Chapter 9 - The Safehouse in the Valley
The old brick apartment complex on the industrial side of the city looked abandoned, its windows dark except for a single amber glow flickering on the third floor. Evelyn killed the truck’s headlights a block away, coasting quietly into the alley behind the building to avoid drawing attention from any roving corporate security patrols. The snow fell in thick, heavy curtains, muffling the sounds of the city and casting an eerie stillness over the deserted street.
"Stay in the truck with Lily," Evelyn instructed Mark, her hand resting on the door handle. "If I’m not back in fifteen minutes, take this truck and drive south toward the state line. Don't look back."
"I'm coming with you, Evelyn," Mark insisted, reaching for his door. "Sarah helped me uncover those zoning discrepancies; she’s just as much a target as we are."
"If two of us walk up those stairs together, we make too much noise," Evelyn said, her tone absolute. "Stay put, Mark. That’s an order."
Clara watched anxiously as Evelyn slipped out into the snow, her dark coat blending into the shadows of the brick wall before she vanished into the rear stairwell. Inside the cab, the heater blew a weak, lukewarm current against the windshield. Lily was fast asleep now, her breathing soft and regular against Clara’s chest, completely oblivious to the danger surrounding them. Clara looked over at Mark, whose hands were clenched tightly into fists as he stared out the frosted window.
"Do you really think Sarah still has the physical hard copies?" Clara asked softly, breaking the heavy silence.
"She told me before her apartment was raided that she kept a shadow copy in a safety deposit box at the downtown Federal Credit Union," Mark whispered, his eyes glued to the third-floor window above. "If Richard gets to her before we do, that box will be emptied under a forged corporate subpoena by morning."
Minutes ticked by agonizingly slow. The dashboard clock clicked from 2:14 AM to 2:22 AM. Every shadow in the alley seemed to stretch and shift under the amber streetlights. Suddenly, the amber light on the third floor flickered twice and went completely dark.
Mark’s hand twitched toward the door handle. "Something's wrong."
Before Mark could push the door open, the heavy metal fire exit door at the back of the building slammed open with a metallic bang. Evelyn sprinted out into the alley, dragging a terrified young woman in a heavy parka by the arm. Behind them, two men in dark suits emerged from the stairwell, shouting and drawing flashlights.
"Get in the truck!" Evelyn screamed, shoving the young woman into the back seat before diving into the passenger side and slamming the door shut.
May you like
Mark floored the accelerator, kicking up a spray of slush and gravel as the truck shot down the alley just as a gunshot cracked through the freezing night air, shattering the rear window of the canopy.
---
