Chapter 5: The Gathering Storm
By the end of the week, the secrecy began to fracture. A high-ranking private contractor known as Vanguard BioTech had traced the CCTV footage from the art gallery and intercepted the medical files leaked by a clinic nurse in the Sixth Ward.
Vanguard's CEO, Raymond Cross, was a dying titan whose empire was built on exclusive, high-cost therapies. To Cross, Toby wasn't a child or a saint; he was the ultimate biological asset—an infinite patent that could grant eternal health to the highest bidder.
Marcus noticed the surveillance vans circling the perimeter of the brownstone on a rainy Tuesday evening.
"They've located us," Marcus said, loading extra magazines into his tactical vest. "Cross's mercenaries don't care about collateral damage. We need to move Toby out of the state right now."
Before they could reach the garage, the power cut out. The heavy thud of tactical boots echoed on the roof. Glass shattered on the upper floor as flashbangs erupted, turning the hallway into a blinding storm of smoke and deafening sound.
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Marcus fired suppressing rounds down the corridor, urging Evelyn and Toby down the rear service stairs. "Go! I'll buy you three minutes!"
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