Chapter 5 No Way Out

• Serria’s pulse thundered in her ears as she clutched the journal tighter against her chest. Mark's grip on her wrist was firm, his body tensed like a coiled spring. The men before them were no ordinary enforcers—they were her father’s best. Trained killers. And they had come for her.
• The scarred man took another step forward, his boots echoing against the concrete floor. He tilted his head slightly, eyes cold with amusement. "Running was a mistake, Serria. You know how this ends."
• Mark shifted subtly, his stance widening. "You’ll have to go through me first."
• A smirk tugged at the man’s lips. "That can be arranged."
• The air in the warehouse grew suffocatingly still. Then, in the space of a heartbeat, chaos erupted.
• Mark moved first. His fist shot out, catching the nearest thug across the jaw with a sickening crack. The man stumbled, but another took his place instantly, lunging with a blade. Mark sidestepped just in time, twisting the attacker’s arm and slamming him into a rusted metal beam.
• Serria barely had time to react before strong hands seized her from behind. She thrashed wildly, driving her elbow into the ribs of her captor. He grunted but didn’t let go. Panic flared in her chest. She wasn’t strong enough to fight them all—but she had something they wanted.
• The journal.
• With a surge of desperation, she yanked it open and ripped out a handful of pages, letting them flutter to the ground. "Touch me again, and I’ll destroy the rest!" she shouted.
• The scarred man’s eyes darkened. "Careful, girl. You have no idea what you’re playing with."
• "I know exactly what I’m doing," she shot back. "If anything happens to me, these pages won’t be the last to surface. There are copies."
• It was a lie, but she prayed they believed it.
• Mark took advantage of their hesitation, grabbing her hand. "Move!" he barked.
• They sprinted toward the back exit, their feet pounding against the warehouse floor. A gunshot rang out, the bullet missing Serria’s head by inches. Her breath caught, but she forced herself to keep running.
• They burst through the rusted door into the alleyway. Mark yanked her toward an old motorcycle stashed behind a dumpster. He swung a leg over and reached for her.
• "Get on!"
• She didn’t hesitate. The moment she wrapped her arms around his waist, he revved the engine, and the bike roared to life.
• The men burst into the alley just as Mark peeled out, tires screeching against the pavement. Bullets whizzed past them, one striking the metal dumpster with a deafening clang. Serria buried her face into Mark’s back, her heartbeat erratic.
• The city blurred around them as they sped away. For now, they had escaped.
• But Valvatore wouldn’t stop hunting her.
• Not until she was silenced for good.
• The motorcycle weaved through the darkened streets, its engine roaring like a beast, but it was no match for the men chasing them. Serria’s heart raced, adrenaline coursing through her veins as they took sharp turns and sped down narrow alleyways, trying to lose their pursuers.
• Mark’s grip tightened on the handlebars, his jaw clenched in concentration. He didn’t speak, but every muscle in his body was a coil of tension. Serria could feel the weight of the journal digging into her side, a reminder of the fragile hope they were clinging to.
• Behind them, the screeching of tires and the roar of engines signaled that the men weren’t giving up. More gunshots rang out, the sound of bullets tearing through the night air. One grazed the back of the bike, and Serria’s body tensed with fear.
• “Hold on!” Mark shouted over the roar of the engine.
• Serria instinctively pressed herself closer to him, her grip tightening around his waist as they surged through the streets, the wind whipping against her face. Her thoughts spun in a chaotic blur. **Where could they go?** Her father’s men had the entire city on lockdown, and they were too exposed out here on the streets. If they didn’t get off the road soon, they were as good as dead.
• Then, Mark made a sharp turn, veering off the main street and into an even darker alley. The bike’s tires screamed as it slid around the corner, narrowly avoiding a pile of discarded crates. They shot down the alley, the sound of the pursuing motorcycles growing fainter.
• “We need to ditch the bike,” Mark muttered. His voice was low but urgent. “If they’re close, they’ll track us down.”
• Serria didn’t need to ask what he meant. She could already hear the screech of tires behind them as their pursuers followed the same path. Mark didn’t slow down, but as they approached a narrow service door on the side of a building, he took a sharp left and slammed the bike to a stop.
• He jumped off in one swift motion, pulling Serria with him. They dashed toward the service entrance, and Mark kicked the door open with a force that reverberated through the quiet street. Inside, the space was dark and cluttered with old equipment and unused furniture, but it offered some shelter, at least for now.
• Mark pressed his back against the door as they both tried to catch their breath. The sound of the pursuing motorcycles was close, too close. Serria’s pulse hammered in her ears.
• “Stay here,” Mark ordered, his voice calm despite the panic that gripped them both. “I’ll check if we can make it out the back.”
• “No.” Serria grabbed his arm before he could move. “We need to stick together. I’m not staying here alone.”
• He hesitated, his dark eyes searching hers, but in the end, he nodded. “Alright. We’ll move together.”
• They crept through the back of the building, every sound amplified in the tense silence. Mark held his gun at the ready, his movements practiced and silent. Serria’s mind raced, but she pushed the fear aside. She couldn’t afford to be afraid now.
• They reached a narrow back door that led out into another alley, and Mark peeked through the crack, scanning the street beyond. “Clear,” he muttered, and they slipped out, moving quickly but cautiously.
• But just as they stepped onto the street, the sound of an approaching car’s engine rumbled from the other end of the alley. Mark froze, his eyes narrowing.
• They couldn’t run now. The street was too exposed.
• Serria’s breath caught in her throat as the car’s headlights came into view. It was them. Her father’s men.
• Without warning, Mark pulled her into a nearby doorway, his hand clamping over her mouth to stifle any sound. They stood motionless, barely breathing, as the car slowed to a stop in front of the alley.
• The door they were pressed against creaked slightly, and Serria stiffened. She didn’t dare move, afraid the slightest sound would give them away.
• The car’s engine idled for what felt like an eternity. Finally, the door opened, and a man stepped out, his boots clicking against the pavement. He walked slowly toward the alley entrance, scanning the shadows with sharp, calculating eyes. Serria could hear his voice as he barked an order to his men, their voices muffled as they began to spread out.
• Mark’s grip on her tightened as he pulled her closer, his body a shield. Serria’s heart thudded in her chest. If they were discovered now, it would be over.
• The man’s footsteps echoed closer, then stopped just feet from where they were hiding. For a terrifying moment, it seemed like time itself had stopped.
• Then, the man muttered something under his breath and turned, heading back toward the car. A wave of relief flooded through Serria, but it was short-lived. They weren’t safe yet.
• Mark waited a beat longer before he eased away from the door, gently pulling Serria with him. They moved quickly but silently down the alley, staying close to the shadows. Every corner could hide another enemy, but the next block offered the promise of some kind of cover.
• “We need to find somewhere to lay low,” Mark said quietly. “Get off the streets before they start searching every corner.”
• Serria nodded, her thoughts racing. She could feel the weight of her decision pressing down on her—the journal, her family, her life. She did
• n’t know what the next move would be, but one thing was clear: there was no turning back now.