THE ECHOES OF BLOOD AND MARBLE

The sound of the Gulfstream’s twin turbines reached a deafening crescendo as the aircraft began its takeoff roll down the primary runway. Through the cabin windows, Marcus could catch a brief glimpse of Vivienne seated in the executive cabin, Clarissa's red ledger resting open on the table before her.

Marcus kept the barrel pressed into Julian’s throat. ""Put your thumb on the scanner, Julian. Now.""

""And why would I do that?"" Julian rasped, his eyes daring Marcus to pull the trigger. ""If I abort, Vivienne leaves me behind to rot in a federal penitentiary. If the bomb goes off, I get my cut transferred to an offshore anonymous account regardless of whether I'm in handcuffs. I have nothing to lose.""

""You have your life,"" Marcus growled.

""I gave that up the day your late wife uncovered our shell companies,"" Julian retorted, spitting another mouthful of blood onto Marcus's cuff. ""Do it, Vance. Pull the trigger. Be the monster everyone knows you are.""

Marcus didn't hesitate. Instead of firing, he inverted the pistol and brought the heavy steel handle down violently across Julian’s right collarbone. The bone snapped with a sickening crunch.

Julian screamed, falling to his knees on the concrete, clutching his ruined shoulder.

Marcus stepped on Julian’s right hand, pinning his wrist to the pavement. He grabbed Julian’s thumb, forcing it down onto the recessed biometric sensor on the black transmitter casing.

The device chirped once. A tiny LED light shifted from flashing green to steady red.

On the digital display, the countdown froze at 00:04:18.

ABORT CONFIRMED. CHARGE DISARMED.

Marcus exhaled a breath he felt like he had been holding for two years. He struck Julian once more across the temple with the butt of the weapon, knocking the driver unconscious onto the tarmac.

He turned toward the runway. The private jet was already lifting off, its wheels leaving the tarmac, banking sharply into the dense cloud cover heading east over the Atlantic.

Marcus pulled out his phone, his hands steady now. ""Miller. The bomb is disarmed. Get the local authorities to secure Julian at Hangar Four.""

""What about Vivienne?"" Miller asked urgently. ""She’s airborne. Once she reaches international airspace, our jurisdiction is gone.""

""She’s not going to Zurich,"" Marcus said, his eyes narrowing as he watched the disappearing jet. ""She doesn't have the final authorization code.""