Chapter 11 - The River of Ash
Liam plunged thirty feet, crashing through the canvas canopy of an old limestone hopper before landing hard on a massive heap of fine gravel dust. The air left his lungs in a painful gasp, his ribs screaming in protest.
He rolled down the embankment, coughing up gray dust, and scrambled to his feet behind a wall of concrete barricades. His carbine was gone, lost in the collapse, leaving him with only four rounds in his sidearm.
Across the clearing, Julian stood near his armored limousine, guarded by his last two private contractors. The other mercenaries were regrouping at the perimeter, attempting to pursue Marcus’s truck.
""Find him!"" Julian screamed, his composure finally shattering. ""He cannot leave this basin alive!""
Rain began to pour from the charcoal sky, turning the fine stone dust into thick, gray mud. Liam moved like a shadow through the machinery graveyard, circling behind the limousine. His mind flashed back to the wedding dance floor—the warmth of Clara’s tiny hand, her innocent laugh echoing over the strings of the waltz. He refused to let her grow up an orphan in the shadow of Julian’s greed.
Stepping out from behind an abandoned cement mixer, Liam leveled his pistol.
""Julian,"" Liam said calmly through the downpour.
The two bodyguards spun around, weapons rising, but Liam fired three rapid shots through the sheets of rain. Both guards crumpled into the mud before their fingers could find their triggers.
Julian froze, staring at the empty barrel of Liam's smoking gun. The rain soaked through his tailor-made suit, plastering his thinning hair to his forehead.
""Liam... wait. We’re brothers,"" Julian stammered, raising trembling hands. ""Think of mother. Think of our family name!""
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""Sarah was my family,"" Liam said, stepping forward until the cold steel barrel pressed against Julian’s forehead. ""Where is the master server with her original files?""
Julian swallowed hard, his eyes darting toward the distant road where sirens were beginning to wail. ""You pull that trigger, Liam, and the entire state police force will hunt you down. You'll never see Clara again.""
