No Safe Haven

Chapter 51: No Safe Haven

The Fallout

The team sat in silence, the weight of their narrow escape pressing down on them. The apartment was dimly lit, its walls cracked with age. It wasn't much, but for now, it was their only sanctuary.

Naira paced near the window, peering through the blinds. "No sign of them yet, but it's only a matter of time."

Aadarsh leaned against the door, arms crossed. "We can't stay here long. Vikram knows we tricked him. He'll come after us harder."

Kiara exhaled sharply. "Then we need to stop reacting and start acting."

Amrita rubbed her temples. "We need to figure out what Vikram really wants. He wouldn't chase us this hard unless there was something bigger at play."

Priya, silent until now, finally spoke. "The file."

Everyone turned toward her.

"The real file," she clarified. "Vikram wasn't just after the information we had. He wanted to know if we still have the original documents that could expose his entire network."

Aadarsh frowned. "But we don't have the real file. Right?"

Priya hesitated. "Not exactly."

Amrita's stomach dropped. "Priya, what did you do?"

Priya took a deep breath. "I have it. The actual file—the one with unedited evidence, names, financial records—everything. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to put you in more danger."

Silence.

Then Kiara let out a dry laugh. "Well. That explains a lot."

Naira looked exasperated. "So we've been running for our lives, and all this time, you had the key to this whole mess?"

"I didn't have a choice," Priya said. "If Vikram had even a hint that the real file still existed, he wouldn't just be chasing us—he'd be eliminating us."

Aadarsh shook his head. "Priya, we need that file. If we destroy it, we lose our leverage. If we use it wrong, we put a target on our backs forever."

Amrita took a deep breath. "Where is it?"

Priya hesitated, then reached into her bag and pulled out a small USB drive.

"Right here."

A Dangerous Proposal

Aadarsh took the USB and turned it over in his fingers. "This changes everything."

"We can't just sit on this anymore," Kiara said. "We either use it or make sure no one ever finds it."

Naira sat down, rubbing her temples. "If we leak it publicly, Vikram will know it came from us."

"But if we don't leak it, we lose our only bargaining chip," Amrita countered.

Priya sighed. "There's one option. A third party. Someone powerful enough to handle Vikram and his network."

"Who?" Aadarsh asked.

Priya hesitated. "A journalist I know. Deep cover. They specialize in exposing corporate corruption. If we pass the file to them, they can break the story while keeping us anonymous."

Kiara raised an eyebrow. "And you trust them?"

"More than I trust anyone else right now," Priya admitted.

Amrita glanced around the room. "If we do this, there's no turning back. Once the story is out, Vikram will be exposed—but so will we."

The team exchanged glances.

Then Aadarsh nodded. "Let's do it."

The Drop-Off

Two hours later, they arrived at a 24-hour café on the other side of the city.

Priya's contact had chosen the meeting place. Public enough to be safe, but quiet enough to avoid suspicion.

Inside, a man in his late thirties sat at the back, nursing a coffee. He looked up as they approached.

"Priya," he said with a small smile. "Didn't think I'd see you again."

"Didn't think I'd need to call you again," Priya admitted.

The man—introducing himself as Raghav—studied the group. "You must be the unexpected heroes Priya's been working with."

Aadarsh sat down. "We have information. Big information. But we need to be sure it gets into the right hands."

Priya slid the USB across the table. "Everything you need is in there. But you have to be careful. These people don't play fair."

Raghav took the USB, his expression serious. "I know. But neither do I."

Amrita exhaled. "Then it's done."

But as they stood to leave, her phone buzzed.

A single message.

"You made your choice. Now we make ours."

Her blood ran cold.

"Guys," she whispered. "They know."

A second later, the café's lights flickered. A car screeched to a stop outside.

And then the doors burst open.

To Be Continued…

Will the team escape Vikram's retaliation? Did they make the right move by handing over the file? And who just walked through those doors? Stay tuned!