Chapter 8 - The Ultimatum
The chapel filled with choking dust and the terrifying metallic clicks of assault rifles being readied.
Dominic immediately shoved Norah behind the solid marble altar, drawing his own pistol in a single fluid motion.
Victor opened fire from the balcony, dropping two of the mercenaries before a hail of bullets forced him into cover.
The beautiful stained-glass windows shattered under the relentless crossfire, raining colored shards over the pews.
"You are out of time, Russo!" Ivan shouted over the deafening noise of the shootout.
"The girl cannot save your empire if you are both bleeding out on the floor of a church."
Dominic fired back, hitting a mercenary in the shoulder, but they were hopelessly pinned down.
Norah huddled behind the cold marble, gripping Dominic's free hand tightly.
"We have to surrender, Dominic, they are going to massacre everyone," she pleaded.
"If I surrender, Ivan will slaughter us both to guarantee his total control," Dominic replied grimly.
Suddenly, a voice echoed through a megaphone from the back of the chapel, halting the gunfire.
"Hold your fire, Ivan, or I detonate the charges!"
Norah peaked around the edge of the altar and saw her brother Liam standing in the doorway.
He was holding a dead-man's switch connected to a vest packed entirely with high-explosive C4.
"Liam, what are you doing?" Norah screamed in absolute horror.
Ivan laughed, a deep, rumbling sound that echoed off the high vaulted ceilings.
"Your brother is an excellent dog, Norah, he always follows his master's commands."
Liam looked at Norah with tears streaming down his battered face.
"I am so sorry, Norah, but this is the only way to save my family from the syndicate," Liam cried.
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Liam raised his pistol, bypassing Ivan entirely, and pointed the barrel directly at Norah's chest.
"I need you to step away from the altar, sis, or I press this button and kill us all."
