"So that's why you let them take you. Clever." Akram's voice came over the transmitter, and Dylan froze. He found it. Shadow and Panther moved closer to him, staring at the computer screen he was recording on. They'd been played. Wren was at Akram's mercy.

There was static for a moment and then all contact was cut off. "No!" Dylan slammed his fist into the side of the car, nostrils flaring. He went to leave the van they'd borrowed, but Panther stepped in front of him.

"You don't know where they  took her, Dylan," she pointed out.

"Move, Panther. I'm not leaving her in there with him."

"You'll never get there in time, and then any hope of taking Akram down will be gone."

"What do you suggest, then?" he demanded, crossing his arms.

"There are security cameras everywhere in Akram's buildings. If we can hack the feed, we can record him. It would be even better than a voice recording," Shadow put in.

He makes a good point. Dylan stayed where he was, torn. If he could find Wren now, she might survive. But if he tried to get a video feed instead, he might end up watching her die instead. The world hangs in the balance here, his logical side reminded him. But all of his instincts were screaming at him to protect her.

"This was her plan," Panther reminded him gently. "She can take care of herself."

He nodded and sat down at his computer again. It didn't take him long to connect to the video feed. But he couldn't find Akram or Wren. There was a black screen. He focused on that. There's only one good reason to turn off the video feed in a building with security like this.

It took several more minutes before he got the camera online. The picture was fuzzy for a moment before coming into focus. Dylan saw Akram first. He stood facing away from the camera, with Wren positioned in a chair next to him.

Dylan watched, barely breathing, as Akram taunted Wren. Then it happened. Dylan saw it coming seconds before. Akram's hand tightened around the knife and he plunged it straight into Wren's chest.

 "Wren!" Dylan stared at the screen. I shouldn't have let her go. This is my fault. His hands fell away from the keyboard and he just watched as Akram pulled away, leaving the knife there, and exited the room.