Cinders of the Conspiracy

Chapter 5

Marked for Silence.

In the silence of the night, the steady slapping of feet on the sidewalk reverberated. Breathing raggedly and unevenly, Silas Granger and Eleanor Wickham hurried along the tiny street. A shadowy figure behind them filled the space, moving with frightening speed and accuracy.

"Who is he?" As Eleanor fought to keep up with Silas, she gasped and gripped the borders of her coat.

"Definitely not here to make friends," Silas retorted, his keen eyes searching the street for a way out.

Long, menacing shadows were formed on the buildings by the weak glow of flickering lighting that illuminated their way. The faceless entity following them remained a menacing silhouette, its every move methodical and unrelenting.

Silas grabbed Eleanor's arm and held her up before she could collapse on the uneven pavement. "Keep going," he said in a stern but low voice.

In the distance, a car's engine roared, and as it turned a corner, spotlights swept toward them. With a muttered curse, Silas dragged Eleanor into a side alley.

“Here!” he sternly said, leading her behind a pile of abandoned containers. Their breaths mixed in the chilly air as they hunkered down.

At the alley's entrance, the figure came to a halt, its shadowy figure silhouetted against the dim streetlight glow. His pulse thumping in his ears, Silas gripped the handgun tucked down in his coat tighter.

The figure paused, looking around the lane with deliberate purpose. Then it was gone, vanishing back into the darkness as swiftly as it had come.

Eleanor let out a trembling breath, her fingers burrowing into her coat's material. "That was too near," she whispered.

Silas clinched his jaw and nodded. "They haven't finished yet."

The alley's tiny walls closed in on them with a confining proximity, and it extended out in front of them like a meandering maze. Silas gestured for Eleanor to follow him farther into the shadows, each step deliberate and soundless.

Her voice was almost heard as she said, "What now?"

With a clipped tone, Silas answered, "First, we lose them." "After that, we determine why someone would kill to silence us."

Tension was high in the air, and the city's faint buzz served as a far-off background for their trip. In an attempt to find their pursuer, Silas's keen eyes raced to every nook and cranny.

They came to a rusted fire escape that hung perilously to the side of a building at the end of the lane. Silas looked up, weighing the danger. "Climb," he said, motioning Eleanor to begin.

Eleanor paused, looking at the flimsy building. "Do you think this will hold?"

"Do you think of something better?" Silas retorted in a tone that was unarguable.

Eleanor grimaced, clutched the icy metal, and started up. Silas trailed closely behind, listening for the slight click of a rifle or the sound of footsteps.

The city stretched out in front of them from their rooftop vantage point, its lights glimmering like far-off stars. Silas, however, continued to look at the earth below. There was no sign of their pursuer, and the alley was deserted.

With the weight of their escape weighing heavily on his voice, he declared, "For now, we're clear."

With her arms encircling her knees, Eleanor sat on the roof's edge. "What will happen if they discover us once more?"

Silas took a moment to respond. Instead, his jaw was fixed on the city. "Then we ensure that they don't."

The only sound to break the deadly silence between them was the distant buzz of traffic. Silas strode restlessly and sharply across the rooftop. Eleanor kept a wary eye on him, feeling the storm building within of him.

"What kept you from telling me everything?" With a voice that broke the silence, Silas demanded.

Eleanor's forehead wrinkled. "What are you discussing?"

He turned to face her and yelled, "Don't act foolish." "You are keeping something from us that ledger, the fire, the enigmatic figure pursuing us."

Eleanor's chest constricted as her breath caught, a mixture of fury and shame. "I've shared all of my knowledge with you."

"Have you?" Silas's eyes narrowed as he shot back. "Because it seems like this story has more to it." People aren't randomly put on Hartwell's radar.

Her hands were balled into fists as she stood up. Do you believe that I desired any of this? My spouse has passed away. I've lost my home. I'm being hunted like an animal right now. You're mistaken if you believe I'm concealing something.

Silas's voice stayed stern, but his eyes softened a little. I'm not blaming you for it. However, I am unable to defend you if you are dishonest with me.

Eleanor averted her gaze, tears still glimmering in her eyes. "Silas, I'm not sure what else you're asking of me. All I'm trying to do is stay alive.

Unspoken truths lingered in the air, and tension between them weighed heavy for a minute. Silas finally let out a sigh and combed through his hair.

"We'll work this out," he muttered. "But now is the time to tell me if you're hiding anything."

Eleanor looked him in the eye and spoke in a shaky but determined voice. "I've told you everything, I promise."

Slowly, Silas nodded, but his eyes were filled with uncertainty. "Then we had better be prepared for the next step."

The cool breeze brushed Eleanor's hot cheeks as she paced the rooftop with her arms crossed tightly. Leaning on the edge, Silas stared at the city below, but his attention was solely on her. The weighted quiet between them pressed down like an unspoken truth pleading for release.

Eleanor halted at last, speaking in a shaky voice. "Thomas was killed by Hartwell."

Silas's eyes narrowed as his head jerked. "What gives you such confidence?"

"At first, I didn't want to believe it," she said, pausing as if speaking each sentence were painful. However, all the evidence points to him. Days before he passed away, Thomas informed me that he had discovered something. Something hazardous. And this ledger now.

She looked down and wrung her fists together as her speech trailed off. I made an effort to convince myself it was an accident. that he simply... lost the vehicle's control. But I knew in my heart.

With measured steps, Silas pushed off the ledge and walked toward her. "Why didn't you inform me earlier?"

Eleanor's eyes gleamed with defiance as her chin rose. Since I wasn't certain I could rely on you. You made it apparent that you had no interest in me or my issues.

A few steps distant, Silas halted, his face unreadable. "All right."

He took a time to examine her, putting the pieces of the picture together in his mind. "Hartwell doesn't kill people for amusement alone. Your husband may have discovered something that could bury him if he removed Thomas.

Eleanor faltered in her speech. "And I'm next now."

Silas's mouth clenched. "If I can avoid it, no."

With the decision bearing down on him, Silas folded his arms. Walking away was no longer an option, even though he knew what he was about to commit to may cost him everything.

At last, he responded in a stern tone, "All right." "I will accept the case."

With relief and trepidation fighting for control of her expression, Eleanor's breath caught. "You mean it?"

Silas said, his face softening a little, "Don't make me say it twice." However, you must comprehend something. Eleanor, this isn't a game. Hartwell and others like him don't take things lightly.

"I understand what I'm requesting," she muttered. "And I am aware of the dangers."

Silas moved in closer, his words becoming almost inaudible. "No, I don't believe that you do. We can't go back once we start digging. Hartwell's people will use every resource at their disposal to pursue us.

Eleanor's determination hardened as she met his eyes. "Silas, I've already lost everything. I have nothing left to lose, including my spouse and my house.

After a long minute of staring, Silas nodded. "So we'd better be sure we're prepared."

The faint sound of an automobile engine entered their ears and grew louder as they approached the fire escape. Silas's hand automatically went to his handgun as he froze.

He said, looking down at the street, "Stay close." Earlier, the sleek black automobile with dark, intimidating windows sat stationary near the alleyway.

Eleanor said as her hand touched his arm. "They have returned."

"Yes," answered Silas glumly. "And they're not merely observing this time."

The danger was already drawing near, and the decision had been taken. They went down into the darkness together, aware that the real battle was just getting started.