UNDER ATTACK
As we settled into the safe house, I began to feel a sense of unease. I had been trained to trust my instincts, and something didn't feel right.
I looked over at Ava, who was sitting on the couch, staring at her phone. "Ava, I need to check the perimeter," I said.
Ava nodded, not looking up. "Be careful," she said.
I nodded and made my way to the door. As I stepped outside, I noticed that the street was eerily quiet. I scanned the area, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
But as I turned to go back inside, I heard a faint noise. It sounded like footsteps, coming from the alley behind the safe house.
My heart racing, I drew my gun and moved stealthily towards the alley. As I turned the corner, I saw a group of men, armed and moving towards the safe house.
I knew we had been breached.
I quickly moved back to the safe house, gun drawn, and burst through the door. "Ava, we have to go, now!" I yelled.
Ava looked up from her phone, startled, and saw the look of urgency on my face. She quickly got up and followed me as I moved towards the back door.
We could hear the men moving around the front of the house, trying to get in. I knew we had to move fast if we were going to get out of there alive.
I pushed Ava through the back door and followed close behind, gun still drawn. We found ourselves in a narrow alleyway, with tall buildings looming on either side.
I quickly scanned the area, looking for any signs of danger. That's when I saw them - two men, armed and moving towards us from the end of the alley.
"Ava, run!" I yelled, pushing her forward.
We sprinted down the alley, our footsteps echoing off the walls. I could hear the men behind us, their footsteps getting closer and closer.
Suddenly, Ava tripped and fell, skinning her knee on the rough pavement. I quickly stopped and turned to help her up, but as I did, I saw the men closing in on us.
I quickly pulled Ava to her feet and we continued to run down the alley. But I knew we couldn't keep this up for much longer. The men were gaining on us, and we were running out of options.
That's when I saw it - a small door at the end of the alley, partially hidden by a dumpster. I grabbed Ava's hand and pulled her towards the door.
"In here!" I yelled, pushing her through the doorway.
We found ourselves in a cramped, dimly lit stairway. I slammed the door shut behind us and leaned against it, panting.
Ava looked up at me, her eyes wide with fear. "What now?" she asked.
I took a deep breath, trying to think. We couldn't stay here for long - the men would find us soon enough. We needed to keep moving.
I looked around, taking in our surroundings. The stairway led up to a rooftop, and I could see the glint of sunlight coming from above.
"The roof," I said, grabbing Ava's hand. "We'll go up to the roof and try to find a way down to the street."
Ava nodded, and we began to make our way up the stairs. But as we climbed, I could hear the men below us, pounding on the door and shouting.
We were running out of time.
Suddenly, Ava stopped, her eyes fixed on something above us. I followed her gaze, and my heart sank.
The rooftop door was blocked by a group of heavily armed men. We were trapped.
As we reached the rooftop, Ava's eyes widened in horror. The armed men, clearly working for the Russo family, closed in on us.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was Jack, my former colleague and friend. He was a skilled operative, and I knew he had my back.
"Ethan, I've got your six," Jack said, taking down two of the armed men with swift precision.
But there were too many of them. We were outnumbered, and I knew we couldn't hold out for much longer.
That's when I saw him – Marco Russo, the ruthless patriarch of the Russo family. He sneered at me, his eyes blazing with hatred.
"Ethan, you're a hard man to kill," Marco said, his voice dripping with malice. "But today, you're going to pay for your betrayal."
I knew I had to act fast. I pushed Ava behind me, using my body to shield her from any unexpected gunfire.
But as I looked into Marco's eyes, I knew that my secrets were about to be revealed. He knew something about my past, something that could destroy my reputation and put Ava in even greater danger.
"Ethan, you're not who you say you are," Marco sneered. "You're a traitor, a man with a price on his head."
Ava's eyes widened in shock, and I knew I had to think fast. I couldn't let Marco reveal my secrets, not now, not ever.
But as I looked at Ava, I knew that I had to tell her the truth. She deserved to know who I really was, and why I was in this mess.