Chapter 9: The Siege
The front door gave way with a violent crash. Muzzle flashes illuminated the living room in strobe-like bursts as Ramos returned fire, pinning the two intruders near the foyer.
"Go, Clara! Now!" Ramos shouted over the deafening echoes of gunfire.
Clara hoisted Maya through the narrow window, pulling herself up onto the rain-slick shingles behind her. The cold air stung their faces as they slid down toward the roof of the adjoining shed.
Below them, a silhouette stepped out into the backyard. It was Thomas, clutching a flashlight and looking wildly around the perimeter. He spotted the movement above.
"Clara!" he hissed, his voice cracking with desperation. "Give me the backup key! I know you found the ledger! They’ll kill me if I don't give them the full decryption cipher!"
Maya froze on the roof ledge, staring down at the man who had raised her. "Dad... why?"
Thomas looked up at his daughter, but there was no remorse in his eyes—only pure, unadulterated survival instinct. "Throw down your mother's bag, Maya! Do it now!"
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"She's not giving you anything, Thomas," Clara said, stepping in front of her daughter on the sloped roof. "It's over."
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