Chapter 3 - The Pulse
The timer showed four minutes and twelve seconds.
Julian’s breath caught in his throat. The device was sleek, military-grade carbon fiber, clamped securely over Claire's radial artery. Two tiny silver leads pierced directly through her skin, monitoring her pulse.
""A dead-man circuit,"" Claire whispered, her voice cracking as panic set in. ""If my heart rate spikes above one-sixty... or drops to zero, the charge triggers.""
""Don't talk,"" Julian ordered, his voice steadying through sheer willpower. ""Focus on my voice. Breathe with me. In for four seconds. Out for four seconds.""
He knelt beside Miller, who was struggling to pull a field tourniquet from his tactical vest. Julian helped him cinch the strap around his bleeding thigh, his hands working with automatic efficiency. ""Where is the tactical team’s master jammer?""
""In the van... driveway,"" Miller grunted through clenched teeth. ""Marcus has outside help, Vance. That wasn't just a breakout. The security feed outside went black before the lights died. There are two sniper teams on the perimeter.""
Julian looked up at the expansive skylight above the central staircase. Rain had begun to lash against the reinforced glass, masking the sounds of the night. If Marcus had shooters covering the grounds, carrying Claire and Lily through the front gates was suicide.
""Take Lily,"" Julian told Miller. ""Can you get her to the panic room beneath the library?""
""No! Daddy, don't leave me!"" Lily cried, clutching Julian's coat with desperate fury.
""Listen to me, sweetheart,"" Julian knelt to her eye level, gripping her shoulders. ""You guided me to Mommy. You saved her life today. Now I need you to be brave for five more minutes. Go with Miller. Lock the steel door behind you. I will bring Mommy right behind you.""
He didn't wait for her to argue. He handed Miller a spare magazine and lifted Claire into his arms again. The timer on her wrist flashed: three minutes flat. Her pulse was racing; the counter ticked faster, the LED shifting from steady red to an agitated strobe.
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""Julian,"" Claire gasped, clutching his lapels. ""The nursery. The floorboards beneath Lily's crib. Marcus wasn't keeping me for ransom. He was looking for the ledger.""
Julian took off toward the north wing, the grandfather clock in the foyer chiming heavily beneath the thunder outside. As he reached the foot of the second-floor stairs, a laser sight's crimson dot appeared on Claire's forehead.
