Page 41 of Thunder

"Where are you?" Antonio whispers menacingly, his voice dripping with malice. The sound sends chills down my spine and makes it even harder to keep my breathing steady.

As Antonio moves closer to my hiding spot behind the bookshelf, my pulse stops in fear, my breathscomein shallow gasps. Each step he takes echoes like a death knell, and I know I am only seconds away from being caught.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," Antonio taunts, his sadistic smile audible in his voice.

I bite my lip to stifle a sob, thinking of the people I love and how I may never see them again. Sera, with her boundless energy and her ability to find joy in the smallest moments; Marcus, who maddens and entices me like I never thought possible. Am I really never going to see them again?

A faint memory sparks in my mind—my office is a smart office, controlled by an app on my phone. And on my smart watch.

"Please work," I whisper silently to myself, carefully opening the automation app and shielding my watch with my hand to prevent any light from showing. My hands tremble, but I press a few buttons that send my phone, computer, and lights in my office down the hall into chaos.

The moment the noise starts, Antonio's head jerks up, his focus drawn away from my hiding spot.

"What the hell?" he mutters, eyes narrowing as he stares down the corridor.

He moves cautiously, heading toward my office with alertness in every step. I can see his muscles tense beneath his expensive suit, an elegant predator poised to strike at any moment.

"Thank you, thank you," I breathe, taking advantage of his distraction to slip out from behind the bookshelf. My heart surges, feeling like it's going to burst out of my chest as I tiptoe toward the door. I think of Marcus's green eyes, filled with determination and loyalty, and thinking of him fills me with enough strength that I can keep creeping toward the exit without screaming in terror or vomiting because I was nearly discovered by a man who clearly would’ve murdered me.

The second I see the lights in my office shutting off as Antonio Mancini tries tostopthe commotion I’ve created, I run. Stealthily.

I need to get to safety, to analyze the data on my flash drive, to warn Marcus and the others about what I've discovered. But more importantly, I need to know what Antonio meant when he said they needed to "accelerate" their plans.

What were they planning?

And why did it feel like I was about to stumble onto something far more dangerous than I ever expected?

"Run, Lia, run," I tell myself, my legs carrying me down the hallway as fast as they can manage without making too much noise. My body feels like it's on fire, adrenaline pumping through my veins as I push myself to the limit. The taste of fear lingers in my mouth, a bitter reminder of just how close I came to meeting my end at Antonio Mancini's hands.

As I round the corner, I risk a glance back toward my office.

There's no sign of Antonio yet, but I know it's only a matter of time before he resumes his search and I have to be out of there before that happens. Unless I suddenly have a desire to know what it feels like to be shot in the back of the head.

Just as I’m about to reach the lobby, my smart watch vibrates against my wrist, startling me enough that I nearly trip over my own feet. With a shaky hand, I glance down at the message displayed on the tiny screen: "We need to talk. It's urgent." Marcus.

"Understatement of the century," I mutter, my fingers flying across the screen as I type out a response. “Working on it. Will call you later.”

"Stay safe," he replies almost instantly, his concern palpable even through the impersonal medium of text.

"I’m always safe," I promise aloud, though the words feel hollow, a lie I tell myself to keep from panicking. I can't afford to let fear control me, not now when there's so much at stake.

The exit looms ahead, a beacon of hope in the darkness that surrounds me.

"Come on, Lia," I urge myself on, my legs feeling like they're made of lead as I sprint toward the door. "Just a little further."

I burst through the door into the cool night air, my lungs burning with the effort. Trembling, I slide into my car, gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white. My hands shake as I start the engine, and I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

I’ve never been so close to death.

Yet I feel like tonight is only the first in what may be many close encounters with the grim reaper.

As I drive away from the office building, my mind races. Antonio's earlier words on the phone about "accelerating plans" echo in my head like a chilling refrain. What are they planning? What had I almost walked into?

And how many people are Antonio and his superiors willing to kill to get what they want?

Chapter Eighteen

Thunder

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