Chapter 12
Harrison threw open the master bedroom door,
his muscles tense for a fight.
Inside,
Khloe was sitting on the floor,
holding the baby tightly against her chest.
She was crying,
but she was unharmed.
Beside her stood Marcus,
his jacket torn and wet,
holding a weapon.
"What happened?"
Harrison asked,
rushing to his sister's side and kneeling down.
"They tried to get in,"
Marcus explained,
his breathing heavy.
"Two men breached the perimeter from the rear garden."
"I managed to intercept them,
but they fled when the alarms sounded."
Harrison pulled Khloe into his arms,
feeling her body shake with terror.
"It's okay,"
he whispered fiercely,
"I am here."
"We need to leave this house,"
Harrison said to Marcus.
"It's no longer secure."
"Julian knows the layout,
and he has resources."
They packed quickly,
taking only essentials for the baby.
Harrison decided to take them to a location no one knew about,
a small cabin in the northern woods.
He had bought it years ago under a corporate pseudonym,
never using it.
They drove through the night,
the storm slowly fading into a gray dawn.
The baby finally fell asleep,
exhausted by the chaos.
Khloe stared out the window,
her voice quiet when she spoke.
"We can't keep running,
Harrison."
"This isn't a life for her."
She looked down at the sleeping child.
"I know,"
Harrison agreed,
his eyes fixed on the empty highway.
"I am going to end this."
"This time,
I am not using just the law."
"I am going to destroy his entire network."
They reached the cabin by mid-morning,
surrounded by tall pine trees and silence.
It was simple,
but solid and hidden.
Harrison set up a temporary security perimeter,
using portable sensors Marcus provided.
"Stay here with them,"
Harrison told Marcus,
handing him a satellite phone.
"If anything looks suspicious,
move them immediately."
"Where are you going?"
Khloe asked,
holding his arm.
"Back to the city,"
Harrison said,
his face hard as stone.
"To finish the trial."
He drove back alone,
the silence of the car allowing him to focus.
He was no longer just a defense attorney protecting his family.
He was a hunter,
and Julian Vance was his target.
He called Elena as he neared the city.
"I need those financial warrants signed now,"
he demanded.
"I have proof Julian's backers are moving funds today."
"If we freeze their assets,
they will turn on him."
Elena hesitated,
then agreed.
"Meet me at the courthouse in an hour."
Harrison felt a grim irony.
The courthouse,
May you like
the place of their tragedy,
would be the place of his revenge.
