Chapter 14
Gunfire erupted, tearing through the clinic's walls.
Kaito pressed himself against the overturned desk, gripping the hard drive like his life depended on it—because it did. Dr. Kurusu lay slumped beside him, her lifeless eyes staring at nothing.
Reina ducked beside him, reloading. "How many?"
Kaito peeked through the shattered window. Shadows flickered in the neon glow—five, maybe six. Professional. Tactical. No hesitation.
"They're not here to question us," Kaito muttered. "They're here to clean up."
Reina's eyes flicked to the blood pooling near Dr. Kurusu's body. "They're doing a damn good job of it."
Kaito clenched his jaw. They were running out of time.
The Escape
A burst of gunfire ripped through the wall, forcing them lower.
"We can't stay here," Reina hissed.
Kaito's mind raced. The back exit was an option, but it would be covered. The front door was suicide. That left—
The basement.
"Follow me." Kaito grabbed Reina's wrist and bolted for the hallway, staying low. A barrage of bullets tore through the air behind them, missing by inches.
Reina kicked open the basement door, and they rushed down the steps.
A single hanging light flickered above old hospital beds and rusted medical equipment. The air was damp, filled with the scent of decay.
"They'll follow," Reina whispered.
"I know." Kaito scanned the room, then spotted a rusted service hatch in the floor. "Help me."
They pried it open, revealing a tight tunnel leading beneath the clinic.
Heavy boots pounded above them. The gunmen were coming.
Reina slid into the tunnel first. "Go, go!"
Kaito followed, pulling the hatch shut just as the basement door burst open.
The Hunt Begins
They crawled through the dark tunnel, the distant sound of the gunmen searching above them.
Kaito's pulse hammered. They had the hard drive. The truth. But now, Kyosei Group knew they were a threat.
As they emerged from a grate into an alleyway, Reina sucked in a breath. "We need a plan."
Kaito nodded, gripping the hard drive.
"They want a war?" His voice was cold, determined.
"Then let's give them one."
To Be Continued...