Chapter 4 The wood

I stepped out of the helicopter and onto the rooftop, the stranger's eyes locked on mine. "You're safe now," he said, his voice low and reassuring.

But I knew I wasn't safe, not yet. Ethan would stop at nothing to get me back, to keep his secrets buried.

"What's the plan?" I asked the stranger, my heart racing with anticipation.

"We need to get to the evidence," he replied, his eyes gleaming with determination. "The proof of Ethan's wrongdoings. It's the only way to take him down."

I nodded, my mind racing with the possibilities. Where was the evidence? And what would we find when we got there?

The stranger led me to a sleek black car, parked on the rooftop. "Get in," he said, his voice firm.

I hesitated, unsure if I could trust him. But something in his eyes made me believe he was on my side. I got in, and he followed, starting the engine with a roar.

As we sped through the city, my mind raced with questions. Who was this stranger? What was his connection to Ethan? And what evidence could possibly bring down Ethan's empire?

The stranger's eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. "My name is Max," he said, his voice low. "And I've been investigating Ethan's dealings for months."

I felt a surge of hope. "What have you found?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Max's expression turned grim. "Ethan's involved in some shady dealings, Ava. Fraud, embezzlement... and worse."

My heart raced as the car screeched to a halt. Max jumped out, pulling me with him. We were in a deserted alleyway, the only light coming from a flickering streetlamp.

"This way," Max said, leading me through the shadows.

We reached a nondescript building, the door hidden behind a dumpster. Max pushed it open, revealing a dimly lit room filled with computers and files.

"Welcome to my makeshift office," Max said, a wry smile on his face.

I felt a sense of trepidation. What would we find here? And what would happen when Ethan discovered we were onto him?

Max began typing furiously on one of the computers, his eyes scanning the screens as they flickered to life. I watched in awe as he hacked into Ethan's system, bypassing security firewalls with ease.

"What are we looking for?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Proof of Ethan's wrongdoings," Max replied, his eyes locked on the screens. "Financial records, emails, anything that can nail him to the wall."

As we dug deeper, the evidence mounted. Fraudulent transactions, embezzlement schemes, and even ties to illegal organizations. My mind reeled as the scope of Ethan's corruption became clear.

But we weren't alone. Ethan's goons had tracked us down, and they burst into the room, guns drawn. Max pushed me behind him, his eyes blazing with determination.

"We need to get out of here, now," he whispered, as the goons closed in.

We made a run for it, bullets flying as we dashed through the alleyways. Max's training kicked in, and he expertly evaded our pursuers, finally leading us to safety.

Breathless and shaken, we collapsed onto a rooftop, the city lights twinkling below. Max turned to me, his eyes serious.

"Ava, we have enough evidence to take down Ethan. But we need to act fast, before he silences us for good."

I nodded, my heart racing with anticipation. It was time to bring Ethan's empire crashing down.

We contacted the authorities, and soon, the rooftop was swarming with police and federal agents. Max handed over the evidence, and I gave a statement, detailing my experiences with Ethan.

As we waited for the dust to settle, Max turned to me with a hint of a smile. "You're free now, Ava. You can start fresh, away from all this."

I nodded, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. But I knew I couldn't just walk away. I had to see this through, make sure Ethan paid for his crimes.

The days that followed were a blur of court hearings and testimony. Ethan's empire crumbled, his associates scrambling to save themselves. And finally, the verdict came: guilty on all counts.

I watched as Ethan was led away in handcuffs, his eyes locked on mine with a mixture of anger and defeat. I felt no triumph, only a sense of relief that it was over.

Max approached me, his eyes shining with pride. "You did it, Ava. You brought him down."

I smiled, feeling a sense of gratitude towards this stranger who had become an ally. "We did it, Max. We made a difference."

As we walked out of the courtroom, I knew that this was just the beginning. I had a new life to build, free from the shadows of Ethan's corruption. And I had Max, a friend and ally who would stand by me every step of the way.

We stepped into the sunlight, ready to face whatever came next, together.

As we walked away from the courtroom, Max turned to me with a smile. "You know, Ava, I've been thinking. We make a pretty good team."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued and suprised. "What did you have in mind?"

"I've been working on a few cases, exposing corruption and bringing criminals to justice. I could use a partner like you."

I felt a spark of excitement. "You mean,something like a detective agency?"

Max nodded. "Exactly. We could call it 'Shadow & Light'. You're the light, Ava, shining a beacon in the darkness. And I'm the shadow, digging up the secrets and bringing them to light."

I grinned, feeling a sense of purpose. "I like it. Let's do it."

Max smiled, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Together, we can make a big difference, Ava. We can bring justice to those who thought they were high above the law."

And with that, our partnership was born. We walked off into the sunset, ready to face whatever shadows came our way.