"Keep driving," Viktor rasped, voice hoarse. "Don't stop until we reach the second hideout. If Silas's men are still behind us, we're finished."
The driver nodded, sweat dripping down his face. "We lost them in the tunnels, boss. But they're probably tracking us. We need to get off the main roads soon."
In the backseat, the space was empty now — Leon had been taken during the ambush.
Viktor's jaw clenched at the memory. He had almost had the boy, almost gotten the file, and then everything had gone to hell.
"Damn it," Viktor muttered under his breath. "The Emperor is going to kill me for this. We had the leverage. We had the boy. And now Silas has him back."
The driver glanced in the rearview mirror. "What do we tell the Advisor? He's going to want a full report."
Viktor laughed bitterly, wincing from the pain in his ribs. "The truth. That Silas came with an army and we barely escaped with our lives. But I'm not dead yet. That's something."
