Twisted Loyalties

Chapter 5: The First Strike

Mia and Tommy found themselves stuck in the mess they put themselves in. Ethan’s office was safe to hide, but they needed to act fast.

The Blackwood Industries team swung into action immediately as they began to investigate the piece of information Tommy had given them. Mia began to pace around the room looking for ways out.

Ethan had gathered a group of tech experts and Tommy was having a conversation with them, trying to explain what he found out.

Mia was wondering if they made the right decision of staying with Ethan, hopefully one day he doesn't turn against them.

Without warning, both the office doors flew wide open. Grunting like a wild animal, a man in his mid-40s, looking desperate and clad in a black military-like outfit, barged in. “Sir, we have a problem!” he panted as if he had run a great distance.

Ethan’s face turned pale. “What is it?”

“We’ve got movement from Romanov’s crew,” he said. “They’re coming for us. We have at most

5 minutes to come up with a plan.”

Mia felt a shot of adrenaline run through her. Viktor was already making his move. “What do we do now?” she asked, maintaining maximum composure.

Ethan had the same expression on his face. “We have to get out of here and protect the data.

Tommy, stay close to me at all times and Mia will go to the safe room.”

Before Mia could protest, there was a sudden blackout and the sound of a loud bang was heard from the building. As the windows were shattered, dust and debris poured from the ceiling.

Ethan’s team immediately got up and grabbed the necessary items that might be helpful, and they all moved towards the safe room.

Mia pulled Tommy’s arm, dragging him away from the chaos. “We have to go!” she shouted.

The hallway was almost like a battlefield. Viktor’s men surrounded the area, all with guns and screaming instructions. However, Ethan and his team did not back down and a gun battle ensued between Viktor’s men and the rest of the team. Mia and Tommy bent low trying to find a way to get away from the scene.

Stay low!’ Ethan shouted, ducking as they went along. “We have to get to the safe room fast!”

They had to go through another metal door as they got to the safe room which was supposed to hold up any attack. Ethan was already working on the lock and he had sweat dripping all over him.

Another bang was heard across the building, causing the floor to tremble. Mia’s heart races as she heard Viktor’s men coming after them.

The second bang was even louder. Mia felt her pulse race as she heard Viktor’s men shouting orders, their voices closer than before.

“Come on, come on!” Ethan urged as he scanned the area.

The door to the safe finally opened, revealing rows of hi-tech equipment and data drives.

Ethan’s team quickly transferred the very sensitive information to a portable drive.

Mia looked at Tommy, he looked pale yet determined. “We’ll get out of this soon,” she said, trying to calm him down.

Suddenly, they felt a shadow over them. One of Viktor’s men snuck into the safe room with them.

The mercenary raised his gun and aimed straight at Ethan.

Without any thoughts, Mia jumped forward, knocking the gun out of the man's hand. Ethan took a nearby chair and flung it at the man, causing him to stumble and crash into a wall.

The man recovered quickly and pulled out a backup weapon. Mia grabbed a heavy object and swung it at him, her confidence surprising her. The mercenary staggered back surprised, but he wasn’t one to give up easily.

Ethan finished securing the data and pointed to Mia and Tommy. “We have to go now!”

As they were leaving, Viktor’s men were closing in. The building was a mess, alarms going off and fire alarms sprinkling water over everything in sight.

They got to a hidden exit with Ethan leading the way. They scrambled out into the night where a convoy of SUVs waited for them. Mia and Tommy got into one of the vehicles with Ethan and his team following closely behind them.

As they sped away from Blackwood Industries, Mia looked back at the burning building. The fight was far from over, but they had managed to escape with the data Viktor needed.

Ethan’s face was unreadable as he stared at the portable drive, his thoughts were all over the place. “We’ve only bought ourselves a little more time,” he said. “Viktor is relentless, he won't give up easily. We have to find ways to stop him before he launches his next attack.”

Mia was about to reply when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She looked at it and gasped.

“Ethan,” she said in a shaky voice. “We have another problem.”

Ethan looked at her, concern written all over his face. “What is it?”

Mia turned the screen to him. There was a message from an unknown number: “Don’t think you're safe yet. Viktor’s next target is someone closer to you than you can imagine. Be warned.”

Ethan’s eyes widened with shock and anger. “We have to act fast and protect everyone we know. We can't tell who the next target is.”

The SUV roared into the night with the city lights fading behind them. The tension had just been raised and the real danger was only beginning.

As they sat silently, Mia had the feeling that the worst was yet to come and somewhere in the darkness, Viktor was planning his next move, waiting to strike when they least expected it.

The game had changed, and now it was a race against time to figure out Viktor’s plans and protect everyone they cared about. The true battle had only just begun and with every tick of the clock, the tension increased.

The SUV sped down the empty road but the only thing on Mia’s mind was what would Viktor do next, and who would be caught in the crossfire?

The answer was just a heartbeat away.