Ten minutes felt like an eternity in the freezing dark. Kale crouched behind a rusted metal dumpster, her phone’s cellular network disabled, watching the rain dance across the oil-slicked puddles of the alleyway.
Suddenly, the deep, aggressive roar of a high-performance engine echoed down the narrow corridor. Headlights cut through the downpour, blinding her. A sleek, armored black sports car screeched to a halt at the edge of the alley, its tires throwing up a spray of muddy water.The door swung upward.
A man stepped out into the storm, holding a large black umbrella. He wore a tailored charcoal suit that looked entirely out of place in the gritty downtown slums, but his expression was pure steel.Silas Vance.Kale stepped out from the shadows, shivering violently, her backpack clutched to her chest like a shield.
She...