Chapter 12: The Real Enemy

The Safehouse

10:00 p.m. – Abandoned Warehouse, Brooklyn

The safehouse was far removed from the opulence of the Harrington mansion. It was located in a dilapidated warehouse on the outskirts of Brooklyn, where dark stains clung to the walls and wet concrete and rust filled the air. Olivia sat on a rickety folding chair; her hands wrapped around a broken mug of coffee that didn't do much to warm her. Damien paced back and forth in the room, his movements tight and nervous, like a caged animal.

The warehouse was dimly lit, a single bulb suspended from the ceiling casting erratic shadows on the walls. The walls were lined with dusty equipment and stacks of crates, their contents long forgotten. A haphazard desk in the center of the room was covered in maps, papers, and a laptop, the screen glowing with financial reports and encrypted files.

Olivia gazed at the screen, her mind spinning as she tried to join the dots. The accounts that they had stolen from Victor's safe showed a corruption that ran far deeper than she had ever imagined.

"Helena knew," Olivia broke the silence. "She knew about my past. About Damien. About everything."

Damien stopped pacing; his own angular features drawn into a hard line as he swung about to face her. "She's not Victor's daughter, Olivia. She's the puppet master. She's been manipulating everything from the very beginning."

Olivia's own chest ached. "But why? Why frame me? Why kill Victor?"

Damien's jaw clenched. "Power. Control. Victor's company was worth billions, and Helena wanted it all. But she couldn't just take it—she needed a scapegoat. A person to take the blame."

Olivia's hands trembled as she put the mug down on the counter. "And she chose me."

Damien nodded; his expression serious. "But she's not doing it on her own. There's someone helping her—someone with syndicate ties."

Olivia was about to respond when the sound of a revving car engine outside made them both freeze in their places.

The Ambush

10:15 p.m. – Outside the Warehouse

Damien inched towards the window, his muscles tense as he peered out over the broken glass. A black SUV had pulled up outside, its headlights piercing the darkness.

"We've got company," he whispered, his voice tight with urgency.

Olivia's heart hammered as she stood, her eyes darting towards the back exit. "What do we do?"

Damien pulled out a duffel bag from the floor and unzipped it, revealing a collection of weapons. He placed a pistol in Olivia's hand, his eyes locking with hers. "Move close to me, and do as I say to the letter."

She nodded, her fingers closing harder around the gun. It was heavy and alien in her palm, but she had no time to wonder.

The bang of car doors closing outside gave her an injection of adrenaline. Damien moved to the door, his footsteps rapid and silent. Olivia brought up the rear, her breath being short as they sprinted into the darkness of the warehouse.

The front door burst open, and three men moved in, their faces masked and their guns drawn. They walked in with a precision, their gaze sweeping the area.

Spread out," one of them ordered, his voice muffled by the mask.

Damien gestured to Olivia, and they crept forward side by side, low, using the equipment and crates as cover. Olivia's heart pounding, her nerves jangled, she picked up on everything, every sound, every movement.

One of the men approached their hiding spot, his footsteps ringing in the desolate air. Damien waited until he was near enough, then leapt, disarming him with a swift, brutal movement. The man grunted, but before he could react, Damien struck him on the head, sending him crashing to the ground.

The sound of the struggle had roused the other two men, and they opened fire, the bullets ricocheting off the metal gear. Olivia ducked behind a crate, her hands trembling as she clutched the gun.

"Olivia, now!" Damien shouted.

She came out from behind the crate and fired, her bullet hitting one of the men in the shoulder. He stumbled, dropping his gun, but the other man was already moving, his gun pointed at her.

Damien was faster. He pushed the man to the ground, the two of them struggling for possession of the gun. Olivia was frozen in fear as the man gained the upper hand, his finger tightening around the trigger.

Without hesitation, she ran forward and smashed the butt of her gun into the man's head. He groaned, his grip loosening, and Damien struggled the gun away, delivering a finishing blow that left him unconscious.

The warehouse was still once more, the only sound Olivia and Damien's ragged breathing.

"We need to get out," Damien told her, his voice strained. "They'll send more.".

Olivia nodded, her quivering hands still holding onto their belongings as they headed for the back door.

The Chase

10:45 p.m. – Brooklyn streets

Olivia and Damien ran down the shadowy alleyway, their heels thudding against the back of the brick building. Behind them, growing louder, were the sounds of pursuit—yelling, screeching tires, the sound of unmistakable gun reloading clicks.

"Get out of here!" Damien shouted, pulling Olivia's arm and running into the side street.

They dodged through the maze of alleys, the city skyline looming in the distance. The streets were deserted, the only illumination coming from the occasional flickering of streetlights.

A car skidded to a halt in front of them, blocking their path. Damien cursed, pulling Olivia into a doorway as the car doors opened.

"Keep close," he snarled, his hands gripping hers.

They slipped in a side entrance, the door crashing shut behind them. The building was empty and dark, the air thick with dust and decay.

"Where are we?" Olivia panted, her breath trembling.

"Someplace they can't find us," Damien replied, his eyes raking the shadows.

But the sound of footsteps echoed through the building, growing louder by the second.

The Confrontation

11:00 p.m. – Abandoned Building

Olivia and Damien moved through the building; their footsteps silent on the cracked concrete floor. The sound of pursuit was close now, the syndicate's enforcers closing in.

"We can't keep running," Olivia breathed, her voice little more than a whisper.

"We don't have a choice," Damien replied, his voice hard.

They reached a dead end, the hallway opening into a large, empty room. The only exit was a rusty fire escape on the other side, but it was inaccessible.

The footsteps grew louder, and then the door opened. Three men walked in, their faces concealed behind masks, their guns trained on Olivia and Damien.

"End of the line," one of them said, his voice flat.

Damien stepped in front of Olivia, his body shielding hers. "If you're going to shoot, then shoot," he said, his voice steady.

The man raised his gun, but before he could pull the trigger, Olivia grabbed a large stone from the floor and hurled it at him.

The stone struck him in the head, and he stumbled, his gun firing wildly. The bullet ricocheted off the wall.

Damien attacked the second man, ripping the gun from his hand with a quick, brutal motion. Olivia ducked as the third man fired, the bullet whizzing past her head.

She grabbed a shard of glass off the floor and slashed at the man's throat, and he released his gun. Damien was on him in an instant, delivering a knockout blow that sent him flying through the window.

The room was quiet, the only sound the gasping breaths of Olivia and Damien.

"We have to get out of here," Damien said, his voice urgent.

Olivia nodded, her trembling hands still clasped together as they climbed the fire escape and disappeared into the night.