Chapter 22 · Traceless - Chapter 22: The File That Knows Her

The baby's still glowing when we hit the street.

Not much. Just a faint blue shimmer under the blanket Cole wrapped around her before we bolted from the lab. I can feel her now—a low hum at the back of my skull, like someone's breathing in a room I thought was empty.

Sister.

I don't know what that means. I don't know if she's my actual sister or if the program just wired us the same way. All I know is Vera's half a mile behind us with a fresh squad and every reason to rip this kid out of my arms.

Cole's ahead, scanning the alley. His jacket's torn where the pulse caught him—burned through the fabric, left a red welt across his ribs. He hasn't said a word since we cleared the blast zone.

"Cole."

He glances back. His face is tight.

"We can't keep running with her like this," I say. My ankle's screaming. The wrap he did in the lab is already soaked through. "She's lighting up every sensor in a two-block radius."

"I know."

"So what's the plan?"

He stops at the mouth of the alley, checks left, then right. The street's empty. Too empty.