Chapter 11 - Retribution
The shooter was positioned near the open front door, his back turned to the kitchen hallway as he waited for Clara to expose herself again. He held a high-caliber handgun fitted with a black suppressor, his eyes locked on the brick retaining wall outside. He had no idea Liam was behind him.
Liam moved with silent, lethal precision. Two feet away, he raised the steel crowbar and brought it down across the shooter’s right forearm with brutal force. A sickening crack echoed through the hallway as bone splintered, and the gun clattered harmlessly across the hardwood floor. The man let out a strangled shriek of agony, spinning around with his left fist, but Liam ducked under the clumsy swing. Driven by the raw, primal fury of a father whose child had been threatened, Liam drove his knee violently into the man’s ribs, then slammed him face-first into the wall.
The drywall caved in with a dull thud. The hitman slumped to the floor, unconscious, blood pooling beneath his broken nose.
Liam picked up the dropped handgun, ejected the magazine to check the rounds, and walked out onto the front porch, the rain washing the sweat and grime from his face. ""It's clear!"" he called out into the dark.
Clara helped Sophie to her feet, supporting the injured woman’s weight as they rushed toward the SUV. Liam hoisted Sophie into the middle row, carefully reclining her seat. ""We can't take her to a public hospital,"" Clara said breathlessly as she slid behind the wheel. ""Julian’s network monitors emergency admissions.""
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""My family doctor,"" Liam said, pulling out his phone. ""Dr. Bennett. He treats the board members privately. He has a surgical suite in his estate outside the county line. He owes me his entire practice; he will keep quiet.""
Sophie groaned, reaching into her bloodied jacket pocket with trembling fingers. She pulled out a small, laminated security card with a handwritten code on the back. ""This is... the master encryption key,"" Sophie whispered, pressing it into Liam’s hand. ""Vanessa hid it... in her jewelry box. It reverses the offshore wire... but you only have until 6:00 AM before the Cayman clearinghouse locks the transfer permanently.""
