Chapter 14 - Hunted in His Own Empire
Ten minutes felt like an eternity in the absolute blackness. My vision swirled as blood loss began to take its toll. I tore my shirt with my teeth, jamming a wad of fabric against the entry wound in my shoulder to slow the bleeding.
Suddenly, the steel door groaned. Sparks showered into the darkness as an industrial plasma torch cut through the secondary bypass lock from the outside.
The door creaked open, revealing the smoke-filled hallway.
Standing in the doorway was Vincent, his suit torn, blood dripping from a gash on his forehead.
"Dominic!" he gasped, hauling me out of the vault. "They took the west gate. I tried to intercept, but they had heavy tactical teams waiting near the perimeter."
"Ethan..." I choked out, leaning heavily against his arm.
"They took him," Vincent said, his jaw tight. "And it gets worse. Federal agents just breached the front gates. Someone placed an anonymous tip claiming you held the guests hostage and executed your mother and brother inside the house. They have a warrant for your arrest, Dominic. The entire city is looking for you."
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I wiped the blood from my mouth and looked at the grand stairwell where Ethan had played only hours ago. They had framed me, stripped me of my home, and taken my son.
"Let them look," I said, my voice turning into jagged ice. "Get us to the off-grid safehouse at Pier 42."
