BILLIONAIRE MINOR

Chapter 9: Into the Abyss

The men burst into the room like a storm, their heavy boots pounding against the cracked floor as they fanned out, weapons drawn. Jeremy's heart pounded in his chest, but his mind was focused. He had no time to second-guess himself. He grabbed Maya by the wrist and yanked her behind a pillar just as one of the men glanced over, his eyes narrowing as he took in the empty space.

Move," Jeremy whispered fiercely, tugging Maya toward the back of the room. The heavy file tucked under his jacket felt like a weight he could ill afford to lose. They needed to get out-fast.

The men were methodical in their search, methodically moving from one corner of the room to the next. As they neared the back, Jeremy's mind raced for an escape route. There was no window. No doors except the one they'd come through. He had no weapon. The only option left was to run.

The lead man suddenly barked out an order. "Split up. Search every inch. He's here.

Jeremy froze. He? They were after him. Of course, they were. Victor had made sure of that.

In an instant, Jeremy reached out and yanked Maya towards the small, narrow hallway that led to the back exit. But as he did so, his foot caught on a piece of debris and he stumbled, sending a loud crash echoing through the room.

"Who's there?" one of the men yelled out. The immediate sound of footsteps rushing toward him was unmistakable.

"Go!" Jeremy yelled at Maya, pushing her toward the back door. She hesitated for only a moment before bolting, disappearing into the dark alley beyond.

Jeremy turned to face the incoming men. It was a split-second decision. Fight or flight?

The men stormed forward, and Jeremy's adrenaline kicked into overdrive. He was quick, but they were faster. The lead man lunged for him, grabbing him by the shoulder and spinning him toward the wall. Jeremy grunted as the impact rattled his bones.

"You think you can just run from Victor?" the man sneered. He was big—over six feet—and had the air of someone who had been in far too many fights.

Jeremy's mind raced for something to use as a weapon. His hands found a rusty piece of metal lying on the ground, and he swung it blindly, catching the man across the jaw. The thug staggered back, surprised by the hit.

But the moment of victory was short-lived. The other two men lunged at him. He dodged the first but was hit by the second. He gritted his teeth as his body collided with the cold concrete floor.

“You’re not gonna get away from Victor, kid,” the man said, a sick smile twisting his lips.

Jeremy's mind churned, his breathing thin and quick. He couldn't let them catch him now. Not now, at this point when everything hinged on his success.

Just as the third man stepped forward, Jeremy saw in his peripheral vision the flash of an object. A shard of glass. It was a long shot, but desperate times called for desperate measures. With a quick motion, he grabbed the shard, spinning around and driving it into the man's leg.

The man howled in pain, falling back and giving Jeremy the opening he needed. He scrambled to his feet, ignoring the pain in his side. But the lead man was back on him before he could even make a move, slamming Jeremy back into the pillar with a brutal force.

Jeremy's vision blurred, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Every fibre of his being screamed to stop. He couldn't. Not now. Not when he had Victor so near to paying.

And then, as if the universe was finally granting him a mercy, that door to the alleyway blew open.

Maya reappeared. She had a gun.

The room froze.

"Let him go," Maya said, her tone cool, but laced with undertones of menace. "You are not going to hurt him."

The men stared at her, weighing the situation, weighing their options. One of them, a younger man with a scar across his cheek, sneered. "You think you can stop us with that?" he said, pointing to the gun.

"I don't need to stop you. I just need to slow you down," Maya replied, her finger tightening on the trigger.

The men remained still for a moment, the tension in the air, the standoff hanging heavy, like thick fog in the room. Jeremy felt his pulse in his throat, and his body felt a great ache, yet he wasn't about to let this slip away from him.

“Maya, you’re not a killer,” Jeremy said, pushing through the pain in his side to stand upright. He wasn’t sure if it was a question or a statement, but it didn’t matter. The gun in her hands was steady. Her eyes were hard.

“Neither are you, Jeremy. But you’re about to make some very hard choices.”

The room was silent. The only sound was the soft hum of the city beyond. The lead man's gaze flicked back and forth between Jeremy and Maya. He knew when to pick his battles.

After what seemed like an eternity, he slowly raised his hand. "Let's go. We've got what we came for.

The men began to retreat, but Jeremy wasn’t about to let them get away. As one of the men stepped backward, Jeremy lunged at him, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him back into the room.

“You’re not walking away with that file,” Jeremy spat. His voice was hoarse, but he had nothing left to lose.

“Jeremy, don’t!” Maya cried out, her voice full of alarm.

It was too late, however. His hand moved to rest on a gun that was located by his side. In one flash, the door surged open.

A familiar voice swam across the room as the voice had been engraved on Jeremy's mind since his childhood and was least desired to reoccur. "Step away from him, Jeremy."

Victor Kane.

The room exploded into chaos. Shots boomed. Maya ducked, and Jeremy was hurled backward by the blast. He hit the floor hard, his head spinning as pain exploded through his chest.

"Victor." Jeremy whispered, the word barely audible.

Victor stepped into the room, his cold eyes sweeping over the chaos. His lips curled into a smile, but there was nothing warm about it.

You've made a right mess of things, haven't you, Jeremy?" Victor's voice was smooth, almost bored, as if he were reprimanding a child. "You had potential. You really did. But now? Now you're just a liability."

Jeremy struggled to lift himself, every muscle in his body screaming in protest. The shooting had stopped, but the pain was unbearable. His hand grasped at his side, but there was no time for weakness.

You don't get to decide when this ends," Jeremy spat, the raw defiance in his voice a palpable thing. "Not anymore."

Victor's gaze flickered to Maya, still clutching the gun, trembling hands and all. "I should have known you'd be part of this. You always were a loose cannon."

"You've underestimated me, Victor," Maya said, her words trembling with anger. "But this time, I'm not walking away.

Victor's eyes darkened and his lip curled into a snarl. "This is where you both learn your lesson. You don't walk away from me. You don't escape."

Jeremy's pulse hammered in his ears, the world around him blurring. Yet one thing was clear, this wasn't over. By a long shot.

Victor had just made his final mistake.