Chapter 6: The Broken Sanctuary
Gunfire peppered the stone columns in blind bursts, sparks illuminating the gloom. Victor scooped Leo into his arms and bolted through the bank’s rear delivery tunnel, which connected to the adjacent alleyway.
They burst out into the rain, sprinting toward the parked sedan. Toby woke up in the backseat, crying in confusion as the heavy engine roared to life. Victor slammed his foot on the accelerator, tearing out of the alley just as two black SUVs turned the corner, their high beams cutting through the rain.
"Hold on!" Victor shouted.
He swerved hard into the narrow, labyrinthine alleys of the East District. Bullets shattered the rear windshield, spraying tempered glass across the floorboards. Victor guided the car through a narrow construction corridor, utilizing the tight clearance of an unfinished overpass to shear off the pursuit vehicle’s driver-side mirror, sending it spinning into a concrete barrier.
Losing the second vehicle in the maze of industrial docks, Victor killed the headlights and slipped into an abandoned boat warehouse he had purchased years ago under a shell company.
The engine clicked as it cooled in the damp darkness. Inside the car, the only sounds were Toby’s quiet sobs and Leo’s ragged breathing.
"They work for Beatrice, don't they?" Leo asked, his voice shaking despite his efforts to appear brave.
"Yes," Victor said, his hands gripping the steering wheel until his skin turned white. "She wants the truth buried. Just like she wanted your father buried."
"What do we do now?"
May you like
Victor looked in the rearview mirror, meeting the boy’s eyes. "We stop running. We finish what your father started."
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