Chapter 9 - The Exchange
The drive into the city was a blur of neon lights and freezing rain.
Tessa sat in the passenger seat of Leo’s heavily armored SUV.
She was wearing his oversized tactical jacket to cover her ruined, bloody slip dress.
Leo drove with the terrifying precision of a man who had nothing left to lose.
He did not speak.
He simply reloaded his weapons with one hand while steering with the other.
They arrived at the private care facility just past midnight.
The reception desk was empty.
The security guards were missing.
Leo led the way down the sterile white corridors, his pistol drawn and ready.
They reached room 412.
The door was slightly ajar.
Leo kicked it open and swept into the room.
Tessa rushed in behind him, terrified of what she would find.
Her father was sitting up in his hospital bed, looking confused but entirely unharmed.
Greg was standing by the window, holding a suppressed pistol.
He did not point it at Leo.
He pointed it directly at Tessa.
“Put the gun down, Leo, or she dies right now.”
Leo did not lower his weapon.
“You lost your inside man, Gregory, it is over.”
Greg let out a cold, humorless laugh.
“I did not come here to kill you, Leo.”
Greg looked at Tessa with a twisted smile.
“I came here for her.”
Tessa stepped backward, her mind struggling to process the impossible situation.
“You think she is just a maid?”
May you like
Greg asked, shaking his head.
“You really have no idea who her real family is, do you?”
