Chapter 4 - CROSSFIRE AT DAWN“Clear the perimeter!” a harsh voice echoed through the cavernous space.
Four men in tactical gear, their faces hidden behind black balaclavas and holding suppressed automatic rifles, poured into the warehouse. They moved with military precision, sweeping their weapon barrels across the concrete floor.
Adrian stood in the shadows of the hallway, holding Lily securely against his chest with one arm, his pistol raised with the other. He didn't hesitate.
Bang. Bang.
Two muzzle flashes pierced the gloom. The lead tactical operative dropped instantly, a clean round through his ceramic vest plate. The second operative spun around, firing wildly into the drywall, sending plaster raining down on Adrian’s shoulders.
Adrian sidestepped into a narrow utility alcove, using the thick brick pillar as cover. He fired twice more through the smoke. Another man dropped, clutching his thigh and screaming in pain.
“Flank him! Flush him out!” shouted a familiar, cold voice from the doorway.
Marcus Reed stepped into the dim light of the warehouse.
He wasn't wearing a tuxedo anymore. He wore a dark tactical turtleneck, a heavy holster strapped across his chest, and an expression of utter, chilling detachment. In his right hand, he held a sleek Beretta pistol, the barrel still warm.
Marcus stopped ten feet away from the alcove, his eyes scanning the darkness.
“Come out, Adrian,” Marcus called out, his voice echoing off the corrugated metal walls. “You’ve played the grieving widower long enough. It’s time to wake up.”
Adrian stepped out from the alcove. He kept his body angled to shield baby Lily completely from view, his pistol aimed dead at Marcus’s chest.
Marcus laughed—a low, smooth sound devoid of any warmth. “Look at you. Still playing the hero. You always thought you were untouchable, Adrian. You built an empire on fear, but you were blind to the snake right in your own bed.”
“Fifteen years, Marcus,” Adrian said, his voice terrifyingly calm. “We bled together. I trusted you with my life.”
“Trust is a weakness, Adrian,” Marcus sneered, stepping closer. “And Evelyn... God, she was your fatal flaw. She was turning a ruthless killer into a domestic soft-touch. If I hadn’t cleared her out, you would have handed everything we built over to a schoolteacher from Wisconsin.”
“You killed the mother of my child,” Adrian whispered, his finger tightening slightly on the trigger.
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“And now I’m going to finish the job,” Marcus replied, raising his Beretta.
Before Marcus could pull the trigger, a deafening roar echoed from the rafters above.
