Chapter 14
Elena’s finger whitened on the trigger of the service pistol, her eyes locked on Ricardo with lethal intent. The acrid smoke from the breached door swirled around her red dress, giving her an almost spectral appearance in the dim emergency lighting.
“You lost, Elena,” Ricardo said, his voice remarkably calm as he held his ground in front of his son. “The federal servers already have every file, every asset transfer, and every name. Even if you pull that trigger, you’re walking into a federal prison cell within the hour.”
Elena hesitated for a fraction of a second, her gaze darting toward the glowing green progress bar on the main monitor, which now read TRANSMISSION COMPLETE.
Before she could adjust her aim, the heavy emergency klaxons outside the room began to wail in earnest, accompanied by the distinct sound of tactical sirens echoing up from the luxury driveway below. Through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the control room, the flashing red and blue lights of half a dozen federal police cruisers painted the surrounding trees in sharp, sweeping arcs.
The tactical officer behind Elena grabbed her shoulder, his voice urgent.
“We have to move now, Director. Perimeter’s breached. Federal marshals are on the stairwell.”
Elena glared at Ricardo with sheer hatred, her hand trembling slightly on the grip of the pistol. But the sound of heavy boots stampeding up the outer metal stairs made her realize the game was truly over. She lowered the weapon slowly, her voice dropping into a venomous hiss.
“You think you saved him, Ricardo,” Elena whispered, stepping backward into the smoke. “You think a normal life is waiting for him out there. But some bloodlines can't be washed clean. He’s one of us now.”
With those final words, she turned and bolted down the catwalk toward the secondary emergency exit, the two tactical officers covering her retreat as they vanished into the shadows.
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Ricardo didn't chase them. He let out a long, shuddering breath, dropping the metal diagnostic wand to the floor with a heavy clatter. He turned around and dropped to his knees, pulling Leo into his arms and holding the boy as tightly as he possibly could.
“We’re safe, Leo,” Ricardo whispered, burying his face in the boy's messy light brown hair as tears finally spilled over his own cheeks. “We’re going home.”
