Chapter 4 - THE ULTIMATUMThe countdown on the wall monitor began flashing in angry, blood-red digits: 01:59... 01:58...
"He's bluffing," I said, though my voice trembled violently. "If he releases a neurotoxin into the vents, it will kill Lily too!"
"Marcus doesn't care about collateral damage," Victor replied coldly, pulling a heavy-duty tactical vest over his shoulders and sliding extra magazines into his pouches. "He knows that if he brings Lily’s locket and her DNA back to the council, the elders will recognize him as regent until she comes of age. He’s gambling that he can rewrite the succession records."
"We can't just sit here and wait to be executed!" I yelled, rushing over to the examination table. Lily stirred, letting out a weak whimper as her tiny fingers curled around my thumb. The fever had subsided slightly, but she was still dangerously frail.
"We aren't waiting," Victor said. He unlocked a heavy steel rack against the wall, revealing an arsenal of submachine guns, flashbangs, and tactical knives. He tossed a smaller sidearm toward me. "Can you shoot?"
I stared at the heavy black pistol on the floor. "I clean offices, Victor! I've never held a gun in my life!"
"Then keep your finger off the trigger and aim for center mass if anyone tries to take my niece," he ordered, his tone absolute. He walked over to a secondary control panel in the corner of the room. "The ventilation shaft isn't just a vulnerability, Hannah. It's our only way out."
00:45... 00:44...
"You're going up there?" I asked, my heart hammering against my ribs.
"No. You are going up there," Victor said, spinning around to face me.
Before I could protest, he unlocked a heavy ceiling hatch that led directly into the vertical metal ductwork. Cool, damp air rushed down into the room, carrying the faint, sweet scent of wet earth and pine needles from the estate's surrounding forest.
"I'm staying right here with you," I insisted, shaking my head fiercely.
"If Marcus breaches this vault, I will be the first man he kills," Victor said, his voice dropping to a fierce, urgent whisper. He grabbed my shoulders, his dark eyes locking onto mine with terrifying intensity. "Take Lily. Follow this shaft straight north for fifty yards. It opens up inside the old greenhouse. My car is parked behind it with a bag of cash, forged passports, and a phone that can't be traced. Run, Hannah. Don't look back."
"And you?"
May you like
Victor gave a dark, humorless smile, pulling the slide of his rifle back with a sharp metallic snap.
"I'm going to remind Marcus why my name is still whispered in the dark."
