Page 124 of The Lazarus Protocol

Steph shoved her sister back against the empty noticeboard on the wall behind her, shoving her forearm against Vesper’s throat. “You did this.”

Her sister bit off the words, “Gonna have to be more specific than that.”

“You called me and told me to come here, and this happens? Why are you even here?”

“What this are you referring to?”

“All of it!”

“I’m not to blame for your problems,” Vesper said. “It’s your life.”

“Then why are you here?”

Something Steph didn’t understand flashed in her sister’s eyes. But before she could question her further, commotion to her right drew her attention.

“Steph!” Adam raced toward her, Kyle right behind him.

“Where’s Ash?” Steph didn’t see the other operative.

Kyle shook his head. “They took him.”

Steph turned to Adam. “Where did you go? One second you were there, and the next you were gone!”

“The AI wanted to talk to me?” He frowned. “I fell and ended up in a basement room. Polaris showed me the team, all of them captives.”

Vesper rounded on him, her body language oozing aggression. “What did it say?”

Steph grabbed her sister’s shoulder. “Back off!”

“Let’s do this outside.” Kyle pointed in the direction of the exit. “We need to get out of here before more mercenaries show up.”

“Mercenaries?” Steph glanced at them but shoved her sister in front of her.

“They took Ash and split,” Kyle said. “Guess he was all they were here for, because they didn’t stick around long enough to look for anyone else.”

“But she’s the one who told us to come.” Steph pushed her sister ahead for emphasis. “She called me.”

“I didn’t,” Vesper said. “If you care to hear an explanation.”

Steph shook her head. “What’s the point of this?” She’d been sidelined out of the way while Adam was taken elsewhere and Ash was kidnapped. “Why is Division Zero being targeted?”

Her sister didn’t answer.

“So it can learn by observing us,” Adam said. “And to keep what Earthnet is doing under wraps.”

“They’ll have to kill all of us if they want the secret kept,” Kyle said. “Too many of us know about it.”

“Speak for yourself,” Vesper shot back before stepping outside. “I don’t die so easily.”

Steph wanted to hang back and talk to Adam alone, but that meant staying in this building, and she had zero intention of remaining where she could be trapped again. She glanced at him, and he nodded.

Vesper looked around, her jacket disguising whatever weapons she was carrying. But was she the real threat here right now? Steph knew her sister but didn’t trust her. Kyle, she probably could’ve trusted, but she didn’t know him. Adam was only slightly less of a stranger, but he’d proven himself.

Thankfully, there was no one else around that Steph could see, because that was plenty.

“You can find the team?” Adam turned to Kyle. “I saw them all in cells. Ash was in a van, but the rest of them have been locked up.”

Steph gaped. “All of them?”