Chapter 7 - RACE AGAINST DEATHThree hours later, the jet made an emergency landing at a private airfield in Zurich, Switzerland.
Griffin, his side bandaged tightly, pushed Sloan’s mobile gurney personally into the underground vault corridor of the Zurich Alpine Bank. The medical team kept her on artificial respiration, her heart rate fading to a dangerous 35 beats per minute.
Twelve hours were almost up.
Griffin approached Vault 409 deep within the subterranean granite walls. He inserted the heavy brass key into the ancient lock, turning it until a heavy metallic CLICK echoed through the chamber.
The heavy steel door swung open.
Inside the vault sat no gold, no digital drives, and no military secrets.
Only a single, temperature-controlled medical briefcase sitting atop a pedestal—and a sealed letter addressed to Griffin Drake.
Griffin opened the briefcase. Inside lay three vials of clear liquid labeled: ANTIDOTE - NEURO-TOXIN 9.
The doctors rushed forward, grabbing the vials and immediately administering the serum through Sloan’s IV line.
Griffin fell to his knees beside her gurney, grabbing her limp, cold hand and pressing it to his cheek. "Please, Sloan... come back to me. I know everything now. Please..."
Minutes stretched like eternity.
The heart monitor’s slow cadence began to speed up—40 bpm... 50 bpm... 70 bpm.
The color slowly returned to her cheeks.
Sloan’s eyelashes fluttered. She gasped heavily, pulling in a deep breath of fresh air as her eyes slowly opened.
She looked up, her vision blurring as it focused on the man kneeling beside her—his hair mess, his clothes torn and bloody, his eyes filled with absolute devotion.
"Griffin...?" she whispered weakly.
"I'm here, Sloan," Griffin sobbed, kissing her knuckles. "I'm right here. You're safe. The girls are safe."
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Sloan smiled faintly, a tear sliding down her temple. "You found the key..."
"I found my family," Griffin replied softly.
