Chapter 4 - Descent into the Alley
The metal stairs were slick with black ice, making every step a deadly hazard.
Marcus kept one hand on Leo's collar, anchoring the boy to him.
Flashlights swept through their apartment above, casting eerie shadows onto the falling snow.
They reached the alley just as a heavily armed man looked out the window.
"They're on the fire escape!" the mercenary yelled into his radio.
Bullets began pinging against the brick wall, showering Marcus and Leo in red dust.
Marcus returned fire, squeezing off three precise shots toward the window.
The mercenary ducked, giving Marcus the seconds he needed to pull Leo behind a dumpster.
His unmarked cruiser was parked at the end of the alley, but it was a trap.
If Briggs tracked the GPS, he could remotely kill the engine.
Instead, Marcus eyed a running delivery van idling near the street corner.
The driver had stepped into a diner to grab a quick coffee.
Marcus picked Leo up and sprinted through the blinding snowstorm toward the van.
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He threw the boy into the passenger seat and slid behind the wheel.
They peeled out into the street just as the tactical team breached the alley.
