The air inside the small, windowless room had grown heavy, suffocating in its silence. Sarah sat against the cold, concrete wall, holding Helena close, her fingers absentmindedly tracing circles on her sister's back, trying to soothe her, trying to convince herself they were safe—for now. But deep down, a gnawing sense of dread had settled in her gut. It was the quiet before the storm, and Sarah had been through enough now to recognize it.
Marianne hadn't said much since they had arrived at this makeshift safe house. She had spent the last hour pacing the room, checking her phone, glancing at the locked door with a look that unsettled Sarah even more. Something wasn't right. Something was coming.
"Do you think we'll ever be free of this?" Helena whispered, her voice fragile and trembling. Her face was buried in Sarah's shoulder, her small, delicate frame shaking against her.
Sarah didn't know how to answer. Freedom seemed like an abstract concept now, an unreachable dream. The reality they were trapped in was too far gone, too drenched in violence and uncertainty. They weren't just running anymore. They were being hunted.
Sarah hugged Helena tighter, though her own fear was beginning to seep through her fragile calm. "We'll make it," she whispered, though the words felt hollow, like a lie told more to comfort herself than her sister.
Marianne's phone buzzed, shattering the silence. She glanced at it, her face hardening into a mask of focus. She didn't say anything immediately, but Sarah could tell—something had shifted.
"Pack your things," Marianne ordered suddenly, her voice sharp. "We're leaving. Now."
Sarah's pulse spiked. "Why? What's going on?"
Marianne didn't answer right away, her attention focused on her phone as she scanned the screen. Then, after a moment of tense silence, she looked up, her face grim. "They've found us."
Helena gasped, her hands clutching Sarah's arm. "How? We just got here—"
"They're more organized than I thought," Marianne said, her voice clipped. "They've mobilized. This isn't a small squad coming for us this time. This is bigger. Much bigger."
Sarah's heart sank, her body going cold with fear. "How many?"
Marianne's eyes flickered with something close to worry, a rare expression for someone like her. "Three hundred. Armed. Helicopters, heavy artillery. They're not holding back anymore."
The room seemed to tilt, the walls closing in around Sarah as the weight of Marianne's words hit her. Three hundred? Helicopters? Artillery? How had it escalated so quickly? How had they found them? Panic surged through her veins, but she forced herself to stay focused, for Helena's sake.
"We need to move now," Marianne repeated, her voice firm. She grabbed a small duffel bag and began packing quickly, her movements precise and efficient.
Helena's breath hitched, her wide eyes filling with tears. "What if we don't make it?"
"We will," Sarah said quickly, though her voice was thin, strained. "We have to."
But even as she said the words, doubt clawed at her. This wasn't a handful of assassins they could outrun. This was an army.
Outside the Safe House
The city was eerily quiet, the sound of rain dripping off the rooftops the only noise that punctuated the stillness. But beyond that silence, far off in the distance, the hum of helicopters grew louder. A low, ominous rumble echoed through the night, growing steadily as the enemy forces closed in.
It was like the city itself was holding its breath, waiting for the violence to erupt.
The enemy was moving in quickly, their presence sweeping through the outer districts like a dark tide. Three hundred mercenaries, armed to the teeth, moving with military precision through the narrow streets and alleyways. They carried rifles, assault weapons, explosives. Their faces were hidden behind masks, their bodies clad in black tactical gear, each step bringing them closer to their prey.
Overhead, helicopters circled like vultures, their searchlights piercing the darkness, sweeping across the abandoned buildings and desolate streets. The sound of rotor blades beating against the air created a steady, menacing thrum, a countdown to the impending chaos.
At the head of this force, a man named Cain stood, his eyes hidden behind dark aviator sunglasses. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and his presence exuded danger. He had been sent to finish what others had failed to do: eliminate Sarah and Helena. There were no orders for capture. Only death.
"The sisters are in that building," Cain said into his radio, his voice calm, unhurried. "Send in the first wave."
From the shadows, two heavily armed squads of mercenaries moved forward, each one advancing on the safe house with military precision. There was no need for subtlety now. They had the advantage in numbers, firepower, and technology.
It was time to finish this.
Inside the Safe House
Sarah's hands were shaking as she fumbled to pack the few belongings she had, her heart pounding in her chest. The sound of helicopters was closer now, too close. They could feel the tremors in the walls, hear the distant but unmistakable hum of engines growing louder, more threatening.
"We're not going to make it," Helena whispered, her voice filled with raw fear. She clung to Sarah, her body trembling violently. "There's too many of them."
Sarah wanted to tell her she was wrong, that they would find a way out of this, but the words wouldn't come. She couldn't lie to Helena anymore. Not when she was just as scared.
Marianne stood by the door, her body tense, her eyes focused as she listened for the approaching enemy. "We have a few minutes at most before they're here," she said grimly. "We need to move fast. They're coming with everything they have."
"But where can we go?" Sarah asked, her voice breaking. "There's no way out. They'll find us no matter what."
Marianne's jaw tightened, and for the first time since Sarah had met her, she looked uncertain. "I'll hold them off as long as I can," she said, her voice low. "But you need to be ready to move the second there's an opening."
Helena whimpered, her eyes wide with terror. "We can't outrun them. They'll kill us, Sarah. I know they will."
Sarah felt a lump form in her throat. She knew Helena was right. The enemy was too close, too powerful. And despite Marianne's best efforts, they were out of time.
Suddenly, the low rumble of engines grew deafening. The sound of boots hitting the pavement echoed outside, followed by the unmistakable hum of helicopters circling overhead. Sarah's heart seized in her chest.
"They're here," Marianne said, her voice as calm as ever. She moved to the door, checking the small surveillance feed connected to the cameras outside. The black-and-white images on the screen showed squads of men advancing toward the building, their weapons drawn, their faces hidden beneath tactical masks. It was an army, a force designed to overwhelm and destroy.
Helena began to cry, her hands clutching Sarah's arm so tightly it hurt. "I don't want to die," she sobbed, her voice broken. "Please, Sarah… don't let them kill us."
Sarah's own eyes burned with unshed tears, her throat tight with emotion. She had to stay strong, had to protect Helena. But how? How could she protect her sister from this?
"We're not going to die," Sarah whispered, though she wasn't sure if she believed her own words. "We're going to survive."
But as the sound of gunfire erupted outside, shattering the silence, and the first explosion rocked the building, Sarah felt her resolve crumbling. The walls shook violently, dust raining down from the ceiling as the enemy forces moved in with terrifying speed and precision.
"We're surrounded," Marianne said coldly, her eyes never leaving the surveillance feed. "They're coming in hard. Be ready."
Helena's sobs grew louder, her body shaking uncontrollably. "Sarah… I'm scared. I'm so scared."
Sarah pulled Helena close, wrapping her arms tightly around her sister as the sounds of battle intensified outside. Bullets peppered the building, the windows shattering as helicopters swooped overhead, their searchlights flooding the street with blinding light.
It felt like the world was closing in on them. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
Sarah held Helena tighter, her own heart racing with fear. The door rattled on its hinges as the enemy forces closed in, their boots pounding against the pavement, the sounds of shouting and gunfire filling the air.
For a brief moment, Sarah allowed herself to believe that maybe, somehow, they would survive this. Maybe Marianne would find a way out. Maybe—
Another explosion rocked the building, and the door burst inward, splintering as armed men stormed the room.
The last thing Sarah saw was the flash of gunmetal before everything went black.