CHAPTER 13

The room smelled of dust and faint coffee. Vera’s hands shook as she adjusted her shoes. Lina was already moving, calm but precise, scanning exits, counting silently. Always counting.

“Ready?” Vera whispered, voice tight.

“Always,” Lina replied, eyes sharp, unwavering.

They stepped into the hallway. Shadows clung to corners. Every footstep echoed.

First turn.

Second turn.

Third turn.

A sudden metallic bang rang out. Vera’s heart leapt. Lina shoved her down.

“Down!”

The ringing in their ears made her stomach twist. But they didn’t stop.

“Run!” Lina hissed.

They bolted down the stairs. Bullets screamed above them, ricocheting off walls. Splinters flew. Smoke stung their eyes and throat. The stairwell was chaos incarnate.

A man blocked the landing. Mid-step, he aimed. Lina slammed her elbow into his chest, sending him crashing back. Vera swung her bag, hitting another attacker’s shoulder. Pain shot up her arm, but she didn’t hesitate.

“Faster!” Lina shouted.

Bang! A bullet ricocheted from the wall, inches from Vera’s head. Lina grabbed her hand, yanking her sideways. Another figure lunged. Lina ducked, twisting her body, driving her knee into his stomach. He doubled over, gasping.

The stairs twisted. Shadows moved everywhere. Kicks, punches, elbows—every strike mattered.

Bang. Another shot shattered the railing.

Lina shoved Vera against the wall. “Don’t stop!”

Vera’s lungs burned, sweat stinging her eyes. Her knuckles split on metal as she struck, ducked, pivoted. Lina delivered a sharp elbow to a man behind her, sending him sprawling. Another attacker tripped over him, crashing down the steps.

They reached the mid-landing, and then—a man stood there, blocking the stairs. He raised a baton. Lina barreled into him. He grunted, stumbled, swinging wildly. She ducked, twisted, kicked his knees out from under him.

Vera yelped as another attacker grabbed her. She swung blindly, hitting his head. Pain exploded across her knuckles, but she pushed, twisted free.

Bang! Bullets tore through the air above. One clipped the railing, sending sparks flying. Lina dragged Vera into a narrow corner.

“You see that?” Lina hissed.

Vera shook her head, too focused on keeping upright.

From above, a voice called: “Stop struggling. It’s over.”

Vera’s stomach dropped. Her eyes darted up. Shadows blocked the exit. Gun barrels glinted.

Another man lunged, baton raised. Lina ducked, twisting, but the man recovered fast. A heavy strike hit Vera across her shoulder. Pain exploded through her side, knocking her to her knees.

“Vera… don’t…” Lina’s voice cracked but remained sharp.

The attackers moved like a tide, relentless. Every step, every swing, pushed the girls toward the wall. Another shot pinged off the stairwell beside them, dust raining down.

Vera’s head was spinning. Pain, fear, adrenaline—everything blurred. She tried to push back, but another baton slammed against her back. Darkness prickled at the edges of her vision.

One of the attackers leaned down, voice low, cold: “Quiet. You make this harder if you scream.”

Vera’s teeth clenched. “Why are you doing this?” she spat, voice trembling.

“Because you shouldn’t be here,” he replied calmly, hitting her again across the shoulder. She collapsed to the ground, pain searing, breaths shallow.

Lina’s hand shot out, grabbing Vera’s arm. “Hold on. Just… hold on.”

Another strike caught Vera in the ribs. Darkness closed in further. Her vision blurred, the hallway spinning with shadows and echoes.

“You’re stronger than you look,” the first man said, voice eerily calm. “But strength doesn’t save you now.”

Vera shook her head, gasping. “We… we’ll get out.”

“Not tonight,” another voice replied. The baton struck again, a heavy thud against her side. Pain exploded, darkness curling closer, suffocating.

Lina was beside her, crouched low, fighting off attackers, but numbers were overwhelming. Another blow landed across Vera’s back. She cried out, the sound swallowed by chaos and fear.

The stairwell, once a path to freedom, was now a cage of shadows, metal, and pain. The attackers pressed forward. Batons swung, bullets pinged, and the darkness consumed the edges of her vision.

“Stay with me,” Lina whispered. But even she knew the end of the escape was here.

Vera’s knees buckled under the last strike. She hit the cold concrete, darkness swallowing her, every sound distant, every shadow moving, every heartbeat loud and terrifying.

The attackers didn’t stop. Batons, boots, whispered threats. A hand clamped over their mouth.

“Needles were pressed into their Neck"

And then silence, except for the echo of fear, pain, and heavy boots. Darkness closed fully, and Vera realized—they were finally caught.