Victorโs head snapped toward the gunfire, his mouth opening in a silent scream.
In the chaos, I slipped my hand beneath the island, feeling the smooth edge of the USB.
My fingers closed around it, the plastic cool against my skin, and I pulled it free.
โRun,โ I shouted, throwing the USB onto the floor as Victor lunged forward.
He stumbled over Mayaโs body, his foot catching on a splintered tile, giving me the sliver of an opening I needed.
I scrambled to the back door, the rain slicking the stairs, my heart pounding like a drum in my ears.
Victorโs shouted orders were swallowed by the downpour as I burst onto the street, the carโs engine already humming beneath my fingertips.
Without looking back, I slipped into the driverโs seat, the leather cold, the ignition sparking to life.
The headlights cut through the night, reflecting off the puddles as I slammed the accelerator.
Victorโs car roared behind me, tires screeching, but the police lights faded into the distance, their blue glare swallowed by the storm.
Rain streamed across the windshield, distorting the cityโs neon glare into a smear of red and white.
My hands clenched the steering wheel, the USB a weight on the passenger seat, a promise of vengeance.
The Warehouse Revelation
The car screeched to a halt in front of a crumbling warehouse, its iron doors ajar like a wounded beast.
I pushed the door open, stepping into a cavernous darkness where the only sound was the drip of water from rusted pipes.
My flashlight cut a narrow beam across rows of forgotten crates, the smell of mildew and old oil filling my lungs.
In the far corner, a concealed wall panel shivered under my touch, revealing a narrow cavity.
Inside, a steel safe sat, its lock rusted but still resolute.
I forced the bolt open with a crowbar, the metal groaning as the door gave way.
Inside lay a leather-bound ledger, its pages thick with ink, and a single photograph sealed in plastic.
I lifted the photo, the image blurring at the edges, but the childโs face was unmistakableโher eyes, the curve of her cheek, the scar on her left eyebrow.
My breath caught. It was my daughter, the one we thought had vanished in the fire years ago.
โNo,โ I whispered, the word tearing through the stale air.
Flipping the ledger open, I saw names listed in neat columnsโvictims, dates, locationsโeach entry a thread in a tapestry of terror.
Andrewโs name appeared repeatedly, paired with sums of money, offshore accounts, and a chilling note: โCollateral: eliminate to maintain control.โ
My mind raced, connecting the dots. The fire, the disappearance, the blackmail fileโAndrew had murdered my child to bind me to his empire.
The ledgerโs truth was a blade, sharp and unforgiving, carving a path to his downfall.
My fingers trembled as I traced the line that led to a highโlevel meeting scheduled for tomorrow, the very summit where the elite would gather.
With the USB tucked in my coat and the ledger clutched to my chest, I stepped back into the rainโslick night, the warehouse doors closing behind me.
The storm raged louder, as if echoing the fury that now surged through my veins.
