Cassie Vale thought she'd escaped. Far from surveillance and the hidden horrors of The Retreat, she's rebuilt a quiet life in a remote Appalachian cabin. But peace is a fragile illusion.

When a frazzled, unexpected visitor arrives at her door-bearing a cryptic warning-Cassie is forced to confront the truth: the experiment she left behind isn't over. Strange envelopes, distorted footage, and a coded message from deep within the shadows all point to one thing.

The Directive is still active.

Jude Calder was trained to follow orders. To track, observe, and contain. But after everything he's seen-and everything he did to help Cassie disappear-he's no longer sure what side he's on. When old ghosts return and people start vanishing again, Jude must face the most dangerous question of all: what if the program never ended?

As the two unravel a web of surveillance, betrayal, and buried memory, the past rises with teeth. This time, it isn't just watching.

It's hunting.