Chapter 6 - An Unlikely Ally in the Shadows
Before the data transfer progress bar could even reach ten percent, the heavy wooden door of the shed creaked open, flooding the interior with a beam of harsh flashlight light. Elena froze, her breath catching in her throat as she braced to be discovered by security or Victoria herself. Instead, a familiar, weathered hand reached out and pulled her behind a stack of spare pool loungers. It was Marcus. He pressed a finger to his lips, his weathered face etched with quiet determination. Whispering softly, Marcus explained that he had seen her silhouette on the perimeter cameras and slipped out to intercept her before the roving patrol guards caught her. Rather than turning her in, Marcus handed her an encrypted external hard drive, revealing that he had managed to download the raw, unedited footage from the auxiliary server just before Mrs. Gable could lock down the system. He told Elena that Richard was starting to ask questions and that the truth was the only weapon they had left. But as they exchanged the drive, the crunch of footsteps on gravel outside signaled that they were no longer alone, and the flashlight beam swept closer to their hiding spot.
