Chapter 2 - In the Crosshairs
The deafening sound of shattering glass violently interrupted the silence.
A high-caliber bullet ripped through the living room window, shredding the plastic blinds.
Nina screamed as shards of sharp glass rained down across the living room.
Alex shielded her body entirely with his own, taking the brunt of the debris on his expensive suit jacket.
He drew a heavy, matte-black pistol from his shoulder holster with terrifying practiced ease.
"Crawl toward the hallway," he commanded loudly over the ringing in her ears.
Nina scrambled on her hands and knees, her satin pajamas sliding against the dusty floorboards.
Another bullet punched a massive hole through her television screen.
Sparks flew wildly into the dark room.
Alex provided covering fire, shooting three rapid rounds through the broken window into the Boston night.
He grabbed her arm firmly and pulled her into the narrow hallway.
"We have to leave the building right now," he said, his breathing perfectly steady despite the chaos.
Nina was shaking so violently she could barely stand.
"They are trying to kill me over an email link?" she cried out.
"You inadvertently downloaded the Romano family's entire money laundering ledger onto your hard drive," he explained quickly.
He pushed her toward the emergency exit stairs at the back of the building.
"They cannot afford to let you live with that information," he added grimly.
They ran down three flights of concrete stairs in the pitch black.
Nina's bare feet slapped painfully against the cold, rough stone.
He kicked the heavy metal exit door open and pulled her into the damp alleyway.
A sleek, black armored SUV was idling silently near the dumpsters.
Alex opened the heavy passenger door and shoved her inside to safety.
He quickly circled the vehicle and climbed into the back seat beside her.
"Drive, Marco," Alex ordered the man sitting behind the steering wheel.
Nina leaned back against the leather seat, trying desperately to catch her breath.
The car sped aggressively out of the narrow alley and onto the wet city streets.
She looked over at Alex, intending to thank him for saving her life.
Before she could speak, Marco slammed on the brakes in the middle of a deserted industrial road.
The sudden stop threw Nina forward against her seatbelt.
Marco slowly turned around from the driver's seat.
He was pointing a suppressed pistol directly at Alex's head.
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"I am truly sorry, Boss," Marco said coldly.
"The Romanos offered me five million dollars to deliver the girl."
