Chapter 6 - Fire and BloodHeavy boots thudded against the wooden floorboards of the main bar area as half a dozen Hawthorne thugs rushed down the hallway, automatic weapons raised.
"Drop him, Vale!" a gruff voice roared from the front.
Adrian didn't hesitate. He used Derek’s body as a human shield while drawing his own weapon with his free hand, firing two precise shots down the narrow corridor. The leading thug dropped instantly, clutching his shoulder.
"Owen! Cover the rear!" Adrian shouted.
"On it!" Owen fired a burst of suppressive fire into the ceiling fixtures, raining down glass and sparks that blinded the advancing gunmen long enough for them to scatter behind tables and pillars.
Amidst the deafening roar of gunfire, Claire remained trapped against the sink counter. She had fallen to her knees, shielding her head with her arms as plaster and wood splinters rained down around her.
Adrian shoved the unconscious Derek aside like a discarded ragdoll. He lunged across the bloody floor, grabbing Claire by the waist and hauling her to her feet.
"Can you run?" Adrian asked, his eyes fierce.
"Yes!" she gasped, coughing from the gun smoke filling the cramped hallway.
"Stay behind me."
Adrian fired three more shots around the corner, keeping the enemy pinned down, while guiding Claire toward the rear emergency exit of the club. Owen backed up slowly behind them, his gun smoking, laying down a relentless wall of lead.
They burst through the heavy metal back door into the freezing alleyway just as a hail of bullets chewed up the doorframe behind them.
The rain was coming down harder now, turning the alley into a slick, muddy trench.
"Get in the SUV!" Adrian ordered, pushing Claire toward the passenger side of a second black vehicle that Owen had previously signaled to wait in the alley.
"What about the flash drive?" Claire cried out, holding her bruised arm. "Derek still has it in his pocket!"
Adrian paused, looking back at the open back door of the club. Through the shadows, he could see Victor Hawthorne himself stepping into the alley, flanked by four heavily armed enforcers.
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Victor smiled wickedly, holding up a small black flash drive in his fingers.
"Too late, Vale!" Victor shouted over the rain. "The files are already uploading to the cloud!"
