Chapter 45
Shadows Closing In
Elena sprinted down the hallway, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. Naomi was right beside her, her breath steady despite the urgency in her steps.
Jordan’s voice crackled through the earpiece. “The intruder just entered Richard’s office. You’re thirty seconds out.”
Elena’s pulse pounded. Whoever was in there wasn’t coming for a friendly chat.
Naomi reached for the concealed weapon at her hip. “We go in fast, no hesitation.”
Elena nodded. “We get Richard out first. Then we deal with whoever’s behind this.”
They reached the door. It was slightly ajar, just enough for Elena to hear the hushed but urgent voices inside.
“I don’t have what you’re looking for,” Richard’s voice was firm but tense. “I told you, I don’t know anything—”
A second voice, low and controlled, cut him off. “Then you’re no longer useful.”
Elena didn’t wait.
She shoved the door open and stepped inside, Naomi right behind her.
A masked figure stood near Richard’s desk, a gun in their gloved hand. Richard sat frozen in his chair, his expression tight.
The masked intruder turned their weapon toward Elena without hesitation.
Elena’s breath sharpened, but her voice was steady. “Put it down.”
The intruder didn’t move.
Naomi shifted slightly to the side, drawing attention away from Richard. “You’re trapped. Walk away while you still can.”
A tense silence filled the room.
Then—without warning—the intruder lunged.
A shot rang out.
Elena barely had time to react before Naomi tackled her to the floor. The bullet slammed into the doorframe behind them, splintering wood.
Richard dove for cover as the intruder made a break for the window.
Naomi was faster. She caught the masked figure by the wrist, twisting the gun away before slamming them against the desk.
Elena scrambled to her feet just as Naomi ripped the mask away.
And then—the world tilted.
The traitor wasn’t some nameless ghost.
It was someone they all knew.
Someone they never suspected.
Elena’s breath caught in her throat. “You?”
A slow, dangerous smile spread across the traitor’s face.
“Well,” they murmured, “this is unfortunate.”
