The hallway lights flashed red as Athena, Eliot, and Parker ran.

Behind them, heavy security doors slammed shut one after another.

"Left!" Parker shouted.

They turned the corner.

A dozen guards appeared at the opposite end.

Eliot stopped.

Athena stopped beside him.

Parker sighed.

"That's a lot of people."

Athena smiled.

"Good."

Eliot glanced at her.

"You really enjoy this."

"Maybe."

The guards charged.

Athena moved first.

She ducked under a swing and drove her fist into one guard's jaw. Eliot took down another beside her.

Parker slipped between them, grabbed an access card, and kept running.

"Got it!"

Athena and Eliot followed.

They reached the emergency stairwell.

Parker swiped the card.

Nothing.

She tried again.

Still nothing.

"It's locked."

Eliot looked behind them.

More guards were coming.

"Can you open it?"

Parker smiled.

"Give me ten seconds."

"You have five," Athena said.

Parker pulled out her tools.

"Pressure."

Eliot stepped forward.

"I'll buy you time."

Athena moved beside him.

"So will I."

Eliot looked at her.

"You don't have to."

"I know."

She smiled.

"But I want to."

For a moment, Eliot just stared at her.

Then he smiled.

"Okay."

They turned toward the approaching guards.

"Ready?" Athena asked.

Eliot nodded.

"Always."

They fought side by side.

Athena blocked.

Eliot struck.

Eliot ducked.

Athena kicked.

Every movement was perfectly synchronized.

Behind them, Parker finally shouted—

"Got it!"

The stairwell door unlocked.

"Move!" Eliot yelled.

Athena grabbed Parker's hand.

They sprinted downstairs.

⸻

Five minutes later, they burst out into an alley.

A black SUV was waiting.

The door opened.

Hardison leaned out.

"Get in!"

Parker jumped inside.

Athena followed.

Eliot climbed in last.

The SUV sped away.

Hardison looked at the three of them.

"Did you get the files?"

Parker held up the drive.

"Everything."

Hardison grinned.

"That's my girl."

Athena looked out the window.

"What about Kane?"

Nate's voice came through the radio.

"He disappeared."

Athena's eyes narrowed.

"He knew we'd escape."

Sophie nodded.

"Which means he wanted us to take those files."

Eliot looked at the drive.

"Why?"

Athena suddenly understood.

She turned toward everyone.

"Because there's something in there he wants us to find."

Silence.

Hardison slowly nodded.

"That's what I was afraid of."

Athena looked at Eliot.

"We're not chasing Kane."

Eliot's eyes met hers.

"He's leading us somewhere."

Athena nodded.

"And whatever is waiting at the end..."

She tightened her grip on the folder.

"...he thinks we're going to walk right into it."

Eliot reached over and took her hand.

"We'll handle it."

Athena looked down at their joined hands.

Then back at him.

"Together?"

His fingers tightened around hers.

"Together."

Across town, Richard Kane watched the Leverage team's SUV disappear from a rooftop.

He smiled.

"Exactly."

Then he turned toward the man standing behind him.

"Phase Four begins tonight."