Chapter 10 - The Sovereign Hunter
""Kill the heater!"" Alexander hissed, stamping out the kerosene flame with his boot heel. The room went black, save for the rotating glare of the helicopter's searchlight outside.
The sound of the aircraft flared deafeningly as it hovered over the lighthouse landing pad. Through the grime-covered windows, Alexander saw an AugustaWestland chopper touching down, its skids settling onto the cracked concrete.
Six heavily armed mercenaries emerged, followed by a tall, aristocratic figure in a tailored cashmere overcoat and leather gloves. Julian Thorne stepped out into the storm with calm arrogance, holding an umbrella over his head.
""Alexander! Clara!"" Julian's voice came through an electronic megaphone, echoing off the iron walls of the tower. ""There’s nowhere to swim to! Come out with the girl, and I guarantee Alexander a very comfortable, very private retirement in Switzerland!""
Clara picked up Lily, securing her again in the carrier. She retrieved the tactical pistol she had kept holstered in her waterproof waistband and racked the slide.
""Twelve rounds,"" she whispered. ""Against six assault rifles and Julian.""
""We don't need to kill all of them,"" Alexander said, his eyes scanning the lighthouse mechanics. He pointed toward the heavy iron counterweight system hanging from the ceiling—a massive four-ton block of lead used in the Victorian era to rotate the giant glass lens on top of the tower. The steel cables were old, rusted, and under immense mechanical tension.
""If I drop that counterweight down the central spiral shaft,"" Alexander muttered, ""it will collapse the staircase and crush anything in the lower entryway.""
""And how do we get down?"" Clara asked.
Alexander pointed to the emergency zipline rig on the exterior maintenance balcony, used for dropping supply crates to rescue boats. ""We don't go down. We go across to the breaker rocks.""
""That line hasn't been tested in forty years,"" Clara said.
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""Then tonight is its grand reopening,"" Alexander said with a grim smile. ""Cover the door.""
Clara took position behind the iron doorway as the mercenaries blew the bottom hinges with explosive charges. Heavy boots began thundering up the spiral iron stairs.
