Chapter 5 - The Long Run-5-
I didn't stop running until I reached the edge of the estate, where the thick woods met the city's outskirts. My breath came in ragged gasps, the cold air turning into needles in my chest. Behind me, the estate was alive with light. I could hear the shouting of guards, the barking of dogs, and the frantic orders being yelled by Marek.
They were sweeping the grounds. I was cornered, but I had the data.
I moved through the trees, staying off the beaten paths. I knew this forest better than anyone—I had spent my childhood mapping every hidden trail and natural bunker. I headed for a small, abandoned cave near the creek, a place Ewan and I had used as our secret headquarters when we were boys.
I reached the cave and collapsed inside, the darkness offering a temporary reprieve. I took out the drive and shone a small, emergency light on it. It was safe. The files were there, encrypted and waiting to be decrypted.
I looked at the drive, the weight of what I had done sinking in. I had the power to destroy the Moretti empire, but I also had the power to destroy myself. The list contained names of people I had worked with, men I had called 'uncle,' and politicians who had accepted my money.
If I released this, I would be the most wanted man in the country.
"Elias?"
The voice was soft, barely a whisper. I grabbed a rock, tensing, ready to strike.
"It's me," the voice came again. Delia.
She stepped into the cave, her face pale, her arm still in the sling. She looked like she had walked through fire to get here.
"How did you find me?" I asked, lowering the rock.
"I know this forest," she said, leaning against the damp wall. "Ewan told me about it. He knew you'd come here."
I felt a pang of nostalgia. "He talked about me?"
"All the time," she said, a small, sad smile touching her lips. "He loved you, Elias. He knew the path you were on was dangerous, and he tried to shield you from the business for as long as he could. That’s why he died. He didn't want you to inherit the poison."
"He was right," I said, looking at the drive. "It's all poison."
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
I thought about it. I could take the money, run, and live a life of comfort. I could leverage the data to blackmail my way to the top of the syndicate. I could burn it all and walk into the sunset.
"I'm going to release it," I said, my voice steady. "All of it. Every file, every name. I’m going to make sure that everyone who had a hand in Ewan's death, everyone who kept my mother in that cage, knows their time is up."
Delia nodded slowly. "They’ll kill you for it."
"They'll try," I said.
We sat there for a long time, the only sound the gentle dripping of water against the cave floor. We were two ghosts in the night, linked by a tragedy we hadn't asked for and a fight we couldn't walk away from.
Suddenly, a light flickered at the entrance of the cave.
"Marek," I whispered. "He followed the trail."
"Go," Delia said, pushing me toward the back of the cave. "There’s a small crawlspace that leads to the other side of the creek. Take it."
"What about you?"
"I’ll distract him," she said, her eyes flashing with a cold, iron resolve. "I've spent two years in that house being invisible, Elias. It's time they learned to see me."
"No," I argued.
"Go!" she shouted.
I didn't have time to argue. I scrambled into the crawlspace, the damp earth pressing against my face. I could hear Marek’s footsteps getting closer, his voice low and guttural.
I moved fast, the passage narrow and claustrophobic. I emerged on the other side of the creek, hidden by the dense brush. I looked back and saw Marek standing at the entrance to the cave. He was pointing his weapon, but he stopped.
Delia was standing in front of him, her head held high, her eyes defiant. She wasn't the nurse anymore. She was a soldier.
May you like
She turned and ran, luring him deeper into the woods.
I felt a tear slip down my cheek. I hadn't even had the chance to say thank you. But I knew what I had to do. I had to finish this. I ran toward the main road, the data drive clutched in my hand. The hunt was far from over, and the war for the truth had just begun.
