Chapter 3 - The Corrupt City
The heavy battering ram smashed into the apartment door a second time, completely shattering the deadbolt.
Sarah did not hesitate to raise her silver revolver and fire three warning shots directly through the splintered wood.
The men in the hallway scrambled for cover, shouting aggressive tactical commands.
Daniel grabbed Sarah by the arm and pulled her toward the rusty fire escape window.
He violently kicked the window pane out, sending shattered glass tumbling down into the dark alley below.
They climbed out onto the slippery, rusted metal stairs as cold rain completely soaked their clothes.
Heavy footsteps echoed from the roof above them, indicating that the hit squad had already surrounded the building.
Daniel and Sarah hurried down the slippery steps, their hands gripping the freezing metal railings.
A tactical officer leaned over the edge of the roof and fired a burst of automatic gunfire.
The bullets struck the metal stairs just inches from Daniel's boots, sending bright sparks into the dark night.
They reached the muddy alleyway and sprinted toward a stolen car Sarah kept parked for emergencies.
It was a beaten, inconspicuous gray sedan that blended perfectly into the gloomy city environment.
Sarah jumped into the driver's seat and frantically hot-wired the ignition with practiced ease.
The engine roared to life just as two heavily armed men burst out of the apartment building's back door.
Sarah slammed the gas pedal to the floor, aggressively swerving the heavy car toward the exit of the alley.
The men opened fire, shattering the rear windshield of the sedan with a deafening crash.
Daniel ducked down in the passenger seat as broken glass rained over his shoulders.
Sarah expertly navigated the tight, wet city streets, completely turning off the headlights to evade their pursuers.
They drove in tense, terrifying silence for twenty minutes until they reached an abandoned shipping yard.
Sarah parked the car inside a massive, empty shipping container to hide from police helicopters.
She slumped against the steering wheel, breathing heavily and trembling from the massive adrenaline dump.
Daniel looked over at her and noticed a dark, spreading stain on the sleeve of her jacket.
She had been shot in the shoulder during their desperate escape from the apartment.
Daniel quickly tore a strip of clean fabric from his shirt and wrapped it tightly around her bleeding wound.
He promised her that he would never let her die for his dangerous crusade.
Sarah smiled weakly, reaching into her pocket with her good hand.
She pulled out a crumpled, bloody photograph she had managed to grab from her desk before they fled.
She handed it to Daniel, her eyes filled with absolute, overwhelming dread.
She told him that she had secretly been investigating his father's murder on her own time.
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Daniel stared at the old photograph and felt his blood run entirely cold.
The picture clearly showed his beloved mentor, Joe, shaking hands with Elias Thorne over his father's dead body.
