At 2:13 in the morning, security found the boy outside the emergency entrance.

Mara slowly stepped back toward the server terminal, keeping her hands visible while shielding the handheld sequencer with her body.

"Arthur Vane," Mara said clearly, her voice echoing in the small server room. "The man sitting in the Whitmore estate isn't Grant Whitmore. He's the lead scientist who was supposed to have died in the laboratory fire."

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed slightly, but her composure didn't break. "You are making wildly defamatory claims based on stolen medical data, Doctor. Claims that will ensure you spend the next twenty years in a federal penitentiary."

"He murdered the real Grant Whitmore," Mara continued, stepping sideways to position herself nearer to the emergency exit door at the back of the server room. "He took his company, his wealth, and his son. And when Owen figured it out, Vane locked him up."

Evelyn gestured to the two guards behind her. "Secure the drive. Delete the terminal logs. Make sure Dr. Ellison is escorted to the lower level where Mr. Whitmore’s team can handle her... quiet departure."

The two men stepped forward.

Before they could reach her, Mara grabbed the heavy portable fire extinguisher mounted on the wall beside the server rack, pulled the safety pin, and sprayed a dense cloud of white carbon dioxide foam directly into the guards' faces.

The room dissolved into white fog and choking noise. The guards coughed, stumbling backward as the blinding chemical powder filled the narrow space.

Mara didn't hesitate. She threw her shoulder against the rear emergency exit door, bursting out into the service alley behind the hospital.

Rain hit her face as she sprinted toward the parking structure, her heart hammering against her ribs. She pulled out her phone, her fingers slippery with water, and hit speed dial.

"Jim!" she gasped, ducking between parked cars. "It's Vane! The man posing as Whitmore is Dr. Arthur Vane—the lead scientist from the explosion!"

"Mara, where are you?" Miller’s voice crackled over the line.

"I'm in the hospital parking garage. They found me—Evelyn Mercer brought security. They're trying to destroy the evidence!"

"Listen to me," Miller said, his tone grim and urgent. "Get out of there now. I just got a ping from my contact at the precinct. A private security team just logged a request for a 'welfare transfer' at the Whitmore estate. Vane is moving Owen. They're taking him to a private airfield on the coast within the hour!"

"They're getting him out of the country," Mara said, reaching her sedan and slamming the key into the ignition. "If they get him on a private plane, Owen will disappear forever."

"Meet me at the old state route entrance near the estate," Miller instructed. "I have a couple of former colleagues who owe me favors, but we don't have time for a warrant. We have to intercept them before they hit the runway."

"I'm on my way," Mara said, shifting the car into drive and roaring out of the garage, leaving the flashing lights of the hospital security vehicles behind in her rearview mirror.

As she drove through the heavy downpour, her phone vibrated in her lap. It was a call from an unknown, restricted number.

She hit speaker.

"Dr... Dr. Mara?"

A small, trembling voice came through the static.

"Owen!" Mara cried out, keeping her eyes fixed on the rain-slicked highway. "Owen, where are you?"

"I'm in the car," the boy whispered, the sound of wind and tires rushing in the background. "He took my sock... but he didn't see the second piece of paper. I used the car phone while he was talking to the lady."

"Owen, listen to me very carefully," Mara said, her voice dropping into a firm, reassuring tone. "Are you safe right now?"

"He's driving fast," Owen whimpered. "He told the driver to go to the hangar. He said... he said we're never coming back."

"I'm coming for you, Owen," Mara promised, her grip tightening on the wheel. "Do you see any signs outside? Do you know where you are?"

"We just passed the big water tower," Owen whispered. "The one with the rusty star."

Mara’s mind clicked into place. The old industrial harbor near the coast. "I know where you are. Owen, I need you to do something for me. Can you stretch out on the back seat and stay down?"