Chapter 4 - The Tactical Breach
Shards of glass rained down like lethal, sparkling confetti over the lavish ballroom floor.
Agents wearing federal windbreakers and heavily armored tactical vests swarmed the room in a matter of seconds.
"FBI! Drop your weapons immediately and get on the ground!" the lead agent roared over a high-powered megaphone.
Preston panicked completely, waving the silver pistol wildly toward the descending officers in a frenzy.
"Stay back, or I swear to God I'll shoot her right now!" Preston screamed, his eyes wide with desperate, cornered madness.
Before Preston could even think to pull the trigger again, a bright red laser dot appeared squarely on the center of his forehead.
A federal sniper was securely positioned on the adjacent rooftop, aiming straight through the shattered skylight.
Preston slowly lowered the gun, the crushing realization of his total defeat washing over his pale, sweaty face.
Two agents tackled Preston brutally to the floor, aggressively locking heavy steel handcuffs around his wrists.
Chloe tried to slip away unnoticed into the fleeing crowd, but a female agent pinned her violently against a marble pillar.
Liam slumped heavily to his knees, pressing his good hand firmly against the bleeding wound on his shoulder.
Emily rushed to his side instantly, tearing a piece of her silk maternity gown to apply direct pressure to the gunshot wound.
"I'm fine, Emily, the bullet went clean through the muscle," Liam grunted, offering her a strained, painful smile.
The lead FBI agent walked briskly over to Emily and flashed his gold shield.
"Mrs. Emily Vance? I am Special Agent Harris, and we received the encrypted files your father scheduled to send before his disappearance," the agent explained professionally.
Emily’s breath caught sharply in her throat at the sudden mention of her father's actions.
"My father found out Preston was laundering money for an international cartel, didn't he?" Emily asked, her voice trembling with emotion.
"Yes, ma'am, and he gathered enough hard evidence to put your husband away for multiple lifetimes," Agent Harris confirmed with a nod.
Emily let out a long, shuddering sigh of profound relief, feeling the immense weight begin to lift from her tired shoulders.
Suddenly, a sharp, tearing agony ripped viciously through Emily's lower abdomen.
She gasped loudly, her knees buckling completely as she collapsed onto the cold, glass-covered marble floor.
"Emily!" Liam yelled, completely ignoring his bleeding shoulder as he desperately caught her in his arms.
Warm fluid soaked rapidly through the bottom of her silk gown, pooling ominously onto the floor.
"The stress... my water just broke," Emily whispered, her face turning completely white as a sheet.
"We need a medical evacuation team over here right now!" Agent Harris shouted frantically into his radio collar.
Emily looked down at her shaking hands and realized the fluid soaking her dress was not clear amniotic fluid.
It was thick, dark, and terrifyingly crimson red.
May you like
"Liam," Emily choked out, her vision beginning to swim with dark, dizzying spots.
"I'm losing the baby."
