Chapter 12: The Safe House

**Julia**

The air was thick with smoke and the stench of burning rubber. My ears were still ringing from the explosions, but I forced myself to focus. We couldn’t stay out here in the open, not with Benny’s men closing in. I crouched beside Ethan, my heart pounding, trying to make sense of the chaos around us.

“Are you sure about this?” I asked, my voice hoarse from shouting over the gunfire.

Ethan nodded, wiping the sweat and dirt from his face. His expression was hard, determined. “The documents are in the safe house. If we can get in and grab them, we can cripple Benny’s operation.”

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that this wasn’t some elaborate trick, that Ethan was really on our side now. But the doubt lingered, gnawing at me. He had lied before. What if this was just another game, another way to protect himself? What if he was leading me straight into a trap?

But I didn’t have time to dwell on it. We were pinned down, the street a warzone, and Collins and the rest of the team were scattered. If we didn’t make a move soon, we’d be sitting ducks.

“All right,” I said, gripping my gun tightly. “We go in fast, grab what we need, and get out. No risks.”

“Understood,” Ethan replied, his voice steady.

We exchanged a glance, the tension between us crackling like static. Then, without another word, we moved. Ethan broke first, darting from behind the burning car and heading straight for the side entrance of the safe house. I followed close behind, my heart in my throat as bullets whizzed past us.

We reached the door, and Ethan slammed his shoulder into it, breaking the lock. I covered him as he kicked it open, and we slipped inside, slamming it shut behind us.

The air inside was cool and still, a stark contrast to the chaos outside. For a moment, the silence was almost eerie, but I didn’t let it distract me. We needed to move fast.

“Where are the documents?” I asked, my voice low.

“Upstairs,” Ethan replied. “Benny keeps them in a secure room on the second floor.”

I nodded, motioning for him to lead the way. We moved quickly, our footsteps muffled by the thick carpet as we climbed the staircase. My heart was racing, my body tense with anticipation. Every instinct screamed that we were walking into a trap, that something was about to go wrong. But I couldn’t turn back now. We were in too deep.

When we reached the second floor, Ethan paused, glancing at me. “There’s a security system on the door. It’s not complicated, but I need a few minutes to bypass it.”

I nodded, keeping my gun raised as I positioned myself by the door. “Just hurry.”

Ethan knelt by the door, pulling a small tool from his pocket and beginning to work on the lock. I kept my eyes trained on the hallway, every nerve on high alert. The house was too quiet, and that made me uneasy. Where were Benny’s men? Why hadn’t they followed us inside?

The seconds stretched into minutes, and the silence became unbearable. I could feel my hands trembling slightly, my grip tightening on the gun.

“Almost there,” Ethan muttered, his brow furrowed in concentration.

I didn’t respond. My attention was focused on the faint sound of footsteps. They were distant, but growing louder. Someone was coming.

“Ethan,” I hissed, my voice tense. “We’ve got company.”

He didn’t look up, his hands moving faster as he worked on the lock. “Just give me a few more seconds.”

I could hear the footsteps now, heavier, closer. My heart pounded as I raised my gun, my finger hovering over the trigger.

“Hurry,” I whispered, my pulse racing.

Finally, there was a soft click, and Ethan pushed the door open. “Got it.”

We slipped inside, closing the door just as the footsteps reached the top of the stairs. My breath caught in my throat as I heard muffled voices outside, but no one tried to enter. For now, we were safe.

The room was dimly lit, lined with shelves and filing cabinets. At the far end of the room was a large metal safe—Benny’s prized possession, no doubt.

“There it is,” Ethan said, moving toward the safe. “That’s where the documents are.”

I kept my gun trained on the door, my mind racing. “Can you crack it?”

“Already on it,” Ethan replied, kneeling in front of the safe and pulling out another tool.

I watched him work, my nerves fraying with every passing second. The voices outside were getting louder, more urgent. Benny’s men were searching the house, and it was only a matter of time before they found us.

“Ethan,” I said, my voice sharp. “We don’t have time for this.”

He didn’t respond, his focus completely on the safe. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he worked the lock, his hands steady despite the pressure. I could hear the faint clicks of the tumblers falling into place, but it wasn’t happening fast enough.

“Got it,” he whispered, his voice filled with relief. The safe door swung open, revealing a stack of folders and several flash drives.

Ethan grabbed them, stuffing them into his bag. “Let’s go.”

We moved toward the door, but as I reached for the handle, the door burst open. Benny’s men flooded into the room, their guns raised. My heart stopped as I stared down the barrel of a rifle, my mind racing for a way out.

“Drop your weapons,” one of the men snarled.

I hesitated, glancing at Ethan. He looked back at me, his jaw clenched, but his eyes told me what I needed to know. We were trapped.

Slowly, I lowered my gun, setting it on the floor. Ethan did the same, raising his hands in surrender. The men moved forward, roughly grabbing us and pulling us to our feet. My heart raced as they tied our hands behind our backs, and I struggled to keep calm.

“Move,” one of the men barked, shoving us toward the door.

We stumbled out of the room, down the stairs, and into the dimly lit main hall. My mind was racing, trying to figure out a way to escape. But before I could think of a plan, we were shoved into a large room at the back of the house.

And there, sitting in a leather chair, was Benny.

He looked up as we were forced to our knees in front of him, a cold smile spreading across his face. His eyes gleamed with amusement as he surveyed us, his gaze lingering on Ethan.

“Well, well,” Benny drawled, leaning forward. “Look who’s come crawling back.”

Ethan said nothing, his jaw tight, his eyes locked on Benny.

Benny chuckled, standing up and walking toward us. “Did you really think you could outsmart me, Ethan? Did you think I wouldn’t find out about your little betrayal?”

I glanced at Ethan, my stomach twisting with dread. Was this it? Was this the moment he had been leading us to all along?

Benny knelt in front of me, his smile widening. “And you, Julia. You’ve been quite the thorn in my side. But don’t worry, this will all be over soon.”

I felt my heart pounding in my chest, my mind racing. This couldn’t be the end. We had come too far, risked too much. There had to be a way out.

Benny stood up, turning his back to us. “Take them to the basement,” he said to his men. “We’ll deal with them later.”

My heart sank as we were dragged to our feet and forced down a set of stairs. The cold, damp air hit me like a punch to the gut as we were shoved into a small, dark room. The door slammed shut behind us, the sound of the lock clicking into place echoing in the silence.

I looked at Ethan, my chest tight with fear. “What now?”

He didn’t answer right away, his eyes scanning the room. Finally, he looked at me, his expression hard.

“We wait,” he said. “And we find a way out.”