Chapter 7 - THE SIEGE AT SAINT JUDE’S
Splinters of oak wood exploded into the air as heavy automatic gunfire shredded the doorway.
Victor threw his body over Lily, shielding her small frame with his heavily armored torso.
Inspector Vance dove behind the concrete kitchen counter, drawing her weapon instantly.
"Sniper in the hallway!" Vance screamed over the deafening roar of gunshots.
Victor grabbed two smoke canisters from his belt, pulled the pins, and kicked the broken door open.
Thick white smoke instantly flooded the narrow corridor, blinding the attackers.
"Stay down!" Victor roared to Vance as he surged forward into the smoke like a shadow.
He didn't fire blindly; he listened to the rhythm of their heavy footsteps on the floorboards.
Two mercenary hitmen stepped into the smoke, their night-vision goggles useless against the chemical fog.
Victor grabbed the first man by his tactical vest, slamming him violently against the concrete wall.
He disarmed the second killer with a swift wrist break, spinning the stolen rifle around.
Three rapid bursts echoed through the smoke, dropping both men to the ground instantly.
Victor kicked the heavy weapons away and rushed back into the apartment.
Lily was huddled under the kitchen table, her hands pressed tightly over her ears, eyes closed tight.
Victor knelt down, scooping her up in one smooth, practiced motion.
"We have to move now," Victor growled, looking at Vance. "They brought heavy squad firepower."
"The front entrance is compromised!" Vance shouted, reloading her magazine.
"Fire escape in the back," Victor ordered, moving swiftly down the hallway.
They burst through the rear window onto the iron fire escape just as an explosion rocked the apartment.
Flames burst from the windows behind them, sending black smoke rising into the morning sky.
Victor carried Lily down the slippery, rain-soaked iron steps three at a time.
Down in the alley, an armored transport van blocked the exit.
Four armed men stepped out, raising their assault rifles toward the iron ladder.
"Drop the kid and surrender!" their leader shouted through a tactical loudspeaker.
Victor didn't slow down for a single second.
He pulled a small remote detonator from his pocket and clicked the red switch.
The black sedan parked right next to the transport van erupted into a massive ball of fire.
The shockwave knocked the mercenaries off their feet, shattering nearby glass windows.
Victor leapt from the bottom ladder, landing heavily on the wet pavement amidst the chaos.
He sprinted through the burning wreckage, Vance right behind him firing suppressive shots.
"Get to the subway station!" Vance screamed over the roaring flames.
Victor ran down the steps into the crowded underground subway system, holding Lily close to his heart.
Commuters screamed and scattered as they saw the bloodied man holding a child and a weapon.
A subway train pulled into the station with a screech of heavy steel wheels.
The automatic doors slid open, inviting them into the bright fluorescent light.
Victor stepped inside just as the doors began to slide shut.
Through the closing glass doors, Victor saw a tall man in a leather trench coat walking down the platform.
The man had a deep scar across his neck and eyes as dead as a shark's.
It was Apex, Salvatore’s ultimate executioner.
Apex slowly raised his hand to his neck, drawing a thumb across his throat in a silent promise.
Victor glared back through the glass, his eyes burning with lethal promise.
"Next stop, Saint Jude’s," the train loudspeaker announced calmly.
Lily looked up at Victor's blood-stained collar and gently wiped a drop of red from his cheek.
"Are we almost at my school?" she asked softly, blissfully unaware of the horror around them.
Victor wiped the sweat from his forehead and offered her a small, tight smile.
May you like
"Almost, little heart," Victor whispered, his hand gripping his weapon beneath his coat.
"Just one more stop."
