Chapter 6 - The Turning of the Tide
The second intruder lunged at Clara, but he never reached her. Ryan burst into the room, tackling the man to the ground. A brutal, brief struggle ensued, ending with Ryan pinning the intruder’s arm behind his back with a sickening pop.
The man Clara had hit lay on the floor, groaning and holding his broken collarbone.
Clara immediately dropped the tire iron and scooped both babies into her arms. Sophie’s pink bow had fallen out, and Lucas’s face was red from crying, but they were safe. They were whole. She held them against her chest, weeping violently as their small hands clutched at her shirt.
“It’s over,” Ryan panted, his hands tying the intruders using zip-ties from his tactical belt. “The police are already en route. I had my team stream the entire interaction in Arthur’s office directly to a secure federal server before we left the building. Arthur is being arrested as we speak.”
But the drama wasn't finished. As the sirens wailed in the distance, drawing closer to their damaged sanctuary, the phone of the unconscious intruder on the floor began to ring.
Clara looked down at the screen. The caller ID read: Julian - Chicago State Penitentiary.
Julian was supposed to be in maximum security, stripped of all communication privileges. How was he calling a hitman from inside a prison cell?
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Ryan picked up the phone, clicking the accept button but staying silent.
Julian’s arrogant, mocking laugh filled the nursery. “Did you get it? Did you get the kids' DNA? Because if you didn't, Arthur’s backup plan is already active. You think Arthur was the boss? Arthur works for the syndicate I owed money to. They don't care about the patent anymore, Ryan. They want revenge for the millions your father cost them. If I burn, everyone burns.”
