The numbers on the countdown burned into my mind.
05:59:42...
Every second that ticked by felt like sand slipping through my fingers.
Leo was running out of time.
Clara was still gripping my hand, her pulse racing beneath her skin. Marcelo’s expression was grim, and Evelyn’s fingers danced over the laptop keyboard at a speed that told me she was just as anxious as the rest of us.
“This isn’t just a scare tactic,” Evelyn muttered. “Richard is making sure we see the time running out. He wants to make us desperate.”
“Because desperate people make mistakes,” Marcelo added.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to think. “Then we won’t make any.”
Clara turned to me, her gaze steady despite the panic I knew was brewing beneath. “What’s the plan, Bela?”
I exhaled sharply, mind racing through the limited options we had.
Evelyn was the first to break the silence. “I managed to track the video’s origin. He’s in one of his known locations—an abandoned private estate about an hour outside the city.”
“That means traps,” Marcelo said. “Reinforcements. Snipers. He’s expecting us.”
“Of course he is,” I muttered. “He wants us to come for Leo. But if he thinks he’s got us backed into a corner, maybe we can use that against him.”
Clara raised an eyebrow. “How?”
“We make him believe we’re walking straight into his trap,” I said. “But instead of playing by his rules, we change the game.”
Marcelo smirked. “That’s a hell of a gamble.”
“It’s the only choice we have,” I shot back. “Leo’s time is running out, and we’re not going to let him die.”
Clara’s fingers tightened around mine. “Then let’s do it.”
The car ride was silent, filled with unspoken words and mounting pressure. Evelyn was monitoring the signals, tracking every movement from Richard’s hideout.
Marcelo was loading his gun. Clara was next to me, staring out the window, lost in thought.
I reached for her hand again, squeezing it lightly. “We’ll get him back.”
She exhaled, turning toward me. “I know.”
But the fear in her eyes told me she also knew what I wasn’t saying.
There was no guarantee we would all make it out alive.
We arrived at the estate just before the countdown hit four hours.
The place was exactly what I expected—an old mansion surrounded by high walls, with cameras strategically positioned to cover every angle. The front was too obvious a choice, so we circled around the side, using the tree line for cover.
Evelyn had already disabled most of the surveillance, but we knew Richard wouldn’t rely solely on cameras. There would be guards. And worse, Richard himself.
Marcelo whispered, “I count at least eight outside.”
“Armed?” I asked.
“Of course.”
I nodded. “Clara, you and Marcelo take the east entrance. Evelyn and I will create a distraction on the west side.”
Clara hesitated. “Splitting up—”
“—is our best option,” I interrupted. “It’s the only way to keep them from boxing us in.”
She pressed her lips together but nodded. “Just... be careful.”
I smirked. “Always.”
She rolled her eyes, but the concern in them was evident.
Then, we moved.
The distraction worked.
Evelyn and I triggered a small explosion near the front, making Richard’s men scramble to investigate. That gave Clara and Marcelo just enough time to get inside.
The moment we were in, gunfire erupted.
Bullets ricocheted off the walls, the air filled with the sharp smell of smoke and gunpowder. I ducked behind a pillar, scanning the hallways for any sign of Leo.
Then, I heard Clara’s voice through the earpiece.
“We found him.”
Relief hit me hard, but it was quickly overshadowed by the sound of more gunfire.
“Shit,” Marcelo growled. “We’ve got company!”
I sprinted through the halls, taking out two of Richard’s men along the way. I reached the room where Clara and Marcelo were, just in time to see them cutting through Leo’s restraints.
He was barely conscious, blood trailing down the side of his face.
But he was alive.
Clara looked up, her face tight with urgency. “We need to move. Now.”
I nodded and reached for Leo. “Come on, we’ve got you.”
That’s when I heard the slow clap.
Richard stood at the doorway, leaning casually against the frame. His suit was pristine, his expression infuriatingly smug.
“Well, well,” he mused. “I have to say, you never disappoint, Bela.”
My grip on the gun tightened. “Neither do you, apparently.”
He chuckled. “Flattery won’t get you out of here alive.”
Marcelo raised his weapon, but Richard simply shook his head. “Oh, don’t be so predictable. If I wanted you all dead, you’d be dead already.”
Clara stepped forward. “Then what do you want?”
Richard’s eyes flickered to her, and for a moment, something unreadable passed over his face. Then, he sighed.
“I suppose I just wanted to see it for myself.”
I frowned. “See what?”
His smirk returned. “You, her, all of this.” He gestured vaguely at Clara and me. “It’s amusing, really.”
A cold chill ran down my spine.
Richard knew.
He knew.
And before I could stop myself, I moved—pulling the trigger.
But Richard was faster.
He dodged, disappearing behind the door as his men opened fire again.
We ran.
Leo was weak, but with Marcelo supporting him, we managed to push forward. Clara stayed close to me, our movements synchronized despite the chaos.
Evelyn was already in the getaway car, hacking into the security system to delay their response.
By the time we reached the exit, I could hear Richard’s laughter echoing behind us.
“Run while you can, Bela,” he called. “This isn’t over.”
We barely made it into the car before bullets rained down on us. Tires screeched as Marcelo gunned the engine, speeding away into the night.
Leo was alive. That was what mattered.
But I couldn’t shake the feeling in my gut—the way Richard had looked at me. The way he had spoken.
He knew about Clara and me.
And now, he had a new weapon.
I turned to Clara in the backseat. She was looking at me, as if she knew exactly what I was thinking.
“We’ll handle it,” she said softly.
I wanted to believe that.
But for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t sure if we were the ones in control anymore.