The Weight of You (and Me)

22

THE STOLEN FILES AND THE PRICE OF LOVE

〰・♡・〰

The crisp morning air nipped at Keera's cheeks as she scrolled through her phone, a text from Iñigo making her smile. "Ready to tackle LeeCorp round two?" it read. A mischievous glint lit up her eyes. "Always," she replied, typing back a playful meme about corporate greed.

Their newfound romance had injected a spark of excitement into their activism. They strategized over breakfast, bouncing ideas off each other with a new level of energy. David, forever the voice of reason, listened patiently before offering his own insights.

"We need more than just media pressure," David pointed out, tapping his phone. "We need proof. Concrete evidence of LeeCorp's wrongdoing."

Keera and Iñigo exchanged a glance, a silent agreement passing between them. "That's exactly what we're going to get," Keera declared, her voice filled with determination.

Their plan was audacious, bordering on reckless. They needed to infiltrate LeeCorp's headquarters, to access their internal documents and expose their environmental violations. It was a risky move, one fraught with potential consequences, but they were determined to bring the truth to light.

Days turned into weeks as they meticulously planned their operation. David, with his tech expertise, hacked into LeeCorp's security system, providing them with a temporary access window. Iñigo, thanks to his family connections, managed to snag a discarded security badge, allowing Keera to disguise herself as an employee.

The night of the infiltration arrived, a dark and stormy one that seemed to mirror the turmoil in their hearts. Clad in a stolen uniform, Keera felt a knot of fear tighten in her stomach as they approached the imposing glass and steel structure of LeeCorp headquarters.

"Ready?" Iñigo whispered, his hand finding hers. His touch sent a jolt of confidence through her.

"Ready," Keera replied, squeezing his hand back. Together, they slipped through the automatic doors, blending into the throng of hurried employees.

The sterile office environment felt suffocating. Nerves thrummed through Keera as they navigated the deserted hallways, guided by David's instructions relayed through a hidden earpiece.

"Server room two floors down," David's voice crackled. "Be quick, you only have five minutes before the access code resets."

Reaching the server room, Keera felt a bead of sweat roll down her temple. Time seemed to move in slow motion as her fingers danced across the keyboard, downloading crucial files onto a hidden flash drive. Just as the transfer was completed, an alarm blared, shattering the silence.

"They're onto us!" Iñigo hissed, his eyes widening in panic.

"Go!" David shouted through the earpiece. "Meet me at the back exit!"

Heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs, Keera grabbed Iñigo's hand and they sprinted through the echoing corridors. Security guards materialized around them, their faces grim. Adrenaline surged through Keera as they weaved through the maze of cubicles, desperation coloring their every move.

"There!" Iñigo yelled, pointing towards a dimly lit emergency exit. They burst through the door, stumbling into the cool night air. Rain lashed against their faces, but they barely registered it. Their escape route was blocked by a row of security vans.

"We're trapped!" Keera exclaimed, her voice laced with fear.

Suddenly, a loud honking noise cut through the rain. A beat-up pickup truck screeched to a halt in front of them, Mrs. Mendoza at the wheel, a determined glint in her eyes.