Chapter 7 - The Ambush
Julian knew the syndicate had eyes on every major financial institution in the city.
He led me through the underground tunnels until we reached a hidden cartel armory.
He tossed me a heavy Kevlar vest, and I strapped it over my ruined waitress uniform without hesitating.
"I am going to call a contact to bring the lockbox to us," Julian explained, picking up an encrypted satellite phone.
We waited in the cold darkness for exactly one hour.
The heavy steel door of the armory finally groaned open, revealing an elderly man in a sharp suit.
The man handed Julian a heavy steel lockbox and quickly disappeared back into the shadows.
Julian placed the box on a metal workbench and gestured for me to use the brass key.
My hands shook violently as I inserted the key into the lock and turned it.
The heavy lid popped open, revealing a single leather-bound journal resting inside.
I opened the first page, and my breath caught in my throat.
The handwriting was incredibly elegant, and it was identical to my own handwriting.
The first line read, "If you are reading this, my beautiful Elina, it means my husband finally killed me."
Julian stepped closer, reading the ink over my shoulder.
"She knew she was going to die," I whispered, tears welling in my eyes.
The journal detailed how Isabella had discovered she was a cloned genetic experiment, bred specifically by a rival family.
She had hidden me, her backup clone, in a deep sleep facility until her inevitable death triggered my awakening.
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Julian staggered backward, looking at me as if I were a monster designed to destroy him.
Before he could process the betrayal, a flashbang grenade shattered the silence of the armory.
