Chapter 13 – The Chase
The stairwell smelled of damp concrete and rusted metal.
Emergency lights cast a dim orange glow along the narrow steps as Nadia and Varma rushed downward. Their footsteps echoed loudly against the walls while the sound of rain thundered faintly through the building.
Behind them—The stairwell door burst open.
Heavy boots slammed against the steps.
"They're coming!" Nadia gasped.
Varma didn't slow down.
"Yes."
"That's all you have to say?!"
"We should focus on moving faster."
Nadia stared at the back of his head in disbelief.
How could he remain this calm while armed men were chasing them through a building?
They reached the tenth floor landing.
Varma grabbed the railing and turned sharply, taking the steps two at a time.
Nadia followed as best as she could, her heart pounding and lungs burning.
Gunshots echoed above them.
The sound reverberated violently through the stairwell.
A bullet struck the metal railing beside Nadia with a loud clang, sending sparks into the air.
She flinched instinctively.
"Keep moving," Varma said.
They rushed down another flight of stairs.
Nadia's mind raced.
This wasn't just intimidation anymore.
Those men intended to kill them.
"Who are they?" she asked breathlessly.
Varma glanced up the stairs briefly.
Then continued descending.
"A private security unit."
"Security units don't break into apartments and shoot people!"
"These do."
Another gunshot cracked through the stairwell.
The men above were moving faster now.
Varma suddenly stopped on the eighth-floor landing.
Nadia nearly ran into him.
"What are you doing?!" she whispered.
Varma listened carefully.
Footsteps pounded down the stairs above them.
"Three are coming directly down," he said.
Nadia blinked.
"You can tell that just by listening?"
"Yes."
"And the others?"
"They're using the elevator."
Her stomach dropped.
"They're cutting us off."
Varma nodded.
"Exactly."
Nadia felt panic creeping into her chest again.
"So what's the plan now?"
Varma pushed open the door to the eighth floor hallway.
"Improvisation."
They stepped into the corridor.
The hallway lights flickered weakly while the storm rattled the building windows.
Most of the apartment doors were closed.
Silent.
Peaceful.
Completely unaware of the chaos happening inside the building.
Varma moved quickly toward the elevator lobby.
Nadia grabbed his arm.
"Wait! You just said they're using the elevator!"
"Yes."
"Then why are we going there?!"
Varma pressed the elevator button.
"Because they expect us to avoid it."
The elevator hummed softly somewhere above.
Descending.
Nadia's eyes widened.
"You're kidding."
Varma simply watched the floor indicator.
6…
5…
4…
Footsteps thundered in the stairwell behind them.
The pursuing men were only seconds away.
Nadia's heart pounded harder.
"You're insane," she whispered.
The elevator bell chimed softly.
The doors opened.
Two armed men stepped out.
For a brief moment everyone froze.
The men clearly hadn't expected to see their targets standing calmly in front of the elevator.
Varma moved first.
His hand shot forward with shocking speed.
He grabbed the first man's wrist and twisted sharply.
A sickening crack echoed through the hallway.
The man screamed as the gun fell from his hand.
Before the second man could react—
Varma drove his elbow into the man's chest.
The impact forced the air out of him with a loud gasp.
Varma kicked the fallen gun across the floor.
Then he grabbed Nadia's arm.
"Inside."
They stepped into the elevator.
The doors began closing.
But just as they were about to shut—
A hand slammed against them.
One of the pursuers from the stairwell forced the doors open.
He raised his pistol.
Varma kicked the nuts and then the elevator control panel.
The doors slammed shut instantly.
The gunshot fired just as they closed.
The bullet struck the metal door with a loud thud.
The elevator began descending.
Nadia stared at Varma in disbelief.
"You just disabled the control panel."
"Yes."
"How did you even know how to do that?"
Varma didn't answer.
Instead he pressed the emergency stop between floors.
The elevator halted suddenly.
Nadia grabbed the railing to steady herself.
"What now?"
Varma opened the ceiling hatch.
Cold air rushed in from the elevator shaft above.
"We climb."
Nadia looked up into the dark shaft.
"You cannot be serious."
"They will reach the ground floor before the elevator does."
"And climbing a metal ladder inside an elevator shaft during a thunderstorm is safer?!"
Varma was already pulling himself upward.
"Debatable."
Nadia groaned.
Then climbed after him.
The metal ladder was cold and slippery under her hands.
Rainwater dripped through the shaft somewhere above.
She forced herself to keep moving.
Below them—
The elevator suddenly jolted.
The men had forced the doors open.
Voices echoed upward.
"They're climbing!"
A gunshot echoed.
The bullet flyed against the shaft walls.
Varma climbed faster.
"Keep moving," he said.
Nadia's arms trembled as she followed him.
They reached the next maintenance platform.
Varma pushed open the emergency hatch.
Fresh night air rushed in.
They climbed onto the rooftop.
Rain poured heavily across the flat concrete surface.
The entire city stretched around them like a sea of lights.
Nadia collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily.
"This is insane."
Varma looked toward the rooftop access door.
"They'll reach the roof in less than thirty seconds."
Nadia groaned.
"You're not helping."
Varma scanned the surrounding buildings.
Then he pointed toward the neighboring structure.
A taller office building stood only a short distance away.
A narrow maintenance bridge connected the rooftops.
Nadia followed his gaze.
"You want to cross that too?"
"Yes."
Before she could argue—
The rooftop door burst open behind them.
Armed men rushed out into the rain.
Varma grabbed Nadia's hand.
"Run."
They sprinted across the rooftop toward the metal bridge.
Gunshots cracked through the storm.
Bullets struck the concrete around them.
Nadia's heart pounded violently.
She reached the bridge railing.
The metal structure swayed slightly in the wind.
Varma stepped onto it without hesitation.
Nadia followed.
Halfway across the bridge she glanced back.
The armed men had reached the rooftop edge.
One of them lowered his weapon.
But instead of firing—
He spoke into a radio.
Moments later a calm voice answered through the static.
A voice Nadia couldn't hear clearly.
But Varma could.
Varma's expression suddenly hardened.
He stopped walking.
Nadia looked at him.
"What is it?"
Varma spoke quietly.
"That voice…"
"Whose voice?"
Varma looked back toward the men chasing them.
Rain ran down his face as thunder rolled across the sky.
Varma's voice turned colder than she had ever heard.
"The man who caused the explosion that killed your parents."
Behind them—
The armed men began moving onto the bridge.
And the hunt…
Had officially begun.