Chapter 4 - The Ambush
"Get down!" Nathaniel roared, tackling Claire to the floor and covering her body with his own as high-caliber bullets tore through the drywall and furniture.
Plaster dust filled the air, stinging their eyes. Outside, the thunderous sound of silenced automatic fire echoed through the alley.
"Daniel!" Nathaniel barked into his earpiece, holding Claire tightly against his chest as wood splinters flew everywhere. "We are under fire!"
"We have multiple hostiles on the fire escape!" Daniel's voice roared through the comms amidst the sound of returning fire. "They tracked us! Clear out through the emergency exit on the left! I'm moving to intercept!"
Nathaniel grabbed the rosewood box and the silver key, tucking them securely inside his coat. He looked down at Claire. Her eyes were wide with terror, but she didn't scream; she held onto his arms with fierce trust.
"Are you hit?" Nathaniel demanded, checking her quickly.
"I'm okay! What about Lucy?" Claire cried out in panic.
"Lucy is safe in the armored SUV with two of my best men," Nathaniel assured her, his eyes blazing with protective fury. "Stay low. Follow me!"
Keeping below the window line, Nathaniel guided Claire through the hallway toward the rear service stairs. A masked assassin burst through the apartment door, weapon raised, but Nathaniel was faster. Drawing his concealed sidearm, he fired two precise shots, neutralizing the threat instantaneously.
Claire gasped, but Nathaniel didn't hesitate. He took her hand, pulling her down the narrow iron staircase as alarm bells blared throughout the complex.
They reached the alley just as Daniel’s armored SUV smashed through a wooden barrier, blocking a second vehicle filled with armed men.
"Get in!" Daniel screamed, throwing the rear door open.
Nathaniel shoved Claire into the back seat, where Lucy was sitting safely under the protection of a heavy ballistic shield, her eyes wide as she clutched her teddy bear. Nathaniel climbed in right behind them, slamming the door shut just as bullets rattled uselessly against the reinforced bulletproof armor.
"Drive!" Nathaniel ordered.
The heavy SUV roared to life, its powerful V8 engine screaming as Daniel slammed it into reverse, crashing into an attacker's vehicle before speeding off into the rainy night.
Inside the vehicle, Claire immediately pulled Lucy into her arms, checking her daughter for any injuries. Lucy, noticing her mother's shaking hands, reached up and gently placed her tiny fingers on Claire's cheeks, signing smoothly:
Safe now. Mommy brave.
Tears spilled from Claire's eyes as she hugged the little girl tightly. Nathaniel watched the interaction, feeling a profound wave of emotion stir within his long-frozen heart. This woman and her child had brought truth back into his life, but they had also brought warmth to an existence that had been cold and empty for eleven long years.
"Where to now, Boss?" Daniel asked, his eyes scanning the rearview mirrors as they sped onto the highway toward Charlotte's financial district. "They knew we were coming to the apartment. Which means there's a tracker or an informant."
"Not an informant," Nathaniel said grimly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his encrypted smartphone. "My uncle Richard has access to the city’s private surveillance network through his security firm. He tracked our vehicle matrix."
Nathaniel turned to Claire. "The Charlotte Royal Trust Bank main vault. Is the safety deposit box located there?"
Claire nodded, wiping her tears. "Yes. Deep vault section B."
"Daniel, set a course for Royal Trust," Nathaniel commanded. "And call the federal prosecutor, Marcus Vance. Tell him Nathaniel Cole is coming in with evidence of a corporate assassination conspiracy."
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"Marcus Vance?" Claire asked, looking up in surprise. "That's... that's my cousin! My father's nephew!"
Nathaniel smiled faintly. "I know. Marcus has spent the last five years trying to build a case against Richard Cole for financial fraud. Now, we're going to give him the murder charge he needs to put my uncle away forever."
