The International Arrivals Terminal of the airport was a sprawling, cavernous monument of glass, polished steel, and echoing acoustics. It was a cathedral of transient emotions, a place where thousands of lives intersected, diverged, and collided every single hour.

Vanguard Genetics' headquarters was a towering monolith of glass and steel in the heart of Chicago. That Saturday night, Arthur was hosting a lavish, multi-million-dollar gala on the top floor to celebrate the upcoming FDA approval of Icarus.

Evelyn, Marcus, and Leo sat in a surveillance van parked three blocks away. Evelyn was dressed in a stunning, backless crimson evening gown, a concealed earpiece hidden beneath her elegant updo.

"The mainframe is on the 40th floor, directly beneath the gala," Marcus said, tapping on a digital blueprint. "You have a seven-minute window to insert the decryption drive and upload the original, unaltered Icarus data to the global press. Once you plug it in, Vanguard’s firewall will lock you in."

"What about me?" Leo asked, looking at his mother.

Evelyn knelt down, taking his face in her hands. "You stay with Marcus. If I don't come back out in twenty minutes, he's taking you to a new life. Do you understand?"

Leo shook his head, tears spilling over. "I just got you back. I don't want to lose you again."