Next to You, Then Gone

Chapter 5: Shadows and Gunfire

Elara froze as the masked man pointed the gun straight at her chest. Time seemed to slow down. Her mind screamed at her to run, but her legs felt rooted to the ground.

“Get down!” Reyes shouted.

He shoved her hard. Elara stumbled and fell behind a stack of old crates just as gunfire erupted again. Bullets sparked against the concrete floor where she had been standing seconds ago.

Her heart pounded wildly. She could barely breathe.

“Stay low!” Reyes yelled, returning fire with his own pistol. “There’s a back alley, run toward the river!”

Elara clutched her phone tightly. The file transfer was still going. She crawled on her hands and knees through the dirt and broken glass, ignoring the cuts on her palms.

"Damien… I’m doing this for you."

Another memory flashed through her mind as she ran.

---

"Eight months ago."

Damien had come home late from a business trip. She had been waiting up, worried. The moment he walked through the door, he pulled her into his arms so tightly it almost hurt.

“I missed you,” he whispered into her hair. “Every second I was gone, all I could think about was coming back to you.”

She had teased him, “Big bad billionaire missing little old me?”

His expression turned serious. He cupped her face with both hands. “One day you might understand how much you mean to me, Elara. You’re the only good thing I’ve ever had. If anyone ever tries to take me away from you… fight for me. Promise me.”

“I promise,” she had whispered, sealing it with a kiss.

---

Gunshots snapped her back to reality.

She ran faster, legs burning, breath coming in short gasps. Behind her, she heard Reyes fighting. A loud grunt. Then silence.

“Reyes!” she screamed.

No answer.

She reached the back alley and kept running toward the river. Her phone finally vibrated — transfer complete. She didn’t stop to check the files. She just ran.

Heavy footsteps pounded behind her.

“She’s heading to the water!” a rough voice shouted.

Elara pushed herself harder. Her lungs were on fire. She could see the dark river ahead, reflecting the city lights. If she could just lose them in the docks…

A hand grabbed her hoodie from behind and yanked her back violently. Elara screamed as she was slammed against a brick wall. The masked man towered over her, breathing hard.

“Boss said not to kill you yet,” he growled, pressing the cold barrel of the gun under her chin. “But he didn’t say we couldn’t hurt you.”

Elara’s hand moved on instinct. She sprayed the pepper spray directly into his eyes.

The man howled in pain, staggering backward. She didn’t waste a second — she kicked him hard between the legs and ran again.

She could hear more men coming. Sirens wailed in the distance, but they sounded too far away to help.

Elara reached the edge of the dock and hid behind a large shipping container, trying to catch her breath. Her hands were shaking so badly she could barely hold her phone. She opened the transferred files.

Dozens of documents. Bank accounts in offshore names. Photos of powerful men. And one folder labeled simply: “For Elara - If I’m Gone.”

She clicked it open with tears in her eyes.

Inside was a video file. She pressed play with trembling fingers.

Damien’s face appeared. He looked tired, stressed, with a cut on his lip. The video seemed recorded recently.

“Elara… my love,” he said, voice low and urgent. “If you’re watching this, it means they got to me. I’m so sorry. I tried to protect you from this world. The Blackthorn Syndicate — they own half the city’s underground. I used to work for them. Then I tried to get out… for you.”

He looked straight into the camera, eyes filled with pain and love.

“I love you more than anything. You’re my heart, Elara. But you need to stop looking. Delete everything and run. Change your name. Go far away. They will kill you if you keep digging.”

A loud bang sounded in the video. Damien glanced sideways, panicked.

“They’re coming. Remember, my real name isn’t Damien Cross. Find Marcus. He knows the truth. But be careful… not everyone is who they seem.”

The video ended abruptly.

Elara covered her mouth to stifle a sob. He was alive. At least when he recorded that, he was alive.

She didn’t have time to process it.

Footsteps approached again. Slower this time. Calculated.

A new voice spoke from the darkness. Calm. Almost amused.

“Elara Voss. You’re even more beautiful in person. Damien always had excellent taste.”

A tall man in an expensive black suit stepped into the moonlight. No mask. His face was handsome but cold, with piercing blue eyes.

He smiled like a predator.

“My name is Victor Kane. I believe you have something that belongs to me. The USB drive… and information about your boyfriend.”

He extended his hand.

“Give it to me nicely, and I might let you live long enough to say goodbye to Damien. Refuse…” His smile widened. “And I’ll make sure you watch while we break him completely.”

Elara backed up until her heels touched the edge of the dock. The dark river churned below.

Her mind raced. No way out.

Victor took another step closer, gun now pointed at her.

“Last chance, sweetheart.”