Chapter 3 - The Price of Loyalty
Alex threw his body backward with every ounce of strength he possessed.
He sprinted toward the heavy front door, diving into the carpeted hallway just as the timer hit zero.
The massive explosion violently ripped through the fourteenth floor, blowing the apartment door entirely off its metal hinges.
A scorching wave of pure heat and concussive force launched Alex down the corridor, slamming him brutally against the concrete wall.
His ears rang loudly with a deafening, high-pitched whine as thick gray smoke filled the completely destroyed hallway.
Coughing violently and covered in drywall dust, he forced himself to stand up despite the agonizing pain radiating from his ribs.
The building's fire alarms blared relentlessly, spraying cold water from the ceiling sprinklers onto the fiery wreckage.
Alex knew the men in the tailored suits would be arriving any second to confirm their gruesome work.
He limped quickly down the emergency stairwell, blending in with the terrified residents fleeing out onto the chaotic city street.
He needed a safe haven, and there was only one person left in the world he could blindly trust.
He walked two miles in the freezing rain to reach Sarah's secluded townhouse in the suburbs.
Sarah had been the business genius behind their startup, the one who had tirelessly negotiated the massive Apex Dynamics deal.
He practically collapsed against her wooden front door, knocking weakly until the porch light finally flickered on.
Sarah opened the door, her eyes widening in absolute shock as she pulled his battered, soaking wet body inside.
She wrapped him in a warm blanket and poured him a strong glass of whiskey, listening silently as he frantically explained the assassins and the bomb.
Alex pleaded with her to pack her bags immediately so they could disappear before Apex hunted them both down.
Sarah simply stood by the glowing fireplace, swirling the amber liquid in her crystal glass with an eerie, unnatural calmness.
She looked at Alex with a strange, pitying expression that made his blood run completely cold.
She gently set her expensive glass down on the mantel piece and let out a long, heavy sigh.
She told him that the Apex acquisition was never supposed to be just a standard corporate buyout.
Alex felt a horrifying realization dawn on him as he noticed a sleek, suppressed pistol resting on the kitchen counter.
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Sarah slowly walked over and picked up the deadly weapon, aiming it squarely at his chest.
"I am truly sorry, Alex, but they offered me double the money to make sure you never talked about the code."
