Suddenly your phone rings .. a distorted voice says .. hello sam .. what happened inside that van ?.

Your phone buzzes in your pocket, the screen lighting up with an unknown number. Lina tenses immediately, her body language shifting from casual to alert in an instant.

"Who would be calling you?" she asks, her voice low with suspicion.

You shrug, heart hammering as you extract the phone from your pocket. The timing couldn't be worse. With trembling fingers, you answer and put it on speaker so Lina can hear.

"Hello?" you manage, trying to keep your voice steady.

"Hello Sam," comes a distorted voice that still carries Viktor's unmistakable Serbian accent. "What happened inside that van? You vanished. That diamond bitch vanished. My hideout destroyed. I found your notes... my boys are recreating the compound. We will get that bitch when she attacks again."

Your eyes lock with Lina's. Her face drains of color, but her jaw sets with determination. She nods once, silently urging you to respond.

"I-inside van," you stammer, deliberately making your voice sound shaky and frightened. "When I was interrogating her... she somehow got control of me even though her powers were suppressed. Made me free her..."

"Then you must have seen the rest on camera," Viktor cuts in, his distorted voice carrying a dangerous edge. "And she killed everyone and conveniently left you alive. Quite convincing, Sam."

Lina's eyes widen. She mouths something at you, pointing urgently at the phone. You understand immediately – they're tracing the call.

"Viktor, listen," you say, desperation seeping into your voice. "She's forcing me to help her. I can't—"

"Save it," he interrupts coldly. "Marco wants you back. You know too much, and we need that formula perfected before she hits the next location. You have one hour to turn yourself in at the Willow Lane address. After that, we hunt you down like the traitor you are."

Lina is already moving, gathering essentials from around the apartment with swift efficiency. Her hands shake slightly, but her movements are purposeful.

"Viktor," you try again, "I can bring you something better than the formula. I can bring you—"

"One hour, Sam," he repeats. "And if you're thinking of warning that diamond cunt about our plans, don't bother. We're moving operations. The addresses you know are already being emptied."

The line goes dead. You stare at the phone in your hand, the screen fading to black.

"They have the formula," Lina says, her voice tight with controlled panic. "And they're evacuating the hideouts. Fuck."

She stops her frantic packing to face you directly. The morning sunlight streaming through the window illuminates the fine sheen of sweat on her forehead, the compound still working through her system in waves you can almost see rippling beneath her skin.

"We need to leave," she states firmly. "This place isn't safe anymore. If they traced that call—"

"Where would we go?" you ask, already standing and pocketing the phone. "They know all your usual haunts if they've connected you to Jane."

Lina's expression darkens at the mention of her sister. "I have a backup location. Off-grid. No paper trail connecting it to either of us."

She moves to the window, peering cautiously through the blinds at the street below. "But Viktor's ultimatum changes things. They're expecting us to run, which means they'll have people watching transportation hubs, major roads."

"What about the compound?" you ask, your scientific mind racing through the implications. "If they manage to replicate it correctly—"

"I'll be ****," she finishes, unconsciously touching the spot on her arm where you injected the neutralizing agent. "But your counter-compound should protect me. That's the one advantage we still have."

She turns back to you, her expression hardened with resolve despite the **** humanity of her form. "We have less than an hour before they start hunting us actively. We need to decide our next move, and we need to decide now."

The weight of the situation settles between you – Viktor's threat, Marco's determination, and the ticking clock that could mean life or **** for both of you.