Chapter 7 - The Red Dot
Miller noticed Lily’s sudden rigidity. Before he could ask what was wrong, Lily lifted the phone screen toward him. His eyes flicked to the message, and his posture instantly shifted from bureaucratic fatigue to pure military vigilance. He grabbed Lily’s arm and shoved both girls behind a massive concrete pillar just as a muffled crack echoed through the high rafters of the terminal.
A tile near Miller’s feet shattered into a powdery blast of limestone. Commuters screamed, instinctively dropping to their knees as panic erupted through the terminal like a tidal wave.
""Move! Now!"" Miller barked, scooping Mia onto his left hip while his right hand reached beneath his jacket for a service pistol.
Lily ran, her hand locked in the fabric of Miller’s jacket. Crowds surged toward the exits, knocking over luggage, strollers, and trash bins. The terminal was suddenly a maze of screaming bodies and flashing emergency lights. Through the chaos, Lily saw three men in matching grey trench coats moving against the flow of the crowd, their cold eyes locked entirely onto her.
They didn't look like police. They carried professional cameras outfitted with long telephoto lenses, alongside concealed holsters beneath their coats. They weren't just hunting for custody; they were hunting for intellectual property, for faces worth millions in legal settlements and media rights.
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Miller kicked open a door marked EMPLOYEES ONLY, slamming the heavy metal bolt shut behind them. They tumbled down a concrete staircase leading to the subterranean maintenance tunnels beneath the city.
In the dim yellow light of the underground corridor, Miller leaned against the wall, panting heavily. As he pulled his hand away from his side, Lily gasped. His fingers were slick with dark, glistening blood.
