Chapter 8 - Shadow's Courage
Gunfire tore through the air, chewing up the mahogany desk and shattering the glass lamps into a million sparkling shards.
In the blinding flash of muzzle fire, Viktor didn't hesitate. He dropped to the floor, shielding his son with his own body while pulling his Glock with his free hand. With two rapid, deafening pops, Viktor took out both mercenaries flanking the doorway before they could acquire their targets.
Across the room, Thomas was screaming, desperately swinging his heavy rifle to hit Shadow, but the dog was too fast, tearing into the traitor's arm with relentless fury.
"Get off me, you piece of trash!" Thomas yelled, slamming the butt of his gun against Shadow’s ribs.
The dog let out a sharp yelp and tumbled backward, rolling across the floor.
That was all the opening Viktor needed. He stood up, aiming dead center, and fired.
Bang.
The bullet caught Thomas square in the chest. The traitor’s eyes widened in shock, his rifle slipped from his bloodied fingers, and he collapsed heavily onto the floor, silent forever.
Marcus Vance, realizing he was the last man standing, scrambled backward toward the emergency exit behind the desk, his hands shaking as he raised his pistol toward Viktor and the children.
"Stay back! I swear I'll put a bullet through the brat!" Marcus screamed, his voice cracking with sheer terror.
Rosie, who had stayed hidden behind the filing cabinets during the firefight, saw Marcus raising his gun. Without a second thought, she grabbed a heavy brass paperweight from the floor and hurled it with all her might.
Clang!
The heavy brass object caught Marcus squarely across the bridge of his nose. He shrieked, dropping his gun as blood gushed from his broken nose.
Viktor closed the distance in a single leap, grabbing Marcus by the collar of his expensive coat and slamming him against the concrete wall with enough force to crack the brickwork.
"You're done, Marcus," Viktor whispered, pressing the cold barrel of his Glock directly beneath Marcus’s chin.
Marcus stared up into the eyes of a man who had just looked into the abyss and walked back out. He didn't speak. He just wet his lips and shook his head slowly.
May you like
"Take him away," Viktor barked over his shoulder as two of his backup men finally burst through the door, having cleared the outer perimeter. "Throw him in the deepest cell we have. Let him think about what it means to betray a family."
As Marcus was dragged away, screaming and kicking like a coward into the dark corridors, the room fell into a heavy, exhausted silence broken only by the crackle of a dying lamp and the heavy breathing of the survivors.
