Smoking Gun
Help, We Got SCALeD! Chapter Eleven.
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Anneke’s scream pierces the tense atmosphere. The sound echoes off the walls. Startled, their pupils widen with adrenaline-fueled anticipation. Their hearts pounding in their chests.
Just as Brad slides his hand over Anneke’s shoulder, Anneke’s phone vibrates against her already trembling body. The noise startles them both, jolting them back to reality and reminding them of the outside world.
Brad, angry at being awakened from his compulsion, commands Anneke, “Shut it down! Now!”
Fear coursing through her veins, Anneke fumbles with her phone, her hands shaking uncontrollably, and frantically tries to silence it, desperate to comply with Brad’s demand and regain control of the situation.
With trembling fingers, Anneke silences the buzzing phone and lets it drop on the floor. A few silent seconds tick by, and Anneke’s thoughts race, considering her options and searching for a way to escape. Her instincts scream at her to fight for her life, to find a way to break free from Brad’s grasp.
With her heart still racing, Anneke takes a deep breath, summoning all the courage she can muster, kneeing Brad in his loins and grabbing the hand that holds the gun. She sinks her teeth into his lower arm, causing Brad to scream in agony.
A devastating loud bang deafens them, leaving their ears ringing painfully. Brad desperately clings to his smoking gun, roughly shoving Anneke away from him with all the strength he can muster.
SWIFTFIT HQ — Arena
As Dave steps back into the Arena, he is greeted by his fellow Flamingos: Bert, Michael, Sarah, John, and Molly. They stand huddled together. But as Dave approaches, a flicker of confusion crosses his face. He expected to see Anneke among them. Likewise, Bert expected Anneke to return with Dave.
As Dave joins the group, Sarah updates Dave on their latest findings, diligently compiling a case against GetSCALeD by following all the digital footprints they left behind. Thanks to Ravi having granted them superpower-admin-like abilities, they can meticulously register every detail.
But Dave’s attention wavers.
Puzzled, Dave and Bert can’t help but wonder where Anneke could be, at first they didn’t make much of it. Dave tries to call Anneke, but it goes to voicemail after a few seconds.
He walks up to the window and his gaze drifts across the car park, way down below. There, amidst the sea of vehicles, he spots a dented red bolide, like a little toy car. His heart skips a beat, his mind instinctively connecting the dots.
“Brad’s car’s there!” Dave blurts out, shocked. The Flamingos exchange worried glances. But as the gravity of Brad’s presence settles upon Dave, his worry takes a different turn. They are stunned by a loud bang emerging from somewhere inside the building.
Dave’s brow furrows, his mind racing with questions and scenarios. Where could Anneke be? What might Brad be up to? Has she run into Brad? Is he after Lucinda again? What could the loud bang possibly be?
“Quick, let’s ping Ravi!” Dave suggests, urgency lacing his voice. “He might be able to track him through the building’s security systems.”
SWIFTFIT HQ — Boardroom
In the boardroom, Lucinda, Fatima, Ravi, and the legal team are equally started by the loud bang. A short moment later, Ravi hears a buzz on his device. In a reflex to dismiss the notification, he pauses. It’s from Dave. It reads, “Brad’s here!”.
Lucinda, wide-eyed, urges Ravi to call Dave. “Put Dave on display.” As Ravi initiates the call, Lucinda leans in, “Ravi, please tell me Brad’s access has been revoked?”
Ravi shakes his head. He hasn’t. Dave instantly enters the call his avatar appears augmented on a large curved display. “Brad’s car is parked outside. Also, Anneke is missing. She’s not with us. We don’t know where they are. We heard a loud bang. Brad may be trying to get to Lucinda. Be ready.”
Lucinda's eyes narrow with concern as she listens to Dave's words. She turns to Ravi, her voice filled with urgency. "We heard it too. Ravi, can you track their whereabouts?"
Ravi, sensing the gravity of the situation, swiftly accesses the security console and puts it on display for all to see. The curved display comes to life, showcasing a network of cameras and access points throughout the building. With his device, Ravi controls the display, beginning a search by entering Brad's name into the system. The screen flickers, displaying a series of access points and timestamps associated with Brad's movements. However, to Ravi's surprise, there are no registrations from today.
Ravi then shifts his focus to Anneke. Somewhat puzzled about how to spell her name, the AI autosuggest pops up. Tapping her name, the result screen updates, revealing Anneke's latest registered location: Micro Event Space 7.03, just minutes ago.
Ravi taps on the room, causing it to zoom in on the details. Two individuals are present: Anneke and an unidentified person.
Lucinda stands up.“Dave, she’s in Micro Event Space 7.03, with someone else. Let’s go there. Now! Ravi, get set the security team.” Lucinda instructs.
As the tension mounts, the teams in both the arena and boardroom mobilize.
SWYFTFIT HQ — Micro Event Space 7.03
The deafening sound of the explosion reverberates through the room. Anneke’s ears ring painfully, her senses temporarily disoriented by the sheer force of the blast. The air is thick with smoke and an acrid smell.
Anneke regains her bearings. She quickly checks herself, assessing if she’s hurt. It felt like the blast went right through her. But has it?
Brad, on the other hand, struggles to regain his footing. His eyes well up with tears, the pain and disorientation evident on his face. The blast has left him dazed and vulnerable, his grip on the situation slipping.
Seizing the opportunity, Anneke’s amygdala takes over, triggering her fight response. Fueled by adrenaline to protect herself, she again launches at Brad.
Their bodies collide, their hands locked in a fierce battle for control. Brad, weakened by the blast and disoriented from the fight, still manages to grapple Anneke with his free arm, but his strength wanes as she unleashes a torrent of pent-up rage and fear. Anneke draws on reserves of strength she never knew she possessed, her entire being focused on the singular goal of overcoming Brad. She manages to break free from Brad’s weakening hold, as she claws his face. Brad falls backward, still clinging to the gun.
Anneke stands tall, her chest heaving with exertion. But she musters a powerful kick into Brad’s hand, sending the gun spinning through the room.
While vulnerably on the ground, Brad launches his feet at Anneke, kicking her back. He turns around and crawls to regain possession of the gun.
Brad is still between her and the exit. Seeing Brad regain control of the gun, Anneke tries a different strategy. “Stop it! Brad Winters!” She shouts. “Can’t you see it’s over? It’s all been exposed? your lies, the deceit? We already have the evidence to expose your schemes!”
Brad once again raises his gun at Anneke. But Anneke’s first words echo in his head -“Stop it! Brad Winters!” — morphing into the voice of his late mother, speaking to his conscience.
Brad turns his sweating head, checking the door towards the exit behind him before fixating his gaze back on Anneke.
“Who are you?!” Brad shouts. And again, his own words echo back to him the song he played earlier through his car radio.“Who am I?” he mutters back to himself in a faint whisper, barely audible.
“Who am I?!”Anneke shouts back at Brad as she boldly steps toward him, “I am NOT a Doormat! Drop the fucking gun!”
At that moment, a comforting “woosh” sweeps the room as the doors slide open.
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