Chapter 7 - The Rooftop
I gripped the heavy steel handle of the roof access door, taking one final, deep breath.
I had the flash drive in my left pocket and Lily clinging tightly to my right arm.
I pushed the door open, stepping out into the howling wind of the city's skyline.
The Mayor stood near the edge of the helipad, flanked by four heavily armed mercenaries wearing tactical gear.
Chloe was kneeling on the gravel in front of them, her hands bound behind her back with thick zip ties.
Her face was bruised and swollen, but her eyes locked onto Lily with a fierce, protective fire.
The Mayor smiled warmly, holding his hands out as if greeting an old friend at a dinner party.
He demanded that I toss the hard drive over to him before he would even consider cutting Chloe loose.
I shook my head and demanded he release the mother first, refusing to back down from the standoff.
The Mayor sighed dramatically, giving a subtle nod to the mercenary standing closest to Chloe's right side.
The man stepped forward and pressed the barrel of his assault rifle directly against the back of Chloe's skull.
The Mayor warned me that my leverage was meaningless if he decided he no longer cared about the fallout.
I reached into my pocket, slowly pulling out the black USB drive and holding it up where everyone could see it.
I tossed it onto the concrete midway between us, demanding he let Chloe walk over to her daughter.
The Mayor ordered his men to step back, allowing Chloe to struggle to her feet and run frantically toward us.
She collapsed into my arms, sobbing uncontrollably as she buried her face into Lily's coat.
The Mayor walked forward, casually scooping up the flash drive and placing it into his breast pocket.
He looked at me with a cold, dead stare and ordered his mercenaries to execute all three of us.
May you like
Before a single trigger could be pulled, the deafening roar of a helicopter engine erupted from below the roofline.
A massive, unmarked military helicopter rose aggressively over the edge of the building, shining a blinding searchlight directly into our eyes.
