Chapter 13: After the Storm
Maya stood up slowly, brushing a speck of dust off the hem of her dark-blue velvet gown. She walked over to the workbench, picked up her carbon-fiber hairpin, and neatly re-secured her braided hair, which had partially come loose during the scuffle.
Vance lowered his weapon, letting the heavy pistol slide back into a holster beneath his coat. He looked exhausted, the decades of quiet corporate war suddenly catching up to him all at once.
“You handled yourself well, Maya,” Vance said quietly, pouring two fingers of bourbon from a crystal decanter on the kitchenette counter and sliding one glass across the metal workbench toward her.
Maya looked at the glass, then shook her head, pushing it back across the table. “I don't drink on the job, Vance. And technically, my contract just ended.”
“What contract?” Vance asked with a faint, tired smile. “There’s no employer left to pay you.”
“True,” Maya said, walking toward the exit ramp where the cool night air drifted down into the bunker. “Which means I’m officially a free agent.”
Vance followed her a few steps, his expression turning serious. “The world outside is going to change by morning, Maya. Vanguard’s stock will crater, federal investigations will be launched, and men like my brother will either be behind bars or running for cover. You painted a very large target on your back tonight.”
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“I’ve had a target on my back since the day I learned how to code,” Maya replied, stopping at the top of the ramp and turning to face him one last time. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the flash drive, now completely empty and deactivated, tossing it casually onto the concrete floor where it shattered under her heel. “Besides, I still haven't seen that movie at the Starline Cinema.”
Vance watched her go, a genuine respect shining in his eyes for the first time. He didn't offer her a ride, and he didn't ask her to stay. He knew Maya didn't belong in bunkers or boardrooms. She belonged in the world—moving quietly through the crowds, always knowing where the line ended.
