Chapter 7 - The Master Plan"Marcus," Robert said slowly, standing up and placing himself between the gun and his son. "I paid you your loyalty for twelve years."
"Loyalty doesn't buy an island in the Bahamas, Robert," Marcus replied coolly. "Julian predicted you’d use this mill. He knew you’d let the girl get the cure so Grace could synthesize it for you. You did all the heavy lifting for us."
The heavy doors of the mill creaked open.
Julian Vance stepped into the dimly lit room, holding a hand towel to a bleed on his forehead from the laboratory seal. Behind him were six heavily armed mercenaries, their red laser sights pointing at Robert, Grace, and Lily.
"Splendid work, Grace," Julian smiled, looking at the empty vial on the table. "You really are a brilliant mind. It’s a shame your ethics ruined your career."
"You're a monster, Julian," Grace spat. "You would sacrifice children for profit margins!"
"I don't sacrifice them, Grace. I simply optimize their financial value," Julian corrected smoothly. "With Ethan cured, we now have the final proof that Lazarus-7 works. We will take Ethan, extract his blood plasma, and reverse-engineer a watered-down version that requires monthly injections at one hundred thousand dollars a pop. We'll make fifty billion dollars in the first year alone."
"You won't take my son anywhere," Robert said, his voice low and dangerous.
"You don't have a say anymore, Robert," Julian said, drawing his own gun. "A tragic family murder-suicide. The disgraced CEO, overcome with grief over his dying son, shoots his former researcher, her child, and himself. It’s a clean story. The media will eat it up."
Julian raised his gun, targeting Robert's chest.
"Any last words, partner?" Julian asked.
Lily stepped forward, her small body shielding Grace. "Yeah. Look at your phone."
Julian frowned. "What?"
"Look at your phone, Mr. Vance," Lily repeated with a icy smile. "Or listen to the thunder outside."
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Suddenly, Julian’s phone began buzzing frantically in his pocket. Then the phones of every mercenary in the room began ringing simultaneously. Notifications were screaming like a swarm of angry hornets.
Julian pulled out his device. His face turned from smug arrogance to absolute, ghost-white horror.
