Deadly Discovery

Sawyer pulled the car into an alley a block away from the dimly lit warehouse. Ethan peered out the window, scanning for signs of life. The building loomed ahead, its rusted metal exterior bleeding into the industrial decay of the district. 

"This the place?" Ethan asked quietly.

Sawyer nodded, tugging a flashlight from the glove compartment box. "Whitaker's name is plastered all over the deed. If he's hiding anything, it's here." 

They stepped out of the car and kept low as they approached the building. Somewhere, machinery hummed, and the air reeked thickly of oil and damp metal.

Ethan tried the side door, but it was locked. Sawyer silently gestured to a small window above them. 

"You climb up, I'll boost you," Sawyer whispered.

Ethan complained but obliged, leaping onto Sawyer's laced hands and hoisting himself through the window. Landing inside with a soft thud, in an instant he was peering around the room. This was some sort of storeroom filled with crates bearing company stamps. He crossed the room, unlocking the door for Sawyer.

Inside, the two moved stealthily down the aisles, the thin beam from Sawyer's flashlight cutting across shelves of boxes emblazoned with illegible markings in code.

What's in these?" Ethan whispered, prying open a crate. 

Sawyer leaned in as Ethan pulled out an assault rifle-the serial number scratched off. Underneath it were stacks and stacks of files. Ethan pulled them out, revealing a ledger.

"This isn't just weapons," Ethan muttered. "This is a smuggling operation…guns, drugs, maybe even people.

Sawyer's jaw clenched. "And Whitaker's behind this? Figures. But this." He pointed to a folder with a state seal on the cover. "This means someone bigger is pulling the strings."

Ethan opened the folder and froze. Inside were invoices signed by a high-ranking state official whose name had come up during his own investigation years ago.

Governor Langston," Ethan said, disbelief heavy in his voice.

They barely had time to process that fact before footsteps echoed around the warehouse.

"Someones here," Sawyer hissed and pulled out his gun.

Ethan jammed the documents into his bag just as footsteps started getting closer. A shaft of a flashlight cut across the darkness, playing over the rows of crates. 

"Move!" Sawyer barked.

Down the aisle they ran, dodging crates as steps grew quicker. Shots burst forth, splinters of wood flying everywhere around them. Ethan huddled behind a crate, gasping as Sawyer returned fire.

"We need another way out!" Ethan yelled. 

Sawyer looked around and pointed to a stairway leading up to a second-floor catwalk. "Up there!

They sprinted toward the stairs, dodging whizzing bullets. They hit the catwalk running towards an emergency exit that turned out to be chained shut. 

"Damn it!" Sawyer cursed. 

Looking around frantically, Ethan looked upwards to see a skylight. "Give me a boost!

Sawyer hesitated then clapped to raise Ethan. He punched out the skylight with his elbow and heaved himself up to the roof, after which he tugged Sawyer out. 

Below them, Whitaker's men were cursing as their voices disappeared into Ethan and Sawyer running across rooftops. 

Finally at the car, both were gasping as their faces oozed sweat.

"We've got enough to blow this wide open," Ethan said, clutching the bag of evidence. 

Sawyer shook his head. "Not yet. Langston's too powerful. We need more if we're going to take him down." 

Sawyer leaned back against the car, his breathing heavy as he scanned the darkened street. "We rattled their cage. They'll know we're coming now."

Ethan clutched the bag and nodded. His mind already furiously ran through combinations on his next step. "With Langston involved, if nothing else, we need to speed before they can bury it, at worst-or come after us."

Sawyer let a sour snort out. "Come after us? Whitaker's goons already tried killing us. They will go two for two now that we got this." He nodded to the bag. "Just out of curiosity, exactly what did you grab in there?"

Ethan pulled the documents from the bag, fanning them out across the hood of the car. Sawyer swept the flashlight over the papers.

"There's the ledger," Ethan said, pointing to a column of transactions. "Shipments, payoffs, routes. This ties the smuggling operation directly to Whitaker's company."

"And this," Sawyer said, tapping the folder with the governor's name, "is the bombshell. It's not just Langston's signature…its timestamps showing he approved key contracts and transfers on the nights of the shipments."

Ethan's jaw clenched. "He is beyond complicit; he is masterminding it. Langston has used his office to cover their operation."

Sawyer's eyes narrowed. "If we leak this, Langston will come down hard. His people will crush this story before it hits the headlines.

Ethan clenched his fists. "Then we hit him first. We go public with everything, all at once. Lisa's already got her story lined up. We just need to get these documents to her."

"Not so fast," Sawyer said, his voice low. "You're thinking like a journalist. You drop this without backup, and you're signing all our death warrants.

Ethan glared at him. "So, what are you suggesting? Sit on this while they keep killing people?

"No," Sawyer said firmly. "We build our case. We find the witnesses, people who can corroborate this evidence. Langston's untouchable on paper, but if we have testimony to back this up, even his allies will desert him.

Ethan hesitated, frustration warring with reason. "That could take weeks, maybe months. We don't have that kind of time. Maria's already in danger, and now Lisa-

The sound of screeching tires cut him off. Both men turned as a black SUV barreled around the corner, its headlights glaring.

"Move!" Sawyer shouted, drawing his gun.

They dove behind the car as the SUV skidded to a stop. Its doors flew open and armed men poured out. Their guns were raised. 

"Give us the bag!" one of the men yelled.

Sawyer shot into the air, and the men went diving for cover. "Not a chance!"

Ethan grabbed desperately at the documents, managed to thrust them back inside the bag, and repeated, "We can't stay here. They'll surround us!" 

Sawyer just nodded, and with one last shot, jerked Ethan into a run toward the car. "Get to the car!"

Across the open pavement, there seemed to be a hail of bullets as both started running towards the driver's side. Sawyer dove into the driver's seat as Ethan slid in from the passenger side.

"Go, go, go!" yelled Ethan.

Sawyer slammed his foot onto the gas; the tires shrieked, screeching, and suddenly they were away. The SUV righted itself, roared to life, and took off after them.

"They don't give up!" Ethan yelled, looking out the back window.

Sawyer made a sudden hard turn, dodging the eruption of gunfire. "They will if they can get us dead. Hang on!"

Down narrow streets, the SUV was gaining ground as their car careened. Ethan fumbled with the glove compartment, pulling out a pistol.

"Cover me!" Sawyer barked.

Ethan leaned out the window, trying to hit the tires of the SUV. His hands were shaking as he squeezed the trigger; sparks flew everywhere. One of the bullets hit home, and the SUV swerved violently before it smashed into a lamppost.

Sawyer didn't slow down, dodging through traffic until the warehouse district was well behind them.

Finally, when they stopped in a desolate parking lot, both men sat wordlessly, catching their breath.

"That was too close," Sawyer muttered, his knuckles white as he clutched the steering wheel. 

Ethan nodded, still trying to calm his racing heart. "They aren't just trying to scare us anymore. They're out for blood.".

Sawyer turned to him, his face grim. "It's no longer about bringing Langston or Whitaker down. It is a matter of survival now. We need a new game plan, and we need one fast."

Ethan let his gaze settle on the evidence bag, the grit in his heart beginning to set. "Then let's make it count. If they

're ready to kill over it, that means we've got them cornered.

Sawyer's lips curled into a smirk. "Then let's finish the job."