Chapter 14 - The Bitter Ransom
The morning sun rose over the damaged estate, revealing the true extent of the chaotic nighttime assault.
Gabriel sat in the kitchen, wiping soot from his hands while staring at a burner phone resting on the marble island.
The phone vibrated violently, shattering the quiet exhaustion of the room.
Gabriel answered the call, pressing the speaker button so Ethan could hear the negotiation.
"You fight remarkably well for an old man who has been retired for five years," Anya's amused voice crackled through the speaker.
"You lost four of your best men for absolutely nothing, Anya," Gabriel fired back, his voice completely devoid of emotion.
"They were completely expendable, Gabriel, just pawns on a much larger chessboard," Anya replied dismissively.
"I have placed powerful, remote-detonated explosive charges in the basements of all three of your charity housing projects."
Gabriel's blood ran ice cold as he realized the horrifying scale of her true, sinister plan.
Thousands of innocent families, including children, were currently sleeping directly above a massive death trap.
"What exactly do you want, Anya?" Gabriel asked, his voice tightening with a desperate, suppressed rage.
"I want you, Gabriel Mercer," Anya demanded, dropping the playful tone entirely.
"You will come to the abandoned shipping yards at the edge of the city alone, unarmed, and without your loyal attack dog, Ethan."
"If you surrender your life to me, I will disarm the explosives and never bother your beautiful pregnant wife again."
"If you bring a team, or if you involve the federal authorities, thousands of innocent people will die in the fire."
She ended the call without waiting for an answer, leaving the heavy weight of an impossible choice hanging in the air.
Gabriel looked at Ethan, who was already frantically typing on his tablet to verify the existence of the bombs.
"The explosive signatures are confirmed, Boss; they are wired into the main gas lines of the buildings," Ethan reported with a pale face.
Gabriel stood up slowly, a profound sense of tragic acceptance settling deep into his tired bones.
May you like
"Do not tell Leah where I am going until it is over," Gabriel commanded softly.
He was going to sacrifice himself to the wolves so his family could finally live in the light.
