Chapter 6 - The Uninvited Guest
""Step away from the table!"" Julian roared, grabbing Elena by the arm and dragging her toward the back of the cabin.
He didn't have time to explain. The flashing red light wasn't a data transfer signal; it was an active beacon. Marco hadn't kept the drive to store information—he had baited the hiding place, waiting for whoever extracted the ledger to trigger the proximity transmitter.
A sharp burst of automatic gunfire tore through the cabin’s front wall, splintering the aged cedar logs into lethal flying debris. Julian shoved Elena into the narrow bathroom, pushing her down into the cast-iron bathtub and throwing a heavy mattress over her and Maya, whom he had snatched from the sofa in a single, fluid motion.
""Stay down! Cover her ears!"" Julian ordered, unholstering his backup revolver.
The front door was kicked off its hinges with a tremendous crash. Through the settling dust, three heavily armed men in black tactical gear advanced into the room, their suppressed submachine guns sweeping the corners. Julian leaned out from the bathroom doorway, firing two controlled shots. The lead operative crumpled instantly, collapsing across the table and scattering the blueprints.
The remaining two shooters returned fire, a hail of lead pulverizing the drywall around Julian’s head. Julian ducked back inside, chips of plaster raining into his hair. He was outgunned, pinned in a confined space with a terrified toddler and a heavily pregnant woman whose water had just broken in the tub beneath the mattress.
""Julian..."" Elena’s voice was a ragged whisper through the chaos. ""My water... it broke.""
Julian’s stomach plummeted. ""Breathe, Elena. Just keep breathing.""
From the main room, a calm, chillingly familiar voice echoed over the smell of cordite. It wasn't Marco.
""Detective Ross! There is no need to make this messier than it already is,"" the voice called out, smooth, cultured, and devoid of remorse. ""Marco was an impulsive fool, as you clearly demonstrated this morning. But my family has too much invested in Elena’s inheritance to allow an amateur detective to spoil the transfer.""
Julian peeked around the splintered jamb. Standing in the center of the ruined cabin was Hector Ruiz, Marco’s older brother and the true mastermind of the syndicate. Hector wasn't dressed for combat; he wore a bespoke cashmere coat, his hands resting casually inside his pockets while his surviving gunman covered the hallway.
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""Throw down your weapon, Julian,"" Hector said pleasantly. ""Surrender the ledger, and I promise Elena and the children will be provided for. Refuse, and the cleanup crew will simply bury all four of you beneath the pines.""
Julian looked down at his revolver. Two bullets left.
