CHAPTER 81

A single moment. That was all they had.

Fiona’s muscles coiled, every nerve on edge as she locked eyes with Darwin. A silent plan passed between them, forged in the heat of desperation.

Volkova smirked, unaware of the decision they had already made.

“You think you can win?” His voice was laced with amusement. “You walked into my home, my territory, thinking you had the upper hand. But now, I hold the detonator. Your lives—your entire future—rests in my hands.”

Darwin’s grip on his gun never wavered. His expression remained unreadable, but Fiona knew him well enough to see the shift—the calculation, the anticipation of a strike.

Volkova was arrogant. Too confident in his control.

That was his mistake.

And Fiona was about to exploit it.

She took a slow step forward, her hands raised as if in surrender. “You’re right,” she said, keeping her voice steady. “We miscalculated.”

Volkova raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Go on.”

She swallowed, willing herself to sell the lie. “We thought Cain was the real threat. We didn’t expect someone like you.”

Darwin tensed beside her, but he didn’t stop her.

Volkova chuckled. “A wise realization. Unfortunately, it comes too late.”

Fiona tilted her head. “Does it?”

Volkova’s amusement flickered, a hint of suspicion creeping in. “What are you playing at?”

Fiona’s lips curled into a smirk. “You think we came here blind? That we didn’t prepare?” She gestured around them. “You have the detonator, sure. But what if we have something worse?”

Volkova’s confidence faltered for the first time.

And that was all they needed.

In the span of a heartbeat, Darwin moved.

His shot rang out—a single, precise bullet aimed directly at Volkova’s hand.

The impact sent the detonator flying.

Chaos erupted.

---

The Fight for Survival

Gunfire exploded from the upper levels. Guards scrambled, shouting orders as bullets rained down.

Fiona lunged forward, kicking the detonator across the floor before Volkova could grab it.

Volkova snarled, drawing his weapon. But Bella was faster. She fired a round, forcing him to dodge as Marcus took down two guards on the balcony.

Darwin yanked Fiona behind the cover, shielding her from the barrage of bullets.

“We need an exit!” Marcus shouted, hacking into the security system from his tablet. “Volkova locked down the compound!”

Bella reloaded. “Then we blast our way out.”

Darwin’s jaw tightened. “Agreed.”

Fiona’s heart pounded. They had come prepared, but Volkova’s forces were relentless. He hadn’t just expected them—he had been waiting for them.

A cold realization settled in her stomach.

He never planned to negotiate.

He wanted them dead.

Another explosion rocked the compound. Dust and debris rained from the ceiling as lights flickered.

Fiona coughed, gripping Darwin’s sleeve. “That wasn’t us.”

Marcus’s tablet beeped. He frowned. “Someone else is breaching the compound.”

Darwin’s face hardened. “Who?”

Before Marcus could respond, the answer walked through the smoke.

William Newton.

---

Enemies or Allies?

Flanked by a squad of heavily armed men, William strode into the chaos as if he owned the place. His crisp suit was replaced with tactical gear, his usual arrogance sharp as ever.

“Well, well,” William mused, surveying the destruction. “Looks like I wasn’t the only one who thought today was a good day for a fight.”

Volkova’s eyes darkened. “Newton.”

Darwin turned his gun on him immediately. “Give me one reason not to shoot you where you stand.”

William smirked. “Because, Solomon, you’re surrounded. And right now, I’m the only chance you have of getting out of here alive.”

Bella scoffed, gun still trained on Volkova. “Oh, that’s rich. You expect us to believe you came here to help?”

William shrugged. “Believe what you want. The fact is, Volkova isn’t just your enemy—he’s mine too.”

Fiona’s stomach churned. She didn’t trust William. She never had. But right now, they were trapped between two devils, and the only way out was choosing the lesser one.

Volkova sneered. “You think I didn’t anticipate your betrayal?”

With a snap of his fingers, a new wave of guards stormed the lower levels, their rifles aimed at both Darwin’s group and William’s.

It was a full-blown standoff.

And Fiona knew it would only end in blood.

---

Breaking the Standoff

Darwin didn’t hesitate. He grabbed Fiona’s wrist and whispered, “On my signal, run.”

She barely had time to nod before he made his move.

In one swift motion, Darwin spun, firing at the overhead lights. The room plunged into darkness.

Gunfire erupted from all sides.

Fiona dropped low, gripping Bella’s arm as they moved toward the exit.

William’s men clashed with Volkova’s in a brutal firefight. The detonator was still lost in the chaos, its blinking red light barely visible beneath the rubble.

Marcus’s voice crackled in her earpiece. “Exit corridor C-12 is open. Go now!”

Darwin grabbed her hand. “Move!”

They bolted through the chaos, ducking under bullets as the air filled with smoke and shouts.

Fiona’s heart pounded as they reached the corridor. “What about the detonator?”

William’s voice rang out behind them. “Leave it to me.”

She hesitated. That was a dangerous gamble.

Darwin didn’t. He pulled her forward. “We don’t have time.”

They sprinted through the compound, alarms blaring. The exit loomed ahead, their escape within reach—

Then a figure stepped into their path.

Volkova.

Bloody, furious, and still armed.

“You think you can just walk away?” he snarled, raising his gun.

Darwin shoved Fiona behind him. “Try me.”

A gunshot echoed.

For a split second, Fiona thought Volkova had pulled the trigger.

Then he staggered.

Blood bloomed across his chest.

Behind him, William lowered his smoking gun.

“Like I said,” he drawled, stepping forward. “Leave it to me.”

Volkova collapsed.

Darwin stared at William, gun still raised. “I should put a bullet in you next.”

William smirked. “You could. But then who’s going to make sure this whole place doesn’t go up in flames?”

The detonator beeped from where it lay in the rubble.

Fiona swallowed hard.

They weren’t safe yet.