Chapter 7 - A Fractured LoyaltyThe silence inside the brick aqueduct was broken only by dripping water and the hum of the river beyond. The two tactical contractors stepped past Marcus, raising suppressed submachine guns.
"Move aside, Vance," the lead contractor said coldly. "Sterling wants the ledger recovered from the wife’s memory, then the loose ends tidied up."
Marcus shifted his stance slightly. "The girl wasn't part of the contract."
"The girl is a witness," the contractor replied without looking at Marcus. "Step back."
Julian stepped directly into the path of the barrels, shielding Clara and Lily with his frame. "If you pull those triggers, there is no cover story left. Local police already have automated pings from my watch. Every heartbeat, every GPS coordinate is broadcasting to my private cloud."
The contractor smiled thinly. "The cell network was jammed the moment we crossed the gatehouse."
Before the contractor could squeeze the trigger, Marcus raised his pistol and fired once into the mercenary’s shoulder, knocking him into the brick wall. Bennett lunged simultaneously, tackling the second contractor into the knee-deep water.
"Go!" Marcus shouted, his face pale with sudden, terrifying redemption. "Lift the gate and run!"
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Julian and Bennett threw their combined weight into the iron wheel, hoisting the floodgate high enough to crawl through. Julian shoved Clara and Lily through the gap into the surging, freezing water of the river basin, then scrambled through after them.
Behind them, gunfire cracked through the enclosed tunnel, followed by a final, hollow silence.
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