Chapter 89 Chapter 89
LISA'S POV
"Just protocols. Hands up," she said, but my hands were already up. She walked up to me and began patting me down with one hand.
I clearly wasn't wearing any wires, but that did not mean that I trusted her. As soon as she was satisfied, she pointed to a chair in the room.
"Sit down...wait!" She stopped me and snatched my phone from me. Switching it off, she tossed it into a tray of collectibles.
"You asked to see me. I sneaked out to come here. If anyone should have doubts of any kind, it should be me. You disappear, and suddenly, you're out of the blue again with intel. What is going on, Claudia? You're the reason I'm in this mess to begin with!" I berated her.
"Yes, I know that, and I'm sorry, but you seem to be working really well with Damien Paulo now. You even gained his trust, undercover with the Syndicate? Victor? Really?"
"I've been doing what I can to stay alive long enough. And now, the only way I can get out is if you help me end this war for Damien and get me out."
"Do you still want to get out?" She asked, looking at me, and I frowned. What sort of question was that? I was caught either way; she knew I was in a twisted thing with Damien, of course, she knew.
"Look, that is not what matters now. What matters now is that you tell me what you know. Damien will be looking for me pretty soon, and you don't want him to find you." I said, and that seemed to get her back on track.
She nodded and reached for her drawer. She pulled out a flash drive and showed it to me.
"I have to leave here as soon as you get out. This is a big risk for me, too, but I think someone else is driving this war between Alexander and Damien. Using it as a smoke screen for his own vendetta. On this flash are names of some really big shots closest to both Damien and Alexander that could prove they have been manipulated for a really long time."
"This should be helpful in making him understand what he is really up against. Give this to him, and I assure you that you will have his trust."
I looked from the flash to Claudia. Was she really willing to help me gain Damien's trust? Was she really interested in helping Damien after everything? It was just a flash drive after all, I had to take it and look into it.
"You're not trying to sabotage me, right?" I asked, eying her closely.
"Why would I? I know this is all my fault, but I am trying to help you. Damien is not the reason I am doing this. It is you, Lisa. I truly care about getting you out of there."
"I have to get out of here," I said, and she nodded, pointing to a sliding door leading to the fire escape. She handed me my phone and walked me to the door.
It took quite a frustrating struggle, but the door eventually moved. As I stepped out, she pushed it back in place, but just as I was about to leave, there was rapid knocking on her door.
Fear gripped me and her as well. We both stared at the door, frozen and speechless. She signalled me to be quiet, but neither of us had time to hold our breaths before the door was kicked down violently.
I rushed towards the fire escape and leaned against the wall, concealing myself beside the glass sliding door.
"Where is it?" The deep, threatening voice of a man asked her. I stayed pressed to the wall, my heart beating heavily.
"I don't know what you mean." Claudia's shaking voice replied. Tears slid down my face, and I feared I might die as well. I tried to stay as quiet as I could. I peeped to see the man pointing his gun at Claudia.
Her eyes caught mine, fear heavily reflected in them. I couldn't move, or I would be caught as well.
"Search every part of the house." The man instructed his men. His men walked to every corner of the small space, scattering, searching. At this moment, I feared that Damien was right; some risks just were not worth dying for.
The man spotted the fire escape door, and my heart caught in my chest. I moved dangerously close to the edge of the very rickety, narrow stairs, which was more like a death trap than it was an actual escape.
We were several feet up; a fall from there would kill me, possibly maim me, but I wasn't ready to test out that theory.
I held my breath as the face of the man appeared next to the glass door. He tried moving it, but it did not budge. For once, I was grateful for the faculties of this wretched place.
He tried his best to push the door, but it wasn't making any moves to be brutally shaken. It was as if it couldn't stand the contendment of impatient, murderous-looking men. Without getting what he wanted, the man moved back.
"Wretched hood." He spat. I heaved a sigh of relief and peeped back to see Claudia back in the position in front of his gun.
The men walked back into the room, shaking their heads. "Nothing, boss."
I looker wide eyed at Claudia, and her face held all the emotions I knew a person in trouble did.
"Where is it?" He asked her again, but Claudia stayed tight-lipped. The man scratched his head and smiled.
"You think I'm fucking playing with you? Where is the damn drive, Claudia?"
"Do what you will, but I am not going to be a part of this anymore. You can't hurt me anymore." She replied.
The gunshot rang out before I had the chance to look away, and cold like I had never felt before fastened itself onto me, making me as stiff as a statue, as I watched Claudia's body fall to the ground with a thud. My breathing stopped.