Chapter 13 - The Descent
A massive black helicopter descended through the pouring rain, its searchlight sweeping across the fire escape and blinding them with white light. A mechanized voice boomed from the chopper’s loudspeaker, ordering them to surrender immediately or face immediate termination. Clara cursed under her breath, realizing they were completely trapped with nowhere left to run. She looked at Arthur with an intense, desperate urgency, pressing a small silver key into his palm. She instructed him to take the motorcycle parked in the alley and head toward the old abandoned sawmill outside town. Arthur grabbed her jacket sleeve, refusing to leave her behind to face the corporate hit squad alone. Clara smiled grimly, pushing him toward the lower ladder while stepping back out into the blinding searchlight to draw their fire. A volley of rubber bullets and tear gas canisters slammed into the metal grating around her, filling the stairwell with choking white smoke. Through the haze, Arthur watched in horror as two tactical agents tackled Clara to the ground, dragging her toward the waiting helicopter.
