Chapter 12 - On the Edge
Julian kicked open the heavy emergency roof access door, stepping out into the blinding storm. Rain hammered against his skin, soaking his shirt instantly as the wind nearly knocked him off his feet. The helicopter’s rotor wash was deafening, kicking up a cyclone of water that stung his eyes.
The woman in the red dress stood at the edge of the helipad, thirty feet away. Her hair was torn loose by the gale, whipping wildly around her face. She held Maya securely in her left arm, while her right hand held a compact pistol pointed straight at Julian’s chest.
"Stay back, Julian!" she screamed over the roar of the engines. "You don't know what you're interfering with! This child belongs to our family's legacy!"
"She is my daughter!" Julian roared, stepping forward into the rain, raising the guard's weapon with both hands. "Put her down!"
"Clara never told you the truth because she was ashamed!" the woman yelled back, tears mixing with the rain on her cheeks. "She let our parents burn while she ran away to play house with an ordinary man! She left me behind to inherit their debts and their hunters! Maya is the only currency that buys my life back!"
"You're her sister!" Julian screamed, taking another step. "Look at the baby! She’s your blood!"
The woman looked down at the tiny face wrapped in hospital linen. For a fraction of a second, her grip softened, a flicker of humanity breaking through her cold exterior.
May you like
Then, the helicopter's searchlight swept across them, blinding them both, and a sharp gunshot cracked through the storm.
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