Chapter 4 - The Traitor
Adrian stared at the glowing phone screen, realizing the blackmailer was actively watching them right this very second.
He grabbed Claire by the arm and pulled her toward the bedroom door, determined to get her to a secure safehouse.
He yelled for Marcus, his trusted head of security, to prepare the armored SUV immediately.
Marcus rushed up the stairs, his face a mask of strict professional concern as he escorted them to the underground garage.
They piled into the heavily reinforced vehicle, the tires screeching as Marcus drove them out into the torrential rain.
Adrian sat in the back seat with Claire, trying to mathematically calculate who could have possibly known about this conversation.
He realized the mansion was regularly swept for listening devices, meaning the leak had to be someone physically present.
Adrian's eyes slowly drifted to the back of Marcus's head as the security chief navigated the dark, winding mountain roads.
Marcus was the only person who had full access to the security feeds, the offshore accounts, and the internal staff communications.
Adrian subtly reached into his jacket and pulled out his handgun, resting it quietly against his thigh.
He calmly asked Marcus why they were heading north toward the mountains instead of south toward the designated coastal safehouse.
Marcus did not answer immediately, his eyes briefly meeting Adrian's in the rearview mirror.
With a cold, practiced motion, Marcus hit a button on the dashboard that engaged the child locks and completely sealed the rear doors.
A thick, bulletproof glass partition silently slid up, entirely separating the front seat from the back.
Adrian raised his gun and fired two shots directly at the partition, but the heavy glass merely spider-webbed without shattering.
Marcus spoke through the vehicle's intercom system, his voice devoid of any emotion or loyalty.
He stated that his true employer paid far better than Adrian ever could, and Noah was a highly necessary asset for a medical procedure.
Adrian screamed in absolute rage, continuing to fire his weapon until the magazine was completely empty.
Marcus casually turned the steering wheel sharply to the right as they approached a massive bridge spanning a raging, flooded river.
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He engaged the automated driving system, opened his own door, and expertly rolled out of the moving vehicle onto the wet pavement.
The heavy, armored SUV smashed straight through the concrete guardrail and plummeted directly into the dark, freezing water below.
