Chapter 13 - The Subterranean Chase
I slammed on the brakes, throwing the SUV into reverse with a violent screech of burning rubber.
I could not leave my mother to navigate the dark, treacherous storm drains alone while being hunted by federal assassins.
I parked three blocks away, popped the trunk, and strapped a heavy Kevlar vest completely over my chest.
I loaded my custom tactical shotgun and slipped down a grassy embankment into the city's concrete drainage system.
The smell of stagnant water and decaying leaves filled my lungs as I navigated the pitch-black tunnels.
I clicked on my weapon’s under-barrel flashlight, casting a harsh, narrow beam of white light through the darkness.
I heard the distant, echoing sound of heavy tactical boots splashing through the ankle-deep water.
The hit squad had found the basement hatch and was actively tracking her through the subterranean maze.
I moved with absolute silence, using the wet concrete walls to mask the sound of my own approach.
I rounded a sharp corner and saw three heavily armed men converging on a rusted iron maintenance ladder.
My mother was halfway up the ladder, desperately trying to push open the heavy manhole cover leading to the street.
The lead assassin raised his suppressed submachine gun, aiming the red laser directly at her back.
I did not shout a warning or demand their surrender.
I raised my shotgun and fired two devastating blasts of buckshot directly into the narrow tunnel.
The deafening roar echoed violently off the concrete walls, dropping the first two assassins instantly into the murky water.
The third man spun around, firing wildly blindly into the darkness, but I had already dropped to one knee.
I drew my secondary sidearm and put a single, precise bullet perfectly through the center of his forehead.
I rushed to the ladder, holstering my weapon, and practically threw my shoulder against the heavy iron manhole cover.
The rusted metal gave way, and we scrambled desperately out into a rainy, deserted alleyway in the industrial district.
My mother was completely covered in mud and shivering violently, but her eyes were filled with a fierce, burning anger.
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"No more running, Sarah," she gasped, gripping my arm with surprising, iron-clad strength.
"We are going to find the monster who killed your father, and we are going to burn him to the ground."
