Chapter 5 - The Extraction
The man standing in the doorway was Elias Thorne, a disgraced former mercenary who now apparently worked for the Sterlings.
Charles Sterling laughed from the top of the stairs, bragging that his money could buy the absolute best private military contractors in the world.
Thorne raised his rifle toward Marcus, his eyes burning with years of festering hatred and revenge.
Before Thorne could pull the trigger, the massive glass chandelier above the foyer suddenly exploded into thousands of razor-sharp pieces.
Sniper fire from the treeline outside tore through the front windows, forcing Thorne and his men to dive for heavy cover.
Colonel Mitchell’s actual Ghost Unit had taken up overwatch positions in the woods, providing Marcus with a crucial window of opportunity.
Marcus instantly surged up the stairs, tackling a stunned Rowan to the floor and breaking the man's nose with a brutal, calculated strike.
He grabbed Brooke by the arm and pulled her behind a solid marble pillar as bullets chewed through the drywall.
Marcus handed Brooke a small flare beacon and told her to run toward the treeline the moment he threw a smoke grenade.
He pulled the pin on a canister, tossing it directly into the center of the grand foyer to blind Thorne’s mercenaries.
Brooke sprinted down the stairs and disappeared into the thick, protective cover of the Appalachian forest.
Marcus did not stay to fight a prolonged battle, knowing his ultimate priority was getting to the hospital before Charles’s private ambulance arrived.
He vaulted out of a second-story window, landing gracefully on the soft turf and sprinting toward his hidden vehicle.
He drove like a madman through the winding mountain roads, pushing the engine to its absolute limits.
Marcus finally arrived at the hospital, rushing through the emergency room doors and ignoring the shouting security guards.
He sprinted up three flights of stairs to the pediatric intensive care unit, his heart hammering against his ribs.
He burst into Lily's room, finding his daughter terrified but physically safe in her bed.
Marcus gently lifted her into a customized transport wheelchair, assuring her that everything was going to be completely fine.
He pushed the wheelchair out into the brightly lit hallway and pressed the button for the main elevator.
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The metal doors chimed pleasantly and slid open, revealing a horrifying obstacle standing in their path.
Miranda was waiting inside the elevator with Sheriff Landry and three heavily armed deputies, all with their guns drawn and pointed directly at Lily's head.
