Page 54 of When You're Gone

"Damn it," he mutteredunder his breath, the cold air filling his lungs as he tried to steady himself.

Vilne lunged again, and this timeFinn wasn't quick enough. A heavy blow to his chest sent him sprawlingbackward, his hands grasping at nothingness as he hit the ground hard. Painshot through him, his vision blurring at the edges.

"Come on, detective,"sneered Vilne, grabbing Finn by the collar and dragging him towards the edge ofthe gangway. "Let's see the view from up here."

Dangling over open air, Finn's feetkicked futilely, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm. Below, the shadows ofancient machinery loomed, ready to embrace him in their silent graveyard.

"Look at you," Vilnetaunted, his breath hot on Finn's face. "No backup. No tricks. Just awashed-up agent playing hero."

"You really are boring,"Finn retorted, even as his fingers scrabbled for a hold on the corroded metal.

Vilne's laugh was devoid of humor,a sound that chilled Finn to the core. "Weakness, Finn. It'll be your end.Only now, at the end, do you really how alone you really are. How alone youhave always been!"

Finn's every breath formed mistyclouds in the chill air as his feet dragged against the precarious gangway.Vilne's fingers dug into his collar, the threat of a long fall looming behindhim. Yet amid desperation, a defiant spark ignited within.

"Vilne," Finn grated out,"you think you've won because I'm alone. But your real weakness... you'llnever understand what it is to have someone watch your back."

At that moment, Amelia emerged likevengeance from the shadows, her presence a sudden burst of hope. With a fiercecry, she delivered a roundhouse kick to Vilne's side. The man stumbled, hisgrip loosening, giving Finn the chance he needed. He broke free, rolling awayto safety.

They stood side by side, facingtheir foe, who recovered with a snarl. The battle resumed, the clanging oftheir footsteps echoing through the forsaken factory as they circled Vilne.

The killer swung, and Ameliadodged, grit and determination etched onto her face.

"Enough!" Amelia taunted,catching the man's wrist and twisting it, making Vilne grimace momentarily fromthe pain, but he then grabbed Amelia viciously by the throat. She gasped forair.

But Amelia's efforts had given Finnenough time to move in.

Summoning strength from deepwithin, he saw his opening and took it, his fist rocketing upwards in anuppercut that connected with the underside of Vilne's chin. The force of theblow was seismic, freeing Amelia and sending Vilne staggering backward. Hisfoot slipped, his arms windmilling as he tried to catch himself, but there wasnothing but air.

With a final look of disbeliefetched on his face, Vilne plummeted off the gangway, disappearing into thedarkness below with a sound that would haunt the survivors.

"Is it over?" Ameliabreathed, leaning heavily against Finn for support.

Finn's breath came in ragged gaspsas he slumped against the cold, gritty wall of the Crowmyre Factory. Theadrenaline that had fueled his muscles was now a dwindling fire, leaving onlyash and exhaustion in its wake. He felt the weight of every bruise and cut, thelegacy of the night's grim ballet.

"Easy," Amelia saidsoftly, her presence suddenly beside him. She lowered herself to the ground,her hands gently cradling his head, easing it onto her lap. Her touch wassoothing more than she could ever know.

"I guess we’ve goneglobal," Finn muttered, his voice betraying the fatigue that threatened toclaim him. He pointed up at the cameras Vilne had set up.

"Rest for a moment," shereplied, her fingers brushing back a lock of hair matted with sweat from hisforehead. "We earned it."

The silence between them was ladenwith words unsaid, each heartbeat a tick on the metronome of their sharedexperience. The factory loomed around them, an echo chamber of theirconfrontation with death, a testament to their victory over darkness.

"Amelia..." Finn began,the urgency in his voice cutting through the quiet.

"I know," she whisperedbefore he could continue. "Me too."

The sirens wailed in the distance,a discordant chorus heralding the approach of law and order, of reality rushingback to fill the void left by chaos. But in that fleeting sanctuary, theirworld narrowed to the space they occupied, to the truths they had dancedaround.

“Can we start living now?"Finn said, his eyes searching hers in the dim light, seeking affirmation,seeking solace.

"Try and stop me," Ameliaoffered, the hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Her gaze heldhis, fierce and unwavering.

Outside, the crescendo of sirensgrew louder, an insistent reminder of the roles they played, of the duty thatawaited them beyond these walls. But within the crumbling confines of theCrowmyre Factory, time seemed to slow, allowing them just a moment longer, amoment where nothing else mattered but the truth laid bare between them.

"Then let's start there,"Finn said, finding a strength he didn't know he had left. "I love you,Amelia Winters."

"And I love you, Finn,"she replied, her voice steady even as the world outside beckoned them back toreality. "But I am going back to that Pendergast’s store to buy all sortsof crazy antiques shenanigans.

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