THE LAST STAND

The sound of boots thundering against the cold concrete echoed through the room as Ella's heart raced. Vincent and his men were closing in, their footsteps getting louder by the second. Ella's pulse thudded in her ears, her mind racing with every possible escape route, but there was no way out.

"You should have stayed out of this, Ella," Vincent's voice was like ice, cutting through the air. He stepped forward, a sinister grin on his face. "You've already lost. The Order doesn't make mistakes. Your parents were a mistake. And now, so are you."

Ella clenched her fists around the handle of the gun she had taken with her. Her hands were slick with sweat, her breath shallow, but she couldn't let herself falter. Not now. Not when she was so close.

Grace's voice was low but urgent as she yanked Ella back into the corner of the room, behind a stack of metal filing cabinets. "We can't fight them, Ella. We're outnumbered. We have to get out of here—now."

But Ella shook her head, her resolve hardening. "We came here for the truth, Grace. We can't leave without it."

"Ella, we can't just waltz out of here with the files. The Order will come after us, and they won't stop. Not until they finish what they started."

"We're already in too deep," Ella said quietly. "I'm not walking away from this."

Grace's eyes flickered with a mix of admiration and regret. "You're right. But we have to be smart about this."

Vincent's voice rang out again, this time sharp with anger. "I won't say it again. Drop the files, and no one gets hurt."

Ella glanced at Grace, who was already scanning the room for an escape route. She knew they couldn't give up now. Not when they were so close.

"You have one chance to walk away, Vincent," Ella said, her voice shaking but strong. "If you don't, I'll make you regret it."

For a moment, Vincent didn't respond. His eyes narrowed, and the tension in the room thickened. The air felt suffocating, the weight of the moment hanging heavy. Then, without warning, one of his men lunged forward, brandishing a gun.

"Drop it!" he yelled.

Time seemed to slow. Ella's instincts kicked in. She dove to the side, just as Grace fired a shot from the handgun she had concealed under her jacket. The bullet struck one of Vincent's men in the shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground. His gun went off in the chaos, but the shot missed.

"Go!" Grace shouted, her voice a fierce command.

Without thinking, Ella bolted for the filing cabinet, grabbing the stack of documents. She clutched the papers tightly in her arms as she ran toward the exit, Grace hot on her heels. But just as they neared the door, two more men blocked their path.

"You're not going anywhere," one of them growled, raising his gun.

Ella's heart raced, but she was not about to let them take her. She turned, adrenaline flooding her veins, and dove into a nearby side room, pulling Grace with her. The door slammed shut behind them with a loud bang. They were trapped.

"We're running out of time," Ella muttered, her eyes flicking nervously toward the narrow window in the corner. It was too small to escape through, but it offered a glimpse of the chaos outside. Sirens wailed in the distance, and the lights of approaching police cars flashed through the blinds.

Grace glanced at the window, her expression hardening. "It's now or never. We need to get out of here before they find us."

Ella nodded, her heart pounding as she clutched the files to her chest. She knew they couldn't keep running. The truth was within her reach, and no matter what happened, she wasn't going to let it slip away.

"Follow me," Grace said. She grabbed Ella's hand and pulled her toward the back of the room, where a rusted fire escape ladder led to the roof. "We can use the roof to get out."

Ella hesitated for only a moment before following Grace up the ladder. They climbed quickly, the sound of gunfire and shouting growing fainter as they ascended. The cool night air greeted them at the top, and they crouched low, trying to stay hidden in the shadows.

"We're almost there," Grace said, her voice tense. "We just need to get across to the neighboring building, and then we can make a clean getaway."

But before they could take another step, a loud voice called out from below.

"There they are!"

It was Vincent. He and his men had found them. Ella's heart skipped a beat, but Grace was already pulling her forward. They ran across the rooftop, their footsteps light but hurried.

The distance between them and safety seemed endless. Below them, the street was lit by the flickering lights of police cars, their sirens blaring. In front of them, the neighboring building loomed, its rooftop just a little too far to reach. Ella's legs burned as they sprinted, but she refused to stop. She couldn't stop.

"We're almost there!" Grace urged, her voice tight with determination.

But just as they reached the edge of the roof, a shot rang out. Ella froze, a sharp pain searing through her leg. She cried out and collapsed to the ground, the files slipping from her grasp.

"Ella!" Grace screamed, rushing to her side.

The blood oozed from the wound in Ella's leg, and the world around her began to blur. She could hear Grace shouting for help, but the sound was distant. Faint.

Vincent's voice broke through the haze. "You thought you could escape, Ella? You thought you could outrun The Order?"

Ella's vision flickered, but through the haze, she saw Grace pulling her toward the edge of the building. The sound of Vincent's footsteps grew louder, but Grace wasn't going to stop. Not now. Not when they were so close.

And then, everything went black.