Chapter 4 – Into the Lion's Den
Jenna's breath came in shallow bursts as she crouched behind a thick hedge at the edge of Nathan Vale's sprawling estate. The night was thick with fog, a cold dampness clinging to her skin and chilling her bones. Every distant sound—the rustle of leaves, the soft footsteps of guards—felt amplified in the heavy silence.
Beside her, Mara's eyes scanned the perimeter, sharp and focused. "We don't have much time," she whispered. "Vale's men rotate patrols every fifteen minutes. After that, there's a narrow window."
Jenna nodded, her heart hammering in her chest. This was the moment she'd been dreading—the moment when all her fear and desperation would be put to the test. To survive, she would have to be clever, fast, and silent.
They slipped forward, melting into the shadows. The iron gates loomed ahead, guarded by two burly men who barely glanced at the empty road beyond. Jenna's palms sweated, fingers twitching with nerves.
"Stay close," Mara hissed.
The fence was high, topped with razor wire that glinted faintly under the moonlight. Mara pulled out a small toolkit, swiftly cutting through the mesh. The sharp scent of metal filled the air.
Jenna's heart threatened to burst as they slipped inside the estate grounds, the manicured lawns and carefully placed statues a stark contrast to the danger lurking in every shadow.
"Remember," Mara said, voice low, "we're here for information. No heroics."
They moved quickly toward the main house, a sprawling mansion guarded by cameras and motion sensors. Jenna's mind raced, remembering every detail Mara had shared about the layout.
Suddenly, a noise—a faint metallic click—broke the silence. Jenna froze. From the shadows, a figure emerged: tall, muscular, with a face carved from stone. His eyes were cold, unblinking.
Nathan Vale's enforcer.
The man stepped forward, blocking their path. Jenna felt the weight of his gaze like a physical blow.
"Looks like we have guests," he said, voice low and threatening.
Jenna's stomach twisted. There was no way out but forward.
Mara clenched her fists. "Stay behind me."
Jenna's pulse thundered in her ears as the enforcer stepped closer, his shadow swallowing the narrow path ahead. The chill of the night pressed down on her like a weight, every instinct screaming to run—but there was no escape now.
Mara's eyes flicked toward Jenna, silent but fierce. Jenna tightened her grip on the small knife she'd hidden in her boot—a fragile lifeline against a mountain of muscle and menace.
The enforcer's smile was a cruel slash of teeth. "You're far from home, little bird."
Jenna's breath caught, but she refused to show weakness. "I'm not afraid of you."
His laughter was low and rough, like gravel grinding underfoot. "You should be."
Before Jenna could react, he lunged forward, a blur of force and anger. She twisted, dodging barely in time, the tip of his fist grazing her arm. Pain bloomed sharp and immediate, but adrenaline surged.
Mara sprang into action, drawing a compact handgun and firing a warning shot into the air. The sudden noise shattered the night's silence, pulling distant shouts and alarm bells into the fray.
"Run!" Mara shouted.
Jenna didn't hesitate. They bolted toward the mansion, shadows chasing their heels. Security lights flickered on, bathing the grounds in harsh glare.
They reached a side door and Mara forced it open, pulling Jenna inside. The cool interior was a jarring contrast to the storm outside—marble floors gleaming under crystal chandeliers, the scent of expensive wood and leather heavy in the air.
But there was no time to admire. They sprinted through the hallways, guided by Mara's whispered directions.
Ahead, a heavy steel door loomed—the heart of Vale's secrets. Mara pulled out a keycard, swiped it, and the lock clicked open.
Inside, rows of servers and monitors flickered with data. Jenna's eyes locked on a screen flashing encrypted files—the "package" wasn't just a flash drive; it was a doorway to untold power and peril.
Suddenly, footsteps thundered down the corridor.
"They're coming," Mara hissed.
Jenna grabbed a small device from the table—a remote hard drive extractor. If she could copy the files, they might finally have a chance.
The enforcer burst into the room, rage blazing in his eyes.
Jenna's hands flew over the keyboard, sweat blurring her vision.
"Almost there," she whispered.
The screen flashed—data copying—then froze.
A hand slammed down on the console.
"Gotcha."
Jenna spun, facing the enforcer's furious glare.
The enforcer smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see what you're made of."
The enforcer's grip was iron as he yanked Jenna away from the console, the cold sweat of fear breaking over her. Her heart pounded wildly, but the device was still clenched tightly in her fist.
Mara lunged forward, tackling the man with a fierce scream, the two crashing to the ground in a tangle of fists and grunts.
Jenna scrambled to her feet, backing toward the door as the alarm wailed louder, sirens closing in like the final toll.
She darted a glance at the screen — lines of code flickered, the data transfer struggling to complete. Time was running out.
With a desperate lunge, Jenna slammed the device into the console one last time. The copying bar jumped forward, inching to completion.
The enforcer broke free from Mara's grasp, charging with a roar. Jenna dodged, heart racing, then slipped through the door as it slammed behind her.
Mara was close behind, breath ragged but determined.
They burst into the stormy night, rain pelting their faces as they ran without looking back.
Behind them, the mansion's lights blazed, and the enforcer's furious roar echoed like a promise.
Jenna's hands shook, but she clutched the device like a lifeline.
This was only the beginning.