Chapter 14 - Counter-Ambush
Dominic’s tactical instincts, sharpened by a lifetime of deceit, translated Ellie’s observation in a millisecond.
There was no dead-man's switch tied to his heart.
Gabriel’s wrist device wasn't a biometric detonator—it was a portable radio frequency jammer disguised as an antique watch, used to sever the estate's internal comms, and the red light was flashing because it had lost its pairing with the receiver outside. The foundation wasn't rigged with explosives. It was an elaborate, theatrical bluff designed to freeze Dominic long enough for an extraction team to arrive at the balcony.
"Clever little girl," Gabriel murmured, his expression hardening into cold venom. "Far too observant for her own good. Just like her mother."
Gabriel reached into his coat for a concealed sidearm.
Dominic didn't fire his weapon—fearing a ricochet in the enclosed concrete room that might strike Clare or Ellie. Instead, he lunged forward, closing the six-foot gap with terrifying velocity.
He caught Gabriel’s right wrist, twisting it violently downward until the bones snapped with a sickening crack. Gabriel cried out in agony as the titanium jammer shattered against the stone floor. Dominic drove his left elbow into the old kingpin’s jaw, sending Gabriel crashing over the low mahogany table.
A heavy rope suddenly swung through the balcony window. A second mercenary descended from an overhead stealth helicopter hovering above the estate's tree line, his boots crashing through the glass.
Dominic spun, tackling the mercenary to the floor before he could level his compact assault rifle. The two men rolled across the broken glass. Dominic grappled for the operative's throat, while Gabriel, nursing his broken arm, scrambled toward Clare and Ellie.
"Mommy!" Ellie screamed.
Clare didn't hesitate. The quiet woman who had spent years hiding swung the heavy iron fire poker with both hands, striking Gabriel squarely across the collarbone. The old man staggered backward with a howl of rage.
Dominic drove his thumbs into the mercenary’s carotid artery until the man went limp, then sprang to his feet. He lunged across the room, grabbing Gabriel by the throat and slamming him violently against the balcony railing.
Rain drenched both men instantly. Behind Gabriel, through the swirling storm mist, the black silhouette of a transport helicopter hovered fifty feet above the water, its searchlight scanning the balcony.
"Your ride is leaving, Gabriel," Dominic snarled into the old man's ear, his fingers crushing Gabriel’s windpipe.
Gabriel, gasping for air, managed a twisted, bloody grin. "You... you think you've won, Dominic? I didn't come here to steal the child tonight... I came to confirm who she was."
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Gabriel’s working hand reached into his pocket and pulled a small transmitter, jamming his thumb down on the single black button before Dominic could tear his arm away.
***
