Edge of the Dark

Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Countdown to Chaos

The seconds stretched into eternity. The blaring alarms echoed through the cold concrete walls, amplifying the tension in the room. Ethan's heart pounded in his chest, every instinct screaming for him to act. Saville stood a few paces away, the cold barrel of his gun aimed squarely at Ethan, his face still locked in that inscrutable, calculating expression.

"Five-minute countdown," the mechanical voice droned from the speakers, its monotone stark against the rising chaos. "Security breach imminent."

Saville's eyes flickered to the computer screen again, his expression now a mix of frustration and something far darker. He moved quickly, stepping between Ethan and the machine. "You've activated the fail-safe," he said, his voice clipped, barely a whisper. "You really thought you could uncover the truth without consequences?"

"Truth," Ethan repeated, his eyes narrowing. "That's what you're hiding. You don't want anyone to know what's really going on here, do you? What's really behind the Black Angel organization?"

Saville's gaze hardened. "You have no idea what you're dealing with. You're just a pawn in a much bigger game."

Ethan didn't flinch. His mind raced, calculating the odds, weighing his next move. The countdown was ticking, but every second that passed felt like an eternity. He wasn't going to let Saville walk away from this, not after everything they'd uncovered. Not when they were so close to the truth.

Lila's voice broke through the tension, her eyes locked on the countdown. "Ethan, we don't have much time. What's the plan?"

Ethan kept his eyes on Saville. "We get the answers we need from him, and we get out of here before this place goes up in flames. If it's a trap, we'll be ready."

Saville's lips curled into a tight smile, the look of a man who had been playing a game far longer than Ethan and Lila had known. "You think you can stop this? You think you can take me down? You're too late." He glanced at the screen one more time. "I've already won."

The sound of footsteps echoed from behind them—heavy, deliberate, and ominous. Ethan's body tensed. He glanced over his shoulder, instincts warning him that this wasn't over.

From the shadows, another figure emerged. Tall, imposing, and wrapped in a long black coat. His face remained obscured, but the energy in the room shifted with his presence. There was something familiar about him, but Ethan couldn't place it.

Saville's demeanor changed immediately. The arrogance faltered, replaced by a flicker of something else—something almost fearful.

"You brought him here?" Saville asked, his voice a mixture of disbelief and resentment. "You think you can still control this situation?"

The newcomer stepped forward, his voice low and steady. "Control? Saville, it's you who doesn't understand. You've already lost."

Ethan's eyes flicked back to Saville, trying to understand the sudden shift. "Who the hell is this?"

Saville turned to Ethan, his expression darkening. "Meet my associate," he said coldly. "The one who has been pulling the strings behind this entire operation."

The man in the shadows stepped forward, revealing his face—sharp features, cold blue eyes that seemed to pierce through the dark, and a smile that sent a chill down Ethan's spine.

"Pleasure," the man said, his voice smooth like velvet but carrying an unmistakable weight of authority. "I've heard a lot about you, Detective Ward."

The air seemed to freeze, and for a moment, Ethan felt like he was seeing the culmination of all the shadows he had been chasing. This man—the one Saville had been working with—was the real power behind the Black Angel organization.

"Who are you?" Lila demanded, her voice cutting through the tension.

The man smiled, not a trace of warmth in it. "You can call me Cole Barron."

The name hit Ethan like a punch to the gut. Cole Barron was a name he had heard whispered among the most elite circles—an elusive figure whose influence spanned governments, corporations, and criminal organizations alike. A shadowy puppeteer pulling the strings of global conflicts from behind the scenes.

"I should have known," Ethan muttered. "You're the one behind all this. Behind Saville, behind the Black Angel."

Cole's eyes gleamed with amusement. "You think I've been hiding in the shadows, Detective? I've simply been waiting for the right moment to reveal myself. And now, you're at the heart of it all."

The alarms continued to wail, and the countdown steadily ticked down—three minutes, two minutes, one minute. The walls seemed to pulse with the sense of impending destruction. The countdown wasn't just a warning—it was a promise.

"You're too late," Saville spat, his earlier arrogance now turning to desperation. "Everything's in motion. You'll never stop it."

Ethan clenched his fists. "We'll see about that."

As the seconds ticked down, his mind raced. There had to be a way to stop this. They couldn't let the countdown reach zero. Ethan's eyes darted toward the computer, but before he could move, Cole raised a hand, signaling for silence.

"Enough of this," Cole said softly, his tone filled with finality. "The game is over."

The countdown reached zero, and everything went dark.

A deafening, almost tangible silence followed. Then, a series of heavy thuds reverberated through the walls, followed by the unmistakable sound of steel doors locking. Ethan's breath caught in his throat as a series of harsh, mechanical clicks echoed, signaling that they were sealed inside.

"We're trapped," Lila whispered, her voice tight with panic.

Cole's voice cut through the tension, calm and collected. "This facility is now on lockdown. You think you can escape, but you can't. No one leaves here alive."

Ethan's heart pounded. The stakes had just escalated. They weren't just trying to stop a criminal organization—they were fighting for their lives.

"I'm not going down without a fight," Ethan growled, his eyes scanning the room for any possible way out. His gaze fell on the back wall, where an old service elevator stood, its door slightly ajar.

"That elevator," Ethan muttered, already starting to move toward it. "We take it. Now."

Lila followed without hesitation. "Is it going to work?"

"It has to," Ethan said, though doubt lingered in his voice. "If we don't try, we won't make it out."

As they approached the elevator, the sound of footsteps behind them grew louder. Saville's voice reached them from across the room.

"You're not getting away," he sneered. "You'll die in here with all the others." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Ethan didn't look back. He didn't need to. Every moment was critical. He reached the elevator, yanked the door open, and stepped inside, followed by Lila. He pressed the button to descend, praying that the old machinery still worked.

As the elevator groaned and began to move, he could feel the walls of the warehouse closing in around them. But there was no turning back now. Not after everything they had uncovered. Not after everything they had fought for.

The seconds kept ticking down, but this time, it was the beginning of their escape.

But even as they descended into the unknown, Ethan knew—this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

They had stepped into a much darker game than they ever realized. And they would have to fight their way through it, piece by piece, if they wanted to survive.

The countdown had ended. But a new battle was just beginning.