Chapter 5

Lucy's POV Three weeks of training had changed me. I could feel it in the way I moved, the way I fought, the way I hunted. Rico was a demanding teacher, and every night pushed me further than I thought possible. But nothing had prepared me for this moment. I stood in Rico's private office on the top floor of Constantine Industries, staring at the security feeds. An intruder had breached the lower levels, moving so fast that the cameras barely caught him. There were just blurs of motion and scattered glimpses of a black leather jacket. "He's headed for the vault," Rico said calmly, though I could sense his tension. "Whatever you do, don't let him reach sublevel three." "What's in sublevel three?" Rico's eyes never left the screens. "Something Xena wants. That's all you need to know for now." I nodded, already moving. "Where are the others?" "Occupied. This was well planned – simultaneous disturbances across the city have drawn away most of our security forces." His lips curved in