Chapter 4 - The Puppet's Rebellion
Richard pressed the cold steel of the blade tighter against Elena's trembling, bruised neck.
Maya instinctively raised her hands, stepping defensively in front of her son to shield him from the nightmare.
Maya demanded that Richard let her sister go, her voice remarkably steady despite the terror gripping her heart.
Richard laughed bitterly, adjusting his expensive suit that was still ruined from the ballroom altercation.
He aggressively spat that Maya had humiliated him in front of the entire syndicate tonight.
Richard admitted he might be Vanessa's puppet, but bringing her the ring would finally grant him a powerful seat at the high table.
Julian stepped slowly forward, aiming his pistol directly at Richard's sweating forehead.
Julian warned coldly that Richard was a dead man either way because Vanessa never left any loose ends.
He stated that Vanessa would undoubtedly kill Richard the exact second he handed over that microchip.
Richard’s hand shook slightly, betraying a brief, fatal moment of internal doubt and genuine fear.
Maya recognized the small opening and silently slipped her hand into her deep coat pocket.
She firmly grasped the heavy metal flashlight she had salvaged from the wrecked sedan earlier.
Without a single warning, Maya hurled the heavy flashlight directly at the main tactical floodlight illuminating the room.
The glass shattered loudly, plunging the cabin into abrupt, confusing, and total darkness.
Maya lunged forward with explosive speed, relying entirely on her rigorous combat muscle memory.
She grabbed Richard's wrist in the dark, twisting it violently until he dropped the knife with a loud scream of pain.
Julian quickly dispatched two of the mercenaries in the dark with ruthless, suppressed, and perfectly aimed shots.
The remaining guards fled into the woods in sheer panic, completely abandoning their terrified boss.
Maya pinned Richard to the dusty floor, placing the cold edge of his own knife against his throat.
She interrogated him with pure maternal rage, demanding to know exactly where Vanessa was hiding.
Richard choked out a terrified, bloody laugh, blood dripping slowly from his split lip.
He mocked Maya by telling her that she was already way too late to save everything she loved.
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He pointed a shaking finger toward the dark corner of the room where Leo had been standing just moments ago.
The corner was completely empty, and the back door of the cabin was swinging wide open in the wind.
