Chapter 19 Behind the Door

​The doorknob slowly turned. Once. Twice. Then it stopped.

​Javier instinctively took a step backward. "Nina... call the police."

​Without hesitation, Nina grabbed her phone, her fingers trembling as she dialed Inspector David Cole's number.

​Outside the apartment, the two men exchanged a glance.

​"She's suspicious," one of them whispered.

​The other reached into the toolbox. "Forget pretending. Open it." He pulled out a thin metal lock-picking tool and carefully inserted it into the keyhole.

​Click.

​The lock began to give way.

​Inside the apartment, Javier heard the faint metallic click. "They're picking the lock."

​Nina's face drained of color as she looked at her phone. "The police aren't answering."

​Javier quickly scanned the room. "We have to get out. The back staircase."

​"This way," Nina nodded.

​The two women hurried into the kitchen, but just as they reached the back door—

​CRASH!

​The front door exploded inward, splintering wood across the living room floor. The two fake maintenance workers stormed inside.

​"Find her!"

​One rushed toward the bedrooms while the other searched the living room. Javier covered her mouth to stop herself from gasping. She and Nina quietly slipped through the kitchen door and into the narrow back stairwell, their footsteps echoing as they hurried downstairs.

​"Careful," Nina whispered. "You shouldn't run."

​Javier clutched her stomach. "I don't have a choice."

​Meanwhile, Alex's phone rang. It was one of the undercover guards, his voice weak and strained. "Mr. Swan..."

​Alex shot to his feet. "Where are you?"

​"We were attacked..."

​"What?"

​"They knew we were watching the apartment."

​Alex's heart began to pound. "Is Javier safe?"

​"I... I don't know. The men entered the building." The call abruptly disconnected.

​Alex grabbed his jacket. "They've made their move."

​Kendall turned to the security team. "Move!" Within seconds, four black SUVs roared out of Swan Mansion.

​Back inside the apartment, one of the intruders kicked open another bedroom door, continuing the search. "She's not here!"

​The other noticed the kitchen door swinging slightly. "They went downstairs. After them!"

​Javier and Nina raced down the stairwell, reaching the second floor, when suddenly footsteps echoed from below. More people were climbing up the stairs.

​Nina froze. "They're downstairs too," she whispered. "We're trapped."

​Javier quickly looked around until her eyes landed on the emergency exit. "There!"

​Together, they pushed open the heavy metal door and rushed into the parking area behind the building. Rain poured from the dark sky, soaking everything within seconds.

​Nina looked around desperately. "No one's here."

​Just then, a yellow taxi drove past the alley. Javier stepped forward, waving both hands frantically. The driver saw them and pulled over.

​"Hurry!"

​The two women jumped into the back seat.

​"Drive!" Javier cried.

​The taxi sped away. Only seconds later, the two intruders burst through the emergency exit. One of them cursed under his breath. "They escaped."

​The other remained calm as he pulled out his phone. "They're in a yellow taxi. I'll send the plate number." He ended the call, and within moments, a black SUV emerged from a nearby street and quietly began following the taxi.

​Inside the cab, Javier glanced through the rear window, and her heart skipped a beat. "Nina... I think we're being followed."

​Nina turned to look. The same black SUV was still behind them. "It's them."

​The taxi driver overheard their conversation and looked at them through the rearview mirror. "Is something wrong?"

​Javier met his eyes. "Please... don't stop."

​The driver gave a firm nod. "I'll do my best."

​Across the city, Alex's convoy tore through the rain-soaked streets. His phone suddenly vibrated as a GPS signal flashed onto the screen. One of the undercover guards had managed to activate a tracker before losing consciousness, and the signal showed a moving yellow taxi.

​Alex instantly recognized the route. "That's Javier." He turned sharply to the driver. "Faster!"

​The rain grew even heavier as the taxi splashed through flooded streets. Behind them, the black SUV rapidly closed the distance. One of the men inside rolled down the window and slowly raised a handgun fitted with a suppressor.

​"Take out the tires," the other ordered.

​Pop!

​The first shot missed. The taxi driver glanced at the rearview mirror, his face turning pale. "They're shooting at us!"

​Javier's heart lurched. "Please don't stop!"

​The driver pressed harder on the accelerator, pushing the taxi faster through the rain. Another suppressed shot rang out.

​Pop!

​A split second later—BANG!

​The rear tire exploded. The taxi lurched violently, skidding across the rain-soaked road. The driver gripped the steering wheel with all his strength, struggling to regain control. "We've lost the tire!"

​"Nina!" Javier cried as she instinctively clutched her stomach. The taxi spun uncontrollably toward the center of the road.

​At that exact moment, Alex's black Rolls-Royce emerged from the opposite direction. The instant he saw the out-of-control taxi, his eyes widened in horror.

​"Javier!"

​The taxi was sliding straight toward him.