Chapter 6 - The Confession
Elias retreated to the central stairwell, taking a moment to catch his breath. The adrenaline was surging, sharpening his senses. He keyed his radio.
"Marta, status."
"Maya is awake," Marta whispered, her voice shaking. "Elias, she... she’s telling me what happened before they left the house. You need to hear this."
There was a rustling sound over the radio, and then Maya's tiny, terrified voice came through. "Uncle Elias? Are you there?"
"I'm here, sweetheart. You're safe."
"Mama didn't just give me the coat," Maya sobbed quietly. "Daddy caught her sewing it. He was so angry. He hit her, Uncle Elias. He hit her with a heavy glass from the bar. She fell down and there was so much blood. She told me to run while he was in the kitchen getting a knife. I didn't want to leave her, but she locked me out of the house. She sacrificed herself for us."
Elias closed his eyes. The rage that had been simmering in his chest for eight long years suddenly boiled over, turning into a freezing, razor-sharp fury. Julian had murdered his sister. Clara was dead, and the man responsible was currently trying to break down his front door to slaughter her children.
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"Maya," Elias said, his voice completely devoid of emotion. It was the voice of a man who was about to break every ethical oath he had ever taken. "I promise you, on my life, he will never hurt you or your brothers again. Stay with Marta."
He turned off the radio. He was no longer trying to hold the perimeter until the police arrived. He wasn't playing defense anymore. Elias racked the bolt of the stolen assault rifle. He was going to dissect Julian Vance, piece by piece.
