Edge of the Dark

Chapter 7: Chapter 7: The Unseen Enemy

Ethan's pulse was racing as he knelt beside Lila, her blood staining the cold concrete beneath her. Her eyes fluttered open briefly, but the light in them was dim, as though the life was slowly draining away from her. The faint sound of sirens wailed in the distance, but in the stillness of the warehouse, it felt like they were miles away. He could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on him, the overwhelming sense that time was running out.

"Lila... Lila, stay with me," Ethan muttered, his voice tight with urgency. He tore his jacket off and pressed it against her wound, trying to stop the bleeding. Her skin was pale, her breath shallow, but she was still alive. Just barely.

"Ethan..." Her voice was weak, barely above a whisper. "You... you have to listen to me."

Ethan's hands were trembling as he applied more pressure, his mind racing. "I'm not going to let you die, Lila. Just hang in there."

"No..." Her hand grasped his weakly, her fingers cold. "It's too late for me... But you... you still have a chance."

Ethan shook his head, not willing to accept what she was saying. "You're not going anywhere, damn it. Just hold on."

But Lila's grip loosened, and her eyes fluttered closed again. Ethan's heart skipped a beat, and panic surged through him. His training kicked in, and he immediately pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing the number for an emergency medical team. But the call didn't go through. The signal was jammed, or worse, being blocked.

"Shit," Ethan cursed under his breath. There was no time to waste. He had to get her out of here, and fast.

As he lifted Lila into his arms, the echo of footsteps in the distance brought him back to reality. Someone was coming. And they weren't alone. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, every instinct in his body telling him to move—move now or be caught.

Ethan's eyes darted around the darkened warehouse, looking for an escape. The windows were too high up, and the single door they had entered through was too far away. If they were going to get out, it would have to be through the back exit, a narrow alleyway that led to an abandoned street. The only problem was that the alley was crawling with shadows, and every shadow could be a threat.

Just as he started to move toward the back exit, the sound of voices reached his ears. They were getting closer, their conversation muffled by the walls, but one word stood out—Saville.

Ethan's breath caught in his throat. They were coming for him. Coming for them.

He moved quickly, his instincts kicking in as he pushed through the narrow hallway toward the rear of the building. Every step felt like it took forever, but he couldn't afford to hesitate. Lila was unconscious in his arms, her body limp, and the blood was still seeping through his jacket. They had to move, and they had to move fast.

Suddenly, a figure appeared at the end of the hallway—a man, tall and imposing, with a dark suit that seemed to absorb the light. His face was obscured by the shadows, but there was something cold about him, something that made Ethan's blood run cold.

"You shouldn't have come here," the man said, his voice low and steady. His accent was hard to place, but there was something foreign about it—something dangerous.

Ethan's grip on Lila tightened, and he instinctively moved to position himself between her and the stranger. "Who are you?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The man smiled, though it was more of a grimace than a friendly expression. "My name is Viktor. And you're standing in the way of something much bigger than you can possibly imagine."

Ethan's heart raced, but he didn't back down. "What do you want with us?"

Viktor didn't answer immediately. He took a step closer, his eyes scanning Ethan's face, as if calculating something. "You've been digging into things you don't understand. You think you're investigating Saville, but what you don't realize is that Saville is just a puppet. There are bigger forces at play, and you're playing right into their hands."

Ethan didn't trust him. The man's words were vague, cryptic, and designed to confuse. But there was something in the way Viktor spoke that suggested he knew more than he was letting on.

"I'm not interested in your games," Ethan said coldly. "I just want to get out of here with her."

Viktor's eyes flicked to Lila, and then back to Ethan. "You can't run from this, Ethan. You're already too deep. And so is she."

Ethan's mind raced. He had to think fast. He didn't know who this Viktor was or what he wanted, but there was no way he was going to let them take Lila.

In an instant, he pulled his gun from the holster and aimed it directly at Viktor. "I don't know who you are, but if you try to stop me, I'll kill you."

Viktor didn't flinch. In fact, he seemed almost amused. "You think your gun can protect you from what's coming? You think you're the first one to pull a weapon on me?"

Ethan didn't lower his gun. "If you're smart, you'll let me leave. I don't want to kill anyone tonight. But I will if I have to."

For a moment, Viktor said nothing. He simply stood there, watching Ethan intently, as if weighing his options. Finally, he spoke again, his voice quieter this time, but the threat was still clear.

"You'll be back," Viktor said. "You won't be able to stay away. And when you do, it won't just be me you'll have to face. There's a storm coming, and you're caught in the middle of it."

Before Ethan could respond, Viktor turned and walked away, his footsteps fading into the distance.

Ethan's grip on the gun tightened, his eyes narrowing. The man's words echoed in his mind, but he couldn't afford to think about them now. He had to get Lila out of here.

He moved quickly through the narrow exit, out into the alley. The world outside was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that made every sound—every footstep—feel like a threat. Ethan didn't stop to look around. He just kept moving, keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Just as they turned the corner, a voice called out to them from the shadows.

"Ethan."

He froze. The voice was familiar, but he couldn't place it. He turned slowly, his hand still on the gun, ready to fire at the slightest movement.

Out of the shadows stepped a figure—a woman, tall, with dark hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. Her face was partially obscured by a hood, but Ethan immediately recognized her.

"Grace?" he asked, surprised.

Grace Williams was an old contact—someone who had helped him in the past with a few tricky cases. She was a journalist, sharp, quick-witted, and not someone easily intimidated.

"I don't have time to explain," Grace said urgently, her eyes scanning the alley as if looking for something. "They're coming for you. You need to leave now."

"Who is 'they'?" Ethan demanded, still holding Lila in his arms.

"The people you're trying to investigate. And more," Grace said, her voice filled with urgency. "Listen, I'm here to help you. But we have to move fast."

Ethan didn't hesitate. Grace had saved his life once before, and if she was here, it was for a reason.

"We're being followed," Ethan said. "We can't just run."

Grace nodded, her expression darkening. "I know. That's why I brought this." She reached into her bag and pulled out a small device. "It'll scramble any tracking devices and wipe any surveillance footage within a mile radius. We'll be invisible for a while. But we need to go."

Ethan nodded. "Alright. Let's move."

With Grace leading the way, they disappeared into the darkened streets, leaving behind the shadows that still hunted them.