Chapter 9 - The Decoy
"Let her go!" I screamed, lunging forward with reckless desperation.
Dominic grabbed my waist, holding me back so Mark would not drop her over the edge.
Lily was dangling terrifyingly close to the six-story drop, sobbing into the cold rain.
"Back away to the stairs, or she goes over," Mark ordered, his eyes wide with madness.
Dominic slowly lowered his weapon, raising both of his hands in surrender.
"You win, Mark, just pull the child back onto the solid roof," Dominic said calmly.
Mark smirked, feeling completely victorious over the most feared man in the city.
He carelessly tossed the metallic capsule toward Dominic as a final insult.
Dominic caught the capsule effortlessly with one hand.
Mark hauled Lily back over the ledge, throwing her roughly onto the wet gravel.
I immediately ran to her, checking her tiny body for any broken bones.
"I will be enjoying the beaches in Spain while you clean up this mess," Mark boasted, turning to run.
Dominic did not chase him, nor did he raise his gun to shoot the fleeing traitor.
Instead, Dominic looked down at the small metal capsule in his hand and smiled dangerously.
He pressed a tiny, hidden button on the side of the capsule.
"You really should have checked the merchandise before celebrating," Dominic called out loudly.
Mark stopped running and turned around, absolute confusion masking his wet face.
"What are you talking about?" Mark demanded.
"I found your hidden rabbit three days ago when I was doing a background check on Elena."
Dominic tossed the capsule casually onto the ground near his feet.
"I already sent the real ledger to the authorities, and I replaced your drive with a little surprise."
Mark's eyes widened in sheer panic as he patted his empty coat pockets furiously.
The capsule on the ground suddenly began beeping aggressively, a bright red LED light flashing rapidly.
"Get down!" Dominic yelled, throwing his entire body over Lily and me.
A concussive blast rocked the rooftop, sending a shockwave of heat and smoke directly into the sky.
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The explosion was perfectly contained, designed to incapacitate rather than destroy the entire building.
When the smoke finally cleared, Mark was lying unconscious on the gravel, completely neutralized.
