CHAPTER 21
WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT
Mara stared at the studio door.
The message remained on her screen.
You should have left the ledger alone.
Another sound came from the hallway.
A slow scrape against the floor.
Lena moved closer.
"Tell me Adrian knows we're here."
Mara looked at her phone.
"No."
"Marcus?"
"No."
"Wonderful."
"That's not helpful."
"I know."
Lena swallowed.
"What do we do?"
Mara forced herself to look around.
Darkness changed the studio.
The familiar desks and microphones became shapes.
The sound booth was a black rectangle against the far wall.
Her computer screens were dead.
The emergency lights had failed.
Someone had deliberately cut the power.
Mara crouched.
"Stay low."
"Why?"
"If they can see through the glass, we can't."
Lena immediately crouched beside her.
Mara checked her phone again.
No signal.
She tried calling emergency services.
Nothing.
"Phone's dead."
"Mine too."
Mara looked toward the back hallway.
There was another exit.
The service door.
She pointed.
"We go there."
They moved quietly.
Mara kept one hand against the wall.
Three steps.
Five.
Seven.
A faint light appeared beneath the service door.
Someone outside.
Mara stopped.
Lena nearly walked into her.
"What?"
Mara pointed.
A shadow passed beneath the door.
Then stopped.
They were standing there.
Waiting.
Mara backed away.
The shadow disappeared.
A metallic sound followed.
The service door handle moved.
Lena covered her mouth.
Mara scanned the room.
There had to be another way out.
She knew this building.
Studio.
Kitchen.
Storage room.
Control booth.
There was an old ventilation access behind the equipment cabinet.
She grabbed Lena's arm.
"Come on."
They crawled behind the sound equipment.
Mara pushed the cabinet.
It moved an inch.
Not enough.
She pushed harder.
Lena helped.
The cabinet scraped across the floor.
Too loud.
They froze.
Footsteps entered the studio.
Mara looked at Lena.
The door had opened.
Someone was inside.
A man's voice carried through the darkness.
"You made this difficult."
Mara didn't recognize it.
She grabbed Lena's hand.
They slipped behind the cabinet.
The man walked deeper into the room.
A flashlight swept across the walls.
Mara held still.
The beam passed over the desk.
Then the microphone.
Then the floor.
Lena's fingers tightened around hers.
The man stopped.
"Where is it?"
Silence.
Mara understood.
He wasn't looking for them.
He wanted the evidence.
The notebook.
The recording.
Maybe the second ledger.
The flashlight moved again.
Closer.
Mara leaned toward Lena.
The ventilation access was inches away.
She reached for it.
Her fingers found the metal latch.
She pulled.
Nothing.
Locked.
She tried again.
The flashlight moved toward them.
Mara's eyes searched the darkness.
Then she saw the microphone stand.
She reached for it.
Lena caught her wrist.
Mara whispered, "Trust me."
She pushed the stand.
It crashed into the opposite wall.
The man turned.
"What the hell?"
Mara grabbed Lena.
"Now."
They ran.
The man shouted.
Mara shoved through the control booth door.
Lena slammed it behind them.
The lock clicked.
They ran through the booth.
A second door opened into the corridor.
Mara pulled Lena forward.
"Go!"
They reached the stairwell.
Mara pushed the door.
It didn't move.
Locked.
"No."
She tried again.
Nothing.
Footsteps approached behind them.
Lena whispered, "Mara."
"I know."
The man was coming.
Mara looked at the stairwell door.
Then the fire alarm.
She smashed the glass with the microphone stand.
The alarm didn't sound.
The building had no power.
"Of course."
The footsteps stopped outside the control booth.
Mara grabbed Lena.
"Back."
They moved into the corridor.
The man stepped through the doorway.
His face was hidden by a mask.
He held a gun.
"Give me the drive."
Mara stopped.
"Which one?"
"The recording."
She almost smiled.
"You're going to have to be more specific."
The man raised the gun.
Lena grabbed Mara's arm.
Mara whispered, "When I move, run."
The man's attention shifted.
Just for a second.
Mara threw the microphone stand.
He ducked.
She grabbed Lena.
They ran.
A shot cracked through the corridor.
Lena screamed.
Mara pulled her around the corner.
"Are you hit?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
They ran again.
The corridor ended at the production room.
Mara slammed the door.
They locked it.
For three seconds, nothing happened.
Then the door shook.
Once.
Twice.
Lena looked at her.
"We're trapped."
Mara searched the room.
Computers.
Cables.
