Chapter 3 - The Ghost in the Machine
Bullets chewed through the brick wall just inches from Roman's face.
Nora returned fire instantly, providing covering shots as she dragged Roman behind a rusted dumpster.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, spherical device that blinked with a red light.
She hurled it over the dumpster, and it exploded into a blinding flash of white smoke and deafening noise.
The tactical flashbang completely disoriented the assassins for a crucial few seconds.
Nora and Roman bolted down the narrow alley, losing themselves in the chaotic Friday night crowds on the main street.
They sprinted for three blocks until Nora pushed him into a dark, abandoned parking garage.
She found a sleek silver sports car hidden in the corner and quickly smashed the driver's side window.
She climbed inside, expertly ripping the steering column panels away to hotwire the engine.
Roman climbed into the passenger seat, his hands shaking as the adrenaline slowly began to wear off.
The powerful engine roared to life, and Nora aggressively slammed the car into gear.
They sped out of the garage and merged onto the dark, rain-swept highway leading out of the city.
Roman stared out the window, his entire life completely shattered in a matter of twenty minutes.
He told Nora that the ledger on that drive contained enough blackmail to collapse five global governments.
He realized Chloe was never going to marry him; she only needed him alive long enough to access the corporate vault.
Nora gripped the steering wheel tightly and promised him they were going to get the drive back.
She navigated the car toward a hidden safe house located in the desolate industrial district.
She explained that this location was entirely off the grid and known only to her closest handlers.
They parked the stolen car inside an empty warehouse and walked up a flight of creaky metal stairs.
Nora punched a complicated code into the heavy steel door, and the deadbolt clicked open.
They stepped into the dimly lit apartment, expecting to find weapons and medical supplies.
Instead, a man was sitting casually in a leather armchair in the center of the room, sipping a glass of bourbon.
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Roman froze completely, feeling all the air leave his lungs in an instant.
The man in the chair was his older brother, Elias, who had supposedly died in a plane crash three years ago.
