Chapter 14 - Sins of the Fathers
Julian's gunfire shattered the whiskey glass in Richard’s hand, sending amber liquid and shards spraying across the control console. Richard dove behind the armored command chair, cursing violently, while the giant, Goliath, turned his shotgun toward the doorway and unleashed a deafening barrage of heavy buckshot.
The wood paneling around the entrance disintegrated into flying splinters. Julian dove behind a reinforced steel pillar as heavy slugs chewed through the bulkheads. Eleanor, paralyzed with sudden terror, failed to take cover; a stray pellet caught her in the shoulder, spinning her around and sending her crashing to the carpet, screaming in agony.
""You're too late, nephew!"" Richard shouted from behind the console, his voice dripping with venomous amusement. ""The transfer is locked! The Vance legacy dies tonight, and I inherit the ashes!""
Julian leaned out from behind the pillar, emptying his remaining magazine into Goliath’s chest armor. The ceramic plates absorbed the impact, but the sheer force staggered the brute backward, giving Julian the precious seconds he needed.
High above, a metal grate fell from the ceiling. Clara dropped down onto the catwalk, throwing all of her body weight against the red emergency halon lever.
A loud, piercing klaxon sounded: ""Warning: Halon gas discharge imminent. Oxygen purge in ten seconds.""
Thick, pressurized white gas erupted from four ceiling nozzles, hissing violently as it flooded the sealed bridge. Within seconds, the air became completely unbreathable. Goliath dropped his heavy shotgun, clawing desperately at his throat as his oxygen-deprived lungs seized up. Julian pulled his suit jacket over his nose and mouth, charging through the fog of gas directly at his uncle.
Richard lunged forward with a hidden combat knife, but Julian parried the thrust with brutal efficiency. Grabbing Richard's wrist, Julian snapped the bone with an audible crack, slamming the older man's head into the glowing computer terminal.
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The screen flashed red: SYSTEM FAILURE. DATA CORRUPTED.
""It's over, Richard,"" Julian wheezed, his own vision tunneling as the gas sucked the air from his lungs.
