Chapter 4: Whispers in the Boardroom
Evelyn's mind raced as she tried to process the implications of what Alexander had just told her. A weapon of mass destruction? It seemed impossible, yet here was the evidence in front of her. She looked down at the file, her hands shaking slightly.
'How do you know all this?' she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Alexander took a deep breath and sat down opposite her. 'I have my sources,' he said simply.
Evelyn frowned. 'But if you knew about this, why didn't you do something sooner?'
Alexander's expression was grave. 'I needed to be sure,' he said. 'And I also needed to gather enough evidence to take Jonathan down for good. This is our best chance to stop him.'
Evelyn nodded slowly, still trying to come to terms with the enormity of the situation. 'So what's your plan?' she asked.
Alexander leaned forward, his eyes intense. 'First, we need to find out exactly where Jonathan is keeping the plans for Project Omega. I have a team of hackers working on it, but it's going to take some time.'
Evelyn's heart sank. 'How much time?'
Alexander shrugged. 'It's hard to say. A few days, maybe a week.'
Evelyn bit her lip. 'That's too long. Jonathan could finish the project before then.'
Alexander nodded. 'I know. That's why we need to act fast. Once we have the location, we'll need to break in and steal the plans.'
Evelyn's eyes widened. 'Break in? Are you serious?'
Alexander gave her a look. 'Do you have a better idea?'
Evelyn shook her head. 'No, but... this sounds really dangerous.'
Alexander smiled grimly. 'It is. But we don't have a choice. If we don't stop Jonathan, millions of people could die.'
Evelyn took a deep breath. 'Okay,' she said. 'I'm in.'
Alexander nodded. 'Good. But we need to be careful. Jonathan is going to be expecting us, and he'll have security measures in place.'
Evelyn thought for a moment. 'Maybe we could use my connection to him,' she said.
Alexander raised an eyebrow. 'What do you mean?'
Evelyn explained. 'I was married to Jonathan for ten years. I know his habits, his weaknesses. Maybe I could use that to our advantage.'
Alexander considered this for a moment. 'It's worth a try,' he said.
Evelyn nodded. 'Okay, I'll see what I can do.'
Over the next few days, Evelyn and Alexander worked feverishly to prepare for their mission. They gathered as much information as they could about Jonathan's security, and they planned every detail of the break-in.
Finally, the day of the operation arrived. Evelyn and Alexander, along with a team of highly trained operatives, made their way to Jonathan's headquarters. They slipped past the security guards and entered the building undetected.
Evelyn led them to Jonathan's office, where they found him sitting behind his desk, surrounded by his bodyguards.
Jonathan looked up as they entered, a look of surprise on his face. 'What the hell is this?' he demanded.
Evelyn stepped forward, her heart pounding in her chest. 'Hello, Jonathan,' she said coolly.
Jonathan's eyes narrowed. 'What are you doing here?'
Evelyn smiled. 'I'm here to stop you,' she said.
Jonathan laughed. 'You? You're nothing but a weak, pathetic woman. You can't stop me.'
Evelyn's smile didn't waver. 'We'll see about that,' she said.
With a signal from Alexander, the operatives moved in, quickly disarming Jonathan's bodyguards. Jonathan tried to run, but Alexander blocked his path.
'Not so fast, Jonathan,' he said.
Jonathan glared at him. 'You'll never get away with this,' he said.
Alexander smiled. 'We already have,' he said.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a USB drive. 'This contains all the evidence we need to put you away for good,' he said.
Jonathan's face paled. 'You're bluffing,' he said.
Alexander shook his head. 'I don't bluff,' he said.
He handed the USB drive to Evelyn. 'Take this,' he said. 'And make sure it gets to the right people.'
Evelyn nodded and took the USB drive. Just then, there was a commotion outside the office. The sound of gunshots echoed through the building.
'What's going on?' Alexander demanded.
One of the operatives ran into the office, his face grim. 'We've been compromised,' he said. 'There's a team of mercenaries outside. They're trying to break in.'
Alexander cursed. 'How did they find us?'
The operative shrugged. 'I don't know. But we need to get out of here, fast.'
Alexander nodded. 'Okay, let's go.'
He turned to Evelyn. 'You're with me,' he said.
Evelyn didn't argue. She followed Alexander and the operatives out of the office and down a flight of stairs. They could hear the sound of gunfire getting closer.
Finally, they reached the ground floor. The exit was just ahead, but it was blocked by a group of mercenaries.
'We're not going to make it,' one of the operatives said.
Alexander looked around, his mind racing. Then he saw a ventilation shaft in the ceiling.
'Up there,' he said, pointing.
The operatives looked at him in surprise.
'Are you crazy?' one of them said. 'We'll never fit.'
Alexander didn't listen. He grabbed a chair and smashed it against the wall, creating a hole in the plaster. Then he reached up and pulled the grating off the ventilation shaft.
'Come on,' he said.
One by one, the operatives climbed into the shaft. Evelyn went last, with Alexander right behind her.
The shaft was narrow and dark, and it was difficult to breathe. But they kept going, inch by inch, until they finally reached the end.
Alexander pushed open the grating and climbed out. They were in a deserted alley behind the building.
'We made it,' he said, breathing a sigh of relief.
Evelyn looked around, her heart still pounding. 'What now?' she asked.
Alexander pulled out his phone and dialed a number. 'We need to get out of here,' he said. 'I'm calling for backup.'
A few minutes later, a car pulled up in the alley. Alexander and Evelyn got in, and the car sped off into the night.
As they drove, Evelyn thought about everything that had happened. She had come so close to getting revenge on Jonathan, but now it seemed like they were back to square one.
But she wasn't going to give up. She was going to keep fighting, no matter what.
'We'll get him next time,' she said, determination in her voice.
Alexander looked at her and smiled. 'Yes, we will,' he said.
And with that, they drove off into the darkness, ready to face whatever lay ahead.