Storage cabinets.
A small window.
Too high.
She dragged a chair beneath it.
"Help me."
Lena climbed first.
Mara pushed her upward.
"Go."
The window opened.
Cold rain blew inside.
Lena climbed through.
Mara followed.
They landed in the alley behind the building.
Mara looked around.
"Run."
They sprinted.
Rain soaked them.
Lena slipped.
Mara caught her.
"Keep moving."
Behind them, the window slammed open.
The man appeared.
Mara ran faster.
They reached the street.
Cars passed.
Nobody stopped.
Mara raised her hands.
A vehicle sped past.
Another.
She looked at her phone.
Still no signal.
Then she saw headlights turning the corner.
Black SUV.
It stopped hard beside them.
The driver's door opened.
Marcus.
"Mara!"
She stared.
"What are you doing here?"
"Adrian called me."
Her chest tightened.
"How did he know?"
Marcus grabbed her arm.
"Your upload."
"What?"
"The journalist's server flagged the file. Adrian was monitoring the transfer."
Mara froze.
"You were watching?"
"Not you. The file."
"Where is he?"
"Coming."
The studio door opened behind them.
Marcus turned.
"Get in."
They ran.
Marcus opened the rear door.
Lena climbed inside.
Mara followed.
A second later, the SUV accelerated.
Marcus grabbed the radio.
"He's out."
A voice came through.
Adrian.
"Where are they?"
"With me."
"Are they hurt?"
"No."
A pause.
Then Adrian's voice.
"Good."
Mara stared at the radio.
"Where are you?"
No answer.
She leaned toward it.
"Adrian?"
Static.
Then his voice.
"Stay with Marcus."
"Where are you?"
"At the studio."
Her stomach dropped.
"Don't."
"I'm not going after the attacker."
"Then what are you doing?"
"I'm making sure nobody follows you."
"Adrian."
The radio went silent.
Mara stared at it.
Marcus glanced at her in the mirror.
"He's already inside."
"What?"
"He got there before we did."
Mara's stomach tightened.
"He came alone?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because he knew you'd be scared if he brought a team."
She closed her eyes.
Of course.
Even now.
He was protecting her from fear.
Marcus drove faster.
"Mara."
She opened her eyes.
"He's not going to leave you."
"I know."
"No."
Marcus's eyes met hers in the mirror.
"You don't."
She said nothing.
"He came because he knew the person inside that building was looking for you."
Mara looked down.
She remembered Adrian's face beneath the overpass.
The way he'd let her walk away.
The way he'd said he would ask.
He hadn't followed her.
He had waited.
And when she needed him, he came.
Not to control her.
Not to make her leave.
Just to get her out alive.
Her phone vibrated.
Signal had returned.
One message.
From Adrian.
Are you safe?
Mara stared at the words.
She typed.
Yes.
Three dots appeared.
Then disappeared.
Another message came.
Good.
She waited.
Nothing else.
That hurt more than it should have.
Lena looked at her.
"You want to call him."
"No."
"You do."
Mara stared out the window.
"I don't know what I want."
Lena touched her shoulder.
"You do."
Mara didn't answer.
Marcus turned onto another street.
"We're almost there."
"Where?"
"Temporary location."
Mara looked at him.
"Is it secure?"
"Yes."
"How secure?"
Marcus gave her a tired smile.
"Adrian secure."
She didn't know whether that comforted or frightened her.
The building appeared ahead.
They entered an underground garage.
Marcus stopped.
Mara got out.
Lena followed.
Marcus checked the perimeter.
"Clear."
They entered the elevator.
Mara stared at the doors.
Another elevator.
Another locked building.
Another place chosen because someone believed it could keep her alive.
The doors opened.
They stepped into a narrow hallway.
Adrian was not there.
Mara's chest tightened.
Marcus unlocked the apartment.
"Go inside."
Mara entered.
The room was warm.
Quiet.
Safe.
She turned toward the door.
Marcus closed it.
The lock clicked.
Mara flinched.
Then another sound.
The deadbolt.
Click.
She stared at it.
Lena moved beside her.
"You okay?"
Mara didn't answer.
Because somewhere in Chicago, Adrian was still chasing the people who wanted her silenced.
And here, behind another locked door, Mara had never felt more protected.
Or more alone.
Then her phone vibrated.
A message from Adrian.
I'm coming back.
Mara stared at the screen.
She didn't know whether to smile.
Or cry.
She only knew that the door was locked.
And for the first time, she wasn't sure whether she wanted it opened.