Chapter 6 - The Final BulletTime seemed to slow down to an agonizing crawl. I could hear the sharp whistling of the wind through the shattered glass windows, the ringing in my ears from the gunfire, and the frantic, terrified cries of the twins pressed against my chest.
Julian's finger began to tighten on the trigger.
Click.
Before the hammer could fall, a deafening roar echoed through the penthouse.
A single bullet pierced Julian’s right shoulder, spinning him violently to the side and sending his gold-plated pistol clattering uselessly across the polished marble floor. He screamed, clutching his shattered shoulder as blood spurted between his fingers.
Daniel stood ten feet away, both hands gripped around his weapon, his arms completely steady despite the agonizing pain radiating from his own severe abdominal wound. He lowered the barrel slowly, his icy blue eyes fixed on his bleeding brother with absolute detachment.
"You always did have terrible aim under pressure, Julian," Daniel said coldly.
Heavy, hurried footsteps echoed up the grand staircase as a squad of heavily armored Federal Marshals, led by an older woman with iron-gray hair and an FBI windbreaker, swarmed into the penthouse with weapons raised.
"Federal Law Enforcement! Drop your weapons!" the lead agent commanded, her gaze sweeping the chaotic, glass-strewn room before landing squarely on Daniel and Julian.
"Agent Miller," Daniel said, lowering his weapon completely and resting it on the floor. "Glad you finally got my encrypted transmission."
Agent Miller glanced at the massive holographic display still glowing behind Julian's desk, then at Julian groaning in agony on the floor, and finally at Daniel, who was swaying dangerously on his feet from blood loss.
"Mr. Sterling," Agent Miller sighed, shaking her head. "You have a very dramatic way of handling corporate restructuring. Arrest Julian Sterling on charges of treason, corporate espionage, and attempted assassination. And get a paramedic up here immediately—Mr. Sterling is bleeding to death."
As two marshals rushed forward to slap handcuffs on a screaming, thrashing Julian, Daniel’s knees finally gave out. He collapsed hard onto the marble floor, his eyes rolling back.
"Daniel!" I cried out, forgetting my own terror as I scrambled over to him, pressing my hands against his bleeding stomach to stem the flow.
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His eyes fluttered open one last time, looking up at me through a haze of exhaustion.
"Thank you, Anna..." he whispered, before darkness completely took him.
