Mafia's Embrace

**Chapter 45: The Countdown**

As the clock neared midnight, tension hung thick in the air. Faith and Alexander remained hidden in the shadows, their hearts pounding as the group below continued to strategize. Each passing minute felt like an eternity.

"They're going to make their move soon," Faith whispered, glancing at Alexander. "We need to act fast."

"Agreed," he replied, eyes narrowing in focus. "Once they start, it'll be chaos. We can't let them succeed."

Faith felt a surge of determination. "What do we need to find?"

"Anything that links them to the attacks on my businesses. Documents, communications—anything that can serve as evidence," he said, scanning the room for potential hiding spots.

The group below began to disperse, some heading toward the back of the warehouse, while Lana and Viktor remained at the center, deep in discussion.

"Now's our chance," Alexander urged, motioning for Faith to follow him down the stairs.

They crept down, careful to avoid making noise. As they reached the floor, Faith spotted a stack of papers scattered across a nearby table. "Over there!" she pointed.

Alexander nodded, but just as they moved toward the table, a loud crash echoed from the back of the warehouse. The group turned, startled.

"Stay low," Alexander instructed, pulling Faith behind a nearby crate.

Lana's voice cut through the noise. "What was that? Check it out!"

Faith's heart raced as she and Alexander huddled together, hidden from view. They could hear the men moving around, searching for the source of the commotion.

"Focus, people!" Lana snapped. "We don't have time for distractions. We're on the brink of something big!"

As the men moved further away, Faith seized the moment. "We need to grab those papers before they come back," she said urgently.

Alexander nodded, and they darted toward the table, quickly scanning the documents. "Here!" he exclaimed, holding up a folder filled with contracts and correspondence. "This is it!"

Faith quickly grabbed a few key documents while Alexander stuffed others into his bag. Just as they were about to retreat, footsteps echoed toward them.

"Let's go!" he hissed, and they sprinted back toward the stairs.

But they weren't fast enough. The group spotted them, and chaos erupted.

"Get them!" Lana shouted, her eyes blazing with fury.

Faith felt a surge of adrenaline as she and Alexander dashed up the stairs, heart pounding in her chest. Behind them, they could hear the men following, shouting orders.

"Where do we go?" Faith gasped, glancing around the loft.

"There!" Alexander pointed to a small window at the far end. "We can escape through there!"

They rushed toward the window, but as they reached it, Faith realized it was too small for them both to fit easily.

"Help me!" she cried, trying to squeeze through first.

Just as she made it halfway, a hand grabbed her ankle. "Got you!"

"Alexander!" she screamed, panic flooding her system.

Without hesitation, Alexander turned and kicked the man's grip away, but more voices approached, closing in on them.

"Hold on!" he shouted, pulling Faith the rest of the way through the window. She landed hard on the ground outside, quickly rolling to the side as Alexander followed.

They hit the dirt and scrambled to their feet, adrenaline propelling them forward as they dashed into the darkness of the surrounding trees.

"Where now?" Faith panted, glancing over her shoulder.

"Keep running!" Alexander urged, his eyes scanning their surroundings for any signs of pursuit.

They ran deeper into the woods, branches snapping underfoot, their hearts racing with fear and determination.

"Do you think they saw us?" Faith asked, trying to catch her breath.

"I don't know, but we can't stop," Alexander replied, glancing back. "We need to find a safe place to regroup."

As they navigated through the trees, Faith's mind raced with the evidence they had just collected. They needed to get back to the estate and review it, but first, they had to evade Lana's men.