The edge of us

The hunt begins

Mia’s breath came in ragged gasps as she stumbled through the field, her legs trembling beneath her. The night air was cool, but her skin was slick with sweat. She clutched her phone tightly, the ominous message still glaring back at her:

“You have 48 hours. Find the ledger, or everyone you love will pay the price.”

She had no idea where to begin. A ledger her father left behind? How could she find something she didn’t even know existed? The questions churned in her mind, but one thing was certain—if she didn’t act fast, the people she cared about would suffer.

Ethan. Her mom.

She had to get to them.

Summoning every ounce of strength, Mia forced herself to her feet and headed toward the faint hum of traffic. She emerged from the field onto a deserted highway, the headlights of a distant car flickering in the darkness. Raising her hand, she waved frantically, relief flooding her when the car slowed and pulled over.

The driver, a middle-aged man with a wary expression, rolled down the window. “You okay, miss?”

Mia nodded quickly, though she was anything but. “Please, I need help. Can you take me into the city?”

The man hesitated, glancing around. “You in trouble?”

“Yes,” Mia said honestly, her voice trembling. “But I’ll explain on the way. Please.”

Something in her tone must have convinced him, because he unlocked the door. “Get in.”

As the car sped toward the city, Mia’s thoughts raced. She explained only enough to get the man to stop asking questions—a vague story about being stranded and needing to find her family. He seemed uneasy but didn’t press her.

When they reached the outskirts of the city, Mia directed him to drop her off near a busy intersection. She thanked him and quickly disappeared into the crowd, pulling up her phone as she walked.

Her first call was to Ethan, but it went straight to voicemail.

“Ethan, it’s me,” she said, her voice urgent. “I don’t know where you are, but I’m safe—for now. Call me as soon as you get this.”

Her next call was to her mom. This time, the line connected, and relief washed over her at the sound of her mother’s voice.

“Mia? Oh, thank God. Are you okay? Where are you?”

“I’m fine, Mom,” Mia said quickly. “But listen, I need to see you. Are you still at the apartment?”

There was a pause, then her mother’s voice dropped to a whisper. “No. I left after… after everything that happened. I’m at a friend’s house. It’s safer here.”

“Safer?” Mia’s heart pounded. “What do you mean? Are you in danger?”

Her mother hesitated. “I don’t know. But I didn’t want to take any chances. Those people—Mia, they’re dangerous.”

“I know,” Mia said, her throat tightening. “They’re after something Dad left behind. A ledger. Do you know anything about it?”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

“Mom?”

“I—Mia, I don’t know where it is,” her mother said finally, her voice shaking. “But I think your father might have left clues. He always said that if anything ever happened to him, he’d make sure we were protected. I just didn’t know what he meant.”

Mia closed her eyes, frustration bubbling inside her. “Clues? Where? Mom, I need something to go on.”

Her mother’s voice softened. “Start at his workshop. The one he used to rent before… before he disappeared. I don’t know if it’s still there, but it’s worth a try.”

“Where is it?” Mia asked urgently.

Her mother rattled off an address, and Mia quickly jotted it down.

“Be careful, Mia,” her mother said, her voice trembling. “I can’t lose you too.”

“You won’t,” Mia promised, though she wasn’t sure she believed it.

The workshop was located in a run-down industrial area on the outskirts of the city. Mia arrived just as the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, casting long shadows across the cracked pavement.

The building was old and weathered, its windows boarded up and the paint peeling from the walls. A rusted sign above the door read Carver’s Repairs.

Mia hesitated at the entrance, her hand hovering over the doorknob. Her father had worked here, built a life here. Now it was the key to uncovering a truth she wasn’t sure she was ready to face.

Steeling herself, she pushed the door open.

Inside, the workshop was eerily silent, the air thick with dust and the faint scent of motor oil. Tools and machinery were scattered across the space, untouched for years. Mia’s footsteps echoed as she moved through the room, her eyes scanning for anything that might stand out.

A workbench against the far wall caught her attention. It was cluttered with old blueprints, notebooks, and tools, but something about it seemed deliberate, as if her father had left it that way on purpose.

Mia rifled through the papers, her fingers trembling. Most of it was technical, schematics for engines, notes on repairs, but then she found a small leather-bound journal tucked beneath a pile of scrap metal.

Her breath hitched as she opened it. The pages were filled with her father’s handwriting, a mix of personal notes and cryptic entries. One page in particular caught her eye:

“If you’re reading this, it means they’ve found you. Trust no one. The ledger is the key, but it must stay hidden. Follow the stars to find the truth.”

Mia’s brow furrowed. Follow the stars? What did that mean?

Before she could ponder it further, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside.

Her heart leapt into her throat as she quickly shoved the journal into her bag and ducked behind the workbench.

The footsteps grew louder, accompanied by muffled voices.

“She has to be here,” one voice said. “The tracker led us straight to this location.”

Mia’s blood ran cold. They’d found her.

Peeking out from her hiding spot, she saw two men enter the workshop, both armed and scanning the room with cold precision.

“Spread out,” one of them ordered.

Mia’s mind raced. She had to get out of there, but the only exit was the way she’d come in and it was now blocked.

Her eyes darted around the room, searching for another way out. Then she saw it: a small window near the ceiling, just big enough for her to squeeze through.

Quietly, she crept toward the stack of crates beneath the window, her heart pounding with every step. She climbed onto the crates, wincing as one of them creaked loudly.

“What was that?” one of the men barked.

Mia froze, her breath catching in her throat.

The men moved toward her, their footsteps heavy.

“Come on out,” one of them called, his voice laced with menace. “We know you’re here. Make it easy on yourself.”

Mia’s pulse raced as she reached for the window, her fingers brushing against the edge. With a surge of adrenaline, she pushed it open and scrambled through, just as the men rounded the corner.

“There!” one of them shouted.

A shot rang out, the sound deafening in the quiet morning air.

Mia hit the ground hard on the other side, pain shooting through her knees as she scrambled to her feet. She didn’t look back as she ran, her only thought to put as much distance as possible between herself and the workshop.

By the time she stopped, she was miles away, her chest heaving as she leaned against a brick wall in a narrow alley. Her hands were shaking as she pulled out the journal, her father’s words staring back at her like a puzzle she didn’t know how to solve.

“Follow the stars to find the truth.”

What did it mean? Where was she supposed to go?

Her phone buzzed, and she nearly dropped it in her haste to check the screen. It was another message from the unknown number:

“Time is running out. Tick tock.”

Mia’s grip tightened on the phone as she looked up at the sky. The stars were fading now, swallowed by the encroaching daylight. But something about them called to her, as if they held the answers she was desperately searching for.

And then it hit her.

The observatory.

Her father had taken her there once, years ago, pointing out constellations and teaching her how to navigate by the stars. Could that be what he meant?

It was a long shot, but it was all she had.

With renewed determination, Mia set off toward the observatory, unaware that she was being watched.

In the shadows of the alley, a figure stepped out, a phone pressed to their ear.

“She’s on the move,” the figure said. “Heading to the observatory.”

The voice on the other end chuckled darkly.

“Good. Let her lead us to the ledger.”