11
Selene's fingers tightened around the hard drive as Stanton stepped further into the room, his guards' weapons trained directly on them. His smile never faltered, but there was nothing warm about it.
"I have to admit," he said, his voice smooth as silk, "I didn't expect you to be so bold. Breaking into my private office? Stealing from me?" He tsked. "Very reckless."
Selene glanced at Damian, who was subtly shifting his weight, sizing up their options. Elliot stood frozen, his face drained of color.
Damian smirked. "Come on, Stanton. You can't be that surprised. We both know you had this coming."
Stanton chuckled, shaking his head. "Confidence. That's what I always liked about you, Damian." His expression hardened. "It's also what will get you killed."
Selene's mind raced. The guards were blocking the only exit, their guns steady. A direct fight wasn't an option—not yet.
Stanton flicked a glance at Elliot. "And you… I expected more from you. After all the things I've done for you."
Elliot swallowed. "You never did a damn thing for me."
Stanton sighed. "Ungrateful, as always." He took a step forward, adjusting his cufflinks. "Now, let's make this simple. Hand over the hard drive. I might even let you live."
Selene met his gaze, standing her ground. "Not happening."
Stanton smiled again. "I was hoping you'd say that."
He nodded to his men.
The guards moved.
Chaos and Gunfire
The first shot shattered the silence.
Selene dove behind Stanton's desk as bullets tore through the air. Damian tackled Elliot to the ground, yanking his gun free and firing back.
The room exploded into chaos.
Selene crouched behind cover, heart hammering. She checked her weapon—two bullets left. Not good.
Damian popped up from behind a chair, firing at one of Stanton's men. The guard staggered, a bullet catching his shoulder. But the other was still standing, and Stanton himself hadn't even flinched.
Selene's mind worked fast. They needed a way out.
Her eyes flicked to the window.
"Damian!" she shouted. "We're going out the hard way."
He followed her gaze and grinned. "I like the way you think."
A Desperate Escape
Selene grabbed a heavy paperweight from Stanton's desk and hurled it at the glass. The reinforced window cracked but didn't shatter.
Damian fired again, forcing the remaining guard to take cover. Then he ran toward the window, slamming the butt of his gun against it. The glass splintered further.
Stanton took a step back, watching them with cold amusement. "You think you can escape me?"
Selene turned, lifting her gun. "Watch me."
She aimed—not at Stanton, but at the weakened window.
Bang!
The glass exploded outward.
Wind roared through the office as shards rained down toward the city below. Selene didn't hesitate. She grabbed the hard drive, sprinted forward, and jumped.
For a split second, she was airborne. Then—impact.
She crashed onto the balcony of the building next door, rolling to absorb the shock. Pain jolted through her body, but she ignored it.
Behind her, Damian and Elliot followed, landing hard beside her.
The sound of shouting echoed from Stanton's office. They had seconds.
"Move!" Selene barked.
They sprinted, disappearing into the night.
The Aftermath
An hour later, they regrouped in a dingy motel room on the outskirts of the city.
Selene sat on the bed, the hard drive clutched in her hands. They had it. Stanton's secrets. His leverage over everyone.
Damian exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "That was close."
Elliot let out a bitter laugh. "We're dead. You know that, right?"
Selene met his gaze. "Not if we move first."
Elliot shook his head. "You don't get it. Stanton won't stop. He won't let this go."
Damian leaned forward. "Then we make sure he doesn't get the chance."
Selene's grip tightened on the hard drive. They had started this war. Now, they had to end it.
For good.