Chapter 37
The ascent up the dark, greasy maintenance ladder was an agonizing test of endurance. Every muscle in Cole’s body burned, the heavy EMP casing feeling like a lead weight dragging him toward the abyss. He operated entirely on muscle memory and the primal, unyielding refusal to die in the dark.
He reached the heavy metal doors of the ground-floor lobby. He bypassed the electronic lock manually, prying the doors apart and stepping out into the opulent, silent expanse of the skyscraper’s main entrance.
The lobby was eerily deserted. The private security guards had fled during his initial assault, and the localized jamming had prevented the municipal police from responding.
Cole moved cautiously toward the revolving glass doors, his MP7 raised.
"I'm in the lobby," Cole reported, his breathing heavy. "Status on the extraction team?"
"Director Vance’s team is holding position at the rally point two blocks south," Sarah confirmed. "The streets are clear, Cole. Just walk out the front door."
Cole approached the glass, but his acute tactical instincts flared. The silence was too perfect.
As he reached the threshold, the dark tinted windows of a sleek black luxury sedan parked directly outside the entrance rolled down.
Sitting in the back seat, illuminated by the harsh streetlights, was Viktor Volkov.
Volkov didn't have a weapon raised. He simply stared at Cole, a cold, aristocratic smile on his scarred face. He held a small, heavy silver remote detonator in his hand.
"You are a remarkably resilient cockroach, Bennett," Volkov’s voice echoed through a localized PA system mounted on the sedan. "But your resilience has limits. The EMP devices you carry are secure, yes. But the detonator I hold is linked to a massive C4 charge planted directly beneath the foundation of your sister's safe house in Montana."
Cole froze. The blood turned to absolute ice in his veins.
"You're lying," Cole whispered, his voice trembling slightly for the first time in a decade. "The location is completely off the grid."
"Nothing is off the grid when you possess unlimited wealth and patience," Volkov chuckled softly. "I have known where your family was hiding for months. I simply waited for the perfect moment to apply the leverage. You have a choice, Cole. You can walk out of this building, deliver the EMPs to your government handlers, and watch your sister, your niece, and the woman you love burn. Or, you can walk to this car, hand me the weapons, and surrender yourself."
Cole stared at the Russian syndicate boss, his mind racing through a thousand impossible scenarios. He couldn't shoot Volkov; the dead-man switch would trigger the explosion in Montana. He couldn't risk calling Sarah to warn them; the delay would cost their lives.
He was utterly, perfectly trapped.
"I will not let you hurt them," Cole stated, his voice dropping into a low, terrifying rumble of absolute defeat.
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"Then bring me the package, Ghost," Volkov commanded, leaning back into the leather seats.
Cole slowly lowered his weapon. He unbuckled the heavy tactical harness, holding the reinforced casing containing the EMP devices in his hands. He pushed through the revolving glass doors, walking slowly out into the warm Dubai night, offering himself up to the devil to save his angels.
