The rooftop fell silent.
Victoria and Emily stepped apart as Walker caught his breath.
"The Atlas files..." Emily said. "How?"
Walker shook his head.
"They disappeared from a secure evidence vault less than an hour ago. There were no signs of forced entry."
"Someone had clearance," Emily replied.
"Exactly."
Victoria folded her arms.
"So Volkov's spy is inside the FBI."
Walker looked at her.
"We've suspected it."
"Now we know."
An hour later, they gathered in a secure conference room at FBI Headquarters.
Every phone had been surrendered.
Every computer disconnected from the network.
Walker placed a list of names on the table.
"Only eight people had access to the evidence room."
Emily scanned the page.
She knew every name.
Most of them had been her mentors.
"This doesn't make sense."
Victoria studied the list without speaking.
Then she pointed at one name.
"Richard Hayes."
Walker frowned.
"Why him?"
"Because every time we've moved ahead of Volkov..."
"...he's already known."
Emily looked up.
"I've noticed that too."
Walker sighed.
"Suspicion isn't evidence."
"No," Victoria replied calmly.
"But it's a place to start."
Across the city, Richard Hayes entered an underground parking garage.
He looked around carefully before approaching a black sedan.
The rear window lowered.
Adrian Volkov sat inside.
"You have the files?"
Hayes handed him a small encrypted drive.
"Everything from Atlas."
Volkov smiled.
"You've been well paid."
Hayes remained emotionless.
"I don't work for money."
Volkov raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"I work because the Bureau stopped believing justice requires sacrifice."
Volkov chuckled.
"That's a dangerous philosophy."
"So is yours."
Hayes turned and walked away without another word.
Volkov watched him disappear.
"Useful..."
"...but dangerous."
Back at headquarters, Emily couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them.
She walked into the hallway and found Gabriel standing by the window.
"Can't sleep?" she asked.
He smiled faintly.
"Too many memories."
Emily joined him.
"How are you holding up?"
"I don't know."
He looked out over the city lights.
"I spent twenty years believing my sister abandoned me."
"And now I'm supposed to trust people I've known for two weeks."
Emily nodded.
"Trust takes time."
Gabriel looked at her.
"You trust Victoria."
"I do."
"Why?"
Emily smiled.
"Because every time she's had the chance to save herself..."
"...she's chosen someone else instead."
Gabriel lowered his head.
"She really is like our mother."
Late that night, Victoria stood alone in the gym on the lower floor.
She threw punch after punch into a heavy bag.
The anger.
The guilt.
The fear.
It all came out with every strike.
She didn't hear Emily enter.
"You'll break your hand."
Victoria stopped.
"I've survived worse."
Emily walked closer.
"So have I."
For a few moments, neither spoke.
Emily finally reached for Victoria's wrapped knuckles.
"They're bleeding."
Victoria laughed softly.
"I guess you have to patch me up again."
Emily smiled.
"It seems to be becoming a habit."
She carefully cleaned Victoria's hand and wrapped a fresh bandage around it.
Victoria watched her in silence.
"You always take care of everyone else."
Emily looked up.
"My father taught me that."
"And who takes care of you?"
Emily didn't answer.
Instead, Victoria gently placed her hand over Emily's.
"I'd like to."
Emily's heart skipped a beat.
She slowly intertwined her fingers with Victoria's.
Neither woman said a word.
They didn't need to.
The silence between them had become its own language.
At that exact moment, a hidden camera inside the gym transmitted live footage.
Miles away, Volkov watched the screen.
His expression remained unreadable.
"They've crossed the line."
One of his men looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
Volkov leaned back.
"They're no longer allies."
"They're becoming each other's reason to fight."
He stood and picked up a folder marked Operation Eclipse.
"Which means..."
"...it's finally time to make Victoria choose."
He opened the folder.
Inside was a photograph of Emily.
Across it, in red ink, someone had written a single word.
TARGET.
Volkov smiled coldly.
"The next move ends the game."
Outside, lightning flashed across the New York skyline.
A storm was coming.
And none of them were ready for it.