Chapter 7 - The Unseen Enemy
I stood frozen on the catwalk, the flashing police lights illuminating my terrified face.
Vanessa grabbed my arm, her eyes wide with desperation.
"If they arrest you, Vanguard will take Lily into state custody," she whispered fiercely.
She was right, and the thought of my daughter in their hands made me sick.
"Take the back stairs, I will distract them," Vanessa said, pushing me toward the shadows.
I looked at her, stunned by her sudden willingness to sacrifice herself.
"Go!" she screamed, before throwing her hands in the air and running toward the police.
I grabbed Lily's carrier and slipped down the rusted maintenance ladder on the far side.
I sprinted through the labyrinth of shipping containers, my boots splashing quietly in the puddles.
I managed to sneak past the police barricade and disappeared into the city's alleyways.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, displaying an unknown number.
I answered cautiously, expecting it to be another threat from Vanguard.
"Daniel, it is time you and I had a talk," a deep, familiar voice echoed through the speaker.
My breath caught in my throat, and my heart skipped a beat.
"Dad?" I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes.
"I am alive, son, and I am so sorry for everything," my father replied softly.
"You died in a plane crash five years ago!" I yelled quietly, hiding behind a dumpster.
"I had to fake it to protect you and Claire from Vanguard," he explained with a heavy sigh.
"They killed Claire anyway!" I cried, the grief bubbling up uncontrollably.
"I know, and I have spent thirteen months building a case to destroy them," he said.
"I need you to bring Lily to the safe house at the old marina," he instructed.
"I have a team ready to storm the Vanguard vault, but we need your biometric scan to open it," he added.
I felt a massive weight lift off my shoulders knowing I was no longer fighting alone.
"I am on my way," I said, ending the call and holding Lily tight against my chest.
I flagged down a passing taxi and paid the driver a hundred dollars to speed.
We arrived at the marina just as the first light of dawn broke over the horizon.
I walked into the designated boathouse, expecting to see my father's welcoming face.
Instead, I found Noah tied to a chair, badly beaten and gagged.
May you like
A tall man stepped out of the shadows, holding a suppressed pistol.
"Your father is very good with voice-changing software, isn't he?" the man smirked.
