

Victor takes a seat across from Michael, his expression unreadable as he watches Eva work.

"The organization that took you." I keep my voice neutral. "What exactly were they after?"

"Access to specific systems." Victor's gaze shifts to me. "They needed code that could infiltrate without detection. Something that could rewrite infrastructure from inside."

"Horizon Tech?" The pieces start falling into place.

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