Chapter 656
Chapter 656:
Before Marcus could raise his rifle, the office windows shattered.
Liam dropped from the skylight on a cable, firing as he descended. Bang. Bang.
Marcus took two rounds to the chest and went down instantly.
Lucian spun around, grabbing the nearest person.
Tessa.
He hauled her in front of him, jamming his gun into her neck.
“Stop!” Lucian screamed. “Or she dies p>
Liam landed in a crouch, his gun trained on Lucian’s head. But Tessa was in the way.
“Let her go, Lucian,” Liam warned, his voice echoing in the empty warehouse. “There’s nowhere to run. The building is surrounded p>
“It’s never over!” Lucian yelled, backing toward the loading dock door. “Back off, Kensington! Or I paint the wall with her brains p>
Liam hesitated. His finger hovered on the trigger. He couldn’t take the shot. Not with Tessa there.
“Do it!” Tessa screamed. “Shoot him! Don’t worry about me p>
“Shut up!” Lucian pistol-whipped her, splitting her scalp. He dragged her out the door to the waiting van. He shoved her inside and jumped into the driver’s seat.
“Hold fire!” Liam roared into his comms. “He has the hostage! Do not engage! I repeat, do not engage p>
The snipers on the roof froze. The perimeter team lowered their weapons.
Lucian gunned the engine. The van screeched away, tearing through the open loading-bay door and disappearing into the labyrinth of industrial alleys before the blockade could be reestablished.
“Damn it!” Liam roared, kicking a crate.
Skye ran in from the side entrance, flanked by her security team.
“He has her,” Liam said, his face a mask of fury. “He took Tessa p>
𝗢r𝘪𝗀𝗂nаl 𝗰o𝘯t𝗲𝗇t 𝘧rо𝘮 𝗯𝗲lոо𝘷𝖾𝘭𝗌.𝘤𝗈m
“He won’t kill her yet,” Skye said, her mind racing. “He still thinks she might know where the real money is. Or he’ll use her to get to us p>
“We need to track that van,” Liam said into his comms. “All units, sector four. Black van. Lethal force authorized p>
He turned to Skye.
“I’m calling in the full fleet,” Liam said. “Helicopters, drones, everything. I don’t care if I have to burn the city down. We are getting her back p>
Skye nodded. She looked at the empty safe.
“He’s running on fumes,” Skye said. “He’ll make a mistake. And when he does, we’ll be there p>
Liam grabbed his phone. He didn’t call the police. He called Arthur Hayes.
“Grandfather,” Liam said, his voice commanding, leaving no room for argument. “I’m initiating Protocol Zero. Mobilize the private guard. Every man. We have a target p>
He hung up.
“Let’s go,” Liam said.
The hunt was far from over. It had just become a rescue mission.
“Let’s go,” Liam said, his voice a low growl that signaled the beginning of the end.