Inside the small room, the silence was suddenly broken.
—Help! Someone come quickly! —Ethan shouted.
Koen remained leaning against the wall, his head tilted to one side and his eyes closed, pretending to be unconscious. His breathing was almost imperceptible.
In front of him, Elion and Ethan had already re-tied the ropes around their wrists, leaving the knots loose enough to free themselves at any moment without arousing suspicion.
—Please! My friend has stopped breathing! — Ethan continued to shout, letting the panic show in his voice.
The three of them remained alert.
Footsteps could be heard outside.
Then another pair.
Finally, a voice.
—Why are you making such a racket?
The lock clicked as it turned, and the door opened slowly.
A burly man with a scruffy beard and a sullen expression appeared in the doorway. He had a pistol tucked into his waistband and a rifle slung over his shoulder.
He looked at Ethan with annoyance.
—What the hell's going on?
Ethan glanced quickly at Koen.
—Him! He's not breathing! Help him!
The man let out a sigh of annoyance.
—Damn it…
He looked at Koen and walked into the room, still grumbling.
—Looks like the boss overdosed…
He crouched down next to Koen and placed two fingers on his neck to check for a pulse.
He had one.
Then he leaned in to check if he was still breathing.
He felt the air.
He frowned.
—Hey, he's breathing because…
In that instant, he realized something wasn't right.
He started to turn his head toward Ethan, but it was already too late.
Elion yanked the ropes with a sudden movement and freed his hands.
In a single swift motion, he lunged at the man and drove the tranquilizer dart into his shoulder.
—What…?!
The man tried to get up, taking just two staggering steps.
His vision began to blur.
He tried to draw his gun, but couldn't reach it.
His body lost strength and he fell heavily to the ground with a loud thud.
The three of them remained motionless for a few seconds, alert for any reaction from outside.
Silence.
Koen opened his eyes and sat up immediately.
—Did it work?...
—It seems so —Elion replied in a low voice.
Koen hurried to untie the ropes from his wrists. Ethan did the same, and once free, he let out a sigh of relief.
—I thought he was going to find us.
Elion didn't answer. He crouched down next to the unconscious man and took the pistol from his belt. Then he picked up the rifle slung over his shoulder and quickly checked to make sure it was ready.
With both weapons in hand, he cautiously approached the door.
He pressed himself against the doorframe and peeked his head out just a little.
First, he looked to the right.
Nothing.
Then to the left.
The hallway remained completely empty.
All they could hear were a few distant voices, muffled by the walls, coming from another part of the building.
Elion stepped back and turned his gaze toward his companions.
—The coast is clear.
He tossed the pistol to Koen.
—Here.
Koen caught it, but held it for only a moment before turning to Ethan and tossing it to him.
—You'll need it more.
Ethan made a move to protest.
—But…
Koen shook his head and gave him a small nod to indicate that it was okay.
Ethan finally nodded and gripped the gun tightly in his hands.
—Thanks.
Elion shouldered the rifle and looked at the two of them.
—All right. We only have one chance.
The three exchanged glances. No further words were needed.
Elion approached the door again.
—Let's make the most of it.
The three of them left the small room as quietly as possible.
Elion led the way, holding the guard's pistol. Behind him came Ethan, watching every corner, while Koen brought up the rear, keeping an eye out for anyone appearing in the hallways.
The building was much larger than they had imagined. Old concrete hallways stretched out in various directions, lit only by a few emergency lights that flickered constantly. The smell of dampness and fuel permeated the air.
—The emergency exit is over there… —Koen whispered, pointing to the end of the hallway.
Elion nodded.
—Move along.
The three of them quickened their pace without making a sound.
Then, a small wooden plank, rotten from age, gave way under Elion's weight.
Crack!
The sound echoed throughout the hallway.
The three of them froze.
An uncomfortable silence enveloped them… until a voice echoed from the other end of the hallway.
—Did you hear that?
—It came from the room where the prisoners are.
—Move!
Footsteps began to approach at full speed.
—They've found us… —Koen murmured.
—Run! —Elion ordered.
The three of them broke into a run toward the exit.
The metal door was just a few meters away when several men appeared from a side hallway, blocking their path.
—There they are!
—Don't let them get away!
Koen glanced quickly around.
—They're cutting us off!
Before they could react, four men appeared in front of them while two others blocked the path from behind.
They were completely surrounded.
The blond man walked among them with a mocking smile.
—I knew you'd try to escape.
He turned his head slightly.
—Catch them, but don't kill them… not yet.
The men pulled out knives, metal pipes, and bats.
—Looks like we'll have to fight our way out… —Ethan muttered.
Koen smiled faintly.
—Just the way I like it.
The first two men lunged at them.
Ethan dodged a blow from a pipe and responded with a straight punch to his attacker's face. The man staggered backward, but another appeared at his side, trying to stab him with a knife. Ethan grabbed his wrist, twisted his arm hard, and the knife fell to the ground. Without wasting a moment, he knocked him down with a kick.
Meanwhile, Koen was facing two men at once. He blocked a blow with his forearm, grabbed an old wooden stick leaning against the wall, and used it to disarm the first man before striking the second in the stomach.
—Come on! Is that all you've got? —he teased as he dodged another attack.
Elion covered their rear.
