Chapter 6 - A Dangerous Return
The beam of the tactical flashlight sliced through the pouring rain like a laser, sweeping across the metal grating of the fire escape just inches above Clara’s head. She froze, plastered flat against the damp brick wall of the hospital annex, holding her breath as the harsh white light illuminated the swirling raindrops around her.
"Target spotted on the exterior fire escape, sector four," a raspy voice crackled through a hidden earpiece from inside the bathroom. "Moving to intercept."
"Go! Move!" Sarah hissed from a few yards down the metal steps, her hand extended urgently toward Clara through the gloom.
Clara pushed off the wall, ignoring the searing pain shooting through her lower abdomen, and scrambled down the remaining steps of the iron ladder. They hit the wet asphalt of the loading dock just as heavy boots slammed onto the metal grating above them.
"There they are!" a voice shouted from the upper levels.
Sarah sprinted toward a battered grey sedan idling near the perimeter fence, her keys already jangling in her hand. Clara followed closely, her bare feet splashing through puddles of oily water. Just as they reached the car, a black armored SUV tore around the corner of the alley, its high-beam headlights blinding them instantly, blocking the exit gate.
Clara threw her arm up to shield her eyes, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. The SUV doors swung open, and two armed men in dark suits stepped out, blocking their only path to freedom. But before the operatives could raise their weapons, a low, menacing roar of an engine echoed behind them.
A dark gray sedan slammed into the side of the armored SUV with a sickening crunch of twisted metal and shattering glass. The impact sent the SUV careening into a stack of empty plastic crates. The driver's side door of the sedan flew open, and Marcus stepped out into the rain, his suit jacket soaked, his face carved from granite and absolute fury.
"Get in the car, Clara," Marcus ordered, his voice cutting through the storm like a razor. He didn't look at the men staggering out of the wrecked SUV; instead, his dark eyes locked onto the rooftop above, where the sniper’s flashlight still beamed down.
Clara didn't hesitate. She threw herself into the passenger seat of Marcus’s car, while Sarah scrambled into the back. Marcus slammed the door shut, vaulted back into the driver's seat, and threw the car into reverse, spinning the tires against the slick pavement before rocketing out through the shattered security gate.
As they sped away into the labyrinth of downtown skyscrapers, Clara turned to look at Marcus, her chest heaving. "The board meeting... how did you get away?"
Marcus kept his eyes fixed on the road, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. The tattoos on his forearm flexed under the dashboard lights. "Eleanor wasn't at the boardroom. The meeting was a decoy. When I opened the safe in my office, her signature was on every single document transferring the foundation funds to an offshore account registered in her maiden name."
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He paused, glancing over at Clara with a look that sent a chill straight down her spine. "She didn't just want to frame me for embezzlement, Clara. She’s cleaning house. And she’s already heading toward the private airstrip."
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