Chapter 6 - The Devil's Bargain
Patricia Ferguson stood in the filthy warehouse, looking entirely unbothered by the grim surroundings.
Her private mercenary team quickly fanned out, surrounding us with military-grade assault rifles.
"Put the gun down, Patricia," I warned, stepping directly in front of Abigail's trembling body.
"Your daughter stole something incredibly valuable from my son," Patricia said, her voice dripping with venomous arrogance.
"Hand over the flash drive, Rachel, and I will graciously allow you to call an ambulance for her."
I looked down at Abigail, who was now drifting in and out of consciousness on the wooden crate.
If she did not receive emergency surgery within the hour, she would die in this warehouse.
I reached into my pocket, my fingers brushing against the cold metal of the encrypted drive.
"Do not give it to her," David whispered fiercely, aiming his weapon at Patricia's chest.
"If she gets that drive, she will sell the weapon codes, and thousands of innocent soldiers will die."
I was a decorated military commander who had sworn a sacred oath to protect my country at all costs.
But I was also a mother watching my only child slowly bleed to death.
I pulled the silver drive from my pocket and held it up into the blinding headlights.
"Let my daughter go, and the drive is yours," I stated firmly, my heart shattering with the betrayal of my uniform.
Patricia's cold smile widened triumphantly.
She gestured for one of her mercenaries to step forward and retrieve the device.
The heavily armed man walked toward me, holding out a gloved hand.
I slowly handed over the only piece of evidence that could destroy the Ferguson empire.
Patricia inspected the small drive, slipping it carefully into her expensive designer purse.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Colonel," Patricia sneered.
She turned her back to me and began walking toward her luxury sedan.
"Kill them all, and burn the warehouse to the ground," she ordered her men casually over her shoulder.
The mercenaries simultaneously raised their weapons, preparing to execute us on the spot.
Before a single shot could be fired, the entire warehouse plunged into absolute, pitch-black darkness.
The smuggler had completely cut the main power breaker to the building.
"Get down!" David roared, tackling me and Abigail to the concrete floor.
Deafening gunfire erupted wildly in the dark as the panicked mercenaries shot blindly at shadows.
I dragged Abigail beneath the heavy metal chassis of an abandoned transport truck.
David utilized his years of black-ops training, moving silently through the dark and eliminating the guards one by one.
I heard the terrifying sound of snapping bones and muffled screams echoing through the pitch-black warehouse.
The shooting finally stopped, replaced by the heavy silence of the dead.
The emergency backup lights flickered dimly, illuminating the absolute carnage on the floor.
Patricia's mercenary team had been completely wiped out.
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I crawled out from under the truck, expecting to see David standing victorious.
Instead, I saw Patricia Ferguson holding a bloody combat knife directly against David's throat.
