Chapter 6 - A Mother’s Instinct
The chill of 3:00 AM settled inside the concrete bunker. Adrian was busy setting up an array of perimeter sensors and loading heavy carbines, his focus absolute and deadly. Clara watched him from the edge of the cot, gently feeding Sarah the last remaining bottle from the penthouse.
"You're planning to go alone," Clara stated plainly.
Adrian didn't look up from assembling a breach charge. "You take the spare vehicle. Head north toward the Canadian crossing. I have an operative in Montreal who will provide documents and a new identity for you both."
"No," Clara said, her voice unexpectedly steady.
Adrian stopped his hands and stared at her, brows furrowed. "Clara, this isn't a board meeting. It's an extermination."
"And you think you can survive taking on an entire private army alone while keeping Victor from retaliating against my family?" She stood up, holding Sarah securely against her shoulder. "Four years ago, I ran because you told me to run. I let you fight your wars while I hid in an empty apartment, decaying from grief. I won't run again."
Adrian stepped close to her, towering over her small frame. His hand hovered beside the child's head, trembling with rare vulnerability. "If I lose you twice, Clara, there's nothing left of me to keep alive."
May you like
"Then don't lose me," she whispered.
Before Adrian could answer, the perimeter warning console flared red. A proximity sensor had tripped on the southern dock.
