Chapter 8 - The Ransom
The winter garden erupted into absolute chaos as bullets shredded the ancient trees and shattered the marble fountains.
I fired with lethal precision, dropping three heavily armored men before they even realized where the shots were coming from.
I used the familiar layout of my sanctuary to move from cover to cover, my legs holding up on pure adrenaline.
But there were too many of them.
A bullet grazed my shoulder, spinning me around and forcing me to drop one of my rifles.
I retreated toward the heavy steel security door at the back of the garden, laying down suppressing fire.
Just as I reached the door, my radio crackled to life with Julian's smug voice.
Julian told me to stop shooting and look at the live video feed he had just sent to my phone.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and my heart completely stopped.
The screen showed Vance lying unconscious in a pool of blood inside the underground tunnel.
Standing next to him were Julian's men, holding Sarah, Lily, and Leo at gunpoint.
Julian's voice echoed through the radio, demanding that I surrender the silver key immediately.
He told me if I didn't walk out of the garden with my hands up, the children would die.
I threw my last empty rifle onto the marble floor.
I slowly opened the steel door and walked out into the main corridor, my hands raised in the air.
Julian's mercenaries immediately swarmed me, kicking the back of my knees and forcing me to the ground.
They zip-tied my wrists violently and dragged me out to the front courtyard where Julian was waiting.
Julian smiled, taking the silver key from my pocket and admiring it under the moonlight.
He told me it was a shame I finally learned to walk, only to march straight to my own execution.
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He ordered his men to throw me into the back of a black van along with Sarah and the children.
We were going to the bank to open the vault, and then we were all going to disappear forever.
