RAVEN.
Chapter 25: What Had To Be Done

Chapter 25: What Had To Be Done

Are you okay?" Adam asked worriedly, coming to crouch beside Raven as he examined the rope line on her neck.

"I will be." Raven managed to say, hyperventilating, "Please check if she’s still alive."

Adam went over to Lara and examined her; she was still breathing, but not for long.

’She needs to be taken to the hospital as soon as possible," He said, turning to Raven, who struggled to her feet. "What the hell happened?!"

"Firstly, we need to get the hell outta here. Now!" Raven said, "I’ll explain on the way."

***

The SWAT team stormed down their car and rushed into the building.

"Make sure that no single soul exits this building!" The team captain commanded, shouting at the top of his voice. "Team disperse!"

The whole SWAT team dispersed and stood guard at various positions. Two of them were guarding the front exit, two of them stood guard at the back exit, two stood at the bottom of the stairs, and two stood guard at the elevator while the others stormed up the stairs.

Meanwhile Raven and Adam were looking for an escape route. Adam stared down at the window, his face wreathed with fear.

"They have secured every possible exit!" He panicked, a little surprised that with all these, Raven wasn’t rattled "What are we gonna do?"

"Not all the exit. I know a way out." She said confidently, "Come on."

And then she led the way to the outer room and then to the corridor.

She peered right and left to ascertain whether or not someone was in sight. Ensuring no one was in sight, she beckoned Adam to follow behind.

They came out of the room. Deciding that taking the elevator would sell them out, they moved to the stairs, but the heavy footsteps ascending told them that the SWAT team were near.

"There’s no other exit!" Adam said, his eyes staring at Raven a little hopelessly.

"There is." She assured.

Then they moved down the end of the corridor, to the wall.

"It’s a dead end."

"No, it’s not. Push."

The two pushed the wall backwards and surprisingly enough, the wall was light and effortlessly slid open to a small tunnel. Adam peered in and saw an iron ladder that travelled from down the floor to their floor.

He snapped his head towards Raven, surprised. "How did you know about this?"

"I know about most things." Raven replied, a little smug, "Now go."

Adam entered and climbed down the ladder, followed by Raven, the wall sliding shut behind them.

The SWAT team missed them, as the wall shut behind them.

"Search every room!" The commander hollered, the team dispersing at his order.

It didn’t take long before Lara was found.

"I’ve found Mrs Brant, and she’s gravely injured." One of them reported.

Felipe ran towards the room, and when he saw Lara lying helplessly in her pool of blood, it was too hard for him to take.

He slipped into the unconscious and fell to the floor.

"Call 911!" The commander ordered.

Meanwhile, Raven and Adam had now reached the end of the tunnel and pushed open the wall that led straight outside.

As soon as they were out, they took to their heels, running as far as their legs could carry them.

**"

The Next Day.

"... Lara Brant was found unconscious yesterday at Imperial Tower, and she was gravely injured by this suspect, Raven Moon." The TV announcer said, "She is in the hospital currently recovering, and her husband, Felipe Brant, is also unconscious at the moment. Their four-year-old daughter Lucy Brant was mysteriously brought back home safe and sound, and she is with a relative while her parents lay unconscious. It seems that she was not the target but a bait to lure her mother. The suspect, Raven Moon, and her unidentified accomplice are still at large and are considered armed and extremely dangerous. Please report to the authorities..."

Mandy turned off the TV and quietly placed the remote on the table.

If Raven was ever to be caught, she might be arrested as an accessory, and if tried, her own crime would also be revealed, and the last thing she ever wanted was to spend a single second in jail, not to talk of minutes, hours or worse years!

The maids had already packed their belongings and had moved out of the house because of too much drama.

It was only her in the house and staying here suffocated her more than anything.

She needed to get out of here! She needed to just... disappear!

Her bag was already packed in her room, so she went and brought it out. Making sure every door was fully locked, she turned off the lights and left.

As much as she hated leaving, she had to.

She sure was going to miss this place.

***

Lara’s hospital room was guarded by two of the SWAT team members. Raven, clad in a nurse dress, her dark hair completely hidden under the nurse’s cap, her face covered by the surgical nose mask walked up down the corridor to Lara’s room with a tray on her hands.

She wanted to check on Lara’s condition as she had heard her condition was critical, and that she was on life support.

But she immediately came to an abrupt halt when she saw a nurse pointing towards her direction.

"I saw someone suspicious down the hall; she looked just like the suspect, Raven Moon." Raven heard the nurse say, and her heart contracted.

She wanted to bolt, but she couldn’t move.

"Are you positive?" one of the swat team guys asked.

"I’m always positive sir." The nurse replied.

Then, the two swat team men began to charge towards her direction.

Run dummy! Run! She told herself.

But when the two men passed her unsuspiciously and moved further down the hallway, she felt safe. But the nurse who had just reported piqued her interest when she saw her glance left and right before entering Lara’s room.

Suspicious!

With quick graceful strides, she approached Lara’s room and was about to head in when the nurse surprisingly stormed out of the room and bumped into Raven.

Raven stared at her eyes for a split second and she saw nothing but fear.

The nurse pushed her away and dashed away. Raven peered into the room at Lara, who was jerking to and fro on the bed.

The nurse had turned off the life support system and the heart rate monitor was making incessant beeping noises.

Raven didn’t know how to turn it back on nor how to make the beeping stop.

And if she stayed here any longer, it’ll be over for her.

She ran away too, chasing after the running nurse.

The nurse was now out of the hospital, and she was running so fast down the road without looking back.

Raven chased after her relentlessly, not stopping even though she had become breathless.

The nurse turned into a secluded alley, but Raven was getting nearer. She stretched her hand and caught the nurse’s net, then pulled her backwards to the ground.

Raven removed her mask and asked breathlessly, "What have you done?!"

The nurse removed her mask, revealing her face and then she answered, "What had to be done."