The sound of chaos erupted as Victor burst into the room, followed by his men. Sarah’s heart raced, her instincts screaming at her to do something. She exchanged a quick look with Clara, who seemed to be formulating a plan of her own. They couldn’t afford to be cornered here; they had to create a diversion.
“On the count of three,” Clara whispered, her voice barely audible. “We make a run for it.”
“Got it,” Sarah replied, adrenaline surging through her veins.
Victor’s voice boomed through the apartment, demanding Rico to show himself. “Where is she, Rico? I know she’s here!”
As Victor’s men began rummaging through the apartment, Sarah knew they had only moments left. “One… two…”
“Three!” they whispered in unison.
Clara flung open the closet door, startling one of Victor’s men, while Sarah pushed past him, darting into the living room. She spotted a window leading to the fire escape. The sounds of shouting and crashing furniture filled the air, but there was no time to look back.
“Go, go!” Clara urged, following close behind.
They scrambled out of the window just as Victor’s men started to react. The cold night air hit Sarah like a wave, invigorating her as they climbed down the metal ladder of the fire escape.
“Keep moving!” Clara hissed, glancing up at the window. They could hear Victor’s voice growing more frantic, but they couldn’t stop now.
Once they reached the ground, they sprinted toward the nearest alley, adrenaline pushing them forward. The sounds of shouting faded slightly behind them, but Sarah could still hear the urgency in Victor’s tone.
“Did you hear that?” Clara panted, looking over her shoulder. “They’re right behind us!”
“Turn left here!” Sarah shouted, guiding Clara into another alleyway that led deeper into the labyrinth of the city. They weaved through shadows, ducking into doorways whenever they heard footsteps drawing closer.
As they rounded a corner, they skidded to a halt, breathless and wide-eyed. A dead end loomed before them, a brick wall standing tall and unyielding.
“Now what?” Clara gasped, scanning their surroundings for any possible escape.
Sarah’s mind raced. “There has to be a way out.” She looked around and noticed a narrow ledge just above their heads. “If we can climb up there, maybe we can find another way out.”
Clara nodded, determination replacing panic. Together, they jumped, grabbing the ledge and hoisting themselves up. It was a tight fit, but they managed to pull themselves over.
Once on the ledge, they crawled along, the sound of footsteps echoing below them. Sarah’s heart pounded as they moved cautiously, trying to avoid making any noise that could give them away.
“Do you think they’ll find us?” Clara whispered, her voice tinged with fear.
“We can’t let them,” Sarah replied, glancing back at the alley they had just left. “We have to keep moving until we can get somewhere safe.”
They reached the end of the ledge, which opened onto a narrow rooftop. Sarah looked down and spotted a fire escape on the adjacent building. “There! We can jump down to that fire escape!”
“Are you sure?” Clara asked, eyeing the distance between the two buildings.
“It’s our best shot,” Sarah insisted, adrenaline overriding her fear. They carefully made their way to the edge, crouching low.
“On three,” Sarah said. “One… two… three!”
They leapt across the gap, landing hard on the other side. Sarah stumbled, nearly losing her balance but managing to steady herself. Clara landed beside her, breathless but unharmed.
“Now we go down,” Clara said, gripping the railing of the fire escape.
They climbed down quickly, their movements urgent. The city seemed alive around them, but all they could focus on was escaping the impending danger. As they reached the ground, they hurried down another alley, seeking refuge in the shadows.
“Where do we go from here?” Clara asked, glancing at Sarah with a mixture of hope and fear.
“Rico has a friend who lives nearby,” Sarah said, trying to think through their next steps. “He can help us. We just have to get there without being spotted.”
They kept moving, staying close to the buildings and out of sight, but the adrenaline began to fade, replaced by exhaustion. Just as they reached the end of the alley, Sarah heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps behind them.
“Quick!” Sarah urged, pulling Clara into a small doorway that led to a stairwell. They pressed themselves against the wall, listening as the footsteps approached.
“Where are they?” one of Victor’s men shouted, their voices loud and demanding.
Clara held her breath, her eyes wide with fear. They could hear the men searching the area, their voices growing increasingly frustrated.
“We’ll find them! They couldn’t have gone far!”
The tension was unbearable. Sarah glanced at Clara, who nodded in silent agreement. They had to wait until the coast was clear, but every second felt like an eternity.
Then, as if the universe was giving them a break, the men’s voices faded away.
“Let’s move,” Sarah whispered, slipping out of the doorway and back into the alley. They rushed toward Rico’s friend’s apartment, hoping against hope that they would find safety there.
But in the back of her mind, Sarah knew this was just the beginning. With Bennett’s men on their trail, they had to act quickly if they were going to expose him and find Elizabeth before it was too late.