Chapter 4 - The Fugitive Protocol
My mind raced to process the horrific reality that my mentor was the mastermind behind the attack.
Major General Thomas had authorized Mark's illegal activities and hired Chloe to steal the funds.
"You committed treason for money?" I asked, keeping my hand hovering over my weapon.
"It is not about the twenty million dollars, Anna," Thomas laughed mockingly.
"Your grandfather hid the decrypted blueprints for a next-generation drone swarm system inside that trust account."
He took a step closer, flanked by two remaining corrupt mercenaries.
"Hand over the decrypted file, and I might let you and your bastard child live."
I slowly raised my hands in a mock gesture of surrender while discreetly pressing a button on my tactical watch.
"I do not negotiate with traitors," I whispered.
The flashbang grenade hidden in my sleeve dropped to the floor and detonated with blinding intensity.
Thomas screamed in agony as the brilliant white light and deafening sound incapacitated everyone in the room.
I spun around, grabbed Rostova by the shoulder, and sprinted out the back door into the dense forest.
We ran for miles through the unforgiving terrain, relying entirely on our survival training.
My body screamed in agony from the recent childbirth, but the primal need to protect my son kept my legs moving.
We finally reached a designated military safe house hidden deep within the mountains before sunrise.
I collapsed onto a dusty cot, clutching my crying baby while Rostova barricaded the heavy steel doors.
"We are officially cut off from military communications," Rostova panted, checking her encrypted radio.
"Thomas just flagged us as rogue terrorists in the national database."
I looked at the flashing red light on our only computer terminal.
"He put a five million dollar bounty on our heads," I realized with a sinking heart.
"Every cartel hitman and corrupt cop in the country is going to be hunting us by morning."
The computer terminal suddenly beeped with an incoming priority video call.
I accepted the connection, expecting to see Thomas gloating about his victory.
Instead, the screen filled with the bruised and bloodied face of my traitorous husband, Mark.
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"Anna," Mark choked out, crying hysterically into the camera.
"They lied to me, and now they are going to execute me on live television unless you surrender."
