chapter 3
1181 Words
The red laser dots danced across Evelyn's chest.
Her breathing stopped.
Adrian's bodyguards immediately raised their weapons, forming a wall in front of him.
"Snipers," one of them muttered.
"There are too many."
The cold voice echoed through the tunnel again.
"Drop your weapons."
No one moved.
The voice chuckled.
"I'll count to three."
"One..."
Adrian slowly stepped in front of Evelyn and the woman in black.
His injured arm hung at his side, blood dripping onto the concrete floor.
"Stay behind me," he whispered.
Evelyn clenched her fists.
"I don't need your protection."
"You do."
"I'm only in danger because of you."
Pain flashed across Adrian's face, but he didn't argue.
"Two..."
The bodyguards exchanged uneasy glances.
Their leader lowered his weapon first.
"Don't!" Adrian snapped.
"If we fight, they'll kill everyone."
Another guard reluctantly placed his gun on the ground.
Within seconds, every weapon clattered onto the concrete.
"Smart choice," the unseen voice said.
A dozen masked men emerged from the shadows, rifles aimed at the group.
They surrounded them in seconds.
One of them walked straight toward Adrian.
"So," he said with a mocking smile beneath his mask, "the great Adrian Kingsley finally looks afraid."
"I'm not afraid of you."
"No?"
The man suddenly punched Adrian across the face.
Blood burst from Adrian's lip.
Evelyn gasped despite herself.
The masked man laughed.
"I've wanted to do that for years."
He grabbed Adrian by the collar.
"Where is it?"
Adrian stared back silently.
The man's smile disappeared.
"I asked you a question."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
The butt of a rifle slammed into Adrian's stomach.
He doubled over, coughing.
"Adrian!" Evelyn cried before she could stop herself.
Every eye turned toward her.
The masked leader smiled.
"So you still care."
"I don't."
"No?"
He walked over until he was standing inches from Evelyn.
"Then watching him die shouldn't bother you."
He pulled a pistol from his belt and pressed it against Adrian's head.
The tunnel fell silent.
"Last chance."
"Where is the file?"
Adrian slowly straightened despite the pain.
"I burned it."
The leader's finger tightened on the trigger.
"Liar."
"I said..."
Adrian looked directly at him.
"...I burned it."
The man suddenly laughed.
A long, unsettling laugh.
"I was hoping you'd refuse."
He lowered the pistol.
"Because that gives me permission to move on to Plan B."
Evelyn frowned.
"Plan B?"
The leader turned toward her.
"You."
Before anyone could react, two gunmen grabbed Evelyn by both arms.
She struggled wildly.
"Let me go!"
Adrian charged forward.
"Take your hands off her!"
Three men tackled him to the ground.
One drove a boot into his injured arm.
A muffled groan escaped Adrian's lips.
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
"Stop!"
The leader ignored her.
He crouched until his eyes were level with hers.
"Do you know why you're really here today, Miss Hart?"
She glared at him.
"I'm here because I was getting married."
"No."
He smiled.
"You were bait."
Her heart skipped a beat.
"What?"
"You were never the target."
He pointed at Adrian.
"He was."
Evelyn looked at Adrian in confusion.
The leader continued.
"But Adrian has one weakness."
His eyes locked onto Evelyn.
"You."
A heavy silence settled over the tunnel.
The leader stood.
"So now..."
He pulled a small remote from his pocket.
"...let's see how much your life is worth to him."
He pressed the button.
A loud explosion echoed somewhere above them.
The tunnel shook violently.
Dust poured from the ceiling.
One of the bodyguards shouted into his earpiece before his face turned white.
"Sir..."
His voice trembled.
"The cathedral..."
He swallowed hard.
"...it's collapsing.""The cathedral is collapsing."
For a split second, everyone in the tunnel froze.
Then the ground lurched beneath their feet.
A deafening rumble echoed overhead as chunks of concrete crashed down around them.
The lights flickered.
Dust filled the air.
One of the masked men looked up in alarm.
"Boss, the tunnel won't hold!"
The leader's expression darkened.
"Move. We're leaving."
He grabbed Evelyn's arm and yanked her forward.
She dug her heels into the ground.
"Let me go!"
A hard slap landed across her face.
"Walk."
The sting burned her cheek, but it wasn't the pain that made her eyes water.
It was the helplessness.
Adrian watched from the ground, two gunmen pinning him down while another aimed a rifle at his head.
His fists clenched.
"Don't touch her."
The leader glanced back and smirked.
"Or what?"
Adrian slowly lifted his head.
His eyes were no longer filled with panic.
They were cold.
Deadly.
"If she sheds another tear because of you..."
His voice was calm.
"...I'll make sure you beg for death."
The leader burst into laughter.
"The famous Adrian Kingsley is making threats while lying in the dirt."
He pointed his gun at Evelyn.
"Watch carefully."
He c****d the hammer.
"If you don't tell me where the file is..."
He pressed the barrel against Evelyn's temple.
"...she dies first."
Evelyn closed her eyes.
She expected fear.
Instead...
She felt strangely calm.
If this was the end, at least she would finally stop hurting.
"Don't."
Adrian's voice cracked.
It was the first time Evelyn had ever heard him sound so broken.
"Please."
The single word echoed through the tunnel.
The leader raised an eyebrow.
"So you can beg."
"I'll tell you everything."
"No!" shouted the woman in black.
"You can't!"
Adrian ignored her.
"Let Evelyn go."
The leader smiled.
"Now we're making progress."
He lowered the gun slightly.
"Talk."
Adrian took a slow breath.
"The file isn't with me."
"Where is it?"
"I hid it."
"Where?"
Adrian looked directly at him.
"I'll take you there."
The leader studied his face for several seconds.
"You expect me to believe you?"
"You don't have a choice."
Before the leader could answer, another violent tremor shook the tunnel.
A massive crack spread across the ceiling.
One of the masked men looked up in horror.
"It's going to collapse!"
Concrete rained down.
A huge slab smashed into the middle of the tunnel, separating the gunmen from half their team.
Smoke and dust swallowed everything.
People screamed.
Someone fired blindly.
Bullets ricocheted off the walls.
Evelyn felt the grip on her arm loosen.
Without thinking, she twisted free and ran.
"She's escaping!" someone shouted.
She sprinted through the blinding dust, coughing as she struggled to breathe.
She had no idea where she was going.
She just knew she had to get away.
Behind her came the thunder of footsteps.
They were chasing her.
Her lungs burned.
Her wedding dress snagged on broken concrete, slowing her down.
She ripped away the torn fabric and kept running.
A narrow passage appeared ahead.
She darted into it.
It was dark.
Silent.
The sounds of gunfire faded behind her.
She slowed, leaning against the cold wall as she tried to catch her breath.
For the first time in what felt like hours...
There was silence.
Then—
A hand suddenly covered her mouth from behind.
She gasped.
A deep voice whispered into her ear.
"If you want to live..."
"...don't make a sound."
- Writer
