Chapter 8 - A Father's Wrath
Marco shrieked in agony as the heavy bronze nib tore into his quadriceps, causing him to instinctively release his grip on Lily’s arm.
"Now, Lily! Run to Mommy!" I bellowed.
In the split second of chaos, I raised my Kimber and fired four rapid shots. The two mercenaries flanking Marco caught double-taps to their exposed necks, their heavy bodies collapsing onto the glass coffee table, shattering it into thousands of glittering shards.
"Kill him!" Marco roared, dropping to one knee and clutching his bleeding leg.
The remaining two hitmen unleashed a barrage of automatic fire. I dove behind a solid marble pillar as high-caliber rounds tore chunks of stone from the architecture, pulverized drywall, and shredded the priceless artwork lining the walls.
Sophia used the distraction to drag herself across the floor, wrapping her frail arms around Lily, shielding the little girl with her own dying body behind a heavy oak sideboard.
"Cover the girl!" one of the mercenaries barked, moving forward with a combat shotgun.
I couldn't wait for them to reload. Ignoring the burning pain in my chest, I burst from behind the pillar, sliding across the polished floor. I tackled the shotgun-wielding mercenary around the knees, driving him violently backward through the shattered glass railing onto the lower terrace.
We wrestled in a frenzy of punches and gouges. He reached for his combat knife, but I grabbed his helmet, slamming his head against the concrete until his skull cracked.
I grabbed his dropped assault rifle and spun around just as the fourth hitman aimed at Sophia and Lily.
Click.
The hitman never had the chance to pull the trigger. A burst of 5.56mm rounds ripped through his torso, pinning him against the wall before he slumped into a lifeless heap.
I turned my sights toward the main window. Marco was gone. A trail of blood led out toward the private rooftop helipad. And with him went the singular vial of the Viper-9 antidote.
I looked back at Sophia. Her breathing was becoming shallow and ragged, her lips turning a dangerous shade of blue as the monitor on her wrist screamed in critical alarm.
"Daddy!" Lily cried out, running toward me and grabbing my bloody hand. "The bad man took Mommy’s medicine! She’s going to sleep and won't wake up!"
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I scooped Lily into my arms, kissing her tear-streaked forehead. "Stay with Dr. Sterling in the bunker, baby. I'm going to get Mommy's medicine, and I’m going to make sure the bad man never hurts anyone again."
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