chapter 3
785 Words
The gunshot echoed across the executive floor.
Hannah's whole body stiffened.
Her breath caught in her throat as the lights went out, plunging the office into darkness.
A scream came from somewhere outside.
A second later, the emergency alarms began blaring throughout the building.
Kevin reached for Hannah's wrist.
"Stay close to me."
His voice was steady, but there was no mistaking the warning in it.
Another shot rang out.
Somewhere down the hallway, glass shattered.
Without wasting a second, Kevin pressed a button on the watch strapped to his wrist.
"Conor."
A crackling voice answered almost immediately.
"I'm here, sir."
"Report."
"The backup generator has been sabotaged. Four armed men entered through the underground parking garage. Security is engaging them now."
Kevin's expression grew even colder.
"They're here for Hannah."
"I know."
He turned to face her.
"Can you trust me?"
She searched his face.
Despite everything that had happened, something in his eyes made her believe him.
She gave a small nod.
"Yes."
"Good."
Kevin walked to the large bookshelf behind his desk and pressed a hidden switch.
A section of the wall slid open, revealing a narrow passage hidden behind it.
Hannah stared in surprise.
"A secret tunnel?"
"My grandfather had it built years ago."
He took her hand.
"We have to move."
The passage was dark and quiet.
Only the sound of their footsteps echoed through the narrow corridor as they hurried forward.
After several minutes, they stopped in front of a heavy steel door.
It opened from the other side.
Conor was waiting for them with two armed security guards.
"Sir."
Kevin gave him a brief nod.
"Report."
"Three of our security officers were injured. We managed to capture one attacker, but the others escaped."
Kevin's jaw tightened.
"They'll be back."
Conor looked at Hannah.
"Miss Willer, from this moment on, you won't be left alone. You'll remain under our protection."
Hannah looked from one man to the other, completely overwhelmed.
"I don't understand any of this. Why are they after me? My mother never hurt anyone."
Kevin didn't answer.
His silence was heavier than any explanation.
It made her even more afraid.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"Twenty-four years ago, your mother witnessed something she was never meant to see."
Hannah frowned.
"What was it?"
Kevin slowly shook his head.
"I can't tell you."
"Why?"
"The fewer people who know the truth, the safer you'll be."
She stared at him in disbelief.
"So I'm supposed to trust you without knowing anything?"
Kevin stepped a little closer.
"I know this is hard."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"No... you don't."
Her voice cracked.
"My mother just died."
She struggled to breathe.
"And now people are hunting me because of some secret that no one will explain."
The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over.
Kevin instinctively wanted to comfort her.
His hand lifted slightly before he stopped himself.
Instead, he quietly pulled a clean handkerchief from his pocket and held it out to her.
"I'm sorry."
Hannah blinked in surprise.
He wasn't speaking out of pity.
He truly meant it.
Before she could say anything, Conor's phone rang.
He answered immediately.
As he listened, the color slowly drained from his face.
"Sir..."
Kevin looked at him.
"What happened?"
"Our team just searched Sarah Willer's house."
Kevin's expression darkened.
"And?"
Conor hesitated.
"It's gone."
Hannah frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"The house was completely destroyed."
The words hung in the air.
"It was burned to the ground."
Hannah felt her legs give out beneath her.
Before she could hit the floor, Kevin caught her.
She clung to him without thinking, her whole body shaking.
"They're wiping away every trace of her," she whispered through her tears.
Kevin lifted his eyes toward the small reinforced window.
In the distance, a faint orange glow lit the night sky.
He knew exactly what it meant.
"No."
His voice turned cold.
"They're sending us a message."
Just then, the steel door flew open.
Daniel Cole hurried inside, breathing hard. In one hand, he carried a sealed file.
"Kevin," he said, trying to catch his breath, "you need to see this."
He opened the file and laid an old photograph on the table.
Hannah leaned closer.
The moment she saw it, her eyes widened.
The woman in the picture was unmistakably her mother.
Standing beside her was a much younger Kevin Johnson.
Sarah was smiling as she held a newborn baby in her arms.
It was Hannah.
With trembling fingers, Hannah turned the photograph over.
Six handwritten words were written on the back.
Protect her until the truth awakens.
No one spoke.
The silence in the room was louder than any gunshot.
- Writer
