清晨来了,没有温暖.
城市看起来平静,几乎冷漠,仿佛表面之下没有任何东西会破裂.伊桑最先注意到这一点——危险常常隐藏在日常背后.
他们在离河边两条街的一家安静咖啡馆见面.没有摄像机,没有熟悉的面孔.玛雅是仔细选择的.
"你一个人来的?"伊桑问道.
玛雅点了点头."如约而行."
他没有放松.
信任一旦破裂,永远无法真正愈合.
他们面对面坐着,未动过的杯子冒着蒸汽.外面,人们匆匆而过,却不知道自己离即将波及的决策有多近.
玛雅把一个小U盘滑过桌子.
"这就是一切,"她说."交易.通讯.证据."
伊桑没有伸手去拿.
"事事往往不代表万事,"他回答.
玛雅与他对视."这足以改变平衡."
这比任何威胁都危险.
伊桑终于拿起了驱动器,在指间转动."还有谁知道?"
"没有重要的人,"玛雅说.然后,停顿了一下,"也没有人值得信任."
伊桑靠在椅背上."那名单就归零了."
她脸上掠过一丝阴影,但她没有争辩.
"一旦你用了它,"她继续说,"就没法假装自己不参与其中."
"我早就不再假装了."
外面,一辆黑色轿车减速经过咖啡馆,然后继续沿街前行.伊桑注意到了.他总是注意到.
"Timing matters," he said. "Why now?"
Maya looked down at her coffee. "Because someone is moving pieces faster than expected."
"Lucas."
She didn't confirm it. She didn't need to.
Ethan exhaled slowly. "He offered me an exit."
"And you refused."
"I didn't answer."
"That's still an answer."
Silence settled again, heavier this time.
Maya broke it. "If we draw the line today, there's no neutral ground left."
Ethan slipped the USB into his pocket. "Neutral ground was a myth."
The café door opened. A man stepped inside, glanced around, and paused—just a fraction too long.
Ethan stood.
"Time to go," he said quietly.
Maya followed without question.
Outside, the street was brighter, louder. Normal.
But as they turned the corner, Ethan felt it—the unmistakable sense of being watched.
He didn't look back.
Not yet.
因为有些防线一旦越过,只能通过前进来防守.
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