The tension in the air was suffocating as Renjiro and Aiko sprinted down the narrow hallway, their footsteps echoing off the cold, lifeless walls. The sounds of shouting and hurried footsteps followed them, growing louder with every passing second. Aiko clutched the small pistol in her trembling hands, her mind racing with fear and adrenaline.
"Left!" Renjiro barked, his voice sharp and commanding.
Without hesitation, Aiko turned, following him into a side corridor. They burst into a storage room filled with old office furniture and dusty file cabinets. Renjiro slammed the door shut behind them and dragged a heavy desk in front of it.
"Block the door. This'll buy us a few seconds," he said, his voice calm but urgent.
Aiko nodded, pushing a chair against the desk to fortify their makeshift barricade. Her chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath, her heart pounding in her ears.
"What now?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Renjiro didn't answer immediately. He pulled out a small device from his jacket—a portable jammer. Placing it on the floor, he activated it with a flick of a switch.
"This will disrupt their comms for a few minutes," he explained. "It'll give us some breathing room, but not much."
"What about the others?" Aiko asked, thinking of Yukari, Saito, and Hana.
"They'll stick to the plan," Renjiro replied. "Right now, we need to figure out what's in those briefcases."
Aiko frowned. "But how? We can't go back to the conference room—not with all those guards."
Renjiro smirked faintly. "We don't need to. Yukari's watching everything. She'll relay whatever she sees to us."
As if on cue, Yukari's voice crackled in their earpieces. "You two okay? Looks like you stirred up a hornet's nest."
"We're fine," Renjiro replied. "What's the situation in the conference room?"
"The buyer just opened one of the briefcases," Yukari said. "It's... weird. Looks like some kind of prototype device. Compact, sleek, but I can't tell what it does."
"Get me a visual," Renjiro ordered.
"Already working on it," Yukari said. "But I'll warn you—it's heavily encrypted. Kaede's people aren't taking any chances."
Renjiro's jaw tightened. "Understood. Keep us updated."
---
Meanwhile, outside the building, Saito and Hana maintained their vigil, keeping a close eye on the exits. Hana leaned casually against a wall, her sharp eyes scanning the area with practiced ease.
"Saito," she said quietly, "we've got movement. Black van, three o'clock."
Saito followed her gaze and spotted the vehicle pulling up near the building's back entrance. Several men in tactical gear stepped out, their expressions cold and professional.
"More reinforcements," Saito muttered. "Kaede must've realized something's up."
Hana nodded, already slipping into the shadows. "I'll get closer. See what they're up to."
"Be careful," Saito said, his tone serious.
Hana didn't reply, disappearing into the crowd like a wraith. Saito adjusted his position, his hand resting on the hilt of his concealed blade. If things went south, he was ready to act.
---
Back inside, Aiko and Renjiro's temporary reprieve was interrupted by the sound of banging on the barricaded door.
"They're here," Aiko whispered, her voice shaking.
Renjiro didn't respond. Instead, he motioned for her to follow him toward a vent on the far wall.
"We're not sticking around for a fight," he said, pulling the vent cover off. "This leads to the maintenance shaft. It'll take us to the roof."
"The roof?" Aiko asked, her eyes wide.
"It's our best chance," Renjiro said firmly. "Move."
Aiko hesitated for only a moment before crawling into the vent. Renjiro followed, replacing the cover behind him just as the door to the storage room burst open.
The narrow confines of the vent were suffocating, but Aiko pushed forward, focusing on Renjiro's steady presence behind her.
"Keep going," he urged.
After what felt like an eternity, they emerged onto the roof, the cool night air a stark contrast to the stifling heat of the vent. Renjiro helped Aiko climb out, his eyes scanning the horizon.
"We're exposed up here," Aiko said nervously, glancing at the surrounding rooftops.
"Only for a moment," Renjiro said, pulling out a pair of binoculars. "Yukari, give me a location on Kaede's reinforcements."
"They're closing in," Yukari replied. "You've got maybe five minutes before they reach the roof."
"Plenty of time," Renjiro said, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Aiko stared at him, incredulous. "Plenty of time for what?"
"To turn the tables," Renjiro said cryptically.
Before Aiko could ask what he meant, the distant whir of a helicopter reached their ears. Aiko's heart sank as she spotted the aircraft approaching, its searchlight cutting through the night.
"We're trapped," she said, panic rising in her voice.
"Not yet," Renjiro said, pulling out a flare gun. "Stay close."
As the helicopter drew nearer, Renjiro fired the flare into the sky. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a second helicopter appeared, this one unmarked and moving with precision.
Aiko's eyes widened. "You planned this?"
Renjiro smirked. "Always have a backup."
The unmarked helicopter hovered above them, lowering a rope ladder. Renjiro grabbed Aiko's arm, guiding her toward it.
"Climb," he ordered.
Aiko hesitated for only a second before grabbing the ladder and hauling herself up. Renjiro followed, his movements swift and practiced.
As they ascended, the enemy helicopter circled back, its spotlight locking onto them. Gunfire erupted, bullets whizzing past them as they climbed.
Renjiro reached the top first, pulling Aiko into the safety of the cabin. The pilot, a grizzled man with a calm demeanor, gave a thumbs-up.
"Close call," the pilot said, his voice steady.
"Not over yet," Renjiro replied, glancing out the window as the enemy helicopter gave chase.
The game was far from over, but for now, they had the advantage. And Renjiro wasn't about to waste it.