Chapter 56 - The Chase in the Dark
"They knew," Anthony cursed under his breath, ripping the maintenance console cable from the wall and shoving the flash drive into his pocket. "It was a trap from the beginning."
"Vance didn't trust us," I realized instantly, pulling my sidearm—a suppressed Walther PPK Anthony had insisted we carry—from its concealed holster beneath my blazer. "He used this deployment as a loyalty test."
Heavy boots echoed down the concrete corridor outside the server room door. Flashlight beams cut through the darkness beneath the door frame, sweeping across the floor with mechanical precision.
"We can't stay here," Anthony said, looking up toward the ceiling ventilation grid. "Give me a boost."
Without hesitation, I cupped my hands, and Anthony vaulted upward, his powerful arms catching the edge of the metal vent cover. With a sharp wrench, he ripped the grate free and hoisted himself inside just as the heavy steel door of the server room slammed open with a deafening crash.
"Security! Freeze!" a harsh voice shouted from the doorway.
I didn't hesitate. I rolled behind a towering server rack as a volley of suppressed gunfire chewed through the metal casing, sending sparks showering into the dark room. Returning fire with two precise shots, I shattered the overhead emergency lights in the corridor outside, plunging the attackers into total confusion.
"Elena! Move!" Anthony's voice hissed from the ventilation shaft above.
I sprang upward, grabbing the edge of the duct just as heavy hands lunged for my ankles. Kicking backward with all my weight, my heel connected solidly with someone's jaw with a sickening crunch. I pulled myself up into the narrow, dusty metal tube just as a burst of bullets pinged harmlessly against the edge of the opening.
We crawled frantically through the labyrinth of air ducts, the metallic scrapes of our movement echoing in the enclosed space, until we finally kicked open an exhaust grate leading directly onto the rooftop of an adjacent building.
May you like
The cold London wind hit our faces like a physical blow as we emerged onto the gravel roof under a starless, ink-black sky.
***
