Chapter 9 - The Final Breath
The freezing water rapidly rose to their lower lips, forcing them to tilt their heads backward against the ceiling just to catch a breath.
Panic set in completely as Serena began screaming wildly, her piercing voice echoing deafeningly within the tight, confined space.
Victor refused to give up, desperately feeling around the dark underwater floor for anything heavy enough to break the rusted padlock.
His numb fingers finally brushed against a massive, loose chunk of jagged granite that had fallen from the cave roof decades ago.
He took a deep breath, submerged himself completely in the icy water, and lifted the incredibly heavy stone with burning muscles.
Underneath the water, Victor aggressively smashed the heavy granite rock repeatedly against the rusted steel padlock with absolute, desperate fury.
On the third massive strike, the old, degraded metal finally shattered into several pieces, releasing the heavy iron latch completely.
Victor burst out of the water gasping for air, forcefully kicking the heavy iron grate outward and opening their path to salvation.
They desperately scrambled out of the flooded tunnel, collapsing violently onto the freezing, rocky shore of the private beach behind the estate.
The night air was bitterly cold, but the immense feeling of solid ground beneath their exhausted bodies was entirely miraculous.
They looked up toward the massive cliff and saw the horrific, burning wreckage of the Blackwood mansion illuminating the dark night sky.
Before they could even celebrate their narrow escape, a harsh, blinding spotlight suddenly clicked on from the dark water a few yards away.
A sleek, black speedboat idled quietly near the shoreline, driven by a heavily armed mercenary holding an assault rifle.
Standing on the deck of the boat was Marcus, heavily bandaged and bleeding, but very much alive after escaping the mansion before the blast.
He pointed a heavy gun directly at Victor's chest, laughing coldly at their pathetic, freezing condition on the rocky beach.
Marcus demanded that Julian hand over the encrypted hard drive he knew the younger brother had stolen from the security room during the fight.
If they refused, he promised to shoot the crying baby first, ensuring Victor watched his entire legacy die before his own eyes.
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Lily slowly stood up from the rocks, silently shielding Ethan with her own body while moving her hand discreetly toward a heavy piece of driftwood.
Before anyone could make a sudden move, the loud, distinct crack of a high-powered sniper rifle violently echoed across the silent bay.