He fired a shot into the ceiling.
The loud bang made several of them hesitate for a second.
—Run!
The three took advantage of the opening and began to advance.
But one of the men appeared from the side.
The blade of a knife glinted in the light.
—Elion!
It was too late.
The knife sank deep into Elion's thigh.
—Aaagh!
Elion fell to his knees.
Koen reacted immediately and struck the attacker in the face with the stick, forcing him to retreat.
Ethan grabbed Elion by the arm.
—Get up!
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Elion managed to pull himself up.
The three of them set off on a desperate run down the hallway.
The voices of their pursuers echoed closer and closer.
—Don't lose them!
—Block off all the exits!
They turned a corner and found a small maintenance room.
They slipped inside for just a few seconds to hide while the footsteps passed by.
Only then could they breathe again.
Elion slumped against the wall.
Blood was streaming down his leg.
—Damn… that really hurt…
Koen began frantically searching the room.
He found some old boxes and, inside them, a relatively clean piece of cloth.
He knelt down in front of Elion.
—This is going to hurt.
Without waiting for a reply, he pressed firmly on the wound.
Elion let out a muffled groan and clenched his fists as Koen improvised a tight bandage to stop the bleeding.
Ethan, who was guarding the door with his gun at the ready, peered down the hallway through a small crack.
—They're still looking for us; we can't stay here.
Koen finished the bandage and looked up.
—I know. If we keep hiding, they'll find us sooner or later.
Elion took a deep breath, trying to endure the pain.
—Then let's get out of this building once and for all.
With Ethan and Koen's help, he managed to get to his feet.
Every step was torture, but he kept moving forward.
The three of them left the room and continued down a side hallway, trying to avoid areas where they could hear voices. Several times they had to stop when a group of men passed nearby, hiding behind old furniture or in abandoned rooms.
Finally, they found another metal door.
Koen smiled with relief.
—That must be the exit.
He turned the doorknob, and the door opened.
But instead of the outside…
It was the rooftop.
The cold wind hit their faces.
They were on the third floor of the building.
—Great… —Ethan muttered sarcastically.
Koen walked quickly to the edge and looked down.
Then a smile appeared on his face.
—We're not lost.
The other two approached.
Koen pointed to one side.
Attached to the wall was an old metal fire escape that ran down from the three floors to the ground. Below, several dry bushes and trees grew that could hide them once they got down.
—We can escape that way.
Ethan looked at Elion.
—Can you make it down?
Elion looked at the ladder. The pain in his leg was obvious.
After a few seconds, he nodded.
—It'll be hard, but I can do it.
Koen, however, didn't seem convinced.
He looked around the rooftop until he found an old rope coiled next to some rusty barrels.
He picked it up and began working quickly.
He tied one end around Elion's waist and the other around Ethan.
—What are you doing? —Ethan asked.
—If his leg gives out, you'll be able to hold him. I'm not going to let him crash to the ground.
Elion examined the makeshift setup.
—You always overthink things.
—That's why I'm still alive.
Without wasting any more time, they began their descent.
Elion went down first, moving extremely slowly, putting almost all his weight on his good leg.
Ethan followed immediately behind him, ready to catch him.
Koen stayed up top, keeping watch.
Just as he was about to start descending...
He heard footsteps—lots of footsteps.
His expression changed instantly.
He ran toward the door leading to the rooftop and began dragging old metal shelves, barrels, and planks to block it.
No sooner had he finished...
BAM!
Someone banged on the door from the other side.
—Open up! They're here!
—Break down that door!
Koen rushed back to the railing.
Below, Elion was still struggling to climb down.
Suddenly, his foot slipped on one of the damp steps.
—Elion!
His body fell backward.
But the rope tightened immediately.
Ethan held his partner's weight with all his might.
—I've got you!
Elion gasped for breath.
—Thanks…
Koen exhaled in relief.
But the respite lasted barely a second.
CRASH!
The door handle gave way.
The men would soon burst onto the rooftop.
Koen realized instantly that they were out of time and the three of them couldn't escape together.
He gripped the wooden stick he'd found near the entrance tightly and shouted down:
—Ethan! They're coming!
Ethan looked up.
—Get down now!
Koen shook his head firmly.
—When they hit the ground, run! I'll hold them off!
—Are you crazy?!
—It's the only way! —he replied, without taking his eyes off the approaching men—. Get Elion out of here! I'll find a way to join you!
Ethan clenched his jaw.
He wanted to climb up after him.
He wanted to refuse.
But he knew Koen was right.
He stared at him for a few seconds.
—Listen to me carefully… —he said with a seriousness that silenced even Koen—. If I don't see you by dawn… I'll come back for you.
Koen smiled slightly.
—I knew you'd say that. Don't worry, I'll be back.
They exchanged one last glance.
No more needed to be said.
Ethan nodded once.
Then he continued descending alongside Elion.
Only then did Koen slowly turn on his heel.
In front of him, more than ten men were beginning to slowly encircle him.
He took a deep breath.
He tightened his grip on the wooden staff.
And he smiled with that carefree confidence that was so characteristic of him.
—All right… —he murmured as he assumed a fighting stance—. Let's see how many of you can still walk when this is over.
And, for the first time since that escape had begun…
He was completely alone.