Bruno looked up from the tablet he was holding, the screen reflecting a green glow in his eyes.
"He's right," Flash said calmly, his voice even and emotionless, like the code he was typing.
"They're not just cleaning out the vampire dens. They're cleaning up everything that might be connected to the leak."
"And they could burst in here at any moment!"
Bruno stepped closer, lowering the tablet, and ran his palm across his cheek.
"We have shielded lines," he reminded him, though the words sounded unconvincing.
"We had them," Flash corrected, leaning back in his chair.
"Before I hacked into the federal broadcast. Now every camera in the city is looking for our faces."
Suddenly, everyone fell silent.
Ethan turned away from the window and began pacing the room from wall to wall, his boots quietly squeaking against the concrete.
"I'm no longer just a vigilante," he said quietly, as if admitting out loud something he had already realized. "My face was in that hall. They know I was there. If anyone suspects anything, they'll come here."
"They'll connect the dots," Flash interrupted, not looking away from the screen.
"It's only a matter of time."
Bruno stopped and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Then we leave."
Bullet, sensing the change in the air, jumped down from the table and darted over to the bags by the wall. Her small body flashed like a shadow, her tail twitching nervously.
"Where to?" Ethan asked, stopping in front of Flash.
Flash was already typing, his fingers flying across the keyboard in a frenzy.
"We have three options."
A map appeared on the screen — not of the city, but of the region, marked with routes and zones.
"First, north, the old hangar near the city border. Officially abandoned, few cameras. Downside: it's too obvious."
"Second?" Bruno asked, stepping closer and leaning toward the screen.
"An underground metro junction. An officially closed line. We can disappear into the noise of the city there."
Ethan grimaced, imagining the cramped space.
"Too tight."
"But unpredictable," Flash replied, tapping the screen.
"Third?" Bruno asked quietly.
Flash paused for a second, his fingers freezing.
"Third, we leave the city."
Ethan raised his head.
"Right now?"
"Exactly right now," Flash nodded, leaning back.
"While everyone is focused on Anna. The clans are busy with negotiations."
"The special services are concentrating on the hospitals."
Bruno thought for a moment, rubbing his chin.
"If we leave, we'll lose control of the situation."
"We're already losing it," Flash said calmly, his voice growing quieter.
Ethan paced the room again, his footsteps echoing off the walls.
"If we leave, it'll be running away."
"It'll be the best decision we've made in the last few days," Flash corrected, leaning forward.
"A maneuver away from whom? From the humans or from her?"
Flash looked at him carefully.
"From everyone."
Bruno walked over to the wall where their old routes and escape schematics were hanging.
"If we stay in the city," he said slowly, running his finger across the map,
"they'll find us sooner or later. But if we leave… we stop being a factor."
Ethan stopped.
"I don't want to stop doing this."
"Then be ready for them to come for you," Bruno said calmly, turning to him.
Flash spun his chair around completely.
"I vote for leaving," he said.
"Not forever. Just for a while. We'll see what happens after."
"Where?" Bruno asked, stepping closer.
"There's an old research complex on the outskirts of the city. Officially closed and abandoned due to an environmental hazard."
"Officially, everyone's forgotten about it. The signal there is bad, but that's a plus."
Ethan looked at the screen.
"How much time do we have to pack?"
"If you stop arguing, two hours," Flash replied, the corner of his mouth twitching into a slight smirk.
Bruno nodded.
"I'll pack the equipment and handle the cleanup."
He headed toward the cabinets, already mentally making a list.
Ethan looked at the screen again, where headlines were flashing by.
"If we leave," he said quietly, "she'll think we don't trust her."
Flash didn't look away from the monitor.
"And do we trust her?"
Ethan didn't answer right away.
"I want to believe she won't become our enemy."
"I do too," Flash said unexpectedly, his voice softening.
Ethan looked at him.
"Then what's the difference between us?"
Flash ran a hand through his hair.
Bruno added from the far corner, without looking up from the bag:
"And I believe in all of us."
Ethan took a deep breath.
He looked at the walls of their safehouse. This place had been their fortress.
But fortresses become traps once the enemy knows the address.
"Alright," he said at last.
"We're leaving."
Flash gave a short nod.
"I'll wipe everything behind us."
"And no traces," Bruno added.
Metal crates stood open, their lids flipped back like jaws from which cables, medical kits, and spare batteries spilled out.
Bruno packed methodically, without unnecessary haste. Every item found its place in the tight compartments, as if he were assembling not just a backpack, but a survival plan in case everything went wrong. His movements were measured, almost meditative. His fingers slid over plastic, checked zippers, and tucked weapons into side pockets.
Flash sat at the terminal, erasing their presence from the network. On the screen, folders, logs, and temporary connections disappeared one after another. He worked quickly but without panic, like a surgeon performing a clean operation with cold confidence.
Bullet sat on the edge of the table, watching him with feline seriousness, her tail slowly swaying.
Ethan was fastening his jacket when the phone in his pocket vibrated.
Not loudly.
But enough for all three of them to freeze.
Flash instantly turned his head, his eyes narrowing.
"You didn't call anyone?"
"No," Ethan replied quietly, pulling out the phone.
The screen was lit up with an unknown number.