Chapter Fourteen: The Shot That Changed Everything

The gunshot echoed through the server room.

Zara screamed.

Instinctively, she dropped to the floor and covered her head.

For a second, all she could hear was the ringing in her ears.

Someone shouted.

Another person cursed.

Then...

Silence.

Slowly, Zara looked up.

Ethan was still standing.

His eyes were wide with shock.

The bullet hadn't hit him.

Instead, it had struck the metal cabinet behind him, leaving a deep dent in the steel door.

The masked man clicked his tongue.

"You moved."

Ethan took a slow step backward.

"I told you I wasn't going to hurt innocent people."

The masked man laughed.

"Innocent?"

His voice carried no emotion.

"You've become soft."

Adrian took advantage of the distraction.

"Everyone, get down!"

The security guards rushed forward.

The masked man immediately fired another shot.

Glass shattered.

People ducked for cover.

Zara crawled behind a large server cabinet, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might burst through her chest.

She had never been this terrified before.

Not even as a child.

She peeked around the corner.

Ethan suddenly threw the silver flash drive across the room.

"Catch!"

Adrian reacted instantly.

The drive landed in his hands.

The masked man's eyes widened.

"You idiot!"

He turned the gun toward Adrian.

"No!"

Ethan lunged forward without thinking.

Another shot rang out.

This time...

Ethan cried out in pain.

The bullet tore through his left shoulder.

He fell heavily to one knee.

"Move!" the masked man shouted at the others.

Two more men appeared from the hallway.

Smoke filled the room as one of them threw a small canister onto the floor.

"What is that?" Zara coughed.

"Tear gas!" one of the guards yelled.

Within seconds, the room became impossible to see.

Everyone was coughing.

Eyes burned.

People stumbled into each other.

Adrian grabbed Zara's wrist.

"This way!"

She could barely open her eyes.

"I can't see!"

"Just keep holding my hand."

She held on tightly.

His grip was firm.

Steady.

He led her through the smoke until they finally reached the hallway.

Fresh air hit her face.

She bent over, coughing uncontrollably.

A few moments later, firefighters and more security officers rushed toward the server room.

The attackers were gone.

So was Ethan.

---

Nearly an hour passed before the building settled down.

Police officers moved from office to office, asking questions.

Employees huddled together, whispering nervously.

Some wanted to go home.

Others were too frightened to leave.

Zara sat quietly in Adrian's office with a bottle of water in her hands.

She still couldn't stop shaking.

Adrian noticed.

"You should go home."

She looked up.

"I don't want to."

"Why?"

"What if something else happens?"

He understood what she meant.

She wasn't afraid of leaving.

She was afraid of what might happen while she wasn't there.

A knock interrupted them.

It was Detective Daniel Adebayo.

He looked to be in his early forties, wearing a dark blue suit instead of a police uniform.

His expression was calm but serious.

"Mr. Knight."

"Detective."

"I'll need a few minutes."

Adrian nodded.

"Of course."

The detective turned to Zara.

"You must be Miss Daniels."

"Yes."

"I'll need your statement as well."

She agreed.

For the next thirty minutes, they answered question after question.

What did Ethan say?

What did the masked man look like?

Who touched the flash drive?

Did anyone recognize the attackers?

Unfortunately...

None of the answers helped much.

When the interview finally ended, Detective Adebayo closed his notebook.

"One thing bothers me."

Adrian looked at him.

"What?"

"Ethan Cole."

"What about him?"

"If he wanted the flash drive..."

The detective paused.

"...why did he throw it back to you?"

The room became quiet.

It was a question no one could answer.

---

Later that evening...

Adrian stood alone in his office, staring at the city lights.

There was a soft knock.

"It's open."

Zara stepped inside.

"I was leaving."

He turned.

"You don't have to explain."

"I just..."

She hesitated.

"I wanted to make sure you're alright."

A faint smile crossed his face.

"I should be asking you that."

"I've had better days."

"So have I."

She looked at the bandage on his hand.

He'd cut it on broken glass during the attack.

"You should let the doctor look at that again."

"It's only a scratch."

"That's what stubborn people always say."

He laughed quietly.

"You've noticed."

"I noticed on the first day."

For the first time since the shooting, the tension eased a little.

Then Zara remembered something.

"There was something strange."

Adrian frowned.

"What?"

"The masked man."

"What about him?"

"He never called Ethan by his name."

"So?"

"He kept calling him 'traitor.'"

Adrian's expression slowly changed.

"A traitor..."

He repeated the word to himself.

"If Ethan betrayed them..."

His voice trailed off.

"Then maybe..."

"He isn't our biggest enemy," Zara finished.

Before either of them could think further, Evelyn rushed into the office.

She looked completely out of breath.

"Sir!"

"What happened?"

"The hospital just called."

Adrian's heart sank.

"My grandmother?"

"They found her."

Hope flashed across his face.

"Where is she?"

Evelyn swallowed.

"She walked into a private clinic on the outskirts of the city less than an hour ago."

Zara smiled with relief.

"That's wonderful!"

But Evelyn didn't smile back.

"She was alone."

Adrian frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"The kidnappers released her."

"Why?"

Evelyn slowly handed him her tablet.

"They left something with her."

Adrian looked down.

It was a photograph.

His grandmother was sitting safely in the clinic.

Resting on her lap...

Was a small black box.

Taped to the lid was a note.

One life returned. One truth hidden.

Beneath the note...

A digital timer was counting down.

23:59:42...

And it wasn't slowing down.