A knock at the apartment door made them both jump. William moved Leo behind the sofa and signaled for Victoria to stay back. He approached the door, checking the peephole.
No one was there. Just a small brown package on the doormat.
William retrieved it and brought it to the kitchen table. He carefully sliced the tape. Inside was a single, sleek tablet. There was no note.
He pressed the power button.
The screen flickered to life, showing a grainy, black-and-white video feed. It took William a moment to recognize the room. It was a kitchen with peeling paint, a mismatched table, and a man holding a tablet.
William looked up at the ceiling, scanning the corners.
“What is it?” Victoria asked, stepping closer.
“It’s us,” William said, his voice trembling with rage. “It’s a live feed. Right now.”
Alistair hadn’t just fired them. He had tracked them to their off-the-grid sanctuary. He had likely bribed the landlord or broken in before they arrived to install micro-cameras. The message was terrifyingly clear: *There is no escape. I see everything*.