Chapter Four – A Chase in the Shadows
Soren stood before a towering apartment building. He raised his phone before his eyes and whispered:
> "Erik Möller. Former tech employee. Disappeared days before Victor's incident... Suspected of illegal financial dealings."
He closed the phone and made his way toward a rear entrance.
The stairwell was narrow, coated in dust, with dim light barely revealing the steps beneath.
He climbed silently, counting each step in his mind until he reached the sixth floor.
> "Room 270…"
He moved lightly toward the door and listened.
No sound… only a faint scent he recognized all too well—a mix of rust and something else… danger.
He pulled a small tool from his pocket and worked quietly.
Click… click…
The door was locked from the inside.
He unlocked it without a sound and gently pushed it open. A soft creak slipped into the hallway.
He stepped inside noiselessly. The darkness wrapped around everything, pierced only by a faint light seeping through a small window.
A desk was cluttered with scattered papers, a computer shut down, and a thick air of stagnation clung to the room.
He began sifting through the papers until his eyes landed on a small handwritten notebook—names and dates scribbled across it.
> "A key… this is a lead."
He slipped the notebook into his pocket—but suddenly—
Footsteps in the hallway.
He froze.
With swift precision, he moved toward the bathroom and opened the door—
There was a body inside.
A man in the bathtub.
No blood. No signs of struggle.
Just a corpse… lifeless.
Soren stepped closer and touched the body to check for coldness—
Bang! Bang!
Two shots cracked through the air from an unseen angle.
The first tore through his shoulder. The second missed as he ducked in time.
He spun around—
A man stood in the bathroom doorway, gripping a Glock 17.
His hand was steady.
His eyes void of hesitation.
Soren lunged forward—
Bang!
Another shot fired. Soren slid left, pulling his pistol in one smooth motion—
The Walther PPK, silenced.
Thff… thff!
Two bullets.
The first struck the wall.
The second hit the attacker's hand.
> "Damn you!"
The man growled in a muffled voice.
"They didn't say you were this good!"
He fired wildly, then bolted for the back door in a desperate escape.
Despite the pain in his shoulder, Soren gave chase.
The corridor was narrow, cloaked in shadow. Every sound echoed twice.
He closed the distance, leapt over a small obstacle, and saw the man throw the door open, dashing into the night.
Soren lunged.
A powerful kick to the knee. A hand around the throat.
He drove him to the ground.
> "Who are you?!"
Soren shouted.
"Who's behind you? Who killed Victor?!"
The man stayed silent—but as Soren's grip tightened on his neck, he finally broke:
> "It wasn't my choice… They forced me. There's someone above us all. You don't understand how deep this goes… You won't survive alone."
Soren inhaled sharply, grabbed the man's arm,
And decided to take him to a secure location for a full interrogation.
But—
BRRRAAKK!!
Blood splattered.
The man's head exploded right in front of Soren's eyes.
He recoiled, pressing his back to the wall.
And whispered:
> "Sniper…"