Chapter 6 - The Hunted
"Who are you?!" Julian screamed, dropping his champagne glass. It shattered, the sound instantly swallowed by the heavy boots of the tactical team advancing into the room. "I am Julian Hawthorne! I will pay you double whatever you’re getting!"
Elias Vance stepped forward, pulling his night-vision goggles up to rest on his helmet. His face was a mask of cold, unadulterated fury.
"Your money is worthless to me, Hawthorne," Elias said, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceilings—a stark contrast to Julian's earlier arrogance.
Beatrice tried to run toward the sweeping double staircases, but Jax moved with terrifying speed, blocking her path and forcing her back to the center of the room.
"Where is she?" Elias demanded, leveling his rifle directly at Julian’s chest.
Julian put his hands up, his previous bravado completely evaporating. The predator had instantly become the prey. "She’s... she’s gone! She ran away into the woods!"
Elias didn't blink. He pulled a small tablet from his vest, tapped the screen, and Julian’s own voice played loudly through the device: "Take her to the subterranean vault. Let her freeze in the dark."
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Julian’s face drained of all color. He realized the impossible. He had been recorded.
"You have five seconds to give me the vault codes, or I blow your kneecaps off and hack it myself," Elias said, raising the barrel of his rifle. "Five. Four..."
