Chapter 44
The Race Against Time
Elena’s heart pounded as she ran, her breath coming fast. Naomi was right beside her, her grip firm on the weapon holstered at her hip. The long corridor leading to Richard’s office stretched ahead, every second stretching unbearably.
Jordan’s voice crackled through her earpiece. “You’re running out of time. The intruder is in Richard’s office now.”
Elena clenched her jaw. “How many exits?”
“One way in, one way out,” Jordan responded. “Unless they know about the maintenance hatch in the ceiling.”
Naomi shot Elena a look. “We take them head-on, or cut them off?”
Elena’s mind raced. If the intruder was there to silence Richard, they weren’t leaving without finishing the job.
“We go in,” Elena said. “Fast.”
The office door was slightly ajar. A murmur of voices filtered through—Richard’s, tense but defiant, and another, lower and colder.
“You have one last chance,” the intruder said. “Where is the backup drive?”
Richard’s response was a low growl. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
A pause. Then a quiet click. A gun being cocked.
Elena didn’t wait.
She shoved the door open, Naomi right behind her.
Inside, Richard sat at his desk, his face pale but steady. Across from him, a masked intruder held a silencer-equipped pistol, the barrel aimed directly at Richard’s head.
The masked figure whirled toward them.
Elena’s voice was steel. “Drop it.”
The intruder didn’t hesitate. They fired.
Elena threw herself to the side as the bullet shattered a glass panel behind her. Naomi was already moving, reaching for her gun.
The intruder dove for cover, knocking over a lamp as they moved. Richard scrambled to the side, shielding himself behind his desk.
Elena crouched behind a chair, heart hammering. “You’re trapped. There’s nowhere to go.”
The intruder didn’t answer, but she heard the distinct sound of a file cabinet drawer sliding open.
Naomi cursed. “They’re looking for something.”
Richard’s voice was hoarse. “They think I have a backup drive.”
Elena exchanged a glance with Naomi. Backup drive? Of what?
Naomi shifted toward the side. “Move, and I drop you.”
The intruder’s head snapped up, eyes locked on Naomi.
Then—without warning—they flipped the desk over, sending papers flying.
The distraction was enough.
In a flash, the masked figure bolted toward the window.
Elena sprang forward. “Stop!”
Too late.
With a swift, practiced motion, the intruder smashed the glass and leapt.
Elena ran to the shattered frame just in time to see them disappear down the fire escape.
Naomi swore under her breath. “They got away.”
Richard sat on the floor, rubbing his wrists. His face was ashen. “They were going to kill me.”
Elena turned back to him. “Why? What’s on that backup drive?”
Richard hesitated. Then, finally, he exhaled.
“Proof.”
Elena’s pulse spiked. “Proof of what?”
Richard swallowed hard. “Of who’s really behind all this.”
A heavy silence filled the room.
Naomi spoke first. “Then we need to find that drive.”
Elena nodded, eyes narrowing.
Because now, it wasn’t just about stopping a traitor.
It was about exposing the mastermind.
