Chapter 10 - The Reckoning
CRACK!
Huck’s sniper rifle echoed through the warehouse. The bullet tore through the hand Miller was using to hold his gun, sending the weapon spinning into the darkness. Miller screamed.
Marcus rolled, drawing his Glock and firing with lethal precision. He didn't aim to wound. He took down three mercenaries before they even realized where the fire was coming from. The warehouse erupted into chaos.
Huck provided covering fire from above, pinning the cartel men down. Marcus sprinted across the open floor, sliding behind a concrete pillar near Leo. He slashed the zip-ties with his knife, pulling his son into a tight embrace.
"Close your eyes and cover your ears, Leo," Marcus ordered.
Beatrice tried to run for the exit, clutching the duffel bag, but she tripped over a piece of rusted machinery. The bag spilled open, scattering millions of dollars in bearer bonds across the blood-stained concrete.
Miller, clutching his mangled hand, pulled a backup weapon from his ankle holster with his left hand. He aimed it wildly at Marcus’s cover.
"You're dead, Vance!" Miller screamed, completely unhinged.
Marcus stepped out from behind the pillar. He didn't hesitate. He fired two shots. One hit Miller in the shoulder, the second hit his kneecap. Miller collapsed to the floor, writhing in agony.
The remaining mercenaries, realizing they were outgunned and their boss was down, scattered into the night.
Marcus walked over to Miller, kicking the gun away. He looked down at the corrupt cop, then over at Beatrice, who was cowering in the corner, covered in dirt and cartel money.
Sirens wailed in the distance. Real sirens this time. The FBI task force, alerted by Marcus's dead-man switch which he had triggered manually during the firefight, was swarming the perimeter.
"You're going to rot in federal prison, Tom," Marcus said quietly. "And Beatrice... your committee days are over."
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Marcus turned his back on them. He walked over to Leo, scooped his son into his arms, and walked out the front doors of the warehouse into the cool night air. The red and blue lights of the FBI vehicles washed over them, but for the first time in days, Marcus didn't feel hunted.
He held his son tight against his chest, listening to the steady, unobstructed rhythm of Leo’s breathing. They had survived the fire, and finally, they were going home.
