The Fears Of A Billionaire

Chapter 162: Chapter 163: Fight or Flight

Chaos erupted in the warehouse as Alyssa's shot sent the guards scrambling. Volkov ducked behind a crate, his grin replaced by a scowl. Gunfire rang out from all directions, the sharp crack of bullets cutting through the air.

Alyssa hit the ground and rolled behind a stack of boxes for cover. "Eleanor, Marcus, we need to move! They'll pin us down here!"

Marcus was already firing back, taking out one guard while signaling for the others to fall back. Eleanor, agile and relentless, ducked under a volley of bullets and closed the distance between herself and two more guards. With swift, brutal precision, she disarmed one and took down the other in a fluid motion, the combat knife gleaming in the dim light.

"We've been set up, but we're not dead yet!" Eleanor shouted as she slid back to Alyssa's side. "We need to regroup!"

Alyssa scanned the area, noting the exits and the positioning of Volkov's men. They were well-trained, moving with military precision, but she had an advantage: the element of unpredictability. Volkov's trap was tight, but she wasn't going to let it close completely.

Marcus shouted, "Go left! There's a service door at the far end of the warehouse. We can regroup and take them from a better vantage point!"

Alyssa nodded, adrenaline pumping through her veins. "Eleanor, with me. Marcus, cover us." Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Together, Alyssa and Eleanor darted between cover, taking out guards as they went. Marcus laid down suppressive fire, keeping Volkov's men at bay. They made it to the service door, Eleanor kicking it open with a sharp burst of force.

The three of them spilled into the alley behind the warehouse, catching their breath as the gunfire momentarily ceased. The cold night air was thick with tension.

"Volkov planned this," Alyssa said, pacing in the narrow alley. "He wanted us here. But why? What's his endgame?"

Marcus reloaded his weapon, glancing warily at the warehouse door. "He doesn't strike me as the type to go for a quick kill. He wants something."

Eleanor wiped the sweat from her brow. "We've hit his network hard over the last few months. He's backed into a corner, and now he's trying to make us pay."

Alyssa's eyes narrowed. "Or he's playing an even longer game than we thought."

The sound of footsteps approaching from behind them snapped Alyssa back into the present. "We're not safe here. We need to keep moving."

Just as they were about to run, the door they'd exited exploded outward, debris flying as a team of Volkov's elite guards stormed into the alley. Volkov emerged behind them, his dark eyes gleaming with malicious intent.

"Going somewhere?" Volkov's voice cut through the chaos. He strolled forward, his posture relaxed, as if he had all the time in the world.

Alyssa aimed her gun at him, but something stopped her from pulling the trigger. Volkov wasn't moving like a man about to lose. He was still playing them.

"You've got nowhere left to run," Volkov said, his smile returning. "I'm impressed, Alyssa. You've made it farther than I expected. But now... it's over."

Before Alyssa could respond, the guards opened fire, and the team dove for cover behind the crates lining the alley.

Bullets whizzed past, shattering concrete and wood, but Alyssa's mind was spinning. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something vital. Why had Volkov lured them here? What was his real goal?

As if reading her thoughts, Marcus shouted over the gunfire. "We need a plan, Alyssa! We're running out of time!"

Alyssa clenched her jaw, weighing their options. The exit was blocked, and Volkov's men were closing in. They could fight their way out but something about this felt too deliberate. Volkov was still holding something back.

Then it hit her.

"He's stalling us," Alyssa realized, her voice tight with urgency. "This isn't about killing us. He's keeping us distracted while something else happens."

Eleanor, crouching beside her, frowned. "What do you mean?"

Alyssa's mind raced, connecting the dots. "The arms deal. The weapons. It's not just a transaction it's part of something bigger. Something's going down tonight, and Volkov is using this fight to keep us from stopping it."

Marcus's eyes widened. "Then we need to get out of here, now."

Alyssa made a split-second decision. "We split up. Marcus, you and Eleanor hold off Volkov's men. I'll go after the real target."

Eleanor grabbed her arm. "Are you sure about this? Volkov isn't going to let you just walk away."

Alyssa gave her a determined look. "I don't have to walk. I'll run."

Without waiting for a reply, Alyssa sprinted out of cover, dodging the gunfire as she raced down the alley, her heart pounding. Volkov's men tried to follow, but Marcus and Eleanor provided covering fire, keeping them pinned down.

As she turned the corner, Alyssa didn't stop. She had no time to waste. If Volkov was stalling them, that meant the real threat was still in play. She had to find out what it was before it was too late.