Chapter 3 - The Traitor's Gambit
I threw my body over Lila, shielding her from the barrel of Victor’s weapon.
Damian stepped in front of us both, acting as a human shield despite his failing heart.
“If you want to kill me, Victor, you do it now,” Damian challenged him.
Victor’s hands shook slightly as he kept the gun raised.
“I do not want to kill you, Boss,” Victor whispered, a tear sliding down his scarred face.
“But they took my wife, and this is the only way to get her back.”
Suddenly, Lila squirmed out from beneath my arms and stood up.
Because she was deaf, she did not understand the threat of the gun.
She walked straight up to the towering bodyguard and handed him her cloth rabbit.
Victor stared at the stuffed animal, completely stunned by the child’s pure innocence.
His tough exterior cracked, and he lowered his weapon with a heavy sigh.
“They are waiting for you at the main gate,” Victor warned us hastily.
“Take my armored SUV and use the old service road through the forest.”
He tossed Damian the keys just as the heavy garage doors began to rattle under heavy gunfire.
“What about you?” Damian asked, his voice rough with unexpected gratitude.
Victor turned toward the incoming mercenaries and raised his rifle.
“I am going to buy you some time,” he yelled over the sound of breaking glass.
I strapped Lila into the back seat while Damian struggled to climb into the driver’s side.
The engine roared to life, and we smashed through the wooden side-doors of the garage.
Bullets pinged against the bulletproof glass as we sped into the stormy night.
Damian’s breathing grew incredibly shallow as he steered the heavy vehicle down the muddy road.
“Keep your eyes on the timer, Clara,” he gasped, gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.
I looked down at the remote in my hand, watching the red numbers flash.
“Forty-five minutes left,” I told him urgently.
Damian hit the brakes suddenly, throwing us forward as the car skidded to a halt in the mud.
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A massive tree trunk was lying directly across the road, blocking our only exit.
Standing in the pouring rain in front of the barricade was a man I thought I had buried five years ago.
