Chapter 5 - The Hostage Trade
The brutal sting of Arthur's absolute betrayal paralyzed me in the freezing rain.
The man I had trusted and worked faithfully for over a decade was the mastermind behind my family's torment.
Arthur's failing health had been a quiet rumor around the corporate office for months.
He was the dying crime boss who needed the continuous supply of golden blood to extend his miserable life.
The heavily armed mercenaries advanced slowly, completely surrounding my damaged SUV.
Sarah locked the car doors from the inside, holding Maya tightly as she screamed for me to run.
I raised my hands in the air, refusing to abandon my wife and daughter to these monsters.
Arthur stepped gracefully out of the limousine, leaning heavily on a silver-tipped walking cane.
He walked up to me, his pale, sickly face illuminated by the bright headlights of the armored car.
He explained that he had purposely hired me years ago just to keep Sarah close after discovering her medical records.
My entire career, my home, and my supposedly perfect life had been completely orchestrated by a ruthless parasite.
I lunged forward in a fit of blind rage, aiming my fists directly at his arrogant face.
One of the mercenaries brutally struck the back of my knees with a heavy rifle stock.
I collapsed onto the wet gravel, gasping for air as pain radiated through my legs.
Arthur looked down at me with profound disappointment.
He signaled his men, who immediately smashed the windows of my SUV with tactical batons.
Sarah fought them like a cornered lioness, but she was easily overpowered by the massive soldiers.
They dragged my crying wife and terrified daughter out of the vehicle, zip-tying their hands behind their backs.
I screamed their names, struggling desperately against the heavy boots pinning me to the ground.
Arthur knelt beside me, his cold breath brushing against my ear.
He told me that since I had ruined his quiet, covert extraction method, he now had to take them both to his private lab.
He promised to drain them completely dry to cure his failing organs once and for all.
I begged him to take me instead, offering anything he wanted to spare their lives.
Arthur chuckled softly, stating that my blood was completely useless to him.
He stood up and ordered his men to execute me and dispose of my body in the nearby river.
The mercenaries hauled Sarah and Maya into the back of a second armored van that had just arrived on the scene.
I watched helplessly as the vehicles sped away into the night, taking my entire world with them.
The lead executioner racked the slide of his suppressed pistol, pressing the cold barrel directly against my forehead.
He told me to close my eyes and accept my fate.
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Before he could pull the trigger, a massive semi-truck roared around the corner without its headlights on.
The massive vehicle slammed violently into the mercenary's limousine, creating a catastrophic, deafening explosion of metal and glass.
