The reverberations of the sirens approaching filled the rooftop. They painted the night in a frenzied radiance as red and blue lights flashed off the surrounding buildings. With her pulse-pounding, Emily leaned herself against the chilly crane metal, trying to figure out what they would do next.
"Police?" As he looked over the brink, Nathan whispered. "What makes them appear now? Police calls were not made by Blackwood's men—"
Emily interrupted. "Because they're not helping us." Nathan, they are his. Blackwood is tightening the noose in this way.
Nathan clenched his fingers around the straps of his bag and muttered curses. "What comes next? No place remains for us to flee, and we cannot fight our way out of this."
Emily's mind was racing. They found themselves surrounded and pursued by men who didn't require badges to defend their behavior. Now, even the faith she had placed in Margaret as her ally had soured. She still had the files, though. Secrets of Blackwood. That served as her weapon and leverage. However, they needed to survive to use it.
Emily took hold of Nathan's arm. "We can take advantage of this, but we can't take on them directly. We must go our separate ways."
Nathan's eyes grew wide. "Are you split up? You're crazy?"
She uttered the words hastily, "They won't know who has the files. It will buy us time." We're going to meet tomorrow evening at the safehouse. Do you still possess the address?"
Nathan nodded after he paused and saw the resolution in her eyes. "Yes. But how about you?"
Emily grinned glumly at him. "I'll handle it. Now leave. Never stop and never turn around. Regardless, be sure the files are secure."
Nathan was pushed to the other side of the roof by Emily before he could argue. He was just momentarily hesitant before he took off and vanished into the darkness.
The sirens increased in volume, and as the "police" surrounded the building, the severe sound of doors slamming reverberated downstairs. When Emily looked over the edge, she saw a group of uniformed men marching purposefully while their radios crackled with commands.
However, something felt strange. They were acting too precisely and too well-coordinated to be typical police enforcement. Then one of them lifted his rifle and started searching the rooftops with the barrel, confirming her concerns.
These were not police officers. Disguised as Blackwood's men, they were there to woo her.
Emily turned and ran in the direction of the stairway. She had an intense yearning to live, but no strategy. She went down, the chilly wind whipping at her cheeks, every step resonating in the cramped room.
In time to see two of the phony officers storm through the door, she arrived at the bottom level. Emily immediately swung after grabbing a loose piece of rebar off the floor. The weapon clattered to the ground as the first man fell with a grunt.
With his momentum, Emily dived as the second lunged at her, slamming him against the wall. She barely had time to seize the falling rifle before he slumped with a sigh and fled.
Emily's breath came in sharp gasps as she rushed out onto the street. Cars honking, neon signs blinking, people unaware of the danger hiding just beneath the surface—the city was alive with its normal pandemonium. After dropping the revolver in a nearby dumpster, she blended in with the throng.
All of her instincts told her to keep going and remain hidden. Although Blackwood's influence was extensive, it wasn't absolute. Reaching the safehouse would allow her to reassemble with Nathan and choose their next course of action.
To her surprise, her phone buzzed in her pocket. When the name Unknown Caller flashed on the screen, she slowly pulled it out, feeling sick to her stomach.
She answered, even if she should have refrained. "Who is this?"
"Emmy."
It was a smooth, well-known, and completely terrifying voice. Damien Blackwood.
She clutched at the phone. "How did this number come to you?"
Laughing as frigid as ice, Blackwood laughed. "You underestimate how difficult it is to find you. But don't worry, I wasn't gloating when I called. I called to present you with an offer."
"A bargain?" Her tone was one of astonishment as she repeated.
With an almost informal tone, he said, "Yes. Emily, I respect how persistent you are. No one has ever gotten as near as you have. Let's not pretend, though, that you will prevail. You have no choice except to be alone, persecuted, and exhausted. I'll erase everything if you give up the files. You have the freedom to go. Commence anew."
Emily felt nauseous. Though fleeting, the desire was there. Maybe she could save Nathan, save herself, and put an end to this nightmare. She then remembered the emails' eerie language, the names, and the ledger.
Project Eden is going to change the world order.
"Are you saying that I'm foolish enough to put my trust in you?" She lashes out. "You simply feel afraid. Terrified of the consequences if the world learns the truth."
Blackwood's voice became serious, the slight chuckle gone. "Emily, I'm offering you a solution. You will not live to repent your refusal."
After spitting out, "Go to hell," she hung up and threw the phone into a storm drain nearby.
Emily's body was running on fumes by the time she arrived at the safe house, a run-down apartment nestled in the city's industrial zone. As she pulled the door open, the condition of the premises made her heart drop.
There was dust on the furniture, and the walls were disintegrating. For now, though, it was safe. With her thoughts racing, she collapsed into a chair. She had nothing but the data to keep her alive, but time was running out.
Blackwood had to be exposed, but she seemed to be getting closer to trouble with each step she took.
She was thinking when she heard footsteps outside the door. Her hand reached reflexively for the knife she had stashed in her boot as she froze. After a pause in the footsteps, there was a slight sound of a key turning in the lock.
When the door creaked open, Emily stood with her heart racing. "Nathan?" she said, feeling a wave of comfort as he entered.
Her relief did not last long, though. Nathan's eyes darted tensely, and his face was pale. Shaking his hands, he locked the door behind him.
"What's off?" With a quiet voice, Emily asked.
Nathan paused and looked away. A sleek black gadget with a blinking red light was then taken out of his pocket.
Emily felt a chill. "What is that?"
Nathan's voice hardly made a sound. "I apologize to Emily. They influenced me."
Emily heard the device beep loudly before she could respond. With their weapons aimed at her, armed men rushed through the doors and windows, flooding the room with light.