Chapter 8
951 Words
*Title: Chapter 8 - The Deal*
*Word count: 1,689*
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The burner phone felt cold in Ava’s palm.
Lucas watched her from across the safe house kitchen, arms crossed. Elise was checking their perimeter, but Ava knew she was listening too.
“You sure about this?” Lucas asked.
Ava nodded. She wasn’t. But she couldn’t tell him that.
If she didn’t do this, Viktor would release Project Eclipse. Hundreds of names. Politicians, judges, cops. The country would tear itself apart. Her father died to stop that. She wouldn’t let it be for nothing.
She dialed.
It rang twice.
“Ava Reyes,” Viktor’s voice came through, smooth and amused. “I was wondering when you’d call.”
“Don’t act like you didn’t expect it,” Ava said. Her voice was steadier than she felt. “You wanted me. I’m here.”
“Cutting to the chase. I like that,” Viktor said. “Where’s the USB?”
“Safe. With me. You want it, you come to me. Alone.”
Viktor laughed. “You don’t get to make demands, Ms. Reyes. Not anymore.”
“Then Project Eclipse goes public tonight,” Ava said. “I’ve already uploaded the file to three separate servers. If I don’t check in every six hours, it auto-releases.”
Silence.
Then Viktor sighed. “You’re bluffing.”
“Try me,” Ava said. “You know I have your father’s files. He was very thorough.”
Another pause. Longer this time.
“Fine,” Viktor said finally. “Meet me at Manila Port. Warehouse 12. Midnight. Alone. No cops. No Lucas Black.”
“If I see one extra person, I hit send,” Ava said.
“And if I see one cop, I kill your brother,” Viktor replied.
The line went dead.
Ava lowered the phone. Her hands were shaking now.
Lucas was in front of her in two steps. “No. Absolutely not.”
“I don’t have a choice,” Ava said.
“You do,” Lucas said. “We go to the police. We use the files. We end this without you walking into a trap.”
“And risk the fail-safe?” Ava said. “My father said if Viktor dies, everything goes public. We don’t know how to stop it. Not yet.”
Lucas cursed under his breath. “This is exactly what he wants. You alone, scared, thinking you can negotiate with a monster.”
“I’m not scared,” Ava lied.
“Bullshit,” Elise said from the doorway. Both of them turned. “You’re terrified. Good. That means you’re smart enough to listen.”
Elise walked over and took the phone from Ava’s hand.
“I’m coming with you,” Elise said.
“No,” Ava said immediately. “He said alone.”
“And I’m not planning on letting you go in alone,” Elise said. “I’ll be in position. If he moves, I move. Lucas stays here and monitors the servers.”
Lucas looked like he wanted to argue. Then he nodded once. “Fine. But you don’t go in until I say so.”
Ava wanted to argue back. But she was tired of fighting everyone.
“Midnight,” she said. “Warehouse 12.”
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*11:58 PM. Manila Port. Warehouse 12.*
The place reeked of salt, rust, and oil.
Ava walked in alone, the USB in her jacket pocket. Her heart was pounding so loud she was sure Viktor could hear it.
The warehouse was empty. Dark.
Then the lights flickered on.
Viktor stood in the center, flanked by six armed men.
“Impressive,” Viktor said. “You actually came.”
Ava stopped ten feet from him. “Where’s Miguel?”
Viktor gestured. Two men dragged Miguel forward. His face was bruised, but he was alive.
“Miguel!” Ava started forward.
“Don’t,” one of the men growled, pressing a gun to Miguel’s head.
Miguel looked at her and shook his head slightly. _Don’t do it._
Too late.
Ava pulled out the USB and held it up. “The files. You want them?”
Viktor smiled. “Throw it.”
Ava tossed it. Viktor caught it easily.
He plugged it into a laptop on the table. Scrolled through the files.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then Viktor laughed.
“You i***t,” he said. “This is a copy. The real file is encrypted. Where’s the key?”
Ava’s blood ran cold.
“What are you talking about?”
“Your father,” Viktor said. “He always did love his little games. The USB is useless without the decryption key. And the key is in your head, isn’t it? The video. He told you what to do.”
Ava didn’t answer.
Viktor sighed. “I was hoping we could do this the easy way.”
He nodded to his men.
Miguel screamed.
Ava moved before she could think. She grabbed the gun from the man closest to her, wrenched it up, and fired.
Chaos erupted.
Gunshots. Shouting.
Ava grabbed Miguel and pulled him behind a stack of crates.
“Stay down!” she hissed.
Miguel was breathing hard. “Ava, run!”
“I’m not leaving you!”
From across the warehouse, Viktor watched calmly.
“Enough,” he said.
His men stopped firing.
Viktor walked forward, stepping over bodies. Two of his men were down. Elise had made her move.
“Time’s up, Ava,” Viktor said. “Give me the key, or I kill your brother. Then I kill you. Then I release everything anyway.”
Ava stood up slowly, hands raised.
Miguel looked at her, eyes wide. “Don’t—”
- Writer
