Chapter 5 - Shadows in the Marble
Chaos erupted in the darkness of the garage. Sarah thrashed violently, using her elbow to strike backward against her unseen attacker, her maternal instincts turning her into a force of nature. "Get off me!" she shrieked, twisting her body to keep Leo shielded beneath her arms.
"Sarah!" Julian’s voice boomed through the gloom, followed by the sickening sound of a heavy blow connecting with flesh. Julian had tackled one of the assailants, sending both men crashing onto the hood of a nearby Mercedes.
The beam of a high-powered tactical flashlight cut through the dark, blinding Sarah as it focused directly on her face. Two men dressed in unmarked black tactical gear moved with terrifying, military precision. One held Julian pinned against the vehicle, while the second grabbed Sarah’s waist, effortlessly lifting her off her feet.
"Target acquired," a cold, synthesized voice spoke into a radio headset. "Securing the child."
"No! No! Leo!" Sarah screamed, biting down hard on the operative's gloved hand. The man grunted, losing his grip for a fraction of a second, but his partner swept in, deftly unhooking Leo from Sarah's arms with practiced speed.
"Sarah!" Julian roared. With a burst of desperate strength, he slammed his skull backward into his captor's nose, breaking the man's grip. Julian lunged through the darkness toward the tactical light, his fist connecting with the operative holding Leo.
The man stumbled backward, dropping the flashlight onto the concrete. The beam bounced, illuminating a tactical crest pinned to the sleeve of the attacker's uniform—a silver falcon clutching a broken arrow.
It was the elite security detail of Sterling Enterprises—the private militia answerable only to Arthur Sterling.
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Sarah scrambled across the floor, grabbing the fallen flashlight and driving the heavy metal casing into the jaw of the operative who was reaching for Leo. The man collapsed onto the floor with a heavy groan.
Julian scooped Leo up into his arms, grabbing Sarah by her wrist with his free hand. "The utility elevator! Move!" he shouted, dragging her toward an unmarked service access corridor as the heavy footsteps of reinforcement guards echoed down the concrete ramp of the garage.
