Chapter 11: Fight or Flight
The footsteps outside the container grew louder, each one pounding like a drumbeat in Lena's chest. Trapped in the steel box with no way out, she exchanged a sharp glance with Kai.
"We can't stay here," Lena whispered, her fingers tightening around the handle of the briefcase.
"No kidding," Kai muttered, his eyes darting to the locked container door. "We need a plan—fast."
The first thud against the door jolted them both. Whoever was out there wasn't wasting time. The lock rattled violently, followed by muffled voices barking commands.
"Help me move this," Lena said, motioning to one of the heavier crates stacked nearby. Together, they pushed it against the door, creating a makeshift barricade.
"It won't hold for long," Kai warned, his voice tense.
Lena's mind raced. They couldn't just sit and wait to be captured—or worse. Her gaze swept over the container, searching for anything that could give them an edge. That's when she noticed the faint outline of a ventilation panel near the top of the wall.
"There," she said, pointing. "We can climb out through that."
Kai followed her gaze and nodded. "Good eye. Let's move."
Using another crate as a makeshift ladder, Lena scrambled up, her fingers prying at the edges of the panel. It was rusted, but with enough force, it popped free, revealing a narrow passage leading to the outside.
Kai handed her the briefcase before climbing up behind her. "You go first. I'll cover you."
"No arguments here," Lena said, squeezing into the vent.
The metallic walls of the vent were cold and claustrophobic, but Lena forced herself to keep moving. The sound of the door below being battered grew louder, followed by shouts as the barricade began to give way.
Kai was right behind her, his movements quick and efficient. "Hurry," he urged, his voice echoing in the cramped space.
Lena reached the end of the vent, which opened onto the roof of another container. She pushed the grate aside and climbed out, gasping in the cool night air. Kai followed moments later, pulling the grate back into place to conceal their escape.
From their vantage point, they could see the armed men swarming the container below. Flashlights cut through the darkness as they shouted orders, clearly furious at finding it empty.
"They'll figure it out soon," Lena said, her pulse still racing.
Kai scanned the area. "We need to get off this dock before they lock it down."
Moving swiftly but silently, they leaped from container to container, staying low to avoid being spotted. The labyrinthine layout of the dock worked to their advantage, providing plenty of shadows to slip through.
Finally, they reached the edge of the dock, where a chain-link fence separated them from the nearby alleyways. Beyond that lay the relative safety of the city.
Kai pulled out a pair of bolt cutters from his backpack and quickly snipped through the fence. "After you," he said, gesturing for Lena to go first.
She slipped through the gap, clutching the briefcase tightly, and Kai followed close behind. They darted into the alleys, the sound of their pursuers fading into the distance.
When they were far enough away, they stopped to catch their breath. Lena leaned against a wall, her chest heaving as she tried to steady her racing heart.
"That was too close," she said.
Kai nodded, wiping sweat from his brow. "Welcome to the big leagues."
Lena glanced at the briefcase in her hand, its cold surface a reminder of what they'd risked their lives for. "This better be worth it," she muttered.
Kai smirked. "If Raven's willing to kill for it, I'd say it is."
But as they melted into the shadows of the city, Lena couldn't shake the feeling that whatever was inside the briefcase was only the beginning of a much larger, darker game.