Chapter 7 - The Final Gambit"Don't move an inch," the mercenary snarled, taking a slow step down the stairs. "Hand over the kid, and maybe I'll make it quick for you both."
Evelyn instinctively stepped backward, shielding Lily with her entire body. Her hand brushed against something heavy and cold inside the canvas duffel bag Adrian had given her. Her fingers wrapped around the steel grip of the heavy pistol tucked inside. She had never fired a gun in her life, but as she looked down at Lily's terrified amber eyes, a primal, ferocious strength took over.
"Stay back," Evelyn warned, her voice trembling slightly but carrying a deadly serious edge.
The mercenary laughed, raising his weapon. "You don't have the stomach for it, sweetheart."
He was wrong. Before he could pull the trigger, a shadow dropped silently from the ceiling ventilation shaft directly behind him.
It was Adrian.
With brutal, terrifying efficiency, Adrian slammed his forearm across the mercenary’s throat, driving him violently against the stone wall. The pistol discharged, the bullet ricocheting off the damp rock with a deafening crack that echoed through the cavern.
Before the man could recover, Adrian swept his legs out from under him and drove his heel down into the mercenary’s chest, knocking the wind out of him instantly. The man went limp, sliding unconscious onto the cold stone floor.
Adrian stood chest-heaving, bleeding from a graze on his shoulder, his eyes wide with adrenaline. He looked at Evelyn, then down at Lily.
"Are you both alright?" he panted.
"We're okay," Evelyn breathed, rushing forward to throw her arms around his waist. "You're bleeding."
"It's nothing," Adrian said softly, kissing the top of her head before hardening his expression. "Victor and the rest are right above us. That gunshot will bring them down here in seconds. You need to take the boat and get out into the bay. Now."
"I'm not leaving you again, Adrian," Evelyn declared fiercely. "We finish this together."
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Adrian stared at her, seeing the absolute, unyielding resolve in her eyes. A slow, proud smile broke through his exhausted expression. He nodded once.
"Alright," he whispered, pulling a second weapon from his jacket and handing it to her. "Let's finish it."
