The rain began before dawn.
A steady, relentless fall that turned the city gray and reflective, blurring glass towers into shadows. Damian watched it streak across the windows of his office while the report in his hands rewrote five years of certainty.
Alive.
The missing firefighter was alive.
His investigator stood across the desk, exhaustion etched into his posture after thirty-six hours without rest.
“We’re confident,” the man said. “Name change filed four years ago. Relocated twice. No digital footprint until six months ago.”
Damian’s jaw tightened. “Why resurface now?”
“We don’t think he meant to,” the investigator replied. “Someone accessed old municipal pension records. That triggered a trace.”
Someone else had been searching.
The realization settled heavily.
“How close ar
