CHAPTER 37
Through the glass walls of the penthouse,
I could see Valerie standing near a control console,
holding Clara in her arms.
My daughter was crying,
her small face red with distress,
and every instinct inside me screamed to run forward.
But Liam held me back,
pointing to the four heavily armed guards positioned around the helipad.
They had assault rifles,
and any reckless movement would result in a crossfire that could kill us all.
We needed a distraction,
something to break their formation and give us an opening.
I noticed a series of large fuel tanks near the helipad,
used to refuel the corporate helicopters.
I whispered to Liam,
telling him to aim for the release valves of the tanks,
while I prepared to move under the cover of the explosion.
Liam nodded,
resting his rifle on a concrete ledge,
taking a deep breath to steady his aim against the wind.
He pulled the trigger,
and a spark ignited the leaking gas,
causing a massive explosion that shook the entire roof.
A wall of fire erupted into the sky,
knocking two of the guards off their feet,
and creating a thick cloud of black smoke.
I moved immediately,
sprinting through the smoke like a ghost,
my weapon raised and firing with lethal accuracy.
The remaining guards were disoriented,
and I eliminated them before they could locate the source of the attack.
I kicked open the glass doors of the penthouse,
stepping into the luxury suite,
my eyes locked onto Valerie.
She looked surprised by our quick breach,
but she quickly recovered her composure,
drawing a small pistol and holding it to Clara’s head.
"Don't move,"
she shrieked,
her voice losing its previous calm elegance,
"One more step,
and I will end her right now."
I stopped dead in my tracks,
my heart freezing in my chest,
my gun pointed at Valerie’s chest but unable to shoot.
The tension in the room was palpable,
the only sound being the roaring fire outside,
and Clara’s soft whimpers.
Liam entered the room behind me,
his rifle lowered slightly,
evaluating the situation with a cold and calculating gaze.
Valerie backed away toward the rear exit,
which led directly to the waiting helicopter,
using my daughter as a human shield.
"You think you have won,"
she sneered,
"But you have already lost,
your father’s empire cannot be destroyed by a few survivors."
I looked at Clara,
trying to project a sense of calm and love,
hoping she could feel her mother’s presence.
I needed a single second of distraction,
May you like
a momentary lapse in Valerie’s focus,
to save my daughter’s life.
