Chapter 13 - The Bullet And The Button
Arthur’s thumb hovered directly over the red detonator button, his eyes locked onto Julian with a look of pure, unadulterated malice. Down below, Lily was sobbing quietly, her small frame shaking violently in the harsh circle of white light.
"End of the line, Julian," Arthur whispered, his finger beginning to press downward.
Before the click could sound, a sharp crack echoed through the cavernous warehouse. It wasn't the sound of Victoria's pistol, nor was it Julian's weapon.
Arthur gasped, his eyes widening in sudden, utter shock. The crystal glass of whiskey slipped from his fingers, shattering on the metal grating at his feet as he stumbled backward. A single red hole appeared dead-center in the fabric of his wool coat, right over his heart.
Arthur clutched at his chest, his mouth moving silently as he looked down in disbelief. His thumb slipped off the detonator button without clicking it down completely. As his knees buckled, Arthur lost his balance and pitched backward over the edge of the catwalk, plummeting twenty feet to crash hard onto the concrete floor below, rolling twice before coming to a dead stop near the wooden chair where Lily sat.
Julian and Victoria whipped around, tracking the source of the gunshot. Standing on an elevated crane rail on the opposite side of the warehouse, half-shrouded in the shadows of the rafters, stood Marcus.
The former head of security lowered a long-range tactical sniper rifle, smoke curling lazily from the barrel. He looked across the vast expanse of the warehouse, meeting Julian’s stunned gaze through the gloom.
"What did you do?" Julian yelled across the open space, lowering his weapon slightly in sheer disbelief.
"I told you, boss. Business is business," Marcus called back, his voice echoing off the metal walls. "Arthur stopped being a profitable asset the moment he decided to blow up the entire portfolio instead of taking over the accounts. Some of us still prefer to make money rather than play petty games of revenge."
Before Julian could process the betrayal within a betrayal, the heavy metal exterior doors of the warehouse suddenly blew inward with an earth-shattering roar. Blinding white floodlights cut through the darkness, accompanied by the heavy tactical boots of dozens of armed federal agents flooding the floor from every direction.
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In the center of the chaos, Victoria lowered her gun, looked at Julian, and whispered, "It's over, Julian. Let's go get your daughter."
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