Barry’s laughter was loud and strong, bouncing around the cold, heavy room like the hard knock of a judge’s gavel at a trial. There was no release from the pressure because of his amusement; As a result, Bella’s fears sharpened and dug deeper into every breath she drew.They were close to succeeding, almost out of reach. Almost. But they didn’t make it far before they were caught and hauled back into the situation that had given them a glimmer of hope.Barry stamped on the recorder and broke the memory card, then threw it away as though it didn’t matter.Keith looked at their only hope of escape destroyed into pieces, they were trapped. Again.“Pathetic!!”Shaking his head, Barry made a show of brushing lint from his suit as if he’d just annihilated evidence instead of a bug.He walked slowly and purposefully until he faced Keith. Only the slight whir of the air condition and the faint creak of shoes on marble broke the huge silence in the room.Then, his voice boomed.Barry used Keit

"Keith! Don’t sign it!" Bella shouted desperately.Then, the man tightened his grip and a low growl came into her ear. Don’t bother moving, sweetheart, or I’ll stick this right into your pretty neck.She went pale as the knife touched her and a new drop of blood showed up. She was completely still because she was so afraid.Keith, still kneeling, barely twitched. He did not show any reaction on his face as he gazed forward. He didn’t give any proof that he paid any attention to her.Barry walked toward Keith, showing his smile from the podium and moving slowly, just like a threatening animal. “Mr.” He bent forward and acted like bowing, almost mockingly, when he said, “Hey, McDonald, what’s your decision now?”He slowly raised his eyes, and it was easy to see he was tense. "Fine," he said evenly. "I’ll sign it."Barry’s grin widened. He told the security guards to step back from Keith. They gave him a short pause before moving away at last. Walking himself free of nervousness, Keith a

Chaos exploded like a thunderclap.That instant the gunfire rent the room, Keith’s instincts jumped. With a harsh pull of the hand of Bella, he yelled “Move!” They ran, hearts pounding together with the bullets pinging around them. The previously-sterile boardroom degenerated into a bedlam – shouts; screams; breaking glass; overturned chairs. Every sound reverberated as if it was an anthem of a warzone.Bella was left with little time to understand the fear permeating her veins. Her heels slid across the marble floors in panic pursuit of Keith, avoiding a fallen table, permitting a blown-up wall and a close shave over her head.Coming behind, security rushed to act but Keith was already two steps ahead, guiding them through a labyrinth of halls in a way that he had the blueprint drawn into his memory.“We won’t get through the front,” he panted, and his grip on her got tighter. There is an opening for ventilation further ahead. It is a tight one but our best bet.They burst into a cor

The skinny ventilation shaft crowded them, old air laden with dirt and the acrid odour of metal. Keith was on point and he led the way, every inch gained through the struggle grating his elbows and knees, heart pounding in the ears. Behind him, Bella’s breaths came in gasps, barely there was room for breathing, if not for moving.They had no choice. Barry’s men were combing the facility with their radios full of brusque directions. The shaft moaned under them, every whine sounding like a gunshot in the close confines. It was only a tip of the blade that they stood on, and one slip from either of them could see the thin metal beneath them give out.Keith got to the end of the shaft and looked through the small, grated vent. A breath of fresh air greeted him – cool, crisp and seasoned with the smell of rain-watered concrete. Beyond the vent, the rooftop appeared before the cover of a fast-darkening sky.“We’re out,” he whispered.He got to work on the screws in the vent cover with shaki

The echo of metal and rusty horns in the train yard made it clear this place was alive with action and created a fearful atmosphere for Keith and Bella.The valves hissed and small puddles shone, reflecting the two escaping criminals as they ran along the old railcars.She pulled her coat nearer to her as she looked around, watching all the actions of the people nearby. Barry’s troops might be lurking anywhere around us.Keith nodded while keeping his jaw strong. He used his watch to activate a low-frequency scanner. “Yet, we need to act fast since the next security check is coming soon.”They moved along the edge of the map, hiding under stairs and passing underneath stacks of cargo containers. In the distance, a freight train began making its loud rattle, making them feel more alert.Keith pointed in the direction of the boxcars being lined up to leave the station. “It looks like the train is getting ready to depart. It’s by far our greatest chance."Bella moved her gaze to the came