Chapter 10 - The Sirens of Saint Jude
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRING!
The cathedral's external emergency sirens erupted into a deafening, 120-decibel klaxon that echoed across the four-block radius of downtown. High-intensity strobe lights mounted on the stone pillars began to flash in rapid, blinding pulses of red and white, illuminating the rain-drenched courtyard like a war zone.
Down the block, the distant, rising wail of city police sirens answered the alarm.
Marcus cursed, his eyes darting toward the street. "You fool! You brought the city cops into this?!"
"They aren't Vance’s men!" Julian roared over the screech of the sirens.
He didn't wait. He grabbed Lily around the waist, lifting her and the baby into his arms in one massive motion, and sprinted down the stone steps toward the side alley leading out of the cathedral compound.
"Shoot him!" Marcus yelled toward the dark SUV.
The driver’s side door opened, and a gunman in a dark jacket stepped out, raising a weapon.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Three suppressed rounds slammed into the wet brick wall inches above Julian’s head, showering him in red brick dust and stone fragments.
Julian ducked into the narrow, dark alleyway between the cathedral and the parish school building. The ground was slick with mud and discarded trash, but he kept his footing, his arms locked securely around his daughters.
"Hold on to me!" Julian screamed to Lily over the roar of the rain and sirens.
The little girl wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, burying her wet face into his shoulder, her tiny body trembling violently against his chest.
Behind them, heavy boots slammed onto the wet pavement of the alley. Marcus and his men were in full pursuit.
Julian reached the end of the narrow alley. It opened out into the bustling, rain-slicked arterial street of Fifth Avenue. Traffic was stopped at a red light—a line of yellow taxis, delivery vans, and commuter cars idling in the deluge.
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Julian didn't look for a crosswalk. He threw himself into the middle of the street, dodging between two yellow cabs, his wet shoes skidding on the paint of the crosswalk line.
Behind him, a black SUV burst out of the alley, its tires screeching as it mounted the curb, knocking over a steel trash can, heading directly toward them.
