Sarah crouched behind a vent on the rooftop, her heart still racing as she watched Victor’s shadow move restlessly below. She needed to regroup, to think clearly about her next steps. The diary, with its revelations about Bennett’s operations, was her key to unraveling the web of lies, but she couldn’t do it alone.
Taking a deep breath, Sarah scanned the horizon, her mind racing with possibilities. She had to reach someone who could help her—someone who could turn the tide against Bennett. The first person who came to mind was Rico. He had connections and resources, and if anyone could help her get the information out to the right people, it was him.
As Victor continued his search, she decided it was time to make her move. Carefully, she descended the fire escape, her heart pounding with each step. She needed to stay focused and quiet. She’d come too far to be caught now.
Once on the ground, she darted through the shadows, staying close to the buildings to avoid detection. After what felt like an eternity, she reached the main street and flagged down a taxi. As the cab pulled over, she climbed in and gave the driver Rico’s address.
The ride felt like it took forever, her mind racing as she thought about the danger Bennett posed—not just to her, but to Elizabeth and anyone else who got in his way. When the cab finally screeched to a halt in front of Rico’s building, Sarah leapt out, paying the driver quickly before sprinting toward the entrance.
The moment she stepped inside, she spotted Rico at the bar, nursing a drink. He looked up, surprise washing over his face as he saw her approach, but his expression quickly shifted to concern.
“Sarah! What the hell happened? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said, standing up.
“Bennett knows I’m looking for Elizabeth,” she said breathlessly, urgency in her voice. “Victor was just after me. I found Elizabeth’s diary, and it’s worse than we thought. Bennett is connected to some serious crimes.”
Rico’s eyes widened as he gestured for her to sit down. “Slow down. Tell me everything.”
As Sarah recounted her encounters with Marla, the discovery of the diary, and her narrow escape from Victor, Rico listened intently, nodding as he pieced together the situation.
“This is bigger than I thought,” he said finally. “We need to get this information out. If Bennett is as powerful as you say, we need allies—people who can help us take him down.”
“Who do you have in mind?” Sarah asked, leaning forward, her heart racing at the thought of going against someone as dangerous as Bennett.
“There’s a journalist I know—someone who isn’t afraid to dig deep and expose the truth. But she’s risky to contact. Bennett has eyes everywhere.” Rico paused, gauging Sarah’s determination. “Are you ready to take this to the next level?”
“Absolutely,” Sarah replied, fire igniting in her chest. “I’m not turning back now. We need to make sure Elizabeth’s story gets out, or Bennett will just keep hurting people.”
“Alright,” Rico said, standing up and finishing his drink. “Let’s do this. But first, we need to lay low until nightfall. We’ll make our move then.”
As they planned their next steps, Sarah couldn’t shake the feeling that they were already being watched. Time was running out, and the stakes were higher than ever. The hunt for Elizabeth was about to turn into a full-blown war against Bennett and his empire of shadows.