The hidden door slid shut behind Langston, but Isabella was already moving. She wouldn't let him escape. Not this time.
Alexander was right beside her, his breathing steady, his grip on his weapon tight. They sprinted through the dimly lit corridor, their footsteps echoing against the cold stone walls. The underground passage smelled of damp concrete and gunpowder—a tunnel designed for cowards like Langston to run and hide.
But there was nowhere left for him to run.
Damian's voice crackled in Isabella's earpiece. "You're entering the lower level. Be careful this place is a maze. I'll guide you."
Ahead, the tunnel split into two.
"Which way?" Alexander asked.
A pause. Then Damian cursed. "He's jamming my signal damn it! You're on your own for now."
Isabella didn't hesitate. "Left."
She wasn't guessing. She knew Langston. He'd always take the longer route, buying himself time.
They pushed forward, clearing room after room. The deeper they went, the darker it became. Red emergency lights flickered overhead, casting eerie shadows.
Then, they found him.
Langston stood at the end of a reinforced chamber, blood seeping from the gunshot wound in his shoulder. But he wasn't alone. Two heavily armed guards flanked him.
He smirked. "You just don't know when to quit, do you?"
Isabella raised her gun. "It's over, Langston."
He laughed, shaking his head. "You think you've won? You think taking me down will change anything?"
Alexander took a step forward. "Enough talking. Surrender, or we end this here."
Langston's expression darkened. "You'll regret this."
He gave a subtle nod to his guards and all hell broke loose.
The guards opened fire. Isabella and Alexander dove for cover as bullets ricocheted off the metal walls.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The room filled with smoke and chaos. Alexander took down one of the guards with a precise shot to the chest. Isabella rolled out of cover, firing at the second. He staggered, but before she could finish him, Langston lunged at her.
They crashed to the ground.
Langston's hands wrapped around her throat, squeezing. His grip was brutal, fueled by desperation.
Isabella's vision blurred. No. Not like this.
With the last of her strength, she grabbed the knife from her belt and drove it into his side.
Langston's grip loosened. He gasped, eyes widening in shock as he stumbled back.
Isabella pushed to her feet, her breath ragged. She looked him in the eye. "This is for everything you've done."
And then, with one final shot she ended it.
Langston fell, his body hitting the cold floor. It was over.
Alexander stepped beside her, watching as the life drained from Langston's eyes. He exhaled slowly. "You did it."
Isabella swallowed hard. The years of fighting, the pain, the loss it all led to this moment.
Victory.
Damian's voice finally came back through the earpiece. "Is it done?"
Isabella took a shaky breath. "Yeah. It's done."
A silence fell between them. Then, for the first time in years, Isabella allowed herself to believe it.
The war was over.
But what came next?
As she looked at Alexander really looked at him she realized that maybe, just maybe, their future was no longer written in blood and revenge.
Maybe it was something else entirely.
Something worth fighting for.