Chapter 6 - THE REDEMPTION OF THE GUARDDown in the wine cellar, the smoke from the flash grenade was slowly clearing. Marco blinked hard, shaking off the high-pitched ringing in his ears. His tactical instincts saved his life a fraction of a second later as a heavy boot slammed into his chest, sending him sprawling backward onto the wine-stained floor.
The Russian mercenary stood over him, raising the butt of his submachine gun to bring it down in a crushing blow across Marco’s skull.
Crack.
A muffled silenced gunshot echoed through the vaulted cellar. The Russian froze mid-swing, his eyes widening in shock as a crimson bloom blossomed across the back of his tactical vest. He staggered forward, collapsing heavily onto the flagstones beside Marco.
Marco rolled over, gasping for air, and looked toward the cellar entrance.
Dr. Moreno stood there, holding Victor’s spare Sig Sauer with both hands, his knuckles white, his chest heaving. The medical doctor looked down at the fallen mercenary with a mixture of horror and cold resolve.
"In my profession, Mr. Ruiz," Moreno panted, lowering the smoking weapon, "we spend our lives trying to preserve life. But sometimes... a tumor has to be cut out completely before the body can heal."
Marco scrambled to his feet, wiping soot from his forehead. "You could have killed me, Doc."
"I aimed for his shoulder," Moreno replied dryly. "The recoil just had other ideas. Are you hit?"
"I'm fine," Marco said, checking his magazine. "Where’s the second intruder?"
"Eliminated," a calm, chilling voice echoed from the shadowed corridor leading deeper into the subterranean tunnels.
Victor Blackwood stepped into the dim light. His shirt sleeves were splattered with fresh dark stains, and his expression was completely devoid of human emotion. He didn't look like a grieving father or a cornered businessman; he looked like an executioner who had just finished a very long day’s work.
"The second one tried to use the drainage tunnel toward the lake," Victor said, sliding his pistol back into its holster. "He won't be bothering anyone ever again."
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Marco looked at his boss, understanding the unspoken truth in those words. "And Serena?"
"She's waiting in the study," Victor said quietly. "And she’s about to sign a full confession, or she’ll join our Russian friends in the lake."
