Chapter 3: The Envelope

“You were just trying to kill me,” Marcus said, his voice flat. “You don't get to show up and say sorry.”

Derrick flinched. “I know. I remember all of it. That's the worst part.” He looked down at the envelope in his hands. “But this has names. Locations. The people who made Blis. They're not just dealers. They're—”

“Inside,” Thorne cut in, his voice low. “Now. Before you're seen.”

Derrick stepped over the threshold, and Thorne shut the door behind him, sliding the deadbolt home. The house felt quieter now, but the weight of the chaos outside pressed against the walls.

Maya came up from the basement stairs, sketchbook clutched to her chest. She stopped when she saw Derrick. “You.”

“I know,” Derrick said, raising his hands. “I'm sorry, Maya. I can't undo what I did. But I can stop it from getting worse.”

“He's telling the truth,” Thorne said, surprising everyone. He was studying Derrick's pupils, his posture. “No signs of the compound in his system. He's clean. For now.”

Marcus felt his jaw tighten. “So what's in the envelope?”

Derrick opened it carefully, pulling out several folded papers and a USB drive. “The operation is run by a man named Vance. He's not local. He has a factory ten miles outside town, in an old warehouse. I was supposed to deliver shipments. I didn't know it was a test run.”

“Test run?” Maya said.

Derrick nodded. “Blis isn't the final version. They're using this town to gauge how fast it spreads, how people react. When they're satisfied, they'll replicate it in bigger cities.” He glanced at Thorne. “They know you're here. They've been watching for days. I was sent to find you, but I... I couldn't go through with it.”

Thorne's face hardened. “If they know, then the storage facility isn't safe. We need to move now.”

“Wait,” Marcus said. “We're just going to trust him? He was part of this.”

“He's also our only lead on the factory,” Thorne replied. “And I don't have a better option. Unless you'd rather wait until the drug saturates the air supply. We have about two hours left.”

Marcus turned to Maya. Her face was pale, but she gave a small nod. He exhaled. “Fine. But Derrick stays where I can see him.”

They moved quickly. Thorne grabbed a duffel bag from the basement, stuffing in vials of the prototype counteragent, a laptop, and a map. Derrick pocketed the envelope and USB. Maya held Marcus's flashlight as she slid open the back door.

The alley was empty, but the distant screams were closer now. A car alarm blared somewhere. The sky was a strange orange, as if the streetlights weren't enough to hold back the dark.

“The storage facility is on Miller Road, near the old grain elevator,” Thorne said, leading them. “If we take the back alleys, we can avoid the main streets.”

They moved in single file. Derrick was in front, Thorne behind him, then Maya and Marcus. Each step felt loud. Every shadow seemed to shift.

A block away, a man stumbled out of a house, his eyes blood red, his hands clawed. He didn't see them. He stood in the middle of the street, spinning slowly, muttering.

They pressed against a fence, holding their breath. The man turned, walking in the opposite direction. They kept going.

At the edge of the alley, Thorne held up a hand. “The storage unit is at the end of the next street. We cross there.”

Marcus peered around the corner. A chain-link fence, a gravel lot, a row of metal sheds. No movement. But at the far end, a black SUV was parked, engine off.

“That's not mine,” Thorne said quietly.

Derrick went pale. “Vance's people. They must have figured I'd come here.”

“They followed you,” Marcus said, grabbing Derrick's arm. “You said you turned against them. How do I know this isn't a setup?”

“Because I came to you,” Derrick said, his voice cracking. “I could have led them here and stayed hidden. But I didn't.”

Maya stepped between them. “He's scared, Marcus. Look at him. He's shaking.”

Marcus looked. Derrick's hands were trembling, his face tight with fear. Not the fear of being caught—the fear of being wrong.

“Fine,” Marcus said, releasing him. “But if this goes sideways—”

“It won't.”

Thorne pointed to the SUV. “The engine is cold. They might be waiting inside, or they might be searching the area. We need the equipment from unit 47. That's the one I hid the gear in. If we can get to it without being seen, we can slip out the back.”

He handed Marcus a key. “You're the fastest. Go around the far side. Maya and I will create a diversion—something to draw their attention. Derrick, stay here and cover us.”

Marcus stared at the key. “What kind of diversion?”

“I've got a flare gun in my bag. A shot into the air will pull them to the east. That gives you maybe three minutes.”

Maya touched Marcus's hand. “Be careful.”

“You too.” He squeezed back, then turned and ran along the fence line.

His heart hammered. The gravel crackled under his feet. He counted the units: 41, 43, 45... There. Unit 47. He fumbled with the lock, slid the key in, and turned. The lock clicked open.

He pulled the door up, wincing at the noise. Inside, a tarp covered several metal cases. He grabbed the first one—heavy, full of something. He dragged it out.

A shout from behind. “Hey! Stop!”

He spun. A man in a black jacket stood at the end of the row, gun raised. “Don't move!”

Marcus dropped the case, hands up. From across the lot, a flare shot into the sky with a hiss, and the man turned toward the light.

Marcus grabbed the case again and sprinted, weaving between units. He heard footsteps, shouting, then a gunshot. Not aimed at him—warning shots into the air.

He didn't stop. He reached the fence where Maya and Thorne were waiting. Derrick took the case from him.

“We have to go through the drainage ditch,” Thorne said, pointing to a culvert under the road. “It leads to the woods. We can circle back to my house.”

They slid down the muddy slope, crouching as they ran. The water was cold, ankle-deep. Above, the flare faded. Voices echoed, getting closer.

They reached the other side, scrambling up into the trees. The sounds of the town grew distant, muffled by the leaves. They stopped to catch their breath.

Marcus leaned against a tree, gasping. “We can't go back to your house. They know about it.”

Thorne nodded, catching his breath. “There's a hunting cabin about a mile north. Belongs to an old colleague. He's out of town. We can use it as a base.”

Derrick set the case down. “The USB drive has the factory schematics. If we can find a way in, we can destroy the compound before they release the full batch.”

“That's assuming we survive the night,” Maya said, her voice hollow.

Marcus looked at his friends, at the others. They were dirty, scared, running out of time. But they were together.

“We will,” he said. “One way or another.”

Thorne led them deeper into the woods. The sky grew darker, the stars hidden by smoke. From behind them, the town continued to scream.