As the armed men poured into the room, aiming their weapons at Emily's chest, the world appeared to stop around her. The red light from the tracking device glowed menacingly in Nathan's shaking fingers, and he stood motionless, his face white and smeared with shame. Emily's instincts told her to get up, fight, and flee, but she had nowhere to go. The safehouse was breached, and its fictitious security was quickly removed.
One of the men said, "Drop the knife," in a piercing, uncompromising voice. Emily paused, gripping the blade at her side with tighter fingers. She looked at Nathan, looking for any indication of a plan, an explanation, or a motive. He turned his head away instead, his embarrassment a greater betrayal than words could have conveyed.
"Emily," he said in a shaky whisper. "I had no other option."
She resisted letting her heart break even though it was cracking at the edges. Weakness was not appropriate at this moment. She dropped the knife slowly and deliberately, allowing it to fall to the ground with a clatter. The lead man stepped forward and remarked, "Good." Two of his guys seized Emily by the arms and pushed her into a chair after he signaled to them.
Her eyes were blazing with fury as she gazed at him. "Don't you work for Blackwood?"
The man met her icy look with a smile. "My dear, that is above your pay grade. However, I will tell you this: this is the last day of your little game."
He reached inside his jacket pocket, took out a sleek tablet, and tapped the screen. A live video feed appeared on the device as it came to life. When Emily saw Blackwood himself emerge on the screen, his angular features gleaming in the low light of his office, her stomach turned.
"Emily," Blackwood spoke in a cool, even condescending tone. "You've been a real annoyance."
With a venomous tone, Emily spat, "You haven't seen anything yet."
Blackwood laughed, his voice as vacuous as his assurances. "Even after you've lost, you're still so fierce. I have to say, I admire your determination. But for you, this is the end of the road. Emily, the files. Where are they?"
Emily's thoughts were racing. She believed that Nathan still had the files. She glanced at him, looking for a sign that he was still with her, a spark of camaraderie. However, his hands were balled into fists and his head was bent. Despite the tempest building inside of her, Emily answered calmly, "I don't know what you're talking about."
As if disappointed, Blackwood sighed. "Stop wasting my time. Here, you're not the only person in danger. What was the name of your friend? Mia? She has been enquiring about you. Do you believe that I am unaware of your little confidante?"
Emily's heart froze. Mia. Since things had gotten out of hand, she hadn't spoken to her friend in weeks. Since Mia was so far away from the mayhem, she had assumed she was safe. However, Blackwood's remarks dispelled that delusion.
"If you have harmed her—" Emily started, but Blackwood interrupted her with a hand gesture.
"Stop being dramatic. She's still alive. But you are the only one who can keep her safe. This is over if you tell me where the files are. You, your companion, and Nathan are all free to leave."
Emily's mouth tightened. She was desperate to fight, to shout, to do anything but sit here, surrounded and powerless. However, she was wise enough to resist. Blackwood didn't help. They would all be killed if she gave in to his demands.
She turned to look at Nathan. His face was a mask of turmoil, and his shoulders were slumped. When he did glance at her, sorrow, guilt, and something more sparked in his eyes. Nathan's voice broke the uncomfortable silence with a gentle "Emily."
"You must give the files to him."
Her eyes became wide with shock. "You're not serious."
With his palms up as if to appease her, Nathan took a step closer. "I am aware that you currently don't trust me, and you have every cause to do so. However, I agreed to keep you alive. Our only option is to do this."
Emily's mind was racing with uncertainty and rage as she glanced at him. Do you believe he will allow us to survive? Do you suppose he'll simply forget what we've discovered?
The accusation in her voice made Nathan wince, but he didn't back down. "We have no other choice. Before, I couldn't keep you safe. I can only make it right in this way."
Like a scalpel, Blackwood's voice sliced through their conversation. "Enough. I have no time for this argument between lovers. Emily, you have a minute to make up your mind. The documents—or the life of your friend."
The men in her immediate vicinity shifted, gripping their rifles more tightly. Emily's pulse was thumping in her ears as her mind raced. She had put forth a great deal of effort and made many sacrifices to find the truth. But today, it might be too expensive to keep it a secret. She finally made up her mind. She raised her head to look into Blackwood's eyes across the screen.
"All right," she responded, her tone firm and icy. "You prevail. I'll give the files to you."
With a look of disbelief on his face, Nathan's head snapped toward her. "No—" said Emily.
She looked at him and silenced him. She said sharply, "I'm not doing this for you. I'm helping Mia out."
A contented smile curved Blackwood's lips. "A sensible decision. Of course, you will personally deliver them to me."
Emily nodded, the weight of her choice pressing down on her heart. "Send me the address."
Blackwood's face was almost amused as he cocked his head. "Oh, I have it already."
Emily's phone buzzed in her pocket as the screen went dark. The coordinates made her heart sink as she took it out. Nathan took a step forward and spoke urgently.
"What are you doing? You can't rely on him."
Emily's voice was a mix of sorrow and steel when she answered, "I know. But I have no other option if this is the only way to save Mia."
Nathan stayed behind as the men led Emily out of the safehouse. As he extracted a second phone from his pocket, his eyes blazed with resolve. He dialed a number he hadn't used in years and whispered to himself, "This isn't over." He spoke fast as the line clicked open. "I need your assistance. Blackwood is involved, but Emily is unaware of it."