STEAM & SMOKE | 18+

CHAPTER | 35 |

"OPEN THE DOOR, MAX!"

I grabbed Maxwell wrist just as he stepped to move towards the door. I needed this man alive even if he wasn't making it easy. The hitman behind the door knocked again.

"TME'S UP!"

Just as the door opened, I dragged Maxwell towards one of the rooms with footsteps thundering behind us. Quickly, I pushed him inside and closed the door, leaning against it to hold it closed. "Go and open the window," I said to the shaken man as the sound of things being broken outside indicated the hitman was approaching. I pulled out my phone and sent a panic signal.

Estimated time: 15 minutes.

"We just need to survive for a little while longer, " I said in an attempt to reassure Maxwell. "A team will come and get you out safely."

He looked outside the window then towards me. "There's no exit."

"I know." I pulled out my gun and pointed it towards the window. "Which is why you're going to jump."

The plan was simple in my head. He leaves through the window and I slow down the hitman until help came. There were two major flaws.

1. Maxwell looked scared shitless.

2. I didn't know how armed the hitman was.

Maxwell again glanced out the window, probably calculating his chances of survival. The first floor was not a far drop so he should live, maybe bruised but alive. "You will 100% die if you go out this door," I warned. "And you have 10 seconds to decide. If you want to see tomorrow you need to jump." In a split second, he was swinging his legs over the ledge as his knuckles turned white from holding on. The doorknob began rattling as the hitman finally had enough of breaking things around the apartment and luckily, that was the motivation Maxwell needed to let go.

I didn't have time to check if he was okay as the door was shoved open and a gloved hand reached to grab me. I drew out one of my daggers strapped on my body and stabbed him, blood staining the blade as I extracted it. Grunting, he clenched his hand, ripping off the glove and raised the other to swing towards me. He was wearing all black, a clown mask concealing his face and I quickly spotted the gun strapped to his back before raising mine. Aiming at his knee caps, I shot twice causing him to kneel and start yelling a string of curses.

"YOU FUKING BITCH. I'LL KILL YOU!" He roared as I made a move to get past him but at the last moment his hand, red with blood, caught my ankle bringing me to the ground. I saw stars for a split second as my head slammed against the ground. Adrenaline pumped through my body and instinct rather than logic was driving me. I kicked out, aiming for his face but only managed to touch his shoulder. It worked as his grip loosened and I was able to push myself up

Fight or flight? My odds of fighting him in the small apartment and winning were low so I needed to even the playing field. I ran forward as fast as I could, knocking over a pile of newspapers behind me to slow down his path. The staircase was in front of me like a beacon of hope.

"COME BACK HERE!"

Without stopping, I rushed up the stairs, ignoring the burning in my lungs as I reached to the next level. There were only four floors and as I approached the last one, I noticed the layout was different. There was only one door and the faint buzzing from a light bulb drew my attention to the fire exit. Just as I pushed it open, an arm snaked around my neck, swiftly shutting off my oxygen supply with its elbow. "I hope you're ready to die," the hitman's voice hissed in my ear sinisterly.

"Fuck you," I croaked back, bringing my dagger again to slice into the arm holding me. His grip tightened and I kicked his injured me with force, giving me moments to draw air into my lungs as he stumbled back. "I don't want to kill you," I warned, opening the door to reveal the roof.

That seemed to anger him even more as his body tensed before charging towards me like a bull, his focus on me as his target. But what made his steps falter was me running straight at him. It didn't take a genius to realize that he wasn't going to stop until he saw me dead and I had bigger fish to fry. Once I was a couple feet from him, I ducked under his arm causing him to tip forward and pointed my gun at the back of his head.

BANG!

I closed my eyes just as his body fell forward. My phone rang as I threw my cap on the ground exhausted and answered without looking at the caller. "Hello?"

"Nice job," Ghost replied. I could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

"I don't have the energy to fight you. What do you want?"

"Nothing. I wanted to let you know that the building currently on fire."

Of course it was. Smoke poured out the door leading back into the building, an ominous warning that going through it was ill advised. "I'm hanging up," I said then pocketed my phone and set towards the spiral set of stairs on the side of the building. It creaked as I went down and I eventually found Maxwell near the entrance nervously pacing.

"You lived," he stated with almost awe as I approached him.

"I guess we both did."

In the distance, the wailing of sirens cut through the air informing us that help was close. Despite this, the uneasiness in my mind didn't leave. Not when we were rushed into the vans by fellow agents, not even when the medical team checked over Maxwell and remain heavy as I watch him resting in the hospital ward after his surgery hours later. The director had already taken the disc that was found surgically attached to his organs but until he woke up for questioning, he was being guarded by security. He looked peaceful, a stark comparison to the anxious man that was waiting for his death.

After confirming that he was safe, I went out into the hallway, ready to go home and plan how to catch Ghost. Mindlessly, I moved toward the elevator and pressed the button before waiting. I stepped in the elevator empty besides a masked nurse, the warm glowing lights reminding me of the apartment earlier. To say that it had gone smoothly would be a lie especially since the hitman was dead and there was now no one to question. Glancing at my watch, I realized that my time was running out and I had discovered nothing.

The door of the elevator slid shut and I rest my head against the cool metal of the walls. My muscles were still tense from the adrenaline and my thoughts were rushing around in my brain. I could feel the nurse staring at me and I glanced back at her, seeing something that made my hand drift towards my side. Fury raged in her gaze and her posture was coiled tight, like a panther ready to strike. My heart rate increased while the elevator creaked as it continued its slow descent.

She shifted, the most minuscule of moments but it was enough. Her hand dropped to her pockets and one smooth motion, I had my gun on her temple.

"Move and I'll put a bullet in your skull," I hissed. I couldn't get a break.

"Should've stayed away," she growled.

The elevator door pinged before opening, revealing the last face I wanted to see.

Ghost stood, arms crossed wearing a smirk on his handsome face. "Is this a bad time?